Survive and farm in this action PvPvE
The Cycle: Frontier is a free-to-play action game that lets you and your party experience the resource-rich yet treacherously dangerous world of Fortuna III. This first-person shooter features a player vs player vs environment (PvPvE) mechanic. Aside from playing with or against other players, the world itself hosts inhospitable elements from poison gas to alien inhabitants.
With its visual style and premise, The Cycle: Frontier feels like it belongs with the ranks of Halo Infinite and Borderlands 3. It also makes good use of its game engine to offer smooth animation, like a science-fiction alternative for ARK: Survival Evolved.
Be an intergalactic prospector
Aside from the action elements reminiscent of Halo games, the premise of The Cycle: Frontier is that it lets you play as a mercenary sent to Fortuna III. You drop down on the lush, green planet filled with life and huge minerals. However, only those who make it out alive get to keep their spoils. It combines elements of prospecting, survival, and combat all in one.
The game is challenging mainly because you have to defend yourself from the environment as well as from other players. Not only is the monster spawn randomized, but you have to compete against players that devise their own strategies and respond more intelligently than the usual AI. Aside from the human opponents, the spawnable monsters have rather predictable behavior that you can use to your advantage.
Also, the game has slight roguelike elements in the sense that you lose all the resources you have gathered thus far unless you manage to return to the extraction point. Also, the longer you stay on the planet — in exchange for greater riches — the more dangerous it gets. Your spoils provide you with funds to purchase new equipment and accessories, which can make you stronger or look cooler.
Season 3 and new DLC
The Cycle: Frontier Season 3 brings a global server wipe and all acquired items will now be permanent, except for those lost to enemies. New features include the Howler, weapon variations, Free Loadout Runs, new campaign missions, and an updated Prospect Station. Additionally, there are a couple of bug fixes and rebalancing to enhance your gaming experience, as well as new items available for you to purchase.
Aside from these, you can get the new Fresh Fortunes Pack downloadable content (DLC) for free, which is strapped with a couple of sleek accessories. Included in the DLC is a new weapon skin for the C-32 Bolt Action Rifle, an alloy-made weapon charm, and new sets of clothing for Prospectors. This pack can be retrieved in the Special Deliveries section of your player quarters.
An addictive action farming game
The premise may sound repetitive as dropping off to the planet, fighting and farming, and getting to the extraction point, but The Cycle: Frontier is actually a lot more complicated and challenging thanks to the idea of pitting you with other players who may or may not work with you. The difficulty of the game is rewarded with greater riches, which makes it inevitably addictive.
