Synthetik is out now on Steam
Retro-futuristic roguelite shooter Synthetik gets release on Steam and itch.io.
The Machine Legion has one mission: to wipe out the human species forever with a merciless hail of bullets. Your job is simple: use the large array of firepower at your disposal to give as good as you get and save humankind from the robot Armageddon. Of course, as Synthetik is a roguelite, the human race is out of luck, at least for the first 20 or so playthroughs, as you only have one life and then you have to start over again and this game has a steep learning curve.
The gameplay in Synthetik is familiar territory for the genre in many ways, with a constantly-changing citadel, a fearsome set of enemies including bosses to take on, and various upgradeable weapons and items available. However, the devs claim it has a ground-breaking level of depth in the combat. Use your resources wisely and learn from your mistakes, and the game will reward you by allowing you to build up a real mastery of the combat system and its 60 types of weapon.
Accuracy will require getting used to recoil and highly responsive movement: get it right and you can even get points for headshots, not an easy proposition in a top-down shooter. The depth of the weapon management is also quite impressive, with a huge array of attachments and ammo types for each gun, but extra considerations to watch out for such as overheating and jamming.
Synthetik is produced by Flow Fire Games, a two-man studio from Berlin. The game has already had early access period on itch.io and a closed beta on Steam, but now after 3 years the duo feel the time has come for full release. The game went live on Friday 16th, and feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with players praising the complexity and variety of guns and combat mechanics, as well as the graphics and audio. You can grab Synthetik on Steam, where there’s a 10% discount during the first week.