MissionForce: Cyberstorm
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| MissionForce: Cyberstorm | |
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| Developer(s) | Dynamix |
| Publisher(s) | Sierra Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
MissionForce: Cyberstorm (commonly referred to as "Cyberstorm") is a turn-based strategy game developed by Dynamix and published in 1996 by Sierra Entertainment. The game is set in the Earthsiege universe created by Dynamix, and the player control units of HERCs (Humaniform-Emulation Roboticized Combat Unit with Leg-Articulated Navigation): bipedal warmachines of varying size and construct.
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[edit] Plot and gameplay
The player starts the game as a commander of a small Unitech taskforce fighting a race of mechanical beings called Cybrids. By completing missions and progressing, the player gains rank in order to get access to more advanced equipment and hardware, as well as being able to control more HERCs. Missions can be selected from a list of cybrid-infested planets within a specified system. When the player feels he is ready, he can choose to play the final mission of the system which consists of destroying the cybrid headquarters in the area. Eventually, the player reaches the cybrid home world and will have to destroy their main base in order to win the game.
The game is played from a top-down isometric view-perspective typical for turn-based strategy games. The player gets credits for every enemy he destroys as well as a mission-bonus dependent on the difficulty of the mission. However, in the beginning of the game the primary source of income is through mining ore, which can be found scattered across the maps. All HERCs can be outfitted with an ore extractor which when activated collects all mineable ore in the hexagon where the machine is standing.
All maps and enemy locations are randomly-generated, meaning no two playthroughs will be the same. The campaign as a whole, however, is not dynamic; player success or failure does not affect upcoming battles. In between missions the player manges HERCs and pilots in the HERC base. From here he can buy and assign bioderms, which are genetically engineered beings who control the machines. The player also has the opportunity to repair, customize and upgrade his HERCs from a wide range of equipment, for instance by adding more advanced life-support to increase bioderm survival-rate or fitting better and more powerful guns to the chassis.
[edit] Reception and legacy
The game was generally well-received by reviewers and gamers alike.[1] GameSpot wrote: "Sierra has taken a basic, turn-based strategy game and added some beautiful graphics, fantastic sound, and great network play" and gave it the rating "great" with a score of 8.9 out of 10.[2] Despite its apparent qualities, the game seems to have spawned no large fanbase or cult following unlike many other strategy-games of its time, such as Total Annihilation or Dark Reign.
Although Cyberstorm was a limited commercial success, it sold well enough to spawn a sequel in 1998, called Cyberstorm 2: Corporate Wars. That game, however, was mostly panned by critics and received very little attention upon release.
[edit] Trivia
- The game came with two play-discs. The thought was that the second one could be loaned to a friend so that you could play against each other over the internet.
- Cyberstorm is part of the MetalTech-series, which was a popular franchise during the mid-1990s. Other games in the series were Earthsiege and Starsiege, as well as the spinoff Starsiege: Tribes and its sequels.
- The bioderms in the game include several odd variants, such as a chimpanzee and a deformed baby. Most of the best bioderms, such as a brain in a vat, are given to the player for free when he reaches certain levels.
- Missionforce: Cyberstorm was made for windows 95 and can be played on most modern computers by using the built-in windows compatibility-mode.
- The largest and most powerful unit the player can command, the Juggernaut, shares its design with the Bruiser killer robot from Sierra's Hunter Hunted game. The only difference is that the Juggernaut has a cockpit box which is attached to the the main body with a long and relatively slender connecting rod.
[edit] References
- ^ Giovetti, Al (1996-09-01). Mission Force: Cyberstorm review. Retrieved on October 3, 2006.
- ^ Ward, Trent (1996-08-01). MissionForce: Cyberstorm review. GameSpot. Retrieved on October 3, 2006.
