The Cycle: Frontier Might Be the Next Big PvPvE Thing

ign.com:

The Cycle: Frontier is a free-to-play PvPvE first-person shooter that, graphically speaking, reminds me of No Man’s Sky and Outer Wilds. I got a few hours of gameplay time and I’m happy to say that it feels solid even with the few bugs I came across.

The Cycle: Frontier introduces players to the planet Fortuna III, where mysterious alien creatures run free and old research facilities remain abandoned. Players enter the planet as Prospectors – adventurers who search for resources and precious loot while braving the elements and hostile creatures. You aren’t the only Prospector around town, however. Other players will be dropping into the planet to gather the same resources you’re after, and while some can be friendly, others will want to hunt you down for your inventory. The Cycle: Frontier brought me back to DayZ days of worrying about PvE elements and survival while also being wary of players I’d come across. Anyone can turn on you at any time all while being chased down by the hostile alien monsters on the planet.

You can enter the game solo or with a team of up to three players. You start with basic loadout options and you have to equip them individually in your inventory. Each time you set out on an excursion, you’ll have to decide if you want to insure any of your equipment you’re setting out with. If you die on Fortuna III, you’ll lose everything you equipped and had in your inventory unless your items are insured. Thankfully, you also have five Safe Pocket slots in your inventory, which will let you keep those five items even if you die. While this mechanic seems kind of punishing, I didn’t find it frustrating. It gave me more of a reason to be cautious about the looting I did and the interactions with players