Cyberia

Because of mankind's technological advancements, the dawn of Armageddon is at hand. Buried underneath the frozen tundra of northern Russia, an advanced piece of machinery awaits human discovery. Known as Cyberia, the device was built as a means of protection and prosperity. In the distant future, however, it has fallen into the wrong hands. While the intentions of the machine were peaceful, it is being misused as a destructive juggernaut capable of crippling the entire universe. In a time of turmoil and chaos, the Free World Alliance has called upon a devious hacker named Zak. A convicted criminal, the fugitive was rotting in a cell when the alliance gave him a chance at redemption. Organized by William Devlin, the Free World Alliance has initiated an elaborate mission objective involving the infiltration of the Cyberia Complex located in Russia. Assuming the role of the reformed hacker, you rendezvous with Santos and his gang of mercenaries in the North Atlantic. From there, you pilot the highly advanced TF-22 TransFighter aircraft and descend into the frozen wasteland. Developed by Xatrix Entertainment and published by Interplay Productions, Cyberia combines third-person adventure elements with high-energy, first-person action sequences via aircraft. Gameplay is broken into two parts: walking around and shooting scenarios. While walking around and interacting with various items, you receive help from the Bi-optic Low Amplitude Displayed Energy System or, in simpler terms, BLADES. This system allows Zak to use infrared and thermal scanning for the detection of enemies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that examines items and BioScanning for organic matters. Zak must use these resources in moderation because when the three functions are executed, they slowly drain the battery system. It does, however, recharge over time. While maneuvering the character through the complex base levels, you must be on the lookout for potential hazards. After encountering a batch of enemies, you find yourself immersed in a heated gunbattle. Instead of using a free-movement system, the developers opted for nodal advancements, meaning you point-and-click your way through certain paths that lead to different points. Additionally, there are non-player characters located throughout the world with which to converse and gather clues. The airborne portion of the game involves navigating the not-so-friendly skies in the TF-22 TransFighter. Endowed with the AutoNav piloting system, the aircraft will pretty much fly itself anywhere you need it to go. There is a catch, however. While enemy aircraft are hovering, you must fire the onboard weapons manually. There are seven airborne areas in which to navigate, featuring specific mission objectives including the destruction of certain ships and structures. In the cockpit, you're given various HUD graphics that measure the amount of energy the aircraft has and how much ammunition is still available. Once a mission has been successfully completed, you're given a synopsis of how well you did, including hit ratios, shots fired/missed, destroyed targets and times. Additionally, there are certain milestones located throughout Cyberia that, when reached, allow you to save game progress and reload missions from that point. Cyberia features 11 missions, puzzle solving elements and interactive characters. It incorporates music and sound effects created by Thomas Dolby's Headspace with full-motion video sequences for storyline advancements.