Previous Next

Hewson has developed a considerable reputation for graphical excellence. Cybernoid II continues that tradition. Pity the gameplay doesn't live up to expectations. What plot there is concerns a group of interplanetary pirates who have plundered the Federation's storage depots. Shades of Blake's 7.

You have to zip round the depots and take the loot back from the pirates' spaceships using a fearsome but familiar armoury - bombs, time bombs, bounce bombs, seekers, tracers and a defence shield. The catch is that there are only a few of each weapon. In addition, you have the laser, which can fire continuously.

The aliens have a formidable fighting force - ground emplacements, flying objects and a host of other nasties. If you manage to shoot down an enemy craft its plunder survives the explosion and can be collected. If you're even luckier it will drop a canister; pick it up, and you get extra weapons.

Cybernoid II has Raffaele Cecco's instantly recognisable graphic style. The obvious disadvantage of this is that all Raft's programs look more or less the same.

Another problem is that the green screen view is rather fragmented because of several dark colours that don't show up.

Animation is excellent, with fast, smooth movement and suitably violent explosions, but control is a little awkward - in the heat of battle it is too easy to hit the wrong key and get the wrong weapon.

Behind the excellent programming lies an old and tired concept. What is the point of wasting outstanding programming talent on a poorly disguised shoot-'em-up?