First Looks// Post-PAX Impressions: Chariot, Cannon Brawl, Defence Grid 2

Sometimes Chris gets so busy the rest of us start to sweat just from following him on Twitter. He dug into a LOT of games over the course of PAX Prime 2014, and over the next week or so we're going to be bringing you his impressions. First up: Cannon Brawl, Chariot and Defence Grid 2...


Cannon Brawl by Turtle Sandbox

Ever played a Worms game and found it to be a teensy bit ponderous? The whole thing of waiting for your turn before you can retaliate after someone has lobbed a grenade at your little pink protagonist from a seemingly impossible angle? From the vigorous nodding of your head I can see you empathise with this feeling. Turtle Sandbox, the makers of Cannon Brawl felt the same way so set about making a 2D RTS that, from still screen shots, looks like a traditional turn-based combat game a-la Scorched Earth or Death Tank. Once you see it moving and indeed play it, however, you will quickly realise that it's nothing of the sort.

Two sides are pitched against one another. Both have castles that act as the source of the units and buildings they construct to both defend themselves and attack the opposing side's castle. Before the game starts players are required to select a character, who will have special abilities that are unique to them. It is advised that players use these abilities as much as possible as they can tip the balance of the battle in their favour very quickly. Play occurs simultaneously making each engagement a very fast paced affair as players try to manage defending themselves while lobbing various missiles at their opponent.

Speaking of speed, matches are over in 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of map and competency of the players. The audio and visual feedback to the players as they smash their way across the map is very pleasing as the style of the game is similar to Swords and Soldiers, which is no bad thing.

During the relatively short time I had with the game on the show floor I enjoyed it immensely. Cannon Brawl is out now on PC and Mac and is available on Steam.


Chariot by Frima Studio

There are quite a few puzzle platformer games out there and one could argue that the indie game scene isn't so much awash with them as it is becoming synonymous with the genre. Almost every indie game developer has made at least one of these games in one form or another, and Canadian developer Frima Studio is no different in having made Chariot.

Now, while Chariot is very much a puzzle platformer game it takes the much beleaguered genre into a different place by sharing the burden of puzzle solving with another player. For Chariot is a co-op based game that requires players to coordinate their efforts in order to successfully navigate their way through each level.

The story behind Chariot is a tad on the morbid side, as the player takes the role of a princess or her fiancé as they drag the coffin of the princess's father (i.e. the king) across the land to find his sepulchre. While the king his dead, his spirit is very much present and he is rather picky about where his remains are to be placed. This has forced the princess and her significant other to pull, throw, drop and clamber over the king's coffin as they find the perfect sepulchre for their hard-to-please deceased former ruler and father.