New Cycle

New Cycle is nowhere near delivering a mix of resource management, city-building and humane stories like, say, Frostpunk. As repetitive as its core gameplay can get, it is appealing, and hopefully, early access will expand on it while ironing out all the issues.

It feels as though something is missing from New Cycle, like a spice was out in the cabinet, and they served it anyway. It's hard to tell what, but if I were to pick one thing, I’d have to ask for more to do in New Cycle, maybe more villages or more development options. Until then, unfortunately, it's a mediocre game that needs a lot of love and time before it can be up to its full potential. However, as a final parting note, as a first game for these developers, they did a really good job of making something that works well- and has a great story premise! I can't wait to see what becomes of this title with more TLC.

New Cycle has a good foundation for a city planner with strong survival elements. But it still needs polish, balance, and lots of quality of life improvements. It is very clearly an Early Access title. For fans of the Anno series, investing in the game now might be worth the risk. For others, it might be better to wait and watch when New Cycle eventually hits its full release.

At least, in my opinion, New Cycle is not only a game that will put you to the test of settlement building but will challenge you to make sure everyone in your community works together not only to survive but grow as a whole. While it can take some time to truly master this style of game, once you get the hang of how everything works, you can easily find yourself playing for several hours on end without even realizing how much time has passed. I look forward to seeing what games Core Engage will produce in the future, as New Cycle has thoroughly captured my attention.