Editor's note: A nice, quick update on three big-name games from PAX: Dante's Inferno, Left 4 Dead 2, and The Beatles: Rock Band. Oh, plus a huge "scoop" on Valve's next adventure game. Sorta.

We gotta ask, though -- no pictures of Mario playing Beatles: Rock Band? Oh, Evan... -Shoe

I spent most of the first day of my first PAX just trying to figure out how the whole thing fits together, so I didn't get as much time in the Expo Hall as I would have liked. Here are three quick impressions of some of the games I saw:

Over-the-Shoulder Impression - Dante's Inferno

The term "God of War clone" has been tossed around a lot concerning Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno, but I never really realized how apt that was. The HUD looks exactly like God of War's, down to the thin green life bar sitting atop the thin blue magic meter, with the little decorative picture off to the left. And the little picture off to the side looks so much like Kratos that I thought that I was watching God of War 3 until I noticed that the protagonist was not wielding the Blades of Chaos.

This was, admittedly, a walk-by experience; I didn't stop for long. And there are a lot worse games to copy than God of War, so if it handles as well as its playsake I will be very pleased. This is on my short list of games I must get some hands-on time with tomorrow.

Over-the-Shoulder Impression - Left 4 Dead 2

I had my doubts about this one, too, mainly because it seemed a little soon for a sequel and blah blah blah. Never mind that -- it looks great. Valve updated the Horde models, and the game has realistic dismemberment -- and I saw quite a bit of the latter once players started swinging around katanas. As soon as the doors open tomorrow, I'm getting in line.

Left 4 Dead 2 also has a new playable campaign at PAX, "Dark Carnival." It is exactly what you imagine, and even includes clown zombies, whose squeaking shoes alert the Horde to your location. Between this and poison headcrabs, I'm beginning to suspect that Valve has a special monitor in their studio that allows them to view my nightmares. Brace yourselves for their next game, What Have You Done to My Genitals?!

Hands-On - The Beatles: Rock Band

Yes, I actually played something, and I'm going to play it again tomorrow. It was a little tough to take the stage after a band that included Mario on the drums and Princess Peach on lead vocals, but damn it, somebody had to. I played bass on "I Am the Walrus," and even though it has been months since I've picked up a plastic guitar, it all came back immediately.

I was using the Höfner violin bass controller, and the first thing I noticed was that it is big. Not quite full-size big, but big enough to make me remember the ukulele-sized thing that came with the first Guitar Hero and shake my head. It looks and plays great; the strum bar didn't seem to have that weird spongy quality I've noticed on my Rock Band controller at home. And if the guy singing behind me hadn't belted out a "Woo!" like Ric Flair during the second chorus, I probably would have hit every note.

P.S. If anyone went to the meet-up at the Tap House and did not have the corn chowder...make the time. You owe it to yourself.