Cycle 28

Cycle 28 disguises itself as a solid arcade shooter with minimalist aesthetics but slowly reveals itself to be something far beyond that. It successfully manages to engulf the player in the mystery that led to the player character's current predicament and entices you to seek the truth, find answers to questions you didn't know existed and attempt to break the cycle and… who knows, maybe freedom and a happy conclusion? We rarely get to play video games where each 'Game Over' offers the possibility to solve a mystery, so we kept coming back to it again and again - and so will you.

Cycle 28 is a space-themed shoot'em up that features a very minimalistic approach and whose simplicity is both to be praised and to criticize. With its solid, competent gameplay and a well thought plot structure, Cycle 28 certainly has good arguments going for it, while its minimalism can feel too minimal and ends up making the game too repetitive too quickly.

It attempts to develop its gameplay into something more, and while honorable, this effort is mostly fruitless. The unlockable upgrade system does add some mild drive to push the player forward, but odds are it won't be enough to keep you playing throughout the entire story. If you are looking for a retro, arcade shooter, there is a reasonably solid experience here, but don't expect anything more.

A fun little momentum shooter with a drab visual style that is perfect for quick bouts of play. The difficulty and repeat play design won't be for everyone but if you are after a Luftrausers-esque title at a budget price you can't go wrong.

Cycle 28 begins as a simple arcade game inspired by Asteroids that, little by little, unravels a complex narrative capable of big things. However, due to an awful control system, the game swings between the fun and the frustration.

In an effort to go beyond the mere shooting it’s apparent that there’s a bit of a Groundhog Day-esque mystery going on, with your character caught in a perpetual cycle on the same day after each death...

Cycle 28 is an interesting title with good background music, but it also shows you everything it has to offer within minutes, making this an average game for the Nintendo Switch.

In many ways I applaud Cycle 28's ambition, however I also kind of wish the developers had focused more of that energy on more fruitful endeavors.