The Steam Files #C.1: Cortex Command

Publisher/Developer: Data Realms
Release: 28 Sep 2012 (Steam)

Okay, so this choice was a bit of a mistake.

It's got a nice art style though!

Let me clarify that though, because it might otherwise give the wrong impression. I love the concept of this game, where a disembodied brain controls a variety of robots via some kind of Wi-Fi/Telekinesis ability, pitting them in battle against a different disembodied head controlled by an AI (or indeed another player). You can buy equipment and robot bodies to deploy on the field, which are then delivered by a controllable dropship.

So, what's the problem, you ask? Well, the game gives the impression (and I believe this to actually be the case) that it's still a work in progress, which is very well and good but naturally means that the state the game is in can make reviews of it incredible unfair. The problem is that the game is somewhat unplayable against the AI unless you're some gaming god (sadly I am not), and in terms of multiplayer it seems to be designed mostly with split screen or delegated control in mind from a single machine, which I haven't had the opportunity to try out.

However, for an indie game this is a relatively unique concept with a good art style, a good resource system (you dig gold out the ground, and in the campaign you get gold income from any mining site you own at the end of a turn), and the way the rather primitive looking bipedal robots with jetpacks behave somewhat reflects what you'd expect to happen in real life.

The Campaign mode is interesting. It implies that there'd be a storyline, but there isn't. The premise is that you start a campaign where you have a number of gold mines displayed on a map, then you and other players spend resources to scan these sites and then build bases on them. If you encounter an enemy on a map, you then go into a fight where you have to take out the enemy brain whilst protecting your own. However, this area, like the rest of the game, shows sign of needing some work.

However, the game's flaws are readily apparent, the learning curve for the way the game handles is quite high, and the enemy AI is ruthless and punishing and surprisingly intelligent in most cases. Even a hardcore gamer would find this game to be an incredible challenge.

Sadly, I don't think in good conscience I could currently recommend this game at it's retail game (unless of course you like a challenge), but the fact that the game only recently made its Steam début, despite being on my radar for over a year. suggests that the developer is likely to keep supporting and updating it into the future. It's sad, because I do genuinely love this concept, and the base building that shows up in the campaign mode and map editor also show some promise too.

So, if you see a discount on this game, and you like the concept, it may be worth it just to see what the future brings for it, but don't expect this to be a game you can just jump straight into, like many other games I will review over the coming months.

You'll see this a lot. Yes, even in the damn tutorial.

PS: Neither FRAPS nor SteamOverlay works with this game, hence only two screenshots.