There are times when you feel the need to mention a game, but there isn't really any other place in which to do it. These are the anomalies, the head-scratchers, or anything else that simply just defies categorization.

On the other hand, sometimes you go in expecting a bit more than the game delivers. That doesn't mean that the game in question is necessarily bad, per se ... but that it just doesn't live up to what you hoped it would. These five games didn't live up to the expectations I'd gone onto the PAX show floor with.

Sure, StarCraft 2 was great, but it's StarCraft. I expected that. These five games came out of nowhere (well, most of them) and ended up being some very pleasant surprises. Some had some fantastic ideas, some were just charming, some were just plain neat ... or any combination thereof.

We at The Escapist and WarCry would like to celebrate the few attendees brave enough to not only walk around Seattle in costume ... but to let us capture them on camera for posterity while doing it.

A collection of assorted shorter hands-on impressions from the show floor at PAX '08.

John Funk jumps into the pilot seat at PAX '08 for some hands-on time with NetDevil's space-shooter MMOG, Jumpgate Evolution.

From the PAX '08 show floor, John Funk asks the question, "How do you follow up a game like StarCraft?" and spends some time with StarCraft II to try and find the answer.

The final showdown of the PAX 2008 Omegathon saw a showdown between Fallout and Geko for the ultimate glory.