A Glitch in the System or a Cyber Catastrophe?
In a move that may be one of the signs of an upcoming apocalypse, it appears that Eastasiasoft and Rataliaka Games have joined forces and decided to release a game together.
The result of this unholy alliance goes by the name of Cyber Mission, and it is my job to try and tell you about it.
Being a games reviewer is a strange job really, when you stop to think about it: I’m given a platform to tell you basically what I think, in the hope of steering you away from the rubbish games out there, drawing you into the good ones. And, at risk of minor spoilers, it’s one of those things I’ll be doing here.
A Lackluster Narrative: Cyber Mission’s Minimal Story
Story of the game is where I traditionally like to start, and despite the fact that there is one, I’d be hard pushed to explain what the one in Cyber Mission is.
We are a member of the Cyber Squad, and we seem to travel around in the world’s biggest spaceship, sorting out problems along the way. At least, as long as those problems can be solved by filling an enemy full of bullets, that is! You see, some aliens have appeared and the powers that be would rather, all things considered, that they weren’t there.
Retro and Rough
Presentation is next on the list, and as an EastasiasoftRatalaika mashup there is really only one way of visually representing Cyber Mission. That’s right, this is a retro styled, side scrolling shoot ‘em up in style. with pixelated little sprites flying about the place. The design of the enemies that we fight is pretty ropy, to be honest, and the bosses are nothing to write home about either. Our hero (or heroes, if playing in two player mode) are little men with jet packs, and while they are stereotypical in every possible way, at least they are recognisable. The problem is, the levels are pretty dull, and all in all it very much feels like the minimum anyone could get away with.
Sound is pretty much as you’d expect, with various pew pew sounds and explosions to be heard ringing out. Picking up a different weapon changes the noise of the gun shots slightly, and there has also been an attempt at digitised speech – but it sounds like ChatGPT was asked to not only write the dialogue, but to perform it as well, and even then, it couldn’t work up any enthusiasm. All in all, not good at all.
A Painful Pilot
Can the gameplay correct the course that Cyber Mission seems to be taking? Well, the short answer is no. The slightly longer answer is no, because that isn’t particularly good either.
Let us explore what is wrong with the game first. The main issue is that Cyber Mission seems to be set up for two players, and trying to play the game solo makes everything much harder. This is due to the design of the game, to be clear, not a lack of talent on my part. I’ll use the first level as an example, where we are piloting a massive spaceship to where we need to be. Armed with two sets of guns, fired with X and A, the first set of those can also be aimed up and down with the LT/RT buttons. With me so far? Good.
Now, we can also fly the craft around the screen to avoid attacks. The problem is that the first set of guns fires continuously, but the second set doesn’t – so we have to hold the A button down, while repeatedly pressing the X button, while aiming the guns and flying the ship. Maybe an octopus could cope with that setup, but I found it very difficult.
Cyber Mission’s Co-Op Potential
Luckily, roping in a second player helps with the issue, allowing the opportunity to push on to further stages, shooting things in a dreary side scrolling world. One brief glimmer of hope pops up with that multiplayer aspect though, and it does work rather well. However, attached to this mode is some very dull, generic and unappealing gameplay; and that does spoil things somewhat.
A Cyber Calamity Best Left Undiscovered
I feel a bit like I’m kicking something when it is already down, but this is one of the most badly designed games I’ve had the misfortune to play. Eastasiasoft and Rataliaka normally churn out cheap games, but there is usually at least a modicum of fun to be found in them. And it is that which is missing from Cyber Mission.
The best I can say about Cyber Mission is that it runs okay, and that the two player side of things is better than the solo play. Other than that, it’s one to avoid.
Important Links
Are You Ready to Save the Galaxy in Cyber Mission? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/are-you-ready-to-save-the-galaxy-in-cyber-mission/
Cyber Mission is on the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/cyber-mission/9P0WT2B6P3D8
