The Cycle Frontier, a free to play Extraction Shooter developed by Yager, is currently the talk of the town and seen as a more casual alternative to the hardcore Escape from Tarkov. And for a good reason too, as the game has received many positive feedback from players around the world.
Although some folks have also criticized this game for having borrowed certain elements from many different games like Escape from Tarkov and Apex Legends. But, to be honest, that’s not the first time anyone’s ever done that, as we just saw the rise of battle royale games, and it’s about time something new took over the spotlight.
The two games share a common extraction theme, but they look and feel very different, which begs the question: Is Cycle Frontier the new Tarkov? Let’s find out!
Gameplay
The Cycle: Frontier is an extraction shooter where you as a player land on an alien world in a drop-pod, gather loot manage and secure supplies to progress, and eventually escape. This is a similar concept to Tarkov, the risk factor is still there, and more often than not you’ll either have to outsmart your opponent or risk it all. That is, when you die in the game, all the items and equipment you had with you will be lost. Leaving you with the only things you had in your pockets, apparently.
In contrast to Tarkov though, which focuses on realism when it comes to gunplay and movement, Cycle takes a more casual approach and is a bit fast-
paced and easy to play. Where Tarkov players spent thousands of hours mastering the gameplay mechanics or get Escape from Tarkov boosting to get ahead of competition. In Cycle you won’t struggle as much even if you’re just starting out, which is basically an open invitation to beginners and even old timers.
However, saying that this game is easy would be an overstatement, as you still need to learn the ins and outs of the game, and manage the agent’s statistics to get an edge over your enemies and survive out in the wild with all the aliens eagerly waiting to munch you up.
Graphics
Graphics are somewhat the selling point of any modern game now, and without some particular aesthetic, the game might just go flop, or worse – never be remotely recognized. And speaking of the look and feel of the games, Tarkov has pursued realism in both aspects, the graphics are truly remarkable and have an immersive feel to them. On the other hand, Cycle has a sci-fi touch, the aesthetic heavily inspired by Apex Legends, intentional or not. The graphics seem to have a vibrant yet calm vibe, which feels more like a planetary adventure.
Cycle is futuristic and snappy, which is an ideal environment for a shooter, and the attention to detail adds to the survival aspect of the game as well. Tarkov however takes this to a next level, and because of its graphics being close to how we would imagine it to be, it’s harder to spot the enemies lurking in the shadows or camping in the bushes. The weapons, items and equipment are appropriate to their respective theme, with Cycle Frontier items being more sci-fi. Whereas weapons and items in Escape from Tarkov are more mechanical.
Are They Different?
Tarkov has been around for a while now and it’s been a solid choice for players who dig the engaging and hardcore gameplay style of this game, and the progress is most definitely rewarding. But unlike Tarkov, The Cycle is a free to play game and comes jam-packed with fast-paced futuristic gameplay that is super easy and fun to get into.
While the Cycle is relatively new and constantly being developed, however, this game has its fair share of bugs and glitches, not to mention they can be game-breaking at times. This game is overall pretty fun to play and is a worthy alternative if you’re into that sort of style. Tarkov is a more stable one when it comes to the development, and you’ll encounter little to no bugs at all, with a very responsive customer service – one of the perks you’ll get if you’re willing to pay for the game.
Conclusion
While it’s difficult to say whether one is better than the other, The Cycle: Frontier could very well be the new Escape from Tarkov, or hopefully even better. It’s a rather refreshing take on the whole extraction thing with certain new elements to spice things up, like the cycle storm. Borrowed or not, the gameplay mechanics and art style is up to the mark and fuses well with the overall aesthetic of the game.