Platformers are tricky games to play. It needs to be challenging enough to not get boring too soon, but leave enough fun element so it’s worth coming back to again and again. From my Super Mario days, I think it’s pretty clear that these games can suck up your time immensely. That’s why when I came across Cordy 2, I had my reservations. Is this yet another wannabe platformer that just feels like a waste of time? I’ll tell you all about what I found and let you decide.
Try Before You Buy
First of all, Cordy 2 is not entirely free to play. You can play the first four levels for free and then the succeeding ones can be unlocked by buying the full version. That, in itself, may be a big deal breaker for most casual gamers. The good news is, you’ve got four levels to try before you decide whether or not it’s worth your hard-earned money.
The first level starts off with the usual tutorial, which in all honesty looked too rushed and vague. The instructions weren’t so clear and I had to go back a few steps to read them again. Here’s what I understood: Cordy is a some sort of electric being who’s on a mission to save his world from the evil Boogaloo. Cordy needs to collect gears (the equivalent of coins or money), and get Zap Drops before the Boogaloo’s minions beat him to it. Zap Drops are the game’s main goal — you’ll need to collect all of them to get all three stars by the end of each level.
An Electric Universe
The first four levels will give you the general idea behind Cody’s quest, and you’ll soon find yourself plugging, sliding and teleporting through different parts of the game.
Did I mention the evil Boogaloo had minions? They appear to be mean-looking monster robots that crosses your path, and all Cordy needs to do is jump on them. They’re not as threatening as they look, as I’ve yet to “die” by fighting with these evil bots. Jumping on them serves another purpose, too — these bots don’t bleed blood, they turn into gears — which you can then collect to add to your stash. And what do you do with a stash of gears? I’d assume it will be used for buying items in the store, but that privilege is given to those who buy the full version.
The graphics and game design somewhat appears to be a wired world full of robot-looking creatures and bright, electric structures, so it does stand out from other games in its genre, graphics-wise. It can be appealing to those who are looking for some zany new world to play in, but I personally just found it too cluttered and distracting. There were so many gadgets and structures than I knew what to do with. It’s up to you to find out what they’re for, if you care enough to try.
Zaps, Minions And Other Quests
The mechanics, however, remain the same. You have the left/right buttons to the bottom left, a dedicated jump/double-jump button to the right, and one occasional power up/special button right beside it. These are not hard to learn at all, and I found it easier than expected. There are structures that Cody can’t simply jump on to, such as teleports and rotating discs, so the short tutorial on how to use it serves as a useful guide along the way.
As you continue with the game, Cordy is faced with secondary missions, in addition to collecting Zap Drops, to rescue his bot friends. Magnet Bot, when rescued, allows Cordy to walk on walls and boosts his speed to zoom through closing doors. Other characters offer more special powers to Cordy as they are saved as well. As these other bots are saved, Cordy gets a new super power and can move and carry out his mission easier than usual.
The Verdict
The entire game has three worlds, and a total of 48 levels to play. The free version allows for playing the first four levels within the first world. Based from what I saw, I’d say this game is definitely worth paying for. To answer the question I raised earlier: this may suck up your time big time, but that’s not so bad. It’s time well spent, and navigating through a bright, electrifying world while accomplishing missions is a reward in itself.
Cordy 2 is a visually unique and interesting platformer that may appeal to those looking for something besides 8-bit graphics. The overall design is enough for you to get sucked into Cordy’s bright, electric universe, and that’s actually a good thing.
