History VideoGame / CortexCommand

** '''Coalition:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Generalist'' with a dash of ''Ranger''. The most diverse weapon selection of all the Techs and one of only two factions to have in-Tech Mechs, but their units are otherwise unremarkable.

** '''Ronin:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Ranger''. Fragile and poor-quality units, but their deceptively cheap and crude weapons are [[DiificultButAwesome some of the most deadly in the entire game]].
** '''Dummy:''' ''Spammer'' and ''Brute''. Cheap mechanical Light Infantry with superior deployment options (a more durable dropship, and a rocket that presents a smaller target), but weak 'weapons' improvised from construction equipment. Completely lacks Heavy Infantry, but compensates with an armored anti-infantry Mech. They also employ a special armored Brain Case when designing bases.

** '''Imperatus:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Brute''. They possess three mechanical Infantry types instead of just two (including [[AirborneMook a sub-Light Infantry with a longer-than-normal jetpack duration]]), as well as a unique Heavy Infantry Brain Bot. Imperatus guns are slow-firing and focus on dealing as much damage as possible with individual hits.

* GatlingGood: The Coalition faction seems to like them--they have sentry gun and drone varieties, as well as a handheld version. Both suitably reduce everything to [[LudicrousGibs itty bitty chunks]] after a few seconds of direct fire.

** Accidentally crushing your freshly-bought and expensive custom troops with the very rocket or dropship that had just delivered a second ago.

** '''Ronin:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Ranger''. Fragile and poor-quality units, but their deceptively cheap and crude weapons are [[BoringButPractical some of the most deadly in the entire game]].

** '''Browncoat:''' ''Elitist'' and ''Brute''. Durable close-range specialists with numerous [[KillItWithFire flame-based]] weapons, but expensive.
** '''Imperatus:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Brute''. They possess three mechanical Infantry types instead of just two (the third being an inexpensive sub-Light Infantry suitable for scouting or digging), as well as a unique Heavy Infantry Brain Bot. Imperatus guns are slow-firing and focus on dealing as much damage as possible with individual hits.

* AwesomeButImpractical: While the Rocket Propelled Chainsaw is the most powerful weapon in the game, it's also expensive, inaccurate, extremely heavy and has a painfully long reload time. It can be handy for tearing down a wall and it's tons of fun to see it tear through someone, but you're generally way better off using just a standard rocket launcher or assault rifle.

* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: With luck or a precise weapon, you can destroy a unit's carried weapon to disarm them, though they'll automatically swap to whatever additional weapons they carry. This can be a lifesaver when your brainbot is cornered by a [[MightyGlacier Heavy Infantry]] unit packing a gatling gun or other large and easy-to-hit heavy weapon.

* GoldFever: The various factions compete for rich gold deposits scattered across the planet, and the ultimate goal of the metagame is to eliminate your rivals and thus claim uncontested mining rights to the entire planet from Tradestar. The currency of the game, as noted in GlobalCurrency, is simply raw gold ore measured in ounces.

* SpiderTank: The dummy Dreadnought and the Coalition Drones.

** Dropped equipment persists until actively destroyed, so a good way to save money on outfitting your fresh troops is to simply take guns off nearby corpses. Need to chase a Brainbot underground, but can't afford a decent digging tool? Good thing that random Dummy you just dismantled was carrying a Turbo Digger!

** Accidentally crushing your freshly-bought and expensive custom troops with the very rocket or dropship that had just dropped them off a second ago.

** '''Dummy:''' ''Spammer'' and ''Brute''. Cheap mechanical Light Infantry with superior deployment options (a more durable dropship, and a rocket that presents a smaller target). Completely lacks Heavy Infantry, but compensates with an armored anti-infantry Mech. They also employ a special armored Brain Case when designing bases.

** '''Imperatus:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Technical''. They possess three mechanical Infantry types instead of just two (the third being an inexpensive sub-Light Infantry suitable for scouting or digging), as well as a unique Heavy Infantry Brain Bot.

* EverythingBreaks: Everything on the map can be destroyed. [[SeneryGorn The terrain]], [[BulletholeDoor the architecture]], [[BlastingItOutOfTheirHands your gun]], [[LudicrousGibs your body]]...

* ACommanderIsYou: The various Techs' equipment and troop types promote slightly different strategies, though you can opt to pay extra to utilize stuff from outside your chosen faction.

* EverythingBreaks: As a matter of fact, this is the only way to dig up more resources.

** '''Ronin:''' ''Balanced'' and ''Ranger''. Fragile and poor-quality units, but their in-Tech weapons are potentially some of the most [[KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter deceptively-deadly]] in the entire game. The Rocket-Propelled Chainsaw Launcher is capable of shredding through bunker walls, which are normally a challenge for even the best Diggers.

* ActionBomb: Aside from equipping troops with dropship bombs and having them run up to people, it's also possible to kill enemies by gaining momentum with the jetpack and ramming into the ground so hard you explode. The force of the giblets can often be enough to blow the limbs off of any enemies nearby. Caution is strongly advised when removing limbs or liquefying mooks at close range- there is a chance that their jawbone will smash into your face at a high speed and decapitate you.

* BrainInAJar
* BrainUploading
* BulletholeDoor: A possible tactic for entering enemy forts, or for tunneling through dirt when one forgot a digger.
** Often difficult to pull off, though, as very few tools can penetrate the steel-reinforced concrete of the bunkers.
*** The Coalition [[GatlingGood Gatling Gun]] does a good job of getting through bunker-steel though.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: You can end up bleeding and legless but assuming you still have arms, work perfectly fine in combat until the fatal shot. Heck, even totally limbless people can still "help" [[GrievousHarmWithABody by flying around and headbutting people.]]

* ImprovisedWeapon: Almost anything. Shovels, Digging Tools, Dropships, [[TheDoorSlamsYou Automatic Doors]] (Which you can time to crush enemies, though it requires some skill), Jetpacks, Corpses...

* InfiniteSupplies: Your troops have to reload, but they always have more magazines.
** Averted for throwable items.

* JackOfAllStats: The Coalition faction is extremely well rounded and are capable in any situation. They are great for learning the ropes, but are less powerful than some of the other factions.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Six playable factions with distinct units and tech.

* MindControlDevice: You.

* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou[=/=]DecapitatedArmy: If your brain is destroyed, you will automatically lose. Justified, as the units that you order are literally brainless and have to be controlled by you. What isn't justified is why they '''''all simultaneously explode'''''

!!This game provides examples of:

* TwoDSpace: The entire game is 2D, space as well, evidenced by the [=TradeStar=] that orbits the planet exactly perpendicular to your eye.

* {{Two-D Space}}: The entire game is 2D, space as well, evidenced by the [=TradeStar=] that orbits the planet exactly perpendicular to your eye.

* ShoutOut: [[StarControl Spathi]]
** In addition, there are many easter eggs hidden on the maps, such as VideoGame/{{Metroid}}s in zombie cave, and the VideoGame/PacMan-shaped rock in one of the background images, amoung many other things.

** The Ronin used to have the [=YAK700=], which has since been removed.

The game spent the majority of its time in the public in an unfinished beta state. Created by Data Realms, the {{Retraux}} game spent several years as a demo with several test levels, some of which had a [[AllegedlyFreeGame six minute time limit]], making it in essence a sophisticated toy. Regardless, Data Realms encouraged players to buy the game while in its development stage, for a reduced price than that of the finished game, a model also used successfully by ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' and (On a cheaper scale) {{Minecraft}}. Cortex Command 1.0 was officially released on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} on September 28, 2012, with a new faction and improved campaign mode.

->- '''Product Description'''

** In addition, there are many easter eggs hidden on the maps, such as VideoGame/{{Metroid}}s in zombie cave, and the {{Pac-Man}} shaped rock in one of the background images, amoung many other things.

* BloodyHilarious: Blowing off a unit's head will often cause them to spew blood everywhere and flop all over the place while making absurd death sounds (HURK HUEGH BLARGH). This frequently bears an uncanny resemblance to a chicken with it's head cut off and a rocket booster strapped to it's ass.

** They now have access to a non-rocket propelled chainsaw, which functions as a melee weapon. It inherits all the traits of it's projectile brother, excluding the exploding and [[AbsurdlySharpBlade physics defying cutting abilities]]

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The RPC can dig through what every other weapon can't even bunkers,its actually the most destructive weapon in the game,if you aim it right.

* AwesomeYetPractical: Diggers, which aside from their intended use as mining tools can be easily appropriated to clear obstacles, destroy doors, and act as [[LudicrousGibs devastating]] short-range weapons.
** Explosive weapons in general have kick-ass particle effects, long range, devastating power and infinite ammo, allowing you to bomb enemies from afar and laugh while they get their legs blown off. Especially notable is the RPG-7, which, thanks to it's directional explosion, can be used at ''point blank'' without any harm coming to the user. [[NotEnoughToBury The guy on the receiving end, though...]]

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The RPC is actually the most destructive weapon in the game, but not the most damaging unless you aim right, and can dig through what every other weapon can't, even bunkers.

The game spent the majority of its time in the public in an unfinished beta state. Created by Data Realms, the {{Retraux}} game spent several years as a demo with several test levels, some of which had a [[AllegedlyFreeGame six minute time limit]], making it in essence a sophisticated toy. Regardless, Data Realms encouraged players to buy the game while in its development stage, for a reduced price than that of the finished game, a model also used successfully by ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' and (On a cheaper scale) {{Minecraft}}. Cortex Command 1.0 was officially released on {{Steam}} on September 28, 2012, with a new faction and improved campaign mode.

** It's possible, although difficult, to gib an actor in such a way that you literally ''liquidize'' them, with a laggy spray of hundreds of blood particles being all that remains of them. Usually requires so much force that whatever caused it usually also breaks the physics engine in some way.

* AbnormalAmmo: There are a few mods out there. One of the most abnormal is the rocket gun. it doesn't fire explosives, it fires ''landing craft''.

* GunsAkimbo: Several {{Game Mod}}s have 'offhand' variants of weapons they add (usually only [=SMGs=] or Pistols), designed to be used with their non-offhand variant.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Three playable factions plus two additional ones in game give it a well rounded cast.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Avenger (which has, alas, been DummiedOut) and Mauler shotguns, as well as the Destroyer and Annihilator energy weapons.

** Another contender is the Coalition [[StuffBlowingUp Auto Cannon]], which weighs 'thirty kilograms' and fires grenades full auto.

* ArtificialStupidity: The A.I. of the game will continue to drop its mooks into your kill zones, crash drop ships, and generally have horrible accidents.
* AmbidextrousSprite: pretty much every single sprite in the game.

* BigBad: The currently fluff-only Remnants of Mu-ilaak.

* BulletholeDoor: A possible tactic for entering enemy forts.

* ChainsawGood: Rocket Propelled Chain Saws.
* CriticalExistenceFailure: You can end up bleeding and legless but assuming you still have arms, work perfectly fine in combat until the fatal shot. Heck, even totally limbless people can still "help" [[GrievousHarmWithABody by flying around and bashing people with their jetpacks...]]

** Also, dropships can be used to drop bombs on your enemies, which come in Standard (frag) and Napalm variants. For a cheaper option, you can also load them up with stick grenades, since they have an impact fuse.
* DisabilitySuperpower: A character's jetpack flight time is directly correlated with how much it weighs. Losing both legs can actually ''improve'' your mobility.

* ExcusePlot: The pretty cool plot, which gives room for modding and more potential story, is currently a justification for having a crash-test dummy blow a super-soldier's legs off with a blunderbuss. The key word is 'currently'. We'll be seeing an actual storyline in later builds.
* FrickinLaserBeams: The Laser Rifle.

* GatlingGood: The Coalition faction seems to like them--they have sentry gun and drone varieties, as well as a handheld version.

* GoombaStomp: Entirely possible, often accidentally. In earlier builds it wasn't uncommon for one or two of your troops to accidentally stomp each other into oblivion as they hopped out of a dropship, although now your troops can freely walk past each other.

* ImprovisedWeapon: Almost anything. Shovels, digging tools, Dropships, [[TheDoorSlamsYou Automatic Doors]] (Which you can time to crush enemies, though it requires some skill), Jetpacks...
* ImplacableMan: Dreadnoughts or certain heavy units can take serious damage and will continue to try and kill you character even if it is by just stepping on them.
** However like all units, they will quickly die when being shot with any diggers.

* LethalJokeItem: The crab body is tiny, defenseless, and can't do anything but crawl around. However, they're also free--if you pack several dozen of them into a single rocket or crate, you have yourself a very cheap BigBulkyBomb that will kill everything on the map in a holocaust of flying crabmeat.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: There are few shields of one variety or another for the factions.
* LudicrousGibs: This is not a game for the squeamish.

* SpiderTank: The dummy Dreadnought.

* WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou[=/=]DecapitatedArmy: If your brain is destroyed, you will automatically lose. Justified, as the units that you order are literally brainless and have to be controlled by you.

''Mine precious gold from the deformable pixel terrain in order to buy more and better ships, soldiers, weapons, digging tools, and deployable defenses. Use these assets to defend your disembodied brain and bankrupt your opponent! Old-school 2D sidescroller pixel graphics coupled with an extremely detailed physics simulation makes for a mix of nostalgia and surprising gameplay.'' - Product description

* {{Two-DSpace}}: The entire game is 2D, space as well, evidenced by the [=TradeStar=] that orbits the planet exactly perpendicular to your eye.

* FrickinLaserBeams: The Laser Rifle.