It was no secret that there was an apparent absence of many large triple-A titles at PAX East 2015. However, this shifted the spotlight on the medium and smaller sized games, allowing them to flourish. On the showroom floor, very quickly the crowd became overrun by bright blue shirts, baring the name “Gigantic”. We talked to dozens of people on the floor, all of which giving this game their ‘favorite game at PAX’ title. Here’s why:
If you have not heard of Gigantic, before, here is their PAX East 2015 trailer (and their announcement trailer for anyone interested):
Gigantic was created by an independent games studio, Motiga, and is simply described as a fast-paced, 5 vs. 5 competitive game. Gigantic is unique, somewhat fitting into its own type of niche, but it closely resembles other tower defense or MOBA games. Essentially, ten players are pitted in a long map with a special computer-controlled Guardian at each side. A Guardian is a colossal creature, and the objective of the game is to defeat the other teams Guardian.
As players attack each other in the middle of the arena, the positive actions you do, such as attacking your opponents, help charge your Guardian’s attack. When the Guardian’s attack bar is fully charged, it will rush across the map and attack the other team’s Guardian to knock it down. When the opposing team’s Guardian is knocked down, this results in the most effective time to strike as the most damage will be dealt by other players while a Guardian is down. Scattered throughout the map, there are also mini-objectives or min-bosses that can give advantages to the team that can complete or defeat these.
One of the most unique aspects of Gigantic is its character lineup (shown below). The various heroes that players can choose have all been designed by the development team to accommodate players of various gaming styles and backgrounds. When Game&Comic sat down to play, a member of the Motiga development team asked what our favorite games were and made a character recommendation accordingly. Although this feature can help accommodate new players from a variety of backgrounds, veteran MOBA players need not worry as standard roles, such as tanks or medics, are still present in the game. The art style in the game is also worth noting. The bright, cartoonish graphics really stand out in a positive light, especially when there is a barrage of attacks occurring in the game.
Gigantic will be released in 2015 and is currently confirmed for both Windows 10 and Xbox One.
Gamenomics & Comicology 