Armageddon Expo round-up

Blinding lasers, bearded Vikings, sweaty gamers and that guy from Borderlands – this year’s Armageddon Expo had everything for a perfectly nerdy long weekend.

I had my doubts initially as I hadn’t been to Armageddon since way back. However, once I got in the door and was greeted by a terrifyingly accurate cosplay of Slender Man, those doubts were dispelled.

Obviously, an event such as this draws attention for various reasons, but one of the most obvious was the line-up of actors and actresses from major TV shows.

I, for one, got within metres of some guy from Supernatural, which my girlfriend informs me is pretty exciting.

But if like me Supernatural isn’t your thing, then perhaps Game of Thrones stars Finn Jones (who plays Loras Tyrell) and Miltos Yerolemou (swordmaster Syrio Forel) will be a little more recognisable.

They spoke to a packed room of fans which was briefly invaded by several characters from Cartoon Network hit Adventure Time. Don’t ask me why.

There was of course the usual array of goodies for bargain hunters, although how many bargains were available was a little bit of a disappointment, particularly on the gaming front.

Very few stalls stocked video games, and those that did weren’t any cheaper than you’d expect from a retailer. The best deals to be found were from the Mighty Ape stall, but even there the pickings were fairly slim.

But the games on display from developers were pretty damn impressive at times. Sony’s upcoming Playstation All Stars Battle Royale was on show with all 16 playable characters, and it’s looking to be one of the best party-games in years.

A playable demo of God of War: Ascension also featured, complete with everything you’d expect from a GoW game: gigantic, axe swinging knights, demonic elephant-warriors, and at least one helping of an exposed brain in startling HD. Excellent.

I also got my first hands-on with the upcoming Wii U, which is looking interesting to say the least. Zombie U makes innovative use of the new game-pad, but it remains to be seen how easily gamers will accustom to the new uses of the technology.

Perhaps the biggest lines of the entire Expo were for Halo 4. From what we saw of it, fans of the series will not be disappointed. It’s every bit the sequel you would expect to continue the outstanding legacy of the series.

This year’s Armageddon was everything you’d expect; comics, gaming, science fiction and cosplay. We’d love to see any pics you have of the weekend – the best costumes, your photos with your favourite celebrities; anything.