Game: Synthetik: Ultimate
Genre: Action, Arcade
System: Nintendo Switch (also Steam, PS4, & Xbox)
Developer|Publisher: Flow Fire Games | Game Drive NL
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone
Price: UK £13.49 | EU €14,99 | US $14.99
Release Date: December 16th 2020
Review code provided with many thanks to Game Drive NL
Rise of the Robots
Welcome to Synthetik: Ultimate a unique twin stick shooter with rogue lite elements. Yes, we have been here before but if your looking for bang for your rogue lite buck, this is a robotic arcade style experience well worth getting lost in.
Looks like those evil robots are at it again! So choose a class, grab a gun and shot your way to victory. Synthetiks concept is not exactly new when it comes to rogue lite design but its mechanics and execution make it stand out from the crowd. The goal of each level is to reach the end teleporter. But on that journey you can gun the robot baddies which vary from soldiers to drones to giant machines. You don’t have to kill every enemy to exit a level but exploration and combat is certainly encouraged to seek out new weapons and item chests, as well as find shops and stores that offer gameplay modifiers.
Of course you will get to levels which act as boss rooms where you have to fight a giant machine or complete a simple objective before proceeding. As is the rogue lite way some runs will lasts in the 5-10 mins range but if things are going well a single run can go on for a long while. Handy that the Switch has a standby feature. When runs end though you can level up your class as well as unlock buffs and items so you can adjust your starting build. You’re constantly unlocking things so expect to spend plenty of time looking at stat sheets as well as shooting robot baddies.
A Different Take on the Twin Stick Shooter
The game begins with a basic tutorial to get you to grips with the games controls and mechanics. It gets overwhelming pretty quickly, what with all the classes you can select from and the various items you can use. Some classes favour long range combat, others a stealth approach, others melee combat. Your kinda spoilt for choice. For me I learned more about the game by just experimenting with a variety of builds. It certainly didn’t feel repetitive that’s for sure.
The twin stick shooting is very different from what you might expect from other games in the genre. Synthetiks gun play is much more tactical and strategic. Standing still and aiming usually gives much better results then shooting like crazy on the move. Of course you need to move out of the way of the hail of bullets that comes towards you. You can also make use of a handy dash move for those quick escapes. If you aim carefully with the cross hair and wait for the right moment you can even deliver head shots which is new for this genre.
There is a huge variety of weapons from snipers, pistols to shotguns and rocket launchers. You can carry three weapons in total but only two can be switched out for new ones you find with your starting pistol acting as a sort of last resort. There is also a reload mechanic where you discharge your clip with the left shoulder button then reloading with the RZ button. If you tap the RZ button again at the right moment you get a quick reload a mechanic made very famous by Gears of War. There is a huge amount of weapons and items to experiment with making every run attempt feel very unique.
As well as lots of weapons, there are lots of items to use. You can summon bots to assist you, activate grenades and buffs. It gets pretty overwhelming to begin with, with so many options at your disposal. Pausing the game will allow you to check items and weapons in more detail in case you need a breather. I sure did just to confirm the stuff I found. The mild niggle here is sometimes you have so many items and weapons at your disposal, it can be a bit hard to use it all correctly, particularly when the action on screen gets hectic. The game is single player only on the Switch version, it’s a shame co-op was not added as this would be a great to play with a friend. The PC version does include online co-op.
Synthetic Graphics
Graphics are unique 3D looking sprites in a variety of coloured environments which are randomly generated. Sometimes your running round a orange area the next it goes all night vision. I guess one could say the graphics look synthetic after all there are a lot of robots your gunning against. The music is your typical action score but I was sort of won over by it when I found a boom box in a level, activated it and then the music turned into a awesome metal/rock number.
For the Rogue Lite Fans
If you’re a fan of rogue lite games and twin stick shooters Synthetik: Ultimate is a essential purchase. With so much content and customization options this is a game to get pretty lost in. It keeps the story minimal and the action straight to the point.
Despite failing constantly as one does in a typical rogue lite game Synthetiks unique take on the genre makes it one I’ll go to often.
Final Verdict: I like it a lot
