PAX Prime 2011 - Part 1: Borderlands 2, Skyrim, Orcs Must Die, Retro/Grade, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and more

PAX Prime has been growing exponentially each year, but it's become so vast that you really can't do it all anymore. But we did a lot and will spend the next two days delving into as many games as we can.

Here are the highlights from the Activision Media Pre-PAX Event and Day 1:

Borderlands 2. We made a beeline for 2K Games booth and we were so glad we did. Borderlands was our 2009 BGN Game of the Year, and the sequel - due in 2013 - looks even better. There was no photography allowed but we recorded audio of the full demo and will post it it as soon as we can! (Check back for a link.) The game features new weapons and all enemy AI, so expect more surprises from the Psychos and some hulking Arctic tundra creatures that populate a new snow-covered locale. And yes, it's cel-shaded - a little rough around the edges in its current early form (probably part of why there were no photos allowed), but the gameplay looks very promising. As a bonus, Gearbox confirmed that the now vertically oriented level-up screens will be easier to manage, particularly for split-screen co-op (one of our few complaints), and that co-op players will have an easier time dropping in and out even if they miss playing a section of the game. (Gamewatcher)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I didn't have time for a full playthrough of the show demo but I created an Argonian (lizard) character and wandered the beautiful new world of the game for a spell. Talked to people. Communed with nature. Fish jumped as if spawning upstream and large antlered game darted through the forest. A distinct lack of enemies prompted me to equip my bow and take a few shots at the large creatures, which might have been stags or moose. At first glance, Skyrim appears to be a more polished version of Oblivion - with gorgeous scenery and incredible sound design. But I didn't get deep enough to find any quests or story points. Not that I'm cancelling my preorder or anything. (Gamewatcher)

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. The game that nobody loves but me is back, and so is photojournalist/badass Frank West! The Capcom rep described the campaign as "different from Dead Rising 2, but the story is the same - but not." It went on, but basically, he swears it's a new campaign built in the same world (Silver City). But beyond that, they aren't talking. He did comment that Frank brings a different perspective to the world, as this game is set post-Willamette. More importantly, it features a sandbox mode that allows free roam without time limits plus challenges. This will be available from the beginning, meaning you no longer have to beat the game to indulge in a little light zombicide. The weapon combos are back with some welcome additions. My favorite: Combine the trash can (barrel, really) and fire extinguisher to create a floating freeze machine. Trust me, it's cool. Gamewatcher says he will give it a chance now that the time limits are gone - but he'll probably hate it. You probably will, too. I can't wait! (GrrlGotGame)

Orcs Must Die. Our PAX East correspondent Collin Moore shared his thoughts on this game (listen), but today marked my first time seeing it up close and playing it. It's much more action packed than I had envisioned. I was imagining an isometric (above the character, looking down) which is the norm for these type of strategy games. Not so. The camera is directly behind your hero, and you can rotate your view as you'd expect from any third-person action game. You set traps and then let the horde of Orcs in to get crushed by them while you pick off any that get through with your bow and finish off any stragglers with a sword before they reach the blue portal you're sworn to protect. I only played with a small sampling of the traps, but had a great time setting up spikes to shoot from the floor and walls while laying exploding barrels that I could shoot to take out a mass of advancing foes. This is a day one purchase for me when it launches most likely in October. (Gamewatcher)

Retro/Grade. This gem of an action game gives plastic guitar enthusiasts something to do with their favorite fake instruments besides play Boston tunes. The back story has something to do with a major event that screws with the space/time continuum, but what it's really about is using your rhythm skills to hit sparkly stars and avoid enemy fire as you zoom in a space ship backwards through the cosmos and time, trying to keep the continuum in balance. A controller option allows those who don't jam or own a guitar to play as well. The original game music matches the cosmic mood with a sort of trance/funk hybrid that makes zoning out with the game a pleasure. And with each level lasting one song (about 3 – 5 minutes), this is a very busy gamer friendly title. (GrrlGotGame)

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. One of the coolest games I've seen at PAX so far also boasts one of the best marketing ploys: It literally brings toys to life. Each character in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure - due Oct. 16 for Wii, 3DS, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC - is tied to a physical toy ("Interaction Figure"). These aren't action figures, more like a really cute figurine of your favorite character... on steroids. To jump into a game, the player simply picks up his/her character and drops it on an interactive base. The base looks like the top of a really cool castle, in keeping with the overall vaguely dungeons and dragons feel of the design. As soon as the character hits the base – voila, it appears in the game and is ready to rock. Or roll. Or shoot. Or whatever. Players can work through missions solo or play together in single-screen co-op. All progress made during missions is stored to the toy's memory, making the game highly portable for playing with friends. The toys will work with any base, on any platform. In other words, a character leveled up in an Xbox 360 household will play just fine on a friend's Wii console. (Assuming they have the game and magic base.)

Each character has a different skill set, including combat style and special moves. I played as the appropriately named Bash, a sort of lizardish guy with a spiked ball at the end of his very powerful tail. Sonic Boom is a bird who blows away enemies with his vocal prowess. Trigger Happy is a freaky little dual-wielding mutant. And so on. No matter how you like to play, you'll find a character that suits your needs. Which brings me to the marketing ploy. The game will ship with two characters in the basic package. Additional characters – that is, toys – will be available for individual sale at retail. Enthusiastic players (like our 8-year-old son) are likely to lobby for new characters to add to their menagerie.

The game itself is relatively linear, but offers plenty of gentle combat opportunities, portals, and surprises to keep you engaged. The co-op mode will teach your children the value of communication, as you're sharing a screen. Combat is genuinely fun and entirely kid-friendly. You may even find yourself leveling up after the kids have gone to bed. Bash Smash! (GrrlGotGame)

Joe Danger: The Movie. This sequel to the PSN game Joe Danger puts you in control of Joe Danger, now a movie stuntman. Each level is a primary color cornucopia of activity, as you jump, duck, ride and occasionally mow down other people (in a very non-violent way) in your pursuit of the perfect scene (and high score). Eventually, the scenes you perform stunts for will cut together to tell an amusing little story. The levels tend to be short and the action mostly harmless, making this a very busy gamer-friendly title though not necessarily an easy one to excel at. The game promises to be an entertaining diversion that you’ll enjoy and your kids will pwn. No release date has been set and the destination platforms are unknown, but the developers are hopeful it will come out in the first half of 2012. (GrrlGotGame)

Life Is Crime. Available for Android now and coming to iOS in early September, this latest in free-to-play social games is part FourSquare, part Mafia Wars, and all over the place – literally. Life Is Crime is a cellphone-based game that can be played when you have just a little time to play... like when you're in line at Starbucks (coffee shops are dens of criminal activity in the game). Game developer Red Robot has built virtual worlds around real locations in cities throughout the U.S. Enter a real location, and you get an opportunity to perform tasks (pick up loot, start a fight with another player, dominate a location, etc.) that will help you build your crime empire. Unlike Facebook, you don’t have to know other players to interact with them. You can send a friend requests, however. The value of the game will live or die by how many people are playing in your area. Red Robot is running a special PAX game for Android users that had an impressive number of players as of Friday. It's too bad the iOS version won’t be ready for another week. Then again, 3G doesn’t need any more stress than it's already enduring downtown right now. UPDATE (Aug. 29): The game developer wrote to say that they misspoke: The iPhone version is not due for a few weeks at least. (GrrlGotGame)