At a convention like PAX East, where you’re surrounded at all times by thousands of people, blaring livestream shoutcasters and hundreds of games, it can be pretty difficult to get absorbed into any one experience. Even with virtual reality games that literally block off your peripheral vision to transport you into another world, it’s hard not to remain acutely aware of your surroundings. Outlast 2 developer Red Barrels Studio actually went to the trouble of building a sound- and lightproof enclosure to make sure players would be able to stay immersed. Yet without a doubt, the game I lost myself in the most during the show was Klang.
This list of awards goes to Steam Game Festival games that used game mechanics, storytelling, and art in unique and fantastic ways. Featuring gameplay from Embr, Heavenly Bodies, Chicory, Carrion, Recompile, Going Under, Liberated, and Klang.
The debut release of a one-man studio, Klang is an action/platformer/rhythm hybrid that shoots for the moon. Questionable choices on gameplay and software levels keep it from even reaching the stars—but at least it’s pretty fun to listen to.
VGChartz's Daniel Carreras: "The flaws I describe ultimately all boil down to Klang's short length and lack of content. Had there been more levels the developers would perhaps have been pushed to develop some truly unique platform challenges that took full advantage of Klang's unique combat, but as it stands it's both short and repetitive, which should really be unforgiveable. Klang is fantastically original and I enjoyed my relatively short time with the game, but it never fully delivers on the promise of either the rhythm or platforming genres."
