Cyclone
- June 23, 2022
- Reep Softworks
Get on SteamCyclone is a single-player action game that offers challenging puzzles in a first-person perspective. Players place gravity-bending vortexes to launch objects, redirect projectiles, and navigate through levels. With 12 levels, unique tunes from Swaggy Squirrel, and a myriad of mechanics to explore, Cyclone provides engaging and mind-bending gameplay.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and satisfying puzzle experience reminiscent of the original Portal, with well-designed mechanics and engaging gameplay.
- It runs smoothly on various hardware, including the Steam Deck, and is polished for an early access title, showcasing the developer's understanding of puzzle design.
- The new Cyclone mechanic adds a unique twist to the gameplay, providing interesting challenges and a fresh take on familiar puzzle elements.
- The game is quite short, with many players completing it in under an hour, leading to concerns about replayability and content depth.
- Some puzzles feel derivative of the original Portal, which may detract from the overall uniqueness of the experience and lead to a sense of familiarity rather than innovation.
- There are technical issues, such as display mode problems and minor bugs, which can affect the overall experience, especially in its early access state.
- gameplay25 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of reaction-based puzzles and innovative mechanics centered around the cyclone cannon, which adds variety and excitement to the experience. While some players may find the fast-paced nature reminiscent of classic portal puzzles, others appreciate the refined mechanics and engaging design that encourages creative problem-solving. Overall, the game offers a solid and enjoyable puzzle experience, though some hope for further expansion of its mechanics and narrative depth.
“The presentation is solid, the gameplay is intuitive, and the puzzle design is top notch.”
“The new cyclone mechanic is fun and not always totally obvious how to use it, which is great.”
“This gun can do various things from boosting you, boosting cubes, being able to use it to wall jump or fling yourself across rooms, redirect energy pellets, etc. While it may not sound like much, it brings a lot of variety in gameplay and each chamber utilizes the mechanics to their fullest.”
“Though the solutions are of course marginally different due to using the cyclone cannon instead, it turns those chambers from puzzlers to just 'oh, this again.' I would have liked an expansion on some of the game's original mechanics, such as wall-jumping, double bounces, etc.”
“The gameplay is solid, but I don't have much engagement with the setting I'm in because I don't know what to make of it.”
“It's not a portal clone in terms of the portal device and the overall puzzle-solving mechanics, but in terms of the test chambers, signage, overall tone, etc., it's wearing its inspirations blatantly on its sleeves.”
- story7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that the game currently lacks a substantial story, voiceovers, or plot, which has led to disappointment among fans who appreciated the narrative depth of the Portal series. While there is hope for future updates to introduce a unique storyline, the current focus remains primarily on gameplay mechanics rather than storytelling.
“I'm also curious if this game will have a story; Portal and Portal 2 had good gameplay, but it was the narrative that really made the games more special.”
“Great environmental storytelling.”
“It's apparent that in Portal 1/2 the puzzles are what make it a good game, but the story and voiceovers are what make it *great*.”
“It doesn't have any story, voiceover, or plot.”
“Story: this game has absolutely no story to my knowledge.”
“Maybe in the future a story will get added. This game is in early access, and I'm writing this review based on my experience of buying the game and then playing it.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics are praised for their gorgeous visuals and engaging design, reminiscent of the "blue portals" aesthetic. However, some users report technical issues, particularly on integrated Intel UHD 620 GPUs, where the screen can turn completely white at certain angles. While the visuals show potential for refinement, they currently hint at a haunting environment that hasn't fully materialized yet.
“Long time fan of blue portals, really pleased with pretty much everything about this; the visuals are gorgeous.”
“Great visuals reminiscent of blue portals.”
“Mechanics were cool, and graphics look good.”
“The graphics do seem to have issues on integrated Intel UHD 620 GPUs; the screen tends to go completely white at certain angles, but I can't determine if it's an angle issue or related to specific objects on screen.”
“I imagine that the visuals will become more refined later on, as there are hints of an isolating, haunting environment, but it's not quite there yet.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its faithful recreation of the original Portal's vibe, featuring a cozy and inviting aesthetic enhanced by warm yellow lighting. Reviewers note that it successfully captures the essence of the Portal series while introducing its own unique charm.
“This game completely nails the atmosphere of Portal 1 down to a tee.”
“Cool game with an atmosphere reminiscent of Portal 1.”
“Cyclone, like Reepblue's other puzzle chamber games, takes clear inspiration from Valve's Portal, featuring a much warmer atmosphere with everything bathed in comfy yellow lighting.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion I was hoping for.”
“Despite the game's potential, the atmosphere is dull and fails to engage the player.”
“The environments are lifeless, making it hard to feel any connection to the game world.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for only offering a windowed mode, leading to significant performance issues even on high-end hardware like the RX 6800 and Ryzen 5900X, rendering features like FreeSync and G-Sync ineffective.
“Windowed mode is the only option, with glaring performance issues (RX 6800 and Ryzen 5900X). Obviously, features like FreeSync or G-Sync won't work in this mode, rendering your expensive GPUs and monitors useless.”
“The game is poorly optimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful setup, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, making it frustrating to play.”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The music in the game is minimal, with users noting a lack of narration and very quiet background music, especially on default settings.
“Very little sound, no narration, and quiet music, if any, on default settings.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous.”
“There are barely any memorable tracks; the soundtrack fails to enhance the gameplay experience.”
