Synced may have lost its subtitle, but it is indeed the same game that we tested at the gamescom of 2019. The one that NEXT Studios then called Synced: Off-Planet was then a GST rather solid, albeit generic, that counted a lot on its side PvPvE. A shame since we were never able to check if the result lived up to the promise. That’s all behind it now that Synced has metamorphosed into a roguelike. The transition is unlikely to say the least, but the result is so convincing that we are not unhappy to see it reappear after three long years of absolute silence.
The potential is there, it has already demonstrated its effectiveness.
NEXT Studios didn’t say anything about it, but it seems obvious that Synced started from zero, or almost. Because yes, the spearhead of Tencent didn’t give up on the fundamentals. It was said that the title would be a GST multi and it is indeed the case. The mode PvPvE ? He too is still there, neatly tucked away in a corner of the menu. Afterwards, we are not going to pretend that nothing has changed. What was to be the main interest of the game is today only one of the two parts of gameplay. A mode which has also revised its ambitions downwards. The tunes of Battle Royale that he gave himself when the project was announced are only a distant memory. There are now only four teams of three players to fight among these zombies of the future that NEXT Studios baptized Nanos. Fewer people is not necessarily a less interesting proposition, quite the contrary. However, it must be noted that the new management roguelike of Synced pulled the whole blanket to his side. The attraction of novelty without a doubt, but it must be admitted that this new facet is not lacking in arguments.
Quite simple in its interpretation of the genre (random levels, long-term improvements, random object to be collected at each run…), the title is nonetheless very effective. However, a lot of subtleties make this experience a success that is slightly out of the ordinary, starting with the fact of being able to play with two friends. The multi always has its small effect. It must be recognized that this time there is no refusal, because the difficulty of Synced doesn’t seem like a joke. And it’s not for lack of getting an ally at the start of your expedition by defeating one of the Nanos alphas lying around the map. The latter is a smart attempt at a strategy that we welcome. In its base form, your companion Nano fights by your side. It is nevertheless possible to remind you of it to earn a passive bonus which will depend on the type of Nano that you wish to have as a companion. Customization actually goes further, since it is also possible to choose a character from a list of archetypes, with what this includes as specific passive and active abilities. Let’s also mention the customization of weapons as well as that of the modules, the famous permanent improvements that we recover during each expedition, and you have there a Synced inflated to block which does not lack ideas and depth to make us want to chain the runs.
As for the first draft, what Synced succeeds in theory collides with practice. As much the intoxicating feeling of progression specific to roguelike does not suffer from any defect, as much the apparent richness of the game is confronted with summary environments. NEXT Studios opts for open levels which are a little too empty for our taste. Other than weapon caches, combat zones, and kiosks for purchasing new abilities, there’s not much to do other than wander around to stumble upon one of the points of interest mentioned above. high. History not to let us hang around like vagabonds, the developers had the very good idea to gradually increase the difficulty of the enemies as time passes. Smart to let players find the right balance between research phases, dynamism and challenge.
The potential is there!
Even though it helps to pass the pill, we still need a bit of work to make Synced as engaging as early signs suggest. Rethinking the interface will probably also be necessary. Difficult in the heat of the moment to know what the Nanos eliminated. This could be limited to a stupid problem of confusing information, but it also happens that certain attacks, in particular bosses, are difficult to identify, especially when aiming. Here again, NEXT Studios seems to have the answer to everything since in addition to the traditional view GST which is problematic, the creators have integrated a view FPS very practical. Nothing that comes close to a miracle solution since the latter was more thought to be complementary rather than to replace it, but we are slowly approaching the top that the title seems to aim for.
Our impressions: Strongly!
All is not perfect, however NEXT Studios managed to raise the hype around Synced. It’s not so much his new find as the good ideas abounding from all sides that make you want to believe in the future of this title. The potential is there, it has already demonstrated its effectiveness, all that remains is to consolidate this promising formula to make it the future goose that lays the golden eggs of the roguelikebut also titles in PvPvEdo not forget.
