Going to the Facts Convention, Belgian’s biggest Comic Con, has become a tradition. Since the start of Gaming Boulevard, we never missed an edition so needless to say, we were pretty excited to enter this year’s magical forest once more. Don’t have plans for tomorrow? You might want to add Facts to your list.
Welcome to Facts Spring Edition 2022
Right from the entrance, it was clear that this edition of Facts is all about fun. We entered through one of the side halls were you could test out some games on powerful Alternate gear, no new games but fun on gorgeous equipment. Besides this, you could also check out some interesting booths about the Halo television series, Walking Dead, and Moon Knight. It’s a great way of entering this edition as you’re instantly thrown into different universes. Mere seconds after entering Facts, you forget all about the real world and enter a world filled with magic and wonder. The entrance was only the beginning.
Once we left the side hall, we entered the main hall where you could enjoy the geek market. It’s an impressive market filled with merchandise from all of your favorite games, mangas, animes, movies, and television shows. There are smaller more obscure booths focussing on specific fandoms, offering merchandise and gear you rarely see anywhere else but there are also some cheaper, more mainstream booths offering merchandise at a reasonable price. One thing’s for sure, if you’re into anything geeky, you’ll definitely find your next favorite piece of merchandise here. I love wandering around the corridors while discovering all those amazing products ranging from merchandise to import delicious food. It always feels like going on a short holiday and spending a couple of bucks on some fun memorabilia; it’s also a big plus that you can score some Japanese Pokémon cards. But what about gaming?
Gaming at Facts Spring Edition 2022
Besides merchandise, we’re also going to Facts to play some games, and this edition didn’t disappoint at all. It’s still not as big as pre-COVID, where you had a giant gaming hall filled with big companies like Nintendo and Ubisoft, often bringing pre-release demos with them. Due to some COVID restrictions, the big companies didn’t return just yet but that was nothing to really worry about. The Belgian Games booth offered some fun games created in Belgium, including pre-release demos. We had a lot of fun with the upcoming Warhammer 40K: Shootas, Blood & Teef and will publish a hands-on preview later on. The Belgian Games booth had some fun games to play, including crowd-favorite VR titles. As gamers, it’s nice to see some games created in our country and we certainly appreciated the booth a lot. Aside from that, you could also play some fun retro games or even play the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which seemed to be an early retail copy. All in all, compared to the last edition, gaming certainly is making a return to Facts, and judging by the packed booth, I think it’s time to move gaming into another bigger side hall instead of putting them at the end of the main geek market hall.
Cosplay
Cosplay has always been the heart of Facts. You can stage a magical world and have the best props around you but you need the exceptional cosplayers to give life to the halls that form the facts Forest. Saturday was stage day and focusses on the acts and wondrous clamoring from the baffled audience. It’s always nice to see the cosplay hall go dark to see the costumes filled with LED madness and hard work. If you’re more into the technical stuff behind the costumes and if foam is your thing, then Sunday will get you covered as well. Sunday the stage will host cosplayers willing to talk about the intricate details of the build itself and how to bend some of those pesky materials to your will to create armor, chainmail, or amazing props that look like they would weight much much more. Somehow this spring edition has attracted more cosplayers than ever! And that’s a good thing! The Fan Village was the place to see some of the cosplayers and fandom groups in their own environment or to take some nice pictures for yourself or the kids! Every single one of them will let you take a picture if you ask nice enough and treat them with the respect they deserve!
Axe throwing, LEGO, and more
Lego Masters was a hit on TV and while it’s always been present at Facts, this year it was more prominent and some of those creations could have been pulled straight from the TV show itself. Whether you’re into Star Wars or even the real-life Disney Castle replicas, the Lego Masters at Facts bring craftsmanship and wonder to all.
If you’re more into slashing than building…there’s axe throwing! The kind people at Wood Cutter Urban Axe Throwing were friendly enough to help us throw some axes into a slab of wood. And it looks so simple but there’s a lot of technique involved! It’s actually a really nice way to have a team-building! And it looks really badass of course!
Conclusion
It felt like Facts has not been waiting for the epidemic to go away but instead grew stronger to come back with yet another amazing edition. The people we talked to were all having a blast and it felt like coming back home yet again. The Heroes behind and in front of the curtains made this a very strong run-up to their special anniversary edition next year. We can’t wait to see how the 30th-anniversary edition will top this year’s magical experience.
