Synergia aims to offer a cyberpunk-themed sapphic visual novel on Nintendo Switch: find out in our review if it works
We would make a lot of jokes about the various jokes that can arise from an indie like Synergia , from the title to the topics covered, but in reality the humor does not find space in this review of the Nintendo Switch version . Not because it has particular defects, on the contrary; it is a quality product, and it is when the latter is lacking that the reviews become sarcastic. However, there is a difference between the objective quality of the title and the subjective appeal that the latter can boast; it is a visual novel , which in addition to being a niche genre is also outside the area of competence of those who are writing to you now.
Precisely for this reason the merits of the latest son of EastAsiaSoft emerge more , more narrative than anything else. We want to be further clear: it is almost exclusively a crossroads novel , which has very little “gameplay” in the strict sense. A particularly “disposable” experience, therefore, to which only the aforementioned crossroads give a little replayability. It’s not necessarily bad, but before shelling out fifteen euros for a novel (one with no inter-European localization , nonetheless) you might want to wait for a minimum opinion. As always, that’s what we’re here for.
“Fill up / with alien work / to pay less than elsewhere”
Let’s open a further parenthesis on the Nintendo Switch version of Synergia before going into the heart of the review: the topics covered. The game combines two topics that become more current with each passing day, namely the emergence of artificial intelligences and LGBTQ representation . The delicacy with which both topics are treated by the narrative sector, despite (or perhaps precisely because of) the cynical point of view of the protagonist Cila, denotes a profound understanding of the theme of discrimination – from the point of view of those who perpetuate it, passing for the consequences on those who suffer it.
Mankind, in some ways, is already considering the pros and cons of crossing the threshold between artificial intelligence limited to its burdens – which the game does not hesitate to compare to slavery – and the idea of a self-conscious robot . In parallel to this narrative fulcrum we have a tangible allegory for the sexual identity in each individual, which often (but limited enough to say “not too much”) emerges with the futuristic taboo of the intimacy between human and android. In short, the foundations to tell a compelling story are already there from the first moments of the game, to the point of having snatched a genuine “let’s see how it goes on” several times.
“You don’t want them to think we’re sex robots” – Synergia Review (Nintendo Switch)
The writer has already had the opportunity to deal with a visual novel on Nintendo Switch even before Synergia , by publishing a review of Sinless elsewhere . Let’s take the latter as an example simply for a comparison that sees today’s examinee emerge favorably. Where Sinless flaunted his muse with (misplaced) narcissism – or, for better or worse, Snatcher and the rest of Hideo Kojima’s work – the title we speak of today rarely degenerates into pretentious . There are occasions when it does, but beyond the illustrious citations to the major exponents of cyberpunk at the end of each chapter, the plot continues with humility and competence.
In the interludes in question the names of Philip K. Dick and Sartre frequently appear, proverbs, Ghost in The Shell (of course) and, sometimes, even biblical verses. For its part, the writer would like to propose the webcomic Questionable Content and its approach to the two main cornerstones of this story steeped in neon lights. As in QC , intimacy emerges multiple times as the plot kicks in, in ways that the mere mention of “Intense Violence” on Nintendo eShop suggests escaping PEGI scrutiny. Be regular.
“Live, Walk and Conquer” – Synergia Review (Nintendo Switch)
The arrival of Synergia on Nintendo Switch brings with it a colorful cast of characters , on which we would like to spend a few words in the review phase. Not surprisingly, the opening titles of the game present us with many of the faces that we will see in this (graphic) adventure, accompanied by their names. We have already alluded to Cila , the cold and disillusioned policewoman around whom the various vicissitudes of the story revolve. Together with her, at least for the first (very first) bars of the game we will see the robotic roommate Elaine , from whom Cila regularly removes the more “human” functions to the detriment of its functioning. Even without making spoilers, you can imagine how it ends.
Soon we will also have the opportunity to meet Yoko , an old friend of Cila who sells androids on the black market. Through Yoko comes Mara (or MARA), an android almost indistinguishable from a human being. Mara is, fundamentally, the key with which Cila finds herself forced to review her entire moral compass, shaped by former colleagues who invite her to smiles of circumstance and a society so tied to technology as to make the very concept of biological humanity incredibly labile. In all this there is no shortage of arrows to extremism, one above all the religion called “humanism”. In short, the critique of today’s society under the science fiction pretext is clear.
“But honey, we have Cyberpunk 2077 at home” – Synergia Review (Nintendo Switch)
We’ve talked about the world of Synergia more than enough; the time has come to dissect the videogame heart of the review, that is the gameplay that, on Nintendo Switch… suffers. There is no way to get around it: seen as a game , this title – despite its undoubted ability to immerse the player – sins, and even a lot. We are not referring to the priority of the plot over the gameplay itself, but of the management of the latter. If you have no problems playing it in portable mode, luckily for you there is the option of using the touch screen (at – minimal – at the expense of resolution).
If you play it in fixed mode, however, be prepared for a particularly cryptic experience . We discovered the possibility of changing the color scheme of the interface from red to white only after a couple of chapters. Even after leaving the obvious inferiority of crimson dialogs behind us, however, menu navigation remains a nightmare with the controller. Several times we have inadvertently skipped pages and pages of dialogues – thus leading us to load our last save – due to a key pressed at the wrong time. It doesn’t ruin the game entirely , but it often breaks the spell of diving.
“Music and Lyrics Approval Process” – Synergia Review (Nintendo Switch)
We are at the final stages of our review: we can talk about what remains of Synergia talking about the technical side of the Nintendo Switch version. Graphically , atrocious interface functionality permitting, artist Francisco Perez Molina’s hand drawings retain their undoubted quality both in fixed mode and – more importantly, at this point – in portable version. The progress in the game, from the first choices to the numerous endings to which they lead their ramifications, will reward us with a gallery accessible from the main menu, where the illustrations are free from the contextual hindrance of the dialogues.
The soundtrack brings with it an atmosphere from which the player’s immersion draws a colossal benefit. The musician Andy Andi Han , who is no stranger to cyberpunk conventions, manages to give his own identity to every moment of the game, further amplifying what each scene aims to communicate to the player. Even in scenes where considerable tension is revealed, the sound accompaniment manages to make this (appropriately artificial) discomfort penetrate under the skin. All this without degenerating into the (vulgar, let’s face it) nihilism of a Lars Von Trier film, no small feat.
Final considerations
It saddens us to close the review of Synergia recognizing its (undoubted) qualities, without at the same time being able to recommend this title to all Nintendo Switch owners. It is a game that, even more than Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2 , will be able to conquer those few fine palates it is aimed at , but which will hardly involve the rest of the public. But if you want to try the genre, the mere presence of English does not scare you and you get a discount, do not be hesitant. Just be ready for a game that, like so many other titles today more aimed at the mere artistic side, of strictly “videogame” has very little.
