Matt reports on Cyberside: Second Simulation

MISSION REPORT / CYBERSIDE: SECOND SIMULATION

Filed by: Matt 'Cleric20' Adcock: “Taciturn”
Clearance: Black Level / No External Transmission
Date: 20.07.25
Subject: Review & Threat Analysis...Cyberside: Second Simulation
Authors: Aleksey Savchenko & Bert Jennings

Cyberside is not just a story. It’s a simulation wrapped in a cover story, encoded in print. What starts as a bounty-hunting op turns into a theological cyberpunk spiral through the corrupted code of a post-reality society. Set in a digital fallback world created after physical collapse, this novel is a high-stakes infiltration into what happens when identity, morality, and memory are all up for rewriting.

I loved this cyberpunk thrill ride so much I bought the comic and prequel too!?

CORE INTEL: SUBJECT BREAKDOWN

Primary Operative: James Reynolds, a “Taciturn.” A professional killer. Minimal chatter. Maximum efficiency. Ex-engineer. A man who’s made peace with being alone in a world run on ghosts and code. Think noir detective re-skinned for a neural interface.

Primary Target: Matilda, classified as a “Scry.” She sees beneath the surface of Cyberside. Dangerous not because she kills, but because she understands. She sees you, sees the rot in the system, sees what Cyberside used to be.

“The body is obsolete. Memory is currency. And reality can be rewritten.”
(Matilda, during initial contact sequence)

Setting: The Cyberside once a utopian simulation built by Fall Water Lake Studios. Now fragmented. Reality glitching. Each zone holds its own logic, its own dangers. Rules of physics are mutable. Identity is unstable. Borders are dissolving.

THE CONSPIRACY UNPACKED

Cyberside is not just a retreat. It’s a prison.
Built by Fall Water Lake as humanity’s digital escape hatch, Cyberside became a corporate asset, then a corrupted relic. Somewhere between idealism and collapse, something crawled into the core code.

The 'Second Simulation' is real and it's awake.
The titular "Second Simulation" is a sentient fragment of the original Cyberside architecture and it’s evolving. It’s rewriting reality from the inside. Not AI. Not human. Something in-between. Matilda may be a part of it or its prophet. Or both.

The hunters are being hunted.
Reynolds is sent in to erase Matilda, but the deeper he goes, the more he realises the operation isn’t clean. Fall Water Lake may have sent him, but they’re no longer in charge. Old kill orders persist long after the war is over. Reynolds isn’t just chasing shadows. He is one.

MISSION EVALUATION

Pacing & Prose:
Tight. Cinematic. Reads like a slick infiltration op. Dialogue is lean... characters speak only when it matters. Everything else is internal monologue, tactical descriptions, or eerie code glitches.

Atmosphere:
Perfect balance of ghost-in-the-machine dread and hard-boiled noir. Every scene hums with the tension of a system breaking down. Picture Blade Runner 2049 crossfaded with Ghost in the Shell, then filtered through a broken VR headset.

Character Work:
Reynolds is the embodiment of professional detachment, until Matilda forces him to confront not just her humanity, but his own. The emotional arc is slow-burn, like a neural fuse lighting up a cold heart.

Themes:

What is real when everything is virtual?
Can a soul be simulated?
What is a memory if it can be bought or erased?

RECOMMENDATION

For operatives who enjoyed Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon, or the melancholic code-twisting of The Matrix Reloaded, yes, Cyberside: Second Simulation is a worthy upload.

Don’t read it. Sync with it.

Who is Aleksey Savchenko?

Over the last 25+ years, game development veteran, futurist, author and BAFTA member Aleksey Savchenko has built a respected and influential career in the entertainment and tech industries. He is currently Director of R&D, Technology and External Resources at GSC Game World, where he has been instrumental in launching major titles including S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. He has held key roles at Epic Games and Black Wing Foundation, and worked on projects for Disney, Warner Brothers, Square Enix, 2K, Gearbox, and 505 Games. He is the author of Game as Business, numerous industry white papers, and the Cyberside series. Born in Ukraine, Aleksey supported military and humanitarian efforts after the 2022 invasion and is now based in the UK.

Who is Bert Jennings?

Bert Jennings is a writer, narrative designer, and producer with over a decade of experience in the video game and entertainment industries. He currently serves as Narrative Director at Turn Me Up Games, where he has worked since 2016, leading storytelling development across multiple titles. Prior to that, he held the role of Producer at the studio, overseeing internal IP development from concept to completion. His background includes three years as Executive Assistant at Stereo D (a division of SDFX Studios), where he supported senior leadership and facilitated cross-departmental production across animation, development, and facility operations. Earlier in his career, Bert was an Assistant Producer at TopWare Interactive, contributing to multiple game launches between 2007 and 2010. He is the co-author of Cyberside: Second Simulation, where his background in game design and narrative development helped shape the book’s immersive world-building and character-driven storytelling. He is based in Los Angeles, California.

Out of a potential 5, you have to go with a Darkmatters:

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