Taking one glance at Frozen Synapse will immediately reveal the focus of
this indie-developed title. This is clearly a deep and challenging
top-down turn-based strategy game that's all about finess, wit and the
ability to predict your opponents next move, all before the outcome of
your choices are played back right before your very eyes. Though it may
look overly subdued and complicated, rest assure that this strategy gem
is an absolutely intoxicating experience that will continuously wow you
with its incredible intricacies and ridiculously addictive gameplay. So
if you have a spare twenty dollars and even the slightest interest in
strategy games, then you should download Frozen Synapse whenever the
possibility arises.
So, what makes this game such an intricate and enjoyable experience?
Well for starters, it's both a real-time and turn-based strategy game
infused with cyberpunk aesthetics all at once, letting you que up moves
and tactics in a frozen state and then watch the consequences unfold in
the form of a brief video snippet. What makes Frozen Synapse so
different, is the fact that you can simulate all of your choices and see
what might happen, and from there on, try to figure out what your
opponent will do in the coming turns and once you're satisfied, hit the
prime button, watch the outcome, prep yourself for the next turn and
continue to experiment and uncover new ways to emerge victorious. Yeah,
it's incredibly deep but it caters well to newcomers, as the game
features a smooth interface and tactics that are easy to employ as well
as a bevy of tutorials to get you going. Frozen Synapse is a game that
will make you think on a level rarely seen in most strategy games,
putting you into a mindset you'd normaly find yourself in when playing a
tense game of chess.
In Frozen Synapse, you control a small squad of soldiers in a
procedurally generated map with each unit wielding a different weapon
and the goal is to simply decimate the opposing team. You then simulate
various approaches in tandem with your enemy and then execute those
moves with battles taking place in real-time. From the outset, you have
five different commands to give to your units, like telling them where
to go with the use of waypoints, or ordering them to aim at a designated
spot or enemy. It's crucial that you weave these simple orders and
produce game-changing tactics as you can never be completely sure what
your enemy will do next, which creates an unparalleled amount of
tension. Being cunning and patient will meet you with success, so dont
you dare attempt any brain dead schemes.
Frozen Synapse features some truly robust multiplayer options, with
integrated chat and friends-list options and replays of matches can even
be exported to Youtube. However, if you're type of person who's into
fast multiplayer action then the hours upon hours and then some it can
take just to finish one match will seem absolutetly ridiculous. You're
actually meant to play multiple matches at a time, and whenever your
opponent has primed his move, you'll receive an email notification and then the result of those moves will be played out. It may all sound
superficial, but if you can cope with it, you'll find the multiplayer
action in Frozen Synapse to be loads of fun and there are plentiful
leaderboards to build some incentive.
But of course, most will start with the singleplayer campaign which
spans a whopping 55 missions that are all varied and demanding. You'll
escort V.I.P's, extract intel, defend areas, sneak past security systems
and much more. The problem is that the difficulty often ranges from
challenging to downright absurd, as missions involving enemies that you
cant see lest they are in your line of sight can be particularly
frustrating. There is also a fairly irreverent story tying things
together--involving corporations, conspiracies and lots of jargon-heavy
dialogue. It's a bit campy but it does help establish a personality to
the game and the characters do have a good sense of humour. Also, words
alone cannot fully explain how incredibly good the soundtrack is in this
game. Your ears will constantly be filled with gleeful techno beats
that never become tedious and it suits the cyberpunk atmosphere just
perfectly.
Frozen Synapse is one of the coolest strategy games i have played in a
long time. It's so sophisticated and meticulously well designed that
even the biggest strategy enthusiast will be impressed. So go ahead and
pay the price to experience this awesome, awesome game--it will be worth
your time and money and some of the previously mentioned gripes
probably won't ruin your fun.
