Recent reviews by CodeVortex

If I could describe the game in a few words those would be: fast, action-packed, unforgiving and exciting.

Addictive gameplay and I highly recommend the game... but -- oh boy -- aren't those juggernaughts the very definition of bullet sponge. Even a T1000 robot would be slowed down more, when eating a Barrett round in the face...

Another gem for your 2D platformer collection.

Some positive things that I can list -- specially in comparison to previous installment -- are:
- enhanced graphics
- many upgrade options along with even the notion of special blueprint upgrades unlockable by finding lost "relics" around the world
- more places to visit and explore even on the surface
- good controller support

However, the game really feels like holding your hand as you progress instead of becoming more challenging:
- the pockets of water never go dry so you can be more wasteful in your water-consuming actions
- your light gets overwhelmingly upgraded to the degree that the concept feels useless after a while; in any case the ambient lighting conditions are way less darker than Dig 1 so you do not care if your carry-on light goes out anyway.
- you have the option to upgrade a skill so as not to lose everything you carry if you die, instead of losing everything as in the previous installment

An overall positive experience and a must-have if you love this genre.

If you are nostalgic of a classic, single player, 2d platformer reminiscent of "Dig Dug", "Steamworld Dig" is an excellent choice. I completed a playthrough in approximately 12h and in just 2 sittings (if it weren't for physical fatigue it would be only 1). This is how addictive the game was! I was in awe when I realized that all of that goodness was packed in a tiny bundle of less than 100MB: downloaded, installed and playing in only a few minutes!

Not only have I found the dialogues quite funny, but also the fact that they made the bots produce those awkward chirps instead of speaking the actual words. IMO that was ingenuous and made the whole game more funny. The controls worked fine for me, though it took some time to get used to using the Q,A,W,S keys for something else apart from moving and leaning (as I am mostly an FPS, 3PS gamer). Also I relished the constant need to upgrade Rusty's gear, which in turn fed my OCD to collect every little piece of ore/orb I stumbled upon. I would probably have finished the game in half the stated time if it weren't for all this lollygagging :)

A great pseudo-3D platform game that will captivate you with its vivid sceneries and excellent physX support; trickling waters that will enable contraptions, fiery dragons, electrocuted or icy ponds are just some of the things that will make you stall progression just to admire the detail in their design.

The story per se is so-so and the heroes have been copied from the "Great Book of Cliches", but the overall experience will be positive as the gameplay mechanics are good and there are some nice puzzles that will take a few moments to solve (nothing particularly difficult though).

Definitely worths the "Most Picturesque Graphics" award, that is if there was one...

The reboot of the de facto FPS game that needs no introductions for the old-school gamer, but will also thrill the younger one as well. Great graphics, fluid mechanics, well-designed levels, excellent weapons and enemies whose design stays faithful to the original game. The overall atmosphere is dark, the pace fast and the difficulty varies nicely appealing both to the beginner and the seasoned veteran.
Despite the fact that emphasis has been given to the single player campaing rather than the multiplayer mode, you can enjoy the latter as well. There is snapmap a sophisticated, special tool that is bundled along with the game, that allows you the player to create your own maps, play and publish them.

Borderlands 2 is a fast-paced, first-person shooter with RPG elements (hero classes and levelling up), rendered with cartoonish graphics and a story indispersed with caustic humour and puns. Monsters, robots, bugs, bandits, midget-bandits, midgets-bandits on other bigger bandits, brutes with disposable heads and funny dialogues, big guns, weird powerful cheeks with superhuman abilities, this game has it all.

I think I haven't had so much fun in years. Although I could certainly do without the comics-like graphics (thick contours and kind of blocky unrealistic design) and the fact that some areas need polishing, the game as a whole is certainly an enjoyable experience with high replayability value due to the class (multiple-hero) system.

A point that kinda breaks the immersion in my opinion is for example the entrances to caves, bandit huts, and other non-reachable points, which are rendered just with a pitch-black color - not even a trivial texture to indicate that there is something inside. It feels like the devs didn't have time to apply a texture for some elements. Also scarcity of teleporters (or vastness of areas if you like it better) make it difficult and tedious to travel towards specific areas. In some cases you have to walk/drive over considerable distances just to reach your next objective. A positive thing is however that apart from main story goals the rest of the side-quests are free to complete at any given order (except for batch-quests which the completion of one activates the next one). If you pair the last predicament with the respawning of fallen enemies you will realize that you have to play until you finish the objectives in current area or be ready to rekill everything that moves against you (and they are many and tough buggers, depending on difficulty of course). At least xp and progression towards next level stays with you.

If you are a first-person shooter/action lover like me this is a unique gem with a twist for your collection.

Very amusing little game that can be considered a smooth entry into the fighting genre due to its very detailed tutorial. It takes you by the hand and painstakingly teaches you everything you need to know in order to master the game. It is so simple. The level of detail that has been put into the tutorial has almost made it a little game of its own. Huge kudos to the developers for this feat. I barely consider myself a fan of the genre and to tell you the truth I did not expect much when I installed it (as part of a midweek madness limited free-play). Nonetheless, when I got to run it and take it for a test-drive, I felt that I actually liked the experience. I can safely say it was all because of the tutorial section. No excuses anymore to start mashing all the keys in order to come up with some random powerful attack/combo.

The colors are vivid and backgrounds are strongly thematic and diverse. The characters are funny, freaky or/and sexy (leggy and busty ladies with interesting attires/appendages) and the dialogues (lines really not real dialogues since most of the story is given as text) are funny as well.

Control by keyboard is responsive enough that a single player should face no problem at all. Also actions are remappable. However, since this is the classic "keyboard-destroying" game genre, I think that a controller (or a really sturdy gaming keyboard) is more appropriate than a simple keyboard for the long run.

The concept (from a male's perspective) is also really enticing: endless catfights between powerful, cartoonish (anime style) female characters. You want to let some steam off and are tired of shooting people with shotguns and rifles? Well, this epic fight between some freaky-sexy looking women who occasionally flash their panties, is great for a change!

One thing that detracts somewhat from the gameplay are the animations that are somewhat poor. Don't get me wrong: the art and character design per se is masterful. I think that the limited number of actually drawn sprites per action has been done by design rather than accident. That said, it is my own opinion that a few more intermediate sprites would greatly contribute to a smoother and more immersive experience.

Also the base roster of contestants (disregarding DLC characters) could be somewhat richer. But I guess this is no real sin since, nowadays, it is a generally accepted practice to provide a barebones title and enhance on it little by little over time.

All in all, the game "Skullgirls" was a pleasant experience and I think that if you get it at a bargain price (MIDWEEK MADNESS offer is 3€ for the basic title - without DLC) is a real must-have for any decent gamer's collection.

A must-have for every serious gamer out there, specially those who are fascinated by fast-paced and spectacular RTS games. It is based of course on the amazing in its own rights "Supreme Commander" (and that in turn on the even older classic gem labeled "Total Annihilation"), but expands it with a whole new race, new units and game fixes that balance many of its predecessor's features. Not only does it fulfill its RTS expectations but, imho, it expands and sets a new paradigm for the whole genre. Nuclear blasts, incredible massive experimental units of formidable power, shielding and cloaking abilities, are just a few of the things expected in the game. If you are in for an addictive gameplay and an enthusiastic community - even after all these years - that supports the game, then you should go ahead try it.

A true epic story unfolds as you strive to survive the harsh climate and perilous land of Skyrim, trying at the same time to hone your abilities to an extreme and face an ancient and evil foe of the world: Alduin...

This game is a remarkable jewel for your computer game library; one of those few exceptions that no matter how many hours you play, you always go back for more. This can only outline the profound immersion you feel when you start playing from the very first minutes. In this wondrous world you get to fight myriads of undead, wild animals, thugs of all Tamriel races, or even take sides and participate in a full scale war.

The only downside I have felt with this game are some bugs that appear now and then, mostly having to do with distorted laws of physics, but I must admit that a lot of work has been invented by both the official dev team and modders all over the world alike to fix most of them. And in case *kidding* you can just imagine that in a magical fantasy world, maybe it is fine for a dragon to occasionally fly backwards!

The game gets polished and enriched continuously and one can really tell by the multitude of accompanying mods freely available on steam.

Skyrim remains a solid investement for many hours of fun on end, even after 2 full years from its official publish date (11/11/11) !