Frozen Synapse Review

Indie games often allow for developers to experiment, giving them the opportunity to come up with something that has not really been seen before. That is exactly what Mode 7 Games have done with Frozen Synapse.

Frozen Synapse is a strange title to define. It plays in a similar way to the XCOM titles, but also has elements of strategic shooters, with futuristic sci-fi visuals like Tron. Frozen Synapse is an excellent turn-based tactics game that forces you to carefully plan out each move, backed up by a stylish look and outstanding musical score.

Story

Frozen Synapse takes place in a dystopian future. A huge corporation now runs the government and the country, abusing its power in every aspect of society. With the general population suffering at the hands of this ruling force, a resistance movement has risen up to challenge its authority. Players take on the role of a tactical commander who has responsibility for one of these resistance groups, with the aim being to fight back against the government forces.

This story sounds fairly standard for a sci-fi setting, but the plot is definitely not meant to carry the game. Rather, it is a container for the different scenarios that make up the singleplayer experience. Don’t expect a groundbreaking narrative that will immerse you in a deep or emotional story.

Thankfully, the missions themselves more than make up for the story. There are 55 different scenarios and each one has some procedural generation element to it. This could mean anything from the random nature, to how units are placed on a level, to where and what extra objectives there are. So, playing through them several times never quite feels the same, giving some replay value to the game.