Well, well, well. This is what the future looks like – Codex Mortis? ‘100% AI-driven development’ is what it says on the tin, and these will be the first steps to lure in the gamers into that dystopian Matrix-like world where we’re nothing other than batteries fuelling mechs and eventual super intelligence. Surprisingly, I haven’t watched that many sci-fi flicks over the holiday period, but have listened to a lot of podcasts about our impending doom.
Anyway, cheer up and all that, as if AI does take over in the coming years, if this is the type of game we’ll see, then at least we’re occupied and aren’t entirely bored. A Vampire Survivors boilerplate, you play a series of heroes who wield dark magic against fellow nasties in the view to be the ultimate OP spellcaster/necromancer. Yes, skill development is continual in this bullet hell rogue-like, where the shots are automated, but you effectively call them through your decisions.
Beginning with a basic necromancer and a handful of skellywags to act as a bone wall (also a later spell), Codex Mortis throws you immediately into the pot as enemies swarm you from the very get-go. As stated, you call the shots for character development, though the actual shots are automated, much like the recent Devil Jam. Your legion of bones will more or less take the hits for you to begin with, but also unleash a fair amount of damage, should you invest in their abilities.
Each time an enemy is slain, XP orbs drop and level up your character. Skills are mostly random, though depending on which you invest in, the chances of their occurring in subsequent levels are higher. For example, you can invest in a long-range projectile, and through each stage of progression, can increase the damage dealt, the number of projectiles fired and also the speed at which the cooldown depletes. This is the same for most of the skills available, much like for the skellys, though continued progression and destruction of higher value enemies will drop scrolls that unlock new abilities.
There are two stages in the Codex Mortis demo, the second being an exclusive Christmas demo that will melt your eyeballs with colours and textures. These stages can be replayed again and again to unlock permanent upgrades available at the character hub. There are a healthy number of difficulty modes and enemy spawn modifiers that fill your screen with the undead. Like Vampire Survivors, the visuals won’t blow you away (nor the music), but because of the low-key presentation, there’s zero slowdown when the masses unleash. Technically, it’s sound, but when you get to the point where the screen is full of enemies, you’ll either die pretty damn quick, or you’re so overpowered that it actually becomes a bit boring.
Fortunately, those difficulty modes add to the replay value, as do the perks. Additional spell slots can be learned, summoning powers and necromancer boastabilities, but the real treat is being able to increase all your base stats from health and attack damage, to XP speed, increased radius for collecting orbs – thus levelling up faster, as well as the expected critical hit rates. Complementing these skills are a good selection of heroes and followers, though other than cosmetics, they’re pretty much the same. Trinkets/accessories add to the list, then it’s off for another run.
Codex Mortis, from Grolaf and Crunchfest, is absolutely mental but can be picked up and played immediately without any reading of instructions or tutorials necessary. It doesn’t fill a void of any sort, as these Survivor-like games are prevalent these days, what with the surprising explosion of Megabonk and other copycats. Whether or not the AI-driven element will put people off depends on the person and their conspiracy stats, though from a gaming perspective, it ticked all the boxes in terms of expectations: hectic, addictive, and chock-full of replayability.
