It’s not very often that i sit down and type out anything while I’m at a convention. Whether it’s PAX in Boston or Seattle or Comic Con in New York, between the back to back to back 17 hour days filled with constant walking, running, talking, and partying, it’s not at all easy to sit down and dedicate my time to writing out something that I can just as easily do from the comfort of my own home in a few days time.

So why, exactly, am I doing it now? Gigantic. That’s why.

Gigantic is the first game from Motiga games, the Bellevue based games studio that has been turning the wheels on this project since 2012. Being the next big MOBA game coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 is a big role to fill, so what exactly is Gigantic doing to stand out from frontrunners League of Legends and DOTA 2? Quite a lot.

Gigantic’s premise is unique. Ten heroes split up in to teams of five and push forward while capturing different points. At these capture points, heroes can spawn creatures. These creatures give their team advantages in the area, such as spotting enemies, healing heroes, and attacking the enemy team as they try to capture the point. As your team captures points and kills enemies, your massive Guardian – that’s the huge creature sitting on either side of the map – will begin his rampage. If you can continue to dominate the opponent your Guardian will eventually attack the enemies, opening it’s weak spot up and allowing you to begin to chip away at it’s health.

Have the basic concept of the game? Good. Now let’s talk about how it feels.

Before that though let me tell you something else. PAX is big. There are games everywhere. You’d be lucky to even see half of them, let alone all of them. When you’re in a position such as mine, seeing as many games as possible is essential. You have to get in, play a game, and move on to the next one. Playing a game more than once is an impossibility, especially if it’s one with a line.

It should speak volumes to the quality of Gigantic, then, when I tell you that I played it three times in two days.

Anyway, back to this addicting game. My first match I played as Tyto the Swift. Tyto is an agile assassin with super-speed to boot. His get in-get out gameplay and super-quick swordplay made for a greatmatch up and an intense match but ultimately, Tyto felt too “squishy” and low-health for a new player like myself to properly utilize.

My next match I moved on to a more tank-y character. The tank-y character. The Margrave. Sitting next to me while I played was a member of the team at Motiga who, luckily enough for me, loved The Margrave. Running around with The Margrave was one of the most exhilerating gaming experiences I’d ever had. Chasing after the enemies, closing the gap with a special ability, initiating fights and using just the right combination of luck and skill. The Margrave does a hit-hit-heavy hit combo when you attack, and landing that third critical heavy hit led to me leading a streak of six kills in a row. Our team went on to win the match, due in part to my amazing tanking abilities. #humblebrag

Did I mention I loved The Margrave? Because I was so addicted to this hero that I waited another hour in line at Motiga’s social late Saturday night just so I could play as him again. I’ve never been one to get addicted to a game, let alone a PC title when I’m a primarily Xbox gamer, but I’m counting down the days until I can get in to Gigantic’s alpha, because this was truly one of the best games I’ve ever played.

It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to name Motiga’s Gigantic as our PAX East Gold Game of Show as well as our Editor’s Choice. Motiga has managed to capture the attention of myself, a novice MOBA player who’s done no more than fives games of DOTA 2 in his entire MOBA career, and turn me in to a fiend. A Gigantic fiend. A fiend who cannot wait for the Xbox One and Windows 10 release of Gigantic.

For combining a wonderfully inviting art style, curiously addictive gameplay, and unique take on the MOBA genre, Gigantic takes this years PAX East crown. Be sure to check out the official Gigantic website where you can sign up to be an Alpha Tester.

For anything else PAX related keep your browsers pointed at LevelSave.com, and be sure to check out all of our PAX East Best of Show winners.

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