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Admittedly, the Visual Novel genre is not one I go to often but I couldn't resist with Synergia because of the incredible atmosphere and wonderful design work that went into it. Note: key provided by the publisher.

"Synergia is a yuri thriller visual novel that takes place in a cyberpunk future, wrapped up in a beautifully unique, vibrant neon aesthetic. At the end of the world, sometimes love is the ultimate crime."

Radi Art and Top Hat Studios have crafted something that gives off a definite Ghost in the Shell vibe, the Anime versions I mean, not the questionable 2017 movie. Synergia is genuinely quite a surprise! You're greeted first by a pumping intro with music that sounds like it's something out of Blade Runner and it certainly commands your attention. That demanding atmosphere carries through the game too, it's quite something.

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What's quite impressive apart from the audio and atmosphere is the overall style to it. You really get a feel that it's a true dystopian cyberpunk future. The art style too is great, using a mix of clearly drawn lines along with vibrant colours and futuristic overlays that all blend together in unique ways.

Your enjoyment of Synergia will depend on how much you like the adult themes involved. There's plenty of talk involving sexuality (including suggested acts with machines) and depression, a few scenes with suggestive imagery and that sort of thing. Very much a novel designed for adults. That said, there's no actual sexual / explicit content in the game as it focuses on the storytelling and the characters themselves.

Synergia was another game funded from a Kickstarter too, back in 2019 they managed to pull in around $15,491. You can see it and plenty more on our dedicated Crowdfunding Page.

Feature Highlight:

  • Nearly 100 combined, unique backgrounds and CGs
  • 20+ characters, all with interesting backgrounds and personalities deeply woven into the narrative
  • An estimated 6-9 hours of gameplay
  • A unique, vibrant art aesthetic that pervades the neon dystopian setting of the game
  • A beautiful, vivid soundtrack that complements the game's aesthetic, composed by Andy Andi Han, one of the composers of Katawa Shoujo and Sense: A Cyberpunk Ghost Story
  • Choices that deeply affect the protagonist's journey and world around them, with multiple endings

If someone like me who very rarely enjoys Visual Novels can appreciate it, they did good. You can buy Synergia on GOG, Steam and itch.io.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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8 comments

Linas Jul 28, 2020
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The developer suggests running the game in a Linux virtual machine for users having trouble with running it on macOS.
Shmerl Jul 28, 2020
Heh. macOS is basically done for gaming. I don't expect developers to make games for it much anymore.
Alm888 Jul 28, 2020
To be fair, that user just got confused by Steam™'s warning and was under impression it would not run on Catalina because it is "not 32-bit compatible" (which means it is a 64-bit game) and the developer confirmed that several users have reported the game working just fine in Catalina (which it should be as a 64-bit game).
beko Jul 29, 2020
Not much into visual novels myself but I like the art of this very much. It's cyberpunk, a genre I like, and it also displays freakin trigger control and that tells me a lot about it's artist and attention to detail so yeah - curious for the story now 👍
damarrin Jul 29, 2020
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I like how every time a VN comes along Liam says he's not into them but this one is great. There are tons of great VNs out there and they're a great way to just lie back and relax. Though I'll admit that's best done with a portable device and not on a computer, so I mostly tend to get and play them on something like the PS Vita.
Liam Dawe Jul 29, 2020
Quoting: damarrinI like how every time a VN comes along Liam says he's not into them but this one is great.
Honestly, it really is a genre I generally shy away from because it's just not my thing. I prefer more interactive moving experiences. However, at times something interesting like this comes along :)
Purple Library Guy Jul 29, 2020
Quoting: damarrinI like how every time a VN comes along Liam says he's not into them but this one is great. There are tons of great VNs out there and they're a great way to just lie back and relax. Though I'll admit that's best done with a portable device and not on a computer, so I mostly tend to get and play them on something like the PS Vita.
I expect lots of other VNs come along. You can't expect him to post up articles saying "I'm not normally into Visual Novels, and this one is no exception--it pretty much sucks."
damarrin Jul 30, 2020
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Why not? They’re reviews. Liam might play a bad game so we don’t have to.
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