There is nothing more invigorating than sharing a vast arena of current and retro video games with thousands of people who have a passion for button bashing.
It was like straight out of a 1980’s gamer basement as Manchester’s Event City was lined with arcade classics such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario and even Pong.
Yet there were some new contenders to the stage with Nintendo pulling out all the stops to reclaim the gaming throne with previews of solid upcoming titles including the perfectly polished The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.
Yet it was the Oculus Rift virtual reality headgear that stole the show and after a (very) long queue, MM were able to get their hands on the eagerly-anticipated prize.
This virtual reality headset replaces the traditional screen, displaying a personal, directional view depending on where you turn your head.
While it needs a little more fine tuning, it is the most exciting thing gaming has seen since Motion Scan captured facial images perfectly in LA Noire.
No longer is the player stuck with a fixed forward camera, but is free to observe the virtual world with breathtaking views.
“My favourite thing is watching people put it on and they start swinging their head all over the place,” an Oculus Rift spokesperson mused.
“You can see how surprised they are that they really can look 360 degrees in the game world.”
Being able to experiencing title Hawken in virtual reality must be how astronaut feel on their maiden voyage into space, a little scary at first, yet domineering when you realise you are the sole control of a large indestructible mechanical container.
And after leaning, dodging and turning in a multitude of directions – much to the amusement of onlookers, Oculus Rift is testament to the current booming video games industry.
Even a self-proclaimed none-gamer was impressed, he explained: “I was surprised by how immersive it was, I could actually lean forward and look up to see more above me.
“I’m not a gamer, but if games were like that, as immersive as that, I think I could really get into it.”
While, in its current state, the image quality leaves a little to be desired the Oculus Rift truly is the next step in gaming immersion.
Motion-sickness aside it was time for a little more traditional gaming as the sequel to the brutal, mind numbing and painfully difficult Dark Souls was calling out to anyone confident enough to not die within the first few minutes of start-up.
With Dark Souls and its predecessor Dragon Souls, The sense of achievement and triumph when you finally killed that boss or made it across that difficult section, was truly satisfying.
And the sequel aims to do exactly the same, only with better graphics, improved AI and a sleeker user interface.
Dark Souls 2 looks gorgeous and better still, runs smoothly, an issue that plagued parts of its predecessor.
The playable section featured several enemies and a boss, with a t-shirt on offer for anyone who could defeat him.
In a testament to how undiluted the difficulty curve is, only a couple of people left triumphant, t-shirt in hand.
It looks great, plays great and is still as grimly rewarding as its predecessor, with five months still to release; Dark Souls 2 could turn out to be a masterpiece.
Moving across the games stage we came to the latest swashbuckling adventure of The Assassins Creed series which has so far delivered an impressively huge open world that, until now, has been broken only by frustrating loading screens.
In Black Flag, the whole of the Caribbean is seamlessly arrayed before you, free to explore on foot or on your ship, the Jackdaw.
The Play Expo demo offered only a small slice of this Caribbean paradise, which some found disappointing.
Sammy Royle, a 19-year-old student from Manchester, said: “It was a bit short and could have done with a bit more combat and climbing like the games used to be.
“Though the boats were fun, I think I probably just wanted to see more.”
As fun as it was to have a sneak peak of gaming treats in store for the rest of 2013, nothing was more satisfying than experiencing the wonder of the arcade which slowly fizzled out with the introduction of the early years Nintendos and Playstations.
But stepping into the arcade section at Play Expo I must admit that the magic was there.
There were hundreds of classic machines on display, everything from pinball to side scrolling shooter and driving games.
Many of the games were unrecognisable for the younger audience, but some of the older patrons had a visible twinkle in their eye as they spied some of their old favourites.
The arcade wasn’t the only section to capture the retro wonders of old-school gaming, there were rows of tables covered in old consoles and portable CRT TVs.
Old Playstations, Atari 200s and Sega Megadrives, alongside old-school PCs, all served as a reminder of how far technology and gaming has advanced.
But let’s face it, Pong is still amazing…
Yet, even trawling through the age of consoles my gaze was directed toward a bevy of avid cosplay attendees and let’s face it, it wouldn’t really be an expo without some fantastic handmade costumes on display.
And there were some astoundingly detailed cosplay, covering everything from Ghostbusters to a Skyrim fan in full daedric armour.
When asked why he dressed up, Jacob Williams told MM: “We spend all this time in games playing, pretending to be someone else.
“Why not get take that extra step towards being that character when you have the chance?”
With an infectious atmosphere, a fantastic array of old and new games, complimented by thousands of passionate fans, this year’s Play Expo was a resounding success.
It managed to perfectly capture a unique snapshot of gaming history, from the exciting future to the classics of ages past.
Make sure you mark up your calendars for next year’s event and experience the joy that gaming has been giving for generations.
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