The new loot shooter Synced is now available on Steam. The open beta started on December 12 and will run until January 15. The free-to-play shooter mixes the gameplay of Destiny and The Division and spices it up with its own ideas and roguelite elements. MeinMMO gives you a brief introduction to Synced.
What kind of game is this? With Synced, a new loot shooter comes to Steam that can be called the first AAA roguelite.
It relies on crazy build combinations, randomly generated mission designs, and permadeath. However, you keep your loot, but you have to restart the respective mission completely. Outside of missions, you can upgrade your hero, weapons, and your Nano – a kind of minion that fights for you or provides bonuses when you don’t deploy it.
In terms of effects, it follows the Destiny formula. Every weak spot hit on the enemy feels good; perks and bonuses create a feeling of escalating power. The movement, on the other hand, is reminiscent of The Division. Synced is a third-person shooter, but without the cover system of Division.
Loot shooter fans should definitely take a look. Synced is free to play, and the open beta is currently running. Even the tutorial makes a good impression; we embed a trailer for the game here:
Synced: A loot shooter with innovative elements
When is the release of Synced? The shooter is supposed to be released on PC and consoles. Currently, there is no release date yet. You can currently play Synced on Steam (via steam.com), later a proprietary launcher is supposed to be launched (via syncedthegame.com).
How do the matches work? Synced offers PvE and PvP, and everything revolves around trios. Before a match, you create a build with perks and bonuses, choose a runner (your character) and a Nano (your minion).
Runners and Nanos have special abilities and determine your playstyle. Here there are healers, tanks, damage dealers – everything you need to define your task during the matches.
In PvE, you choose a mission area and start in a large, open space. Here, you complete specific tasks and are under constant time pressure. A timer runs full, and the further it is filled, the harder the mission becomes.
You constantly have to decide: Should I take detours for better loot, or should I quickly finish the mission so that the boss at the end of an area isn’t too difficult?
Especially at the beginning, the difficulty level is high – as is usual in roguelite games. Your build is a patchwork and hardly specialized. Gradually, you will become more powerful and can also benefit from random perks that you find during a match, which will disappear after a run.
You play 2 areas with also randomly selected missions, and at the very end stands a big boss with unique mechanics that poses a significant challenge.
The PvP mode works very similarly. However, here 12 people in trios are roaming the areas and fighting in a PvEvP match against other players and charging NPC enemies.
How does the game intend to motivate? It plays with the aforementioned power fantasy and the many different builds that can be assembled from the numerous components.
Moreover, the random element during matches is motivating. You get additional strong random elements into your build, which can create exciting synergies – or not.
Additionally, there is top-notch graphics with many effects that ensure you feel the “impact” of your actions. The constant pressure from the ongoing difficulty display also keeps the pace during the missions pleasantly high.
It is still too early for an assessment of long-term motivation.
Why is the game flying under the radar? Shortly after the open beta started on Steam, the maximum number of concurrent players is only 2,775 (as of December 13, 2022 / 11:20 a.m. / via steamcharts.com).
There has been little marketing for the title so far; many players simply have not yet noticed the new loot shooter. Since it is designed as a free-to-play game, fans of Destiny, The Division, or loot shooters in general should definitely take a look.
If you are always on the lookout for strong loot shooters, you can find here more exciting titles: The 8 best loot shooters – For PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox
