Frozen Cortex, the spiritual successor to Frozen Synapse, has been updated with a #new single-player #mode. As we mentioned this back in July, now the #release is more of a reality, coming out of Early Access in February.
Frozen Endzone single-player mode, the simultaneous-turn-based tactical game now sports the following features:
- Knockout – A rogue-like permadeath-type mode where you need to get as far you can without losing a single match, using only limited randomized) player upgrades each week. Rewards will come for doing specific things in matches.
- Global Cortex League mode – A more traditional league where the aim of the game is simply to do as well as you can in a season. Earn cash to buy new robot players.
- Random League mode – Pits you against a vast array of randomly-generated teams. It’s the Wild West of Cortex.
Each one of these modes has sub-modes with various difficulty settings and rule variants, including Timed Turns: think speed chess with more robot punching. There’s also Killer where you can knock your opponent’s robots out of the game with a single hit.
Also, new players have been added: you receive these players as upgrades in Knockout, or you can purchase them with your winnings from matches (or in-game gambling) in the League modes.
Also included in the update is Frozen Cortex’s narrative, which develops as matches are played. The story takes place between playthroughs and also between the Knockout and Global Cortex League mode.
A scandal in the Global Cortex League threatens to undermine the entire game and might just be connected to the fate of the entire country…
The narrative develops as the player plays their matches, persisting between playthroughs and between Knockout and Global Cortex League mode. We’ve tried to tell an involving story while still allowing the player to dip in and out of whichever mode they wish.
Every team has its own AI coach, from Colonel Ruth Levine of the Armed Forces to Administrator Nomura from the media conglomerate SXT Vision. Each coach has their own unique set of hundreds of in-game barks which are tied into the game’s AI calculations: the AI will complain when it knows you’re going to score; mock you when you’ve boxed yourself into a corner; carefully explain that there was a better direction you could have chosen…
This adds to a different twist on the gameplay. If you livestream games, this will be like having a real-life in-game troll who keeps who highlights your play by play. Then couple this with a “replay” mode, “there’s a whole host of little things in this build: one of our favourites is the “full replay” which enables you to watch your entire match back in the 3D Outcome Mode.”
Mode 7 would appreciate you posting bugs on the forums and also through email at [email protected].
Frozen Cortex is expected to leave Steam Early Access in February, and the latest update is available now.
