Fortix 2

Developer: Nemesys Games
Publisher: Nemesys Games
Release: 2011
Platform: PC
Genre: Puzzle

With the first Fortix iteration Nemesys Games gave Taito's original take on the arcadey "capture" puzzler a fantasy spin and took advantage of the setting in favor of a couple mechanics twists, like capturing catapults or using conquered territory as cover against watchtowers' fire--in a way adding a layer of tower-defensing to the long forgotten formula. It never achieves Qix's level of tension (much due to the original's unmatchable surreal sci-fi thematic), but it fares well enough in what it was intended to--even if the Flash indie aesthetics don't get to sell it well.

Fortix 2 builds upon every corner of its predecessor's foundation, and it's mostly for the better: the game's presentation (and overall mood) is still casual, but several notches up regarding art direction; new enemies/power-ups are introduced at a more fine-tuned pace, lending the game a solid feel to the experience as a whole; and the same can be said about levels design, with the handcrafted walls/keys mechanics--despite the fact those sacrifice some of the player's freedom in favor of a more heavy-handed gameplay flow.

The art direction overhaul ups the game a couple notches.

On top of the meatier main game, the extra content is what really makes Fortix 2 unmissable for players interested in such a specific premise. Several difficulty settings (with specific related achievements), an extra hidden mode that changes the gameplay in meaniful ways, valuable Steam Trading Cards, plus the entire first game (reskinned with the modern assets) available as a post-game unlockable make Fortix 2's value hard to pass.