At the end of it latest extended critique of marketing and consumerism disguised as a videogame press conference, Devolver Digital simultaneously announced and released a new game. It's called Devolverland Expo and you can get it on Steam for free right now.
Set in an empty convention center after a big videogame hype event has been canceled, it's apparently a first-person marketing simulator. It looks like you get to explore spaces styled after Devolver games like Weird West, Carrion, Shadow Warrior 3, and Disc Room (complete with changes in art style to suit) as well as shooting up some Fall Guys, the cartoon stars of their forthcoming Gang Beasts-esque battle royale thing. Plus, there's a power glove and a t-shirt you can use against floating security robots. It's all very strange, which I suppose is what you'd expect.
Given that we recently saw the Oregon County Fair turned into an MMO and the EEK3 showcase gave us a haunted virtual showfloor to explore, Devolverland Expo seems pretty timely. I am excited for surreal public space simulators to become their own microgenre.
