Early Access Review
A definite improvement over its little brother
Synthetik 2 feels like a more meaty game with far greater production values than its predecessor. Levels are more detailed and varied. Bosses are more interesting to fight. Weapons and items feel better. To me Synthetik 2 is a definitive improvement over its predecessor. Such a simple thing like an 3D engine does so much for the gameplay. Boss fights got improved as a result, graphics were beefed up significantly and as result, you can really feel the power of some weapons. This new engine finally makes sniping satisfactory as your bullets hit what you aiming for!
Main changes
New Game Engine
- The biggest change is obviously 3D engine. Game feels bigger, more slower. It looks better overall with less pronounced colours. Camera is held further back creating a lot more space for a player to snipe, stealth or to move around the level.
New Improved Boss Fights - With new engine bosses are improved. Previously bosses were primitive in their looks. One was a giant box for a boss, another giant blob for a boss. While another was a giant ball stuck on the rails for a boss… Or if you are particularly unlucky, you would get to fight the dreaded conveyor level which was just being forced to move to the left or the right by the giant conveyor for a boss. Take that for variety! It was done partly, because it is difficult to draw detailed sprite for a big boss model which would look good. If plane for example could approach you from 4 sides rather than 1, you do need to draw at least 4 times (8 if you want boss to turn sideways) for that boss alone! Now it is a lot more fun, you have giant beyblade which spins all across arena and you have to dodge it for your dear life. Planes circle around you from various angles. It is just far more fun to fight bosses in this game than it was in the previous one.
Better GUI - Game has a lot better user interface. While some things are still questionable like TAB function or lack of precise information for ammo types or abilities, information itself is better laid out and UI looks cleaner. Main game menu is done better, gone is annoying chat function, gone are small icons. I do like look of new game, however it could be improved as it is confusing for a newcomer and could be made even better.
Revolutionary Save Function is Here! - The fabled save functionality finally arrived! Last game had suffered from an inability to save your progress. This had resulted in a game where you could easily spend 3 hours in a single run without an ability to quit. This game finally has something as necessary as a save functionality. However, it is still oddly limited to just 1 save per game while in game you have separate progression accounts for each class.
Graphics
New Levels
- Game levels are a lot bigger. Their colours are less pronounced and game feels more grounded. You can see realistically looking modern day environment to futuristic oversized electronics parts. Particle effects look a lot more impressive in this unsaturated background. My favourite one is a snow level, but I always was a sucker for a white contrasts.
New Enemies - Enemies and their models do look prettier. The greatest improvement is in various robotic entities, bots in previous game lacked detail. Some models however do look kinda plain or silly. Machine gun on a bike or suicide bots are very plain looking. However, what is in here is unlikely to disappoint.
New Weapons and Effects - Weapons got a lot flashier, especially ones with huge explosions. Game has a lot more particle effects and some guns feel impressive to fire like an RPG. Battle Hymn in particular is pleasant to use. One shot and entire map is filled with shrapnel as this little beast of a weapon fires 6 shots with one press. I can’t wait weapons like Nemesis to make into the game! Weapons became prettier to use, their models and interface in general is more enjoyable to the eye.
Early Access
Temper your Expectations
- Some things are to be like various bugs and optimisation issues are a plenty. Game needs a lot more content as even after several hours game will become samey. On top of that there are various missing tool tips, run ending bugs or just wildly decreasing level of quality as you progress through the levels. Other things need a definite work on like an AI. Others like GUI could be still be improved quite a lot.
Most Problematic Issue - The biggest feature which I would like to see is an refinement of enemy AI. I want to see them patrolling paths and would come to aid of their fellows. I want to see them aggressively attacking the player. This behavior would allow for stealth gameplay like in a previous game. Also, it would make enemies more dangerous as now it seems that devs ramp up challenge in latest levels solely with pure stats. Common enemies become hp sponges where I would like to see them being dangerous foes instead.
On a Final Note - I’m very positive about this game, more than usual judging from how negative I can be reviewing other games. I had played this game since start of November with pre-alpha copy. It was enjoyable, but it was broken beyond belief. In that time I saw how devs pushed patch after patch worth more than 400 mbs. Game felt like pre-alpha, now it feels like a proper EA product. Seeing their progress one can only admire how hard working they are, hopefully they won’t work themselves to death before release of this game!
Synthetik 2 does have a long way to go to reach refinement and variety which first game offers. Synthetik 1 is still more complete, enjoyable, refined product so be beware before going into early access. I posted long lists of issues and countless bugs reports even on Steam forum and on game’s discord channel (for which I was accidentally banned from Steam cloud by devs). So beware, do not come expecting finished product. It should be obvious, but people these days…they never cease to surprise me! ^_^
UniversEdit
What it is
In my eyes, Synthetik 2 is bound to become a better version of its original. It feels bigger, better built and has more potential than Synthetik 1. Game feels less arcadey, less fast paced and it looks a lot better. Some people might like it, others might not. However, due to in depth modding support from a get go, game can be modified to fit anyone’s taste. I had more fun with it and with time it will get a lot bigger and better than its smaller brother.
- UniversEdit allows for an easy modification of this game. Creating new guns, re-balancing entire game seems to be very easy. Game has potential for a lot of fun and interesting mods as it is easy to swap in between various mods for a game via in game options (universes) where you get detailed information of that main game or mod is. This game has built its game around mod support which I believe to be the best feature of Synthetik 2!
Its Potential - This feature offers accessibility features which I’m yet to see in other games when it comes to modding. Modding support does not look to be just good. It is not just third party Steam workshop support which breaks after each game update. Mods seem to be woven to the very fabric of this game and this feature which is likely to be overlooked early in Synthetik 2’s lifespan will provide this game with a very long legs. With amazing mod support games tend to stay alive and healthy long after game’s development end. Just look at Skyrim! Hopefully, Synthetik 2 will be the same, a game which anybody could adjust and play in whatever form they would like!
Praise the Machine God!
In my eyes, Synthetik 2 is bound to become a better version of its original. It feels bigger, better built and has more potential than Synthetik 1. Game feels less arcadey, less fast paced and it looks a lot better. Some people might like it, others might not. However, due to in depth modding support from a get go, game can be modified to fit anyone’s taste. I had more fun with it and with time it will get a lot bigger and better than its smaller brother.