Synced is the co-op shooter aiming to do things differently

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Synced. The co-op multiplayer sci-fi shooter wasn’t a game I’d been keeping a close eye on prior to being invited to play it at a recent event, but after spending a couple of hours in the post-apocalyptic world, I came away pleasantly surprised. Not because it’s a surprise that the game is good, more that it’s trying to do something unique amidst a sea of very similar games.

Synced has you exploring a post-apocalyptic world where a technology called Nanos has gone rogue and ravaged the planet. You play as one of several heroes known as Runners – heroes who squad up to fight across ravaged battlefields and try to reclaim these Nanos to repurpose them to rebuild humanity. So far, so familiar. But Synced has some tricks up its sleeve, including the introduction of a specific kind of Nanos that, after defeating them, you can ‘sync’ up with and have them do your bidding like a robotic, uber-powerful Pikmin (though as you’ll find in our Pikmin 4 review, that is where the similarities end).

While each of the characters already has their own quirks and abilities – such as Glory, the sniper who can chuck a smoke bomb to temporarily blind enemies, or Dr Stone who can heal his allies – each Companion also has its own skills, letting you have essentially a sub-class depending on how you like to play. For example, if you’re playing as a more stealth-capable character like Layla, you might choose the Crusher as your preferred partner, as they can absorb a lot of damage and act like a tank while you run around picking off baddies from the outside.

Each character feels different enough, but importantly, you’re also not at a disadvantage if you wanted to squad up with two others with similar characters, thanks to the Companions plugging any gaps. Their abilities can be useful in a pinch, and never once did we feel underpowered in firefights – though some of this may be thanks to the preview build having lots of equipment already unlocked. The game feels slick and polished, and while the future-apocalypse setting feels well worn at this point, it’s certainly one of the better examples in terms of the environments and atmosphere within the levels.

Another neat twist is how you can pick up a different kind of Nanos as currency, which you can spend on Exchange machines dotted throughout the level that dispense Runner ‘mods’ – specific skills that offer unique changes and abilities, which is where the roguelike elements of the game come into play. Because these are randomised, you don’t know what you’re going to get – and can include things like bullets that ricochet between enemies, or stunning foes when they’re killed by melee attacks. As you progress further you’ll sometimes get the option from these machines to buy upgrades to these skills, making them more potent. However, these buffs only last for the duration of that mission. 

The trick is that using them will help you earn more credits to buy permanent skill upgrades, and thus give you a neat way to progress your character between missions. It’s a great system – incentivising repeat play, and making each game feel relatively fresh even if the structure remains fairly similar; head into a new area, kill some enemy waves until you’re ushered into the next space, and repeat this a few times before eventually taking on a huge boss creature known as a Tyrant at the end, then back at base, buff yourself up and make yourself stronger to head into the next mission that’s a little bit harder and so on.

During my time with the game, I was reminded somewhat of Outriders, particularly in the gameplay loop and squadding up with friends to blast through levels, with the mods and upgrades providing a fun spin. While enemies felt largely similar from one another, it wasn’t just a case of holding down fire – as some would have specific weak spots and attacks that would force the group to change tactics on the fly. While our hands-on didn’t last quite long enough to get an idea of how well this loop will hold up for the long term, it was certainly a fun blast that’ll definitely keep you entertained for a good few hours. Where the long term health of the game will likely be served, it seems, is in its story – and it feels like there’s a fair amount of effort here to support that. 

Personal logs, world building and each character’s story seems a significant part of the game, and though there wasn’t a great deal to see in the build we played, judging on the comments made in our Synced interview with the game’s narrative director seems to imply that developer NExT Studios have long term plans for this shooter in mind. There’ll be missions added, new weapons, skills and features – and as long as these feel significant enough to keep people coming back, Synced could quietly become one of those games you go back to on a regular basis.

Interestingly enough for an online free to play shooter – while Synced will support both PvP and PvE, it seems PvE is where the main focus will lie. We didn’t actually have time to try the PvP in our session, alas, though it sounds serviceable – but with all the effort it sounds like there’ll be going into the story, along with the sheer volume of new seasonal content already planned and with plenty of weapons and gear to earn, that it’ll have plenty to hold players’ attention who want something free-to-play outside of the traditionally competitive space and rather, more suited to scratching the co-operative itch. 

Synced is set to arrive on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC in the very near future, with a Summer 2023 release scheduled for the game.

 Videogamer.com is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Last updated on 2024-04-20