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Hours of cooperative and competitive fun! | Full Review - SYNCED

5K View2023-09-07

SYNCED

8.8

Lore-RichRobotsTeam-BasedBattle RoyaleZombiesActionOnline Co-OpAdventure

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SYNCED is an ambitious entry into the looter shooter genre, offering a unique blend of cooperative and PvP gameplay set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by advanced nanomachines. It takes a lot of inspirations from other genres too, mixing rogue-lite elements, battle royale mechanics, and even Pokemon style of capturing and commanding powerful Nano creatures. SYNCED is set to release on September 8 for PC, Xbox, and Playstation systems.

🟩Pros

+Satisfying FPS combat mechanics
+Incredibly detailed graphics that incorporate advanced features like RTX and DLSS
+Rogue-lite elements with random upgrades, bringing freshness to every session
+Runs and missions get preserved in the case of disconnecting or quitting the game
+Consistently thrilling and frantically action-packed PvPvE game mode

🟥Cons

-Expect stutters even if you can run the game well
-Unbalanced runners and Nanos, the offensive types are preferable for both solo and team play while the utility/defense based types only excels in team play.

Story:

SYNCED's narrative backdrop sets the stage in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is grappling with the aftermath of advanced nanomachines gone rogue. These nanos have transformed most humans into zombie-like creatures, creating a dystopian landscape that's as intriguing as it is terrifying. The game's world-building is immersive, but the initial exposition dump could be more elegantly presented. The tutorial however is very cleanly made and I loved the overall introduction of the gameplay mechanics. It doesn’t overwhelm the player and it only introduces what is needed, and lets the player have fun as early as you start the game.

Players take on the role of Runners, survivors who have banded together in a resistance called Haven. The Haven serves as the player's home base and a hub for various activities, including upgrading weapons, adding attachments, and customizing characters. The game offers a small roster of pre-made Runners, each with their unique personalities, skills, and abilities, catering to different playstyles.

Graphics and Performance:

Powered by Unreal Engine, SYNCED boasts incredibly detailed graphics that incorporate advanced features like Ray Tracing, DLSS, and even the latest Frame Gen. When it comes to visual quality, this game is truly exceptional and rivals even AAA titles that cost $70, despite SYNCED being a free to play game. The game is relatively light to run, performing around 100+FPS on my 8700k and RTX 3080 setup. However expect some occasional stutters when moving around the semi-open world map and the game streams more data.

Gameplay:

SYNCED's core gameplay revolves around missions where players venture into the semi-open world to clear out increasingly challenging segments that are infested with nano creatures. It somehow also feels like a zombie survival shooter with how the hordes of Nano creatures are coming right at you. These missions culminate in intense boss fights that require teamwork, strategy, and coordination when in team-based mode, but the game is also viable when played Solo, such is my experience for the majority of my PVE playthrough.

While in the open-world, Players can "Sync" with defeated low-level bosses to create Nano companions or use them as gauntlet enhancements when it's on you instead of as a companion. It's akin to the Pokémon concept but only one Nano creature at a time.

Additionally, the game incorporates rogue-lite elements, allowing players to unlock temporary skill upgrades and modifiers for temporary currency, enhancing the variety and freshness of every session. The upgrades aren't all interesting, and even after reading all of them thoroughly, I noticed that half of them didn't make a noticeable difference in my runs. However, some are indeed powerful, such as the upgrade that automatically spawns an exploding ball on top of every mob I kill, or throws a grenade whenever I reload from zero bullets.

The sense of progression and the dynamic objectives in the semi-open world keep the gameplay engaging. The game is only playable online, but I love how runs and missions are preserved even when quitting or disconnecting. You don’t have to repeat the run back from the start and instead resume from frequent checkpoints. It’s really like a singleplayer game in that regard.

PvP Gameplay

That was just one half of the game; the other half primarily focuses on PvP, with a dash of PvE action. Challenge rival Runners in intense PvP battles on a semi-open map, all while surviving against hostile Nano creatures. Enhance your Runner, weapons, and even your Companion Nanos during each run in a rogue-lite manner to gain the upper hand. Fortunately even with the limited number of players at the moment, I was able to queue up with other players and was able to experience the PvP first hand.

Each team or player races to gather Nerva across the map, and the team with the most Nerva wins when the timer runs out. Towards the end, there's a touch of control point domination-style gameplay where you must secure your extraction point from others, reminiscent of how Plunder works in Call of Duty: Warzone. The entire gameplay experience is consistently thrilling and frantically action-packed from start to finish.

SYNCED shines in the FPS combat department. It’s not as clunky as you would expect, the gunplay feels top-notch, reminiscent of AAA titles and even better with the added mobility powers like the enhanced leaping or dodge moves. In addition, controller support is already well-implemented. The melee combat is equally enjoyable, offering a light hack-and-slash-style experience enhanced by Nano abilities. The sound design, especially the metallic effects when battling nano creatures, is a gratifying departure from typical zombie games but still as equally effective in.

SYNCED is set as a free-to-play game with microtransactions, but so far everything I’ve seen are character cosmetics, weapon skins, or unlocking some of the characters without any pay-to-win mechanics in place, which bodes well for the overall balancing and progression of the game.

Some Downsides

While SYNCED has much to offer, it's not without its drawbacks. The balance between offensive and utility/defense-based Runners and Nanos may need adjustment, as offensive types seem preferable for both solo and team play, while the utility/defense-based feels weak if played in solo.

SYNCED's gameplay, while engaging, might feel familiar to fans of the looter shooter genre, and some players may find the repetitive nature of clearing missions and battling bosses somewhat tiring. Still, for looter shooters, it largely keeps the same gameplay formula and adds its own interesting twists that I feel is adequate enough to stand out amongst the rest.

Conclusion:

SYNCED has the foundation to carve out its own space in the shooter looter landscape, especially with its non-existent price of admission of zero dollars, but whether it can fend off the competition from other live-service games remains to be seen. For now, it's a promising addition to the looter shooter genre, offering hours of cooperative and competitive fun for players willing to venture into its pokemon rogue-lite nanotech FPS nightmare, when it comes out on September 8.

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SYNCED

8.8

Lore-RichRobotsTeam-BasedBattle RoyaleZombiesActionOnline Co-OpAdventure

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