4X.Scope has a soft-spot for independently developed games. Indie team Data Realms, a small group of passionate programmers, have been working on a masterpiece of sprite-based mayhem for a number of years now; allegedly having begun development around 2001. The game is Cortex Command; a
collision of classic Soldat or Abuse-style mouse-driven aiming and keyboard movement, featuring a real-time hybrid of Worms and GunBound-esque combat.
The game tells the story of cortexes, essentially disembodied cerebrums contained within glass orbs, travelling the galaxy in search of planets to strip-mine ore in exchange for items from the orbital Tradestar facility – one responsible for deploying the cortex’s army of androids, machinery and weapons. Cortexes face off against one another both in single and multiplayer via building bunker base 
complexes and mining for ore, whilst engaging opponents on a 2D scrolling landscape with supplies, men and munitions rocketing down upon purchase.
An interesting aspect of Cortex Command is that the much-loved multiplayer is local-only, so local that it takes place on only one computer. Multiple controllers are used for each player, with the entire battle taking place using a split-screen system. It seems best suited to a suite of dual-analog controllers to gain the utmost entertainment from Cortex Command.
The graphics themselves are wonderfully rendered; recalling sprite-based games like Metal Slug. What makes Cortex Command an even-more compelling game is that it is entirely physics-based. Each unit or
piece of machinery is composed of many different parts that react to impact from weapons fire, from flying debris and/or gravity. The first time to witness a dropship getting a starboard engine blown off, then its rapidly accelerated listing and spiraling downwards to crush its own freshly-deployed troops in an explosive impact, is something to behold. Not simply because the explosion itself is gleefully satisfying, more that the ship literally blows apart. Armour plating is sent spinning in all directions; nuts and bolts, jet engine parts, landing gear; the entire guts of the ship is strewn across the battlefield, making for an interesting obstacle to traverse on the way to conquer the opponent’s cortex, hidden deep within their bunker. It is equally impressive to see the amount of battlefield junk and debris that litters the combat zone after only a few minutes of play.
Most biped units, ala soldiers, dummies etc., are pre-equipped with jetpacks; allowing for a quick traversal of the map in either 
direction. As the game does feature a robust physics engine, these jetpacks (amongst every VTOL unit in the game, i.e. dropships, rockets) are governed by delicate controls; quick directional bursts of thrusters to accelerate or decelerate in the desired direction. Carelessness leads to very spectacular collisions; rockets breaking apart in balls of fire and spinning shrapnel against concrete bunkers or hillsides, airborne troops slamming into walls and cliffs and shattering into pieces; the game rendering these occurrences brilliantly with hundreds of particles being produced, each under their own independent physics. The loosed landing gear of a detonating deployment rocket can scythe its way through a horde of units, both friend and foe, which can make for the most exciting of unplanned Pyrrhic victories.
Incidentally, the community at the Data Realms Forum are one of the main strengths behind Cortex Command; simply put, they are serious about modding, and collectively have produced some stunning works to compliment the title, ranging from weapons packs, maps, new vehicles and options.
As the title has been in continuous development since release, with Data Realms stated that it may never be finished, it is hard to summarise what Cortex Command might soon become. Consumers 
can purchase the game as it is now for the approximated price of $18USD, with free future updates and campaign. With the mod community behind Cortex Command as strongly as they are, the future of this game looks bright even if Data Realms does not eventually reach the finish line with a complete game. However, with the recent release of build 22, Cortex Command plays better than ever and gives a good sign of things to come.
- AC.
Platform: PC
Developer: Data Realms
Publisher: Data Realms
Released: Development Started 2001 approx.
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