The year is 2041 and my world is not the one that you know. Corporations have taken the place of governments, and V-Eye controls more than half of the world's resources. From them came the implant that turned millions of people into worker bees devoid of individuality.
Somehow I've managed to break free of the implant, and get my hands on a H4C-kit which I can use the hack the people who stole our lives from us. This, is Cyber Complex.
Streamlined and simple
Looking at Cyber complex, you're not going to be wowed by the graphics. They opt for something a bit simpler, with a definite throwback vibe. You control a glowing blue orb on a board filled with tiles.
Everything is painted in either red or blue. Red floating orbs are the seekers who are looking for you to sever your connection to the information you are hacking. Once you've hacked a tile it turns blue, and your goal is to turn the entire screen to your color in order to hack everything and capture the information.
The graphics here are pared down and simple, and that works in Cyber Complex's favor for the most part. The sound is a bit jarring and at one point I actually turned it off, but for the most part I could understand what I was looking at. The more I played, the more it felt like I was playing an older arcade game, instead of something that released in 2017.
Capture the tiles
In order to clear each level you'll need to move fast, and think on your feet in order to turn every tile from red to blue. This sounds easy, heck, it looks easy. It is not easy. You'll have to avoid the seekers who want to hunt you down, and every few moments smaller enemy weapons will attack.
You'll have to turn as many squares as quickly as possible without taking damage, or running into a seeker. Once you turn a square the first time, you'll be in a solid position but if it gets hit by too many enemy projectiles it can turn back to red. Thankfully after you turn it the first time, it takes only a click to turn back to your side.
Along with turning all of the tiles on your screen, you also need to deal with the seekers floating around. These can be dealt with by sending out projectiles of your own, while you occupy specific tiles. On its surface the gameplay is spectacularly easy. It's harder to say that when you barely have any health, there are three seekers hunting you down, and you only have one two blue tiles to your name.
As you clear levels you'll be given the ability to upgrade your hacking skills. These include abilities like higher HP, faster hacking, or gaining health by resting on a node that you have already captured.
We need that information
The story in Cyber Complex is almost like a side dish. I mean it certainly plays into the game you are enjoying on the screen but it's definitely not what made me want to keep playing. You play someone in the bleak future of 2041, where corporations have essentially taken over the world.
You are in possession of a hacking kit, and a mysterious stranger who is helping you out. Your job is to hack into the data banks of V-Eye to capture the information necessary about their plans to enslave all of humanity.
Wrapping it up
Cyber Complex is a fun arcade strategy game that looks simple but is definitely far more challenging than it lets on. For folks who enjoy fast paced strategy games, this is an excellent game to spend an afternoon with. At only $9.99 it's worth the price, even if it doesn't hold your attention for long.
Pros:
- Simple mechanics.
- Arcade feel.
- Who doesn't love a hacking game?
Cons:
- Super pared down graphics.
- Steep learning curve for strategy.
- Fairly thin storyline.
