CyberMage: Darklight Awakening

The Good
I liked--no, loved--everything about this game at the time, although many other games have now equalled it in various ways. The level design in particular stands out, and some of my favorite levels ever are to be found in this game (although my least favorite level ever is also found in this game--see next section). All in all, this one stands at or near the top of my list of all-time favorites; quite an achievement for a game so unknown and unheralded.

(It should be noted that I had the strategy guide when I played, though. It was quite good and lent a lot of color to the story that I would have otherwise missed. Get it if you can find it--it's one of the best such guides you'll ever come across. It is/was published by Origin.)

The Bad
Level Two. Get past it, then forget about it. Don't let it sour you on the rest of the game.

Also, I went back and tried to replay the game recently and found the keyboard controls to be somewhat wonky and uncomfortable. I originally played it with a gamepad, which was a lot more intuitive.

The Bottom Line
CyberMage is a first-generation FPS of the highest caliber. It anticipated design elements found in games like Half-Life by a good four or five years, and the production values are excellent. It was written by David Bradley, of Wizardry fame.