CyClones

CyClones is a video game in the action genre developed by Raven Software Corporation and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. originally released in 1994. It is currently playable on DOS.

Raven-Games.com published such a great review of this game, full of interesting background and insider information, that I'd like to quote it in full here: 'CyClones was launched in February 1994, marking the beginning of a new period for Raven [Software]. After a good relationship with Electronic Arts, which produced Black Crypt and ShadowCaster, Raven split into two groups.

One that worked with id's brand new Doom engine to create 'Mage', a fantasy action game, which would eventually become the Heretic game. The other team started a project that was going to use the ShadowCaster engine to create a futuristic shooter for Strategic Simulations (SSI), called CyClones.

The name CyClones referred to the cybernetic clones, the minions of the aliens who had ravaged and devastated Earth. The player played as the cybernetic warrior Havoc who, in the course of his battle against the aliens, discovers that he himself is one of these monstrosities, reprogrammed by their masters to do their bidding. The game was in first-person 3D, like most of Raven's other games, so reusing the ShadowCaster engine and its tools was a natural choice. But before long, the team realized that they wanted to do more with the game and the engine than they had done before. A new 100% in-house engine was created that could handle moving platforms, walkways, tilted areas and transparent textures. The engine, the brainchild of Carl Stika, was named STEAM.

CyClones featured a unique mouse control system, where movement could be handled independently of aiming, and any area of the screen could be targeted. The weapon was controlled by a crosshair, which was also used to pick up objects and manipulate objects in the world such as doors and switches. Although this keyboard and mouse control setup was unusual for a shooter game, its method of using the mouse to scan left and right, and to move up and down, was ahead of the now fashionable concept of looking with the mouse in an action game. Many found it an extremely intuitive and preferable method of control, and maintain it to this day.

The production cycle of CyClones was at the height of the multimedia craze. At some point in the game's development it was decided that, to gain a competitive edge, CyClones would become 'a multimedia extravaganza'. A small budget was granted to create full motion video sequences for the game, which would be presented between missions as briefings. However, although the contracted production company did the best they could within those constraints, the video included in the final game was considered by one reviewer to be so appallingly bad that it 'makes Clutch Cargo look like a masterpiece'. The conventional wisdom is that the lesser-distributed floppy disk version, without the live video, proved superior to the 'multimedia enhanced' edition.

Raven still jealously guards the original videotape containing the full 30-minute version of the video production, claiming that the 8 minutes that were used in the final game were 'incredibly, much better than the footage that wasn't used'. Perhaps people should be thankful that the full content of this tape was not revealed.

However, this minor hiccup in the overall game did not cause the press to react badly. Although the game was not a sales success, critics considered it a competent and engaging shooter. CyClones was released in November 1994, a game created from scratch in nine months, technology and all. It was an almost unheard of feat in the world of game development. The inclusion of Raven's unique controls and traditionally gorgeous art resulted in a solid production and an enjoyable game'.

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.