The Cycle: Frontier

Play it on: Windows (Steam Deck N/A)
Current goal: Enjoying it while it lasts

This weekend I intend to dive back into a game with numbered days. The Cycle: Frontier is sadly weeks away from seeing its servers shuttered at the time of this writing, and I’m going to miss it and the potential that’s clearly at play in this science fiction extraction shooter. That sadness will match well with the fact that I’ve basically got Alice In Chains’ “Down In A Hole” stuck on repeat lately. Harmony.

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While I did feel its gunplay was a little rigid in comparison to other shooters out there, the on-the-ground experience of The Cycle is certainly worth checking out, particularly on its first map, which well-delivers a wild, alien landscape vibe that promises beauty with the chance of danger. And like an extraction shooter, there’s danger from the wildlife, other players, and the weather.

Unlike Call of Duty’s DMZ, which only recently began shaking up its environment, The Cycle would see a pretty ravenous thunderstorm sweep through periodically, forcing players into cover. I remember camping out in a random building, looking out the window below to see if anyone was following me, while the rain beat down on the glass ceiling overhead, camping out in an underground facility with the lights out, waiting to ambush or make an alliance with whoever was likely to show up.

You can die pretty quickly from other players, who you can spot coming down in drop pods, unlike DMZ’s simultaneous deployment. Stand-offs, attempts at keeping distance, and engaging in quick, lethal, unexpected firefights across an alien landscape is a pretty intense experience that I hope to enjoy for a little bit longer before it closes.

After that, I’ll be looking forward to Bungie’s Marathon to satisfy my sci-fi extraction desires. — Claire Jackson