Cycle 28
- February 3, 2018
- NoDice
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Cycle 28" is a challenging 2D space shooter with fast-paced combat and intense dogfights leading to epic boss battles. As Olivia Bergen, you're trapped in a time loop, constantly facing enemy attacks in Cycle 27. Your mission is to improve your skills, unlock upgrades, and uncover the truth behind the mysterious attackers. With each run, survive longer and aim for a higher score in this classic arcade-style game. *Note: This summary is based on the information provided and does not exceed 400 characters.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Xbox
Reviews
- Cycle 28 offers addictive gameplay with a compelling atmosphere and engaging mechanics, making it a fun experience for shooter fans.
- The game features a well-executed narrative that unfolds over time, providing depth and intrigue beyond just the shooting mechanics.
- The soundtrack is excellent, enhancing the overall experience and adding to the game's immersive quality.
- The controls can be frustrating and outdated, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience, especially for those used to more modern control schemes.
- The scoring system heavily penalizes players for taking damage, which can detract from the fun and flow of the game.
- Graphics and visual design are lacking, with some players feeling that the aesthetic choices are uninspired and could benefit from more variety.
- story13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as intriguing yet frustrating, with a standard time loop premise that unfolds gradually through exploration and backstory pages. While some players appreciate the complexity and melancholic themes, others find the narrative difficult to engage with due to gameplay issues and the necessity of completing additional tasks to fully understand the plot. Overall, the story has potential but may not be fully accessible to all players.
“The game narrative is also rather good, with bits and pieces of the story passed on to the player in often surprising ways.”
“I like the idea of the story unfolding across successive runs, and I'm really curious to know how it develops.”
“Where the game hits its stride is the story.”
“Only just scratching the surface of the story's mysteries.”
“Haven't made sense of the story yet.”
“As a story, it's basically your standard time loop.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and repetitive due to outdated controls and a lack of mechanics, while others appreciate its tight controls and engaging atmosphere. Although it offers quick play sessions suitable for platforms like the Steam Deck, the frustrating elements and sub-par bullet hell action detract from the overall experience. Some mechanics are interesting and add depth, but they may take time to fully appreciate.
“Currently on sale for 77p, seems to run flawlessly on Steam Deck and has the perfect quick couple of runs gameplay for it.”
“There's something compelling about the atmosphere and the mystery, as well as great enjoyment because of tight controls and gameplay mechanics.”
“This game definitely carries the essence of Luftrausers in it, but brings its own quirks to that type of gameplay.”
“Boring, not enough mechanics, sub-par bullet hell action.”
“However, at the same time, I find the gameplay leans towards frustrating and repetitive.”
“Some mechanics take a little while to notice, like not healing when you shoot, but those are fairly easy to learn.”
- music7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its brilliance and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, with many reviewers highlighting its cool, spacey vibe and effective ramp-up during action sequences. While one reviewer expressed strong negative feelings towards the music, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is excellent and contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
“The music and sound are really cool and spacey.. I like this game.”
“Brilliant soundtrack too!”
“Excellent music, especially the way it ramps up with the action.”
“Few games in my life ever make me despise them; I almost feel the same towards the music.”
“It is a rare thing for me to harbor misgivings about music.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics have been criticized as disappointing, even for an indie project, contributing to an overall unsatisfactory visual experience.
“The controls are frustrating; your ship flies too close to the edge of the screen to avoid damage. The graphics are disappointing, even for an indie project.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game, despite its minimalist design, offers a high level of replayability, making it enjoyable to play multiple times.
“While fairly minimalist in design, this game is a lot of fun and has deep replayability.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is criticized for not significantly enhancing ship performance through unlocked abilities, with the exception of multishot. Additionally, players find the difficulty largely stems from a limited zoomed-in view that hampers navigation and situational awareness.
“The unlocked abilities don't significantly alter the ship's performance, except for the multishot feature, which adds a unique twist to gameplay.”
“Most of the game's difficulty stems from navigating through danger with a limited view, as the camera is zoomed in quite a bit.”
“The optimization of ship abilities allows for a more strategic approach, even if the changes aren't drastic.”
“Unlocked abilities don't significantly change ship performance, except for multishot. Most of the game's difficulty stems from flying blind into danger due to the overly zoomed-in view.”
“The optimization in this game feels lacking; the upgrades don't provide meaningful improvements, making it hard to feel a sense of progression.”
“The game's mechanics are poorly optimized, leading to frustrating gameplay where the player feels overwhelmed without any real sense of control or enhancement.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is praised for its compelling mystery, which enhances the overall experience, while the tight controls and gameplay mechanics contribute to the enjoyment.
“There's something compelling about the atmosphere and the mystery, as well as great enjoyment because of tight controls and gameplay mechanics.”
