Frozen Cortex, developer Mode 7’s follow-up to cult indie strategy game Frozen Synapse, has just been upgraded with a new single-player story campaign.
The latest update also adds a bunch of other solo modes, including a rogue-like permadeath mode, and a basic league season of the game’s American Football-esque robot strategy sport.
“Also featured for the first time is Frozen Cortex’s narrative,” Mode 7 explains. “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.”
Each team has its own AI coach with his or her own tactical preferences and favoured line-ups, as well as their own voice taunts for when you screw up. As for your own squad of robot athletes, you now have access to a number of customisation options including “giant pink holographic trousers”. Score.
Here’s a brief description of the other new solo modes.
Knockout - a kind of rogue-likey-likey permadeath type mode. Get as far as you can without losing a single match, using only limited (and somewhat randomised) player upgrades each week. Rewards will come for doing specific things in matches: it’s up to you to figure out what those are. It’s pretty hard, but a lot less annoying than a kind of massive, vague flaccid league mode.
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 shiny robot players.
Random League mode - pits you against a vast array of randomly-generated teams. This is the Wild West of Cortex. If you happen to like massive vague flaccid league modes…then this is for you! Except it’s really good. Yes.
Frozen Cortex is on the verge of moving out of Steam Early Access, where it’s been in production since March last year. The current plan is for Mode 7 to release it in full later this month.
