For four days near the end of summer each year, FAN EXPO Canada turns the Metro Toronto Convention Centre into a lively pop culture hotspot. Fans come together to celebrate their favourite movies, comics, anime, and video games. As the the third largest event in North America of its kind and the biggest in Canada, FAN EXPO draws in casual enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
In the realm of video games, this year saw the likes of Focus Entertainment, Xbox and Outright Games to name a few. During this year’s FAN EXPO event I had a chance to visit these booths to check out some of the latest games and gear. Let’s take a look at the best gaming booths at the show!
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 exclusive demo
Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive showcased an exclusive demo of their upcoming title, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, at FAN Expo Canada 2024. In this game, you take on the role of a Space Marine, the Emperor’s elite warriors. You play as Lieutenant Demetrian Titus, accompanied by two battle brothers, Chairon and Gadriel.
Talking with the developer, I learned that Space Marine 2’s campaign will be about 12 hours. And, it has an original narrative set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe. You can select from six distinct classes: Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy. Additionally, you can customize your character and weapons with a variety of cosmetic options and skills. The game offers four difficulty levels—Easy, Normal, Veteran, and Angel of Death. It also includes an Operations mode for cooperative play, where you can gain experience and enhance your classes with various perks.
Moreover, Eternal War, the multiplayer mode, features 6v6 battles with different gameplay modes such as Annihilation, Seize Ground, and Capture & Control, allowing players to align with either the Imperium or the forces of Chaos. After playing the Space Marine 2 demo at FAN EXPO Canada, I was quite impressed. The visuals, including the armour and environments, felt authentic to the Warhammer universe. The combat system does have a learning curve but after a few minutes I picked right up on it.
I’m really looking forward to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. It’s coming out on September 9, 2024 and will be playable in the cloud on GeForce NOW. Stay tuned for our review of the game here on Cloud Dosage!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed sneak peak
One of my most memorable moments from FAN EXPO Canada 2024 was getting a chance to try out the new upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. Titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, this game is inspired by the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The game is being developed by Outright Games in partnership with Paramount Game Studios. It’s set to launch in several weeks on October 18, 2024.
The game was running on an Xbox One X dev kit at the show and looked awesome. Mutants Unleashed features an original storyline where the turtles face a new mutant menace while trying to fulfill their dreams of going to a regular high school. The game supports both single-player and two-player co-op modes. All four turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo—are accounted for and playable. The action takes places in, you guessed it, New York City.
Mutants Unleashed’s gameplay emphasizes teamwork and allows for players to enhance each turtle’s abilities through a skill tree. This system helps you earn combat experience (XP) and strengthen friendships, unlocking new areas as they progress. From the brief but action-packed gameplay I experienced, I’m even more eager to dive into Mutants Unleashed this October.
Xbox PC Game Pass Arena
The Xbox booth prominently featured Game Pass, showcasing a variety of playable games. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any upcoming games to play early. However, adventurous fans could test their skills against professional gamers in the Xbox PC Game Pass Arena. This area resembled an eSports venue, complete with a stage for competitors and screens displaying the action.
Xbox’s FAN EXPO Canada booth also included a Star Wars Outlaws claw machine. It offered various prizes you could win, including a plushie of Nix from the game. Two popular photo opportunities drew quite a few fans to the Xbox both, highlighting the eagerly awaited games Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. At the Indiana Jones setup, attendees could take pictures with iconic items like the hat, whip, and jacket.
Rounding out the Xbox booth was Toronto-based Brazilian artist Christiano De Araujo. Christiano was live at the Xbox booth hand-painting a large Xbox Series S themed around Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. When all was said and done this large Black Ops 6 themed Xbox Series S looked pretty cool!
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