E3 2020 has been canceled for quite some time and every puzzle has scrambled to deal with the event closure in their own way. Yet the publisher that I always look forward to hearing from for the past 3 E3s has surprised me yet again. Devolver Digital has had a trilogy of press conferences that have been talked about not just for the games but the presentation and style. If you haven’t seen them, you definitely should fix that.

But this year, we get something different. Rather than just another amazing press conference, Devolver Digital took the experience to the next level. Not only do they have a normal press conference, but they have released Devolverland Expo, a playable experience that tries to simulate going to a convention.

Though instead of long lines, desperation, and people trying to get your attention, Devolver Digital presents players with a chance to break into the Los Angeles Convention Center, fight security bots, and check out new games.

Once again Devolver Digital has thought outside the box and found a new and interesting way to get players to check out their trailers, and it’s worked. I probably wouldn’t have looked closely at all the trailers presented here, and in hindsight, I will admit I probably wouldn’t be picking up any of these games, but walking through a dead convention center for an hour or so, and experiencing the Devolverland Expo was rather entertaining.

And then there’s the actual gameplay of Devolverland Expo, rather than just a way to see games, there’s a couple of puzzles, as well as a few challenges, and hidden collectibles. This is far more than just a generic walking simulator. There’s even a boss at the end of the game, that can be a little challenging.

Don’t get too excited. This isn’t the world’s best game or even a deep game. This is just a clever way for a publisher to show off trailers, with just enough gameplay to elevate this to something better than clicking videos on youtube.

For the price(free) it’s a must-play, just for the experience. It’ll take about an hour, and is very clever. However if I was to grade this experience, and I must, I’d probably give it a

7/10

There’s nothing wrong with Devolverland Expo, but it’s an interesting take on the E3 Experience.

I would have liked to see almost a demo of each game or letting players touch a few gadgets from each game. Fall Guys is the only game that was interesting beyond the booth design and even there, it still isn’t fully clear what the game is about.

If you enjoyed this review and want to see more from me, including more in-depth reviews of select games, check out my youtube channel at youtube.com/c/KinglinkReviews.