A Scaredy Cat's Guide to Surviving: The Cycle Frontier

After recently being convinced to give The Cycle Frontier a go, despite its mixed reviews, I was chucked face-first into a hostile environment filled with various monsters as well as players who never believed peace was an option. My terrible aim and high anxiety levels meant that the odds really were stacked against me but, lo and behold, I discovered I have a natural talent for survival.

My old laptop might be slowly dying under the strain (my nerves too now that I think about it) but my evacuation rate is pretty good. So I thought I’d share how I’ve managed this. To be fair many of these tactics will work in other similar games but I don’t tend to play many games in this genre so this is my point of reference.

#1 Hug the Walls

There’s nothing like a good ol’ hug to make you feel safe so make sure to give the walls some extra love. Being out in the open is simply never going to go well for you. Being close to walls, mountains, buildings, etc is going to keep you hidden from players that are out looking for trouble. Having cover is also going to work in your favour because even if you are spotted it’s quick to get behind something so the bullet won’t hit ya. Not to mention it makes it easier to get out of sight and hide if you are caught.

#2 Go Slow

Sprinting everywhere makes a lot of noise and also drains your stamina. Keep that stamina up for when you really need it. Use the extra time to your advantage, keep your eyes and ears open. It’s a lot easier to circle around and avoid a fight than to try and get out of a sticky situation.

#3 Know When to Run

That stamina is going to come in handy when there’s not much to do other than run. Sometimes the fight just isn’t going to go in your favour and you will need to hightail it out of there. Constantly evaluate fights to recognise when they’re beyond your capabilities and you need to duck out. Make sure you have a solid escape plan before going into enclosed spaces.

#4 The Bushes are your Friends

Whether you’ve been spotted by a player or need to check your map to look for the evac point, you need to learn how to hide. If you can successfully get out of sight of the player hunting you, just crouch in the nearest bush and hold tight until they lose interest and move on to their next target. Bushes are far better camouflage than almost any other hiding spot so they will give you a moment’s peace while you plan your next move.

#5 Emotional Support Rock

This tip works ONLY against creatures. If you’re going to engage with a monster that has a melee attack find a good rock nearby that you can get onto. Being out of reach of their claws, teeth, various natural weapons of death is a great way to stay alive. Plus being on top of a rock is just comforting especially if you find one to reenact The Lion King on.

#6 Get a Meat Shield

What are friends for if not to sit there and die in your place while you tuck tail and run? Get yourself a friend who is an accomplished face-tanker to go forth and draw the attention away from you — bonus points if they have good aim and can kill all the things and other players. Beaver-shaped meat shields work best but work with what you’ve got. Just generally at the very least having a squadmate means you’ve got a bit of a boost in firepower and you won’t have to run away quite as often.

#7 No Thoughts, Just Vibes

If you’re a bit of an overthinker like me you can get caught up calculating all of your options and end up making a mistake because of it. Sometimes you need to switch your brain off and just go with the flow. Follow the survival basics and just do your best to get from point A to point B without stressing too much.

#8 Begging for your Life is a Solid Strat

There are times when you need to leave your pride at the door, use that push-to-talk button, and beg for your life. The monsters are unlikely to be moved by your pleading but it could work against other players. When you reach out to the humanity of others you might discover another terrified and peaceful soul that was fighting for their own survival or perhaps you’ll make them laugh and they’ll avoid killing you if only because they find you entertaining.

#9 When in Doubt, Go Without

Scavenger runs aren’t a bad option. It’s okay to resolve yourself to the fact that your brain isn’t hardwired for survival and you will die. Don’t take any equipment with you and just go in and get out. Worst case scenario is you find some cool stuff but lose it, the best case is you make it out alive but either way, you’re not risking your hard-earned weapons and armour.

I make absolutely no promises but if you follow these very basic tips you might just make it out alive and with a few good pieces of loot. The old saying, “no guts, no glory” may be true but being disembowelled also means you have no guts to get glory with.