Synergia (video game) review

     I am a huge fan of cyberpunk as anyone who visits my webpage will note. Unfortunately, there's never been any definitive cyberpunk game (pushes away Deus Ex for undermining my argument). I think part of that is due to the fact the genre is one where a thousand stories could be told and many games get the cyber or punk part of things going but never quite both. Synergia isn't a video game per se, though, but is a visual novel.

    For those unfamiliar with visual novels, they're closer to choose your own text adventures and have a minimum of gameplay. For those who are primarily story driven, this is hardly a bad thing and an alternative for those who want to just sit back rather than actively button mash. I really enjoyed the Coteries of New York and Shadows of New York for the Vampire: The Masquerade line.

    The premise is that you are police officer Cila. Cila is a disgraced member of the cyber-crimes unit that deals with androids. You know, like a Blade Runner, except they're more likely to bring in androids "alive" for reprogramming. It is the far future of the Humanist Empire where machines are ubiquitous but hated by the public. Cila did something that earned her the disgust and loathing of her fellow cops, implied to be falling in love with a machine, and now is on her way out.

    Cila hasn't completely learned from her mistake and has a live-in android called Elaine that she continually reprograms to be less human-like. It is also her closest friend, which is an interesting twist on things and helps illustrate how emotionally isolated Cila is. When Elaine gets hacked by an outside force (or just busts down, it's not entirely clear), Cila is offered a prototype model by her ex-girlfriend Yoko named Mara. Mara is far more human than any other android and longs for freedom in exactly the sort of complication that Cila doesn't need.

    Yes, it's a lesbian (or Yuri since it's anime themed) romance, but the cyberpunk elements actually both embrace as well as enhance the metaphor. After all, they're a pair of women who are living in an oppressive society that have instituted laws against their relationship. Even so, I'm mostly fascinated by the conspiracy going on behind the scenes with the mysterious Velta Corporation as well as their plans to make the most human-like AI yet.

    If this doesn't strike you as your bag then, well, that's understandable and there's plenty of other games out there for you. Indeed, the romance has some issues in the fact that Mara is an incredibly annoying character in some places and shockingly manipulative in others. I actually preferred some of the other characters like Elaine, Darla, and Yoko as potential love interests. Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of game where you can choose who you want to pursue. While it does have multiple endings, it's merely a case of a "Good Ending" and "Bad Ending."

    The biggest appeal of the game for me is not just the cute art and the cyberpunk setting, though, but the soundtrack. The soundtrack is fantastic and I actually made a CD of it to listen in the car. It is a neat bunch of techno sounds that really underscore the game's scenes. I wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much if not for the fact that it is perfectly scored.

    The game doesn't have much in the way of choices in either dialogue or actions but the text is consistently entertaining. I especially liked the use of real life quotes from everyone from William Gibson to Albert Camus. This combined with the countdown to the "Synergia Incident" is something that adds a genuine sense of ominousness to events.

    The game does go somewhat off the rails at the end with the police procedural and slice-of-life elements that are the chief appeal of Synergia. After that point, there's too many info dumps and I feel like the game loses some of its charm. You also need to get the Bad Ending in order to unlock the epilogue, which I found annoying. Still, I overall found this to be a very entertaining game and would recommend it to cyberpunk fans.

8/10