5 most promising indies from PAX East 2022 – Wrestlequest, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia, and more

gamepur.com:

With the absence of big players like Nintendo and CD Projekt Red at PAX East 2022, it was mostly up to the independent developers and publishers at the event to pick up their slack. They ultimately succeeded with a menagerie of creative titles. From a wrestling RPG to a spoof Souls-like that plays better than anyone would expect, PAX East 2022 delivered. Here are five of the best indies from the show.

Kao the Kangaroo aims and hits the nostalgia of 00’s era platformers some millennials grew up with, including myself. This PAX demo has beautifully rendered cartoon visuals, a great sense of personality, and an interesting biome to explore. It was certainly an improvement from the Steam NextFest demo I played earlier this year.

The boomerang acts as a useful tool in the lava-themed level they showed off, as you throw it at targets around the area and unlocking new paths. Emblazoning the Australian weapon or Kao’s fists in fire also helps you get through enemy types that are weak to the element. 

The platforming was slightly more challenging than last time I had played, making for an exciting experience for those who love the genre. The rocks bob up and down in this cavernous area among the lava as you find secret items around several corners.

It will be interesting to see what other tools Kao has at his disposal when the full game releases for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 27. The voice acting may be cringey, but I’m looking forward to giving this platformer a shot.

There are many Souls-like games out there in the aether, but there is nothing like The Last Hero of Nostalgaia. The developer Over The Moon Games brings the funny, satirical