Codex Lost Review (PlayStation 5)

Codex Lost Review, The new open world, spellcasting action-RPG. The grimoires have been stolen, civilisation is in ruins. Rise, Curator! Craft ancient elemental magics and challenge the great lords who threaten to fracture reality itself. Uncover the secrets and challenges of the central realms. Roam about the open fields, delve into ancient tunnels, plunder lost ruins, and discover what mysteries lay in wait in its most hidden corners.

Codex Lost Review Pros:

  • Decent graphics.
  • 19.12GB download size.
  • Platinum trophy.
  • Action RPG gameplay.
  • Five save slots.
  • In-game cutscenes and interactions.
  • Four speel types – Arcane, Fire, Lightning, and ice. They are then split up into Basic, are of attack, and ranged attacks.
  • You start the game by picking one spell of each type.
  • A full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control.
  • Third-person view.
  • Excellent lighting adds a lot to the atmosphere of the fantastic-looking game world.
  • Invert axis and sensitivity slider options.
  • Tutorial signs on the floor you can interact with.
  • Very much a love letter game like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
  • Loadout – staff, mantle, tool, two charm slots, talisman, and three item shortcuts.
  • Level up your stats for – vitality, endurance, intelligence, willpower, and memory.
  • The Library acts as your safe space and hub, you choose locations to visit from the tablets.
  • Handy lock on to target button.
  • Enemies will have vulnerabilities to certain elemental attacks.
  • You can see the enemy health bars.
  • It’s easy to see items and Collectibles.
  • Find and unlock recipes to craft new spells in the library.
  • Halycons can drop or be found and you consume these to get Arcana that is used to level up.
  • Unlock new areas and locations.
  • You have three bars to manage – health, mana for spells, and stamina.
  • Primary spells require no mana to cast.
  • Breakable objects covering the world.
  • Find crafting materials and resources in the world.
  • You have health crystals to heal you.
  • Tense atmosphere.
  • Dying sets you back to the last portal you used.
  • Meet some very bizarre and memorable characters.
  • Characters are voiced.
  • Unlock shortcuts and find hidden areas.
  • Loot chests are hidden all around.
  • Your shield is a protective bubble that slows you down but absorbs damage, you can time it right to parry attacks.
  • Lore can be found as you discover it.
  • You get one life to recollect dropped Arcana from a death.
  • Mystery fonts act as a fast travel point but you can only ever have one activated at a time.
  • The compass plays a huge part, finding a compass altar will show you where fonts are and help with navigation, you can only see them with the compass.

Codex Lost Review Cons:

  • Horrible mouse cursor-style system.
  • You cannot remap the controls.
  • Tutorials are not always ideal, you can miss them and they can be a bit outdated by the time you find them.
  • You in fact cannot see any of the controls.
  • The controls take some getting used to.
  • You don’t get great feedback on damage and being at low health.
  • Healing can be slow as in the animation and time for it to activate.
  • Balancing health and mana is fiddly and frustrating at first mostly due to the lack of feedback and ability to quickly check in on them.
  • The game likes the trick of hiding enemies in tight corridors and on corners.
  • The lighting causes you to miss item pickups.
  • You can’t actually pause the game.
  • Enemy aggro is way too sensitive.
  • Cheap deaths are very common.
  • It’s not that easy to just run back to the library.

Related Post: Windblown Preview (Steam Early Access)

Codex Lost:

Official website.

Developer: Freemana

Publisher: Jandusoft

Store Links – 

PlayStation

  • 8/10
    Graphics - 8/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Accessibility - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Length - 7/10
  • 8/10
    Fun Factor - 8/10
7.4/10

Summary

Codex Lost offers a compelling action RPG experience with decent graphics and a substantial download size of 19.12GB. The game features a Platinum trophy, adding to its appeal for completionists. Players can enjoy the game through five save slots, and the in-game cutscenes and interactions enhance the immersive experience. The game offers four spell types—Arcane, Fire, Lightning, and Ice—each split into Basic, Area of Attack, and Ranged attacks. At the start, players pick one spell of each type, setting the stage for a customizable and strategic gameplay experience.

The full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control and third-person view is visually impressive, with excellent lighting that adds to the atmosphere. The game includes invert axis and sensitivity slider options, and tutorial signs on the floor provide guidance. Codex Lost is very much a love letter to games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with a loadout system that includes a staff, mantle, tool, two charm slots, talisman, and three item shortcuts. Players can level up their stats for vitality, endurance, intelligence, willpower, and memory, and the Library acts as a safe space and hub where locations can be chosen from tablets.

Combat is engaging, with a handy lock-on target button and enemies that have vulnerabilities to certain elemental attacks. Enemy health bars are visible, and items and collectibles are easy to spot. Players can find and unlock recipes to craft new spells in the Library, and Halycons can be consumed to gain Arcana for leveling up. The game world is filled with breakable objects, crafting materials, and resources, and players have health crystals for healing. The atmosphere is tense, and dying sets players back to the last portal used. Memorable characters, voiced interactions, and hidden areas add depth to the game.

However, Codex Lost has its drawbacks. The mouse cursor-style system is cumbersome, and controls cannot be remapped. Tutorials are not always ideal and can be missed or outdated by the time they are found. The controls take some getting used to, and feedback on damage and low health is lacking. Healing can be slow due to the animation and activation time, and balancing health and mana is initially frustrating. The game employs tricks like hiding enemies in tight corridors and corners, and the lighting can cause players to miss item pickups. The game cannot be paused, enemy aggro is overly sensitive, and cheap deaths are common. Returning to the Library is not always easy.

In summary, Codex Lost is a visually impressive and engaging action RPG with a rich game world and strategic combat. While it has some control and tutorial issues, as well as occasional frustration with enemy placement and feedback, it remains a compelling experience for fans of the genre. The game’s depth, customization options, and atmospheric design make it a worthwhile adventure despite its flaws.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!