Penny Arcade Expo East is nice and all, but it can't hold a candle to the real deal. PAX prime is in full swing here in Seattle, Washington, and we've been braving the crowds and hunting down games all across the show floor. One of those games is Torchlight II, the action role-playing game from developer Runic Games, which just announced a new character class: the embermage. After chatting with Runic Games' CEO, Max Schaefer, we got to spend a little hands-on time with this hotheaded sorcerer and see some of his (or her) spells in action.

Please note that since...

The upcoming side-scrolling shooter Shoot Many Robots, developed by Demiurge Studios is coming out in 2012 and Penny Arcade Expo attendees were able to try out the game for the very first time. This co-op shooter--best played either locally or with four players online--is your standard shooter, featuring tons of interesting weapons and enemies that are in serious need of a beating.

Controls were fairly straightforward; you have the ability to...

The Penny Arcade Expo is starting early this year. On the eve of the convention's opening, developer 343 Industries kicked off its Halo Fest celebration to commemorate 10 years of Halo goodness. The party focused primarily on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the upcoming remake of the classic first-person shooter. Some of the announcements we already knew, such as having the ability to swap between the old and new graphical settings with the press of a button.

Chief among the new items were a set of new multiplayer maps. These included the...

It has been a year and a half since developer Kim Swift left Valve for Airtight Games, where she was given the offer to lead a team and work on her own project. Following up on an idea that came to her during a stroll to the local bakery, Swift wanted her new game to appeal to a broad audience while still challenging the hardcore gamer--similar to the critically acclaimed Portal. Quantum Conundrum is her team's new venture, a first-person puzzle platformer set in an...

For those craving arcade, air-combat racing on their consoles, the upcoming game by Digital Reality entitled SkyDrift could be the game for you. We had a chance to sample this PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade game prior to its release and found that flying the unfriendly skies has its perks.

SkyDrift is what you'd expect: a flight combat racer that pits you against other daredevil pilots in various locales, ranging from ice-filled caverns to lush forests. In...