Back in 1995 PC Gaming wasn’t exactly what I would call popular or revolutionary by any means. Everyone was, of course, focused on their consoles. However, when games like Warcraft : Orcs and Humans were released in 94 one game really set itself apart for me and kept me at the computer for hours, and that game was called Burn:Cycle. To me it was a new concept considering the game had to be played in a two-hour time period to actually complete. Take a look at the commercial and picture a time when Super Mario Kart was popular and 16-bit gaming was cutting edge and tell me you wouldn’t be intrigued to play this…

Sure it might look cheesy by 2012 standards, but back then any sort of live action was nothing but breathtaking to see in a game. Those of you that were PC Gamers back then may remember titles such as Phantasmagoria, 7th Guest, or the hit sequel 11th Hour. All of these games involved puzzles and incorporated live action footage. The whole premise of Burn:Cycle revolves around the main character, Sol Cutter, a small time data thief who finally met his match on his latest job. A virus implanted into his head provided him only two-hours REAL-TIME to find a cure before he dies. That’s where you begin the game. The introduction video below gives you an idea of the story line and overall feel of the game.

In the shadows of hit games such as Myst and other titles released in the early 90s I don’t think Burn Cycle got the recognition it probably should have. Obviously the cost of CD-i gaming systems was high, along with the PC gaming following not being at the level it is today , it was easy to overlook. Burn:Cycle had fairly poor graphics with a lot of visual tearing but for the first time ever for me at least the music in the game made all the difference in the world. They even included a bonus soundtrack in the game box for your listening pleasure. Below you can listen to one of the tracks from the game. A title such as Burn:Cycle in my opinion easily holds its on against classic games like Blade Runner on PC and Syndicate. Being only 12 or so when the game was released I really could not truly appreciate it and be lucky enough to have parents that would buy me an M-Rated game (ESRB ratings weren’t well-known back then). but as I grew older I kept playing the game and grew fond of it, eventually leading to its completion. One of the main selling points of the game was that it would have a shocking ended , and that it did. It’s my goal to keep this blog entry short, but I urge you to maybe download the game or at least watch a play through of it on YouTube. Check it out and let us know what you think of it, good or bad! I would hate to see it fall into the depths of video game history and never to expose any other players to its pure style and music.