There’s a noise that the collapsible baton makes when you equip it in Deus Ex, and I think it might be the most satisfying sound in videogame history. Unfortunately, JC Denton struggles a little in melee combat – unless you’re jumping a UNATCO thug from behind, you’re almost always better off using the pistol. But a beautiful new RPG, one that looks plucked from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, and feels inspired by Half-Life and Fallout, flips that entire dynamic on its head. Imagine Deus Ex, but you have the moves, the flexibility, and the martial arts prowess of the brawlers in Sifu. This is Corpus Edax.
Created by a single developer, Luis G. Bento, Corpus Edax is an immersive sim-style RPG set in a gim, Gray Death-inspired future. Earth is ruined, so humanity emigrates to a new planet and builds the first megacity, the titular Corpus Edax. In a draconian attempt to maintain order, the new government grades all citizens from A to D based on their strength, cognition, and other biological factors. Basically, it’s a horrible place, and you’re on a mission to make Corpus Edax better – or not.
Like Dishonored, Prey, and of course Deus Ex itself, Bento’s game is all about choice. At the micro level, you can pour all your experience and stats into stealth and play like a ninja, simultaneously elusive and abusive. Or you can go the way of Gunther Hermann and turn yourself into the human equivalent of an Abrams tank, obliterating your foes with total unyielding force.
In Fallout, it’s the SPECIAL system. In Corpus Edax, it’s AGNIS – Allure, Grit, Nerd, Intuition, and Strength. Do you want to talk your way out of trouble or use your fists and feet? Depending on your behavior, you also cultivate a reputation within the world, as someone who’s either insightful, impetuous, or altruistic.
But the best part of Corpus Edax is the combat. Guns aren’t allowed – it’s all melee, and you have to use the environment to create improvised weapons. Punch, headbutt, and roundhouse your way through the guards, or go more aggressive and snap a broom handle in half to use as a makeshift shiv. Toss people through windows, break chairs over their heads, stick them with broken glass – it’s fluid and fun like Sifu, but with the brutality of Monolith’s horror slugfest Condemned.
Available right now, you can get Corpus Edax with a small introductory discount, at $17.59 / £14.74. Just head right here.
Otherwise, try some of the best FPS games, or maybe the best indie games available on PC right now.
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