CyClones Download (1994 Arcade action Game)

Legions of alien Cybernetic Clones ("CyClones") have devastated the Earth. Humanity's only hope lies with Havoc, himself a cybernetic warrior that had been manipulated by the CyClones to do their evil bidding. Havoc must fight the CyClones without mercy, protecting the Earth and avenging his own past.

CyClones is a first-person shooter in which the player controls Havoc, exploring maze-like environments and blasting hostile aliens with a variety of firearms. The game is notable for pioneering the use of mouse control in games of its genre, allowing the player to aim independently of movement and move the aiming cursor to any part of the screen. Power-ups can be collected and stored in the player's inventory, bestowing combat-related benefits upon Havoc when used. Three-dimensional level maps can be brought up by pressing a key.

Another feature the game introduces to the genre is stealth. While the vast majority of the game consists of combat, there are a few stages which require the player to avoid it and stay unnoticed by the enemies, moving silently. A tutorial level also makes its first FPS appearance in CyClones, instructing the player in basic gameplay mechanics.

I'm a fan of the classic First Person Shooters like Wolfenstein 3D or Doom, but I had never heard about or played CyClones so let me tell you one thing: I wish I had, because the game is brilliant! CyClones is a game developed by Raven Software and was published in 1994, but sadly, it wasn't very popular.

You're facing an alien invasion carried out by CyClones or Cybernetic Clones who are actually human beings. You play as the cybernetic warrior called "Havoc," and your mission is to stop this invasion by disrupting the communication between the alien forces and their lider, and it means: kill'em all...

So, what is so special about this game? A lot of things! The first thing that caught my attention was the control. You can use the mouse and the keyboard to play as many of the today's FPS, and for 1994 that was something new. Another new thing was a tutorial level, where you can learn the basics of the game. There are also 3D maps of each area and you can configure it to your needs. Some things are the same like in most FPS, and you'll have to find ammo and new weapons as well as first aid kits and power-ups. However, your inventory is limited and you can drop items if you need to.

The interface was innovative for this genre, and you can access to the inventory, main menu and map by just right clicking on an icon. The graphics are very good for its time and the levels aren't as monotonous as they are in similar games. The music is somewhat annoying but the sounds are average (shots, doors, enemies dying...etc). You can also save and load anytime you want and I suggest you to do it everytime you enter an unknown area.

All in all, CyClones is a revolutionary and innovative game for the genre and if you like first-person shooters you're gonna have a good time. But like in most of all FPS's of that time, the mazes can get you tired after a while and the music doesn't help either. I'll give it a 4 points mark.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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