Codex Lost

About

In "Codex Lost," become the Curator and restore civilization by crafting elemental magics to challenge threatening lords. Explore a vast open world, create up to 80 unique spells, and defeat enemies in tactical combat. Immerse in a rich story with intriguing characters while saving the world from fractured reality.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The interconnected map design is impressive and encourages exploration, with many secrets and distinct visual styles.
The magic system is deep and rewarding, offering a variety of spells that enhance gameplay and allow for unique character builds.
Despite some rough edges, the game shows great potential, especially considering it was developed by a single person, and provides a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic fantasy games.

Combat feels floaty and lacks proper feedback, making it difficult to gauge when hits land or when the player is taking damage.
The user interface is poorly designed, making navigation cumbersome, especially with a controller, and lacks essential features like key rebinding.
The game suffers from performance issues, including input lag and unclear quest objectives, which can detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
57%
10%
The gameplay is characterized by its challenging and methodical combat, heavily influenced by the Soulsborne series, with a strong emphasis on RPG mechanics and dungeon exploration. Players appreciate the variety in combat styles, particularly the integration of magic and parrying mechanics, which contribute to a rewarding experience. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its depth, creativity in enemy design, and engaging level layouts, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.
- “But part of what this genre ticks is the trust the player has for the developer to give them a challenging but fair experience, and reward them for it through interesting locations, creative encounters, and satisfying gameplay.”
- “The gameplay, character design, and atmosphere make it my new favorite game, and I can’t wait to keep exploring its world.”
- “Gameplay: 9/10 - fantastic and challenging, with great variety in spells and enemies.”
- “The game combat mechanics are mostly oriented toward magic.”
- “The close combat mechanic works like Dark Souls; you can attack and defend yourself with a spell shield, and with good timing, you can parry.”
- “Codex Lost got my attention since the very beginning, not necessarily because of its visuals, but because of its gameplay and level design.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The graphics of the game are noted for their distinct art style and impressive lighting, earning a high rating of 9/10 for character and monster designs. However, some users criticize the use of post-processing effects that obscure certain visual flaws, suggesting a mix of elaborate and basic elements in the overall presentation. Despite these criticisms, the game's atmosphere and artistic choices are generally well-received.
- “The game’s art style and lighting design are fantastic.”
- “Graphics: 9/10 - great character and monster designs, with impressive lighting.”
- “The graphics have something very attractive in their combination of elaborate elements with others that clearly barely fulfill their function.”
- “You got your typical UE post-processing garbage that tries to mask the horrid visuals.”
- “Unfortunately, the most enjoyable part of most souls games is where this game fails the most - combat; the graphics are disappointing compared to other aspects like music and level design.”
- “Codex Lost got my attention since the very beginning, not necessarily because of its visuals, but because of its gameplay and level design.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
60%
30%
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing the overall atmosphere and excitement, particularly during boss fights. While some players may overlook its importance, the ambient tracks and dynamic soundscapes contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience. Overall, the music stands out as a strong aspect, complementing the graphics and voice acting well.
- “All of the bosses are very different to fight with unique mechanics, and soundtracks that get your blood pumping.”
- “Unfortunately, the most enjoyable part of most souls games is where this game fails the most - combat; the accuracy/reliability of hit boxes, the varying move-sets and weapon types, etc. Instead, you take a basic melee spell that doesn't cost mana (so you can still cast it if you're out of mana) and you just kind of spam it all the time as your would-be 'light combo,' which is really disappointing, but the game delivers to a reasonable degree almost everywhere else (price, graphics, music, voice acting, shortcuts, challenging areas/enemies, and so on).”
- “People who complain about music, as an element that seems non-existent, do not understand the usefulness of ambient music.”
- “The music is a huge plus, and I personally liked the voice acting.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players criticize the grinding aspect of the game for its lack of checkpoints, which results in repetitive run backs and a tedious traversal experience. This design choice detracts from the sense of exploration and makes the gameplay feel unnecessarily punishing and unrewarding, reminiscent of overly difficult souls-like games.
- “The lack of checkpoints leads to a lot of run backs, making the game somewhat tedious and killing that sense of exploration.”
- “Game from the dev camp that thinks souls games need to be tedious, unrewarding experiences.”
- “I don't want to have to slowly trudge through an area killing every single enemy in sight every time I die, it's just tedious.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The atmosphere in "Codex Lost" is characterized by a hauntingly dark aesthetic, where effective use of shadows and lighting enhances immersion and creates a moody, suspenseful experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to make dark areas genuinely feel ominous, making it particularly appealing to fans of soulslike games and those seeking a foreboding open world.
- “Dark areas actually feel dark, and the need for light adds to the immersion, creating a moody, atmospheric experience that keeps you on edge.”
- “Unlike many games that flood every area with light, Codex Lost has a hauntingly dark atmosphere where shadows and lighting play a big role.”
- “Absolutely recommend for soulslike lovers or if you're just looking for an open world with a dark and foreboding atmosphere.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has received criticism, particularly on the Steam Deck, where users report buggy performance, poor hitbox registration, and a subpar user interface. Many hope that future updates will address these issues, but currently, the performance leaves much to be desired.
- “The performance wasn't to my liking on Steam Deck.”
- “Unfortunately, you will need to turn a blind eye to the buggy performance, poor hitbox registration, and subpar UI.”
- “Maybe the first update is an optimization update.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by numerous bugs, including issues with hitbox registration, control responsiveness, and a flawed UI. Players have reported difficulties in recovering lost souls after falling, necessitating the use of items, which detracts from the overall experience. While the level design is praised, the performance issues require players to overlook significant stability concerns.
- “Unfortunately, you will need to turn a blind eye to the buggy performance, poor hitbox registration, and subpar UI.”
- “The controls are also quite buggy.”
- “It's a great vibe, interesting and complex level design, but I encountered some buggy things like you can't recover your souls if you die from falling, without using an item.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story is consistently described as interesting and engaging, with a rating of 8/10, indicating that it effectively captures players' attention and keeps them invested throughout the game.
- “The story is really interesting.”
- “Story: 8/10 - engaging enough to keep you invested.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the reviews highlight strong gameplay, character design, and immersive atmosphere, they do not provide specific insights into character development. Overall, the focus seems to be more on the enjoyment of the game rather than the depth or progression of character arcs.