SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada Review

Mecha games have been dominating the sci-fi multiplayer genre, with releases such as Gundam Breaker 4, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and Titanfall 2 at the forefront of changing the face of the genre. These have captured audiences with high-energy gameplay and new mechanics, raising the benchmark for new releases looking to make a name for themselves in a crowded marketplace with very high demand.

Step in SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada, a new title under development at Game Studio and published by Bandai Namco Games, taking a mix of futuristic fighting with extraction shooter gameplay in an attempt to make its presence heard in a crowded marketplace full of innovation.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada brings futuristic sci-fi looks with a depth of tactical essence that fans have become accustomed to enjoying in the genre. By controlling personalized mechs and fighting through lifeless environments, you become transported to an intimate and rapid-pitched environment with a mix of PvE and PvP battles, but can it stand alongside the best in its field in a crowded marketplace full of competition?

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada is set in a post-apocalyptic world devastated by a deadly rain that nearly killed off humanity. Players become Drifters, moving through rain-filled, hostile environments in search of AO crystals, an important source of power that helps humanity survive its near-extinction. Otherwise, the story is fairly simple and lacks nuance, acting simply as a background for you to fight hostile enemies, such as Enders and, at times, fellow Drifters.

The story doesn't go any further, and it only subtly hints at shadowy groups with motives unknown and no real conclusion about humanity's future. In between all of that, an AI companion, a key character who assists and brings a glimmer of humanity to an otherwise dingy atmosphere.

Despite having potential, the story doesn't flesh out its lore to its fullest potential. The world doesn't have a life of its own, and most of its story is told in quick cutscenes and dialogue, with most wanting a deeper story and detail.

What makes SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada stand out among its peers is its focus on mech-based gameplay. While this might initially seem like a minor detail, the shift from controlling a human character to piloting a mech sets it apart from other extraction shooters.

This distinction creates a gameplay experience that feels kind of different. Notably, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada also offers a gentler learning curve than many similar games, including the visually impressive The Forever Winter.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada aims to make combat its highlight, but it often feels overly simple and fails to bring anything groundbreaking to the table. While piloting agile and highly maneuverable mechs theoretically adds a unique layer to battles, the mechanics rarely go beyond basic tactics like circle-strafing opponents or shooting at PvE enemies. The weapon variety is standard fare, featuring SMGs, shotguns, and rifles, divided into energy and live ammo types—though this distinction rarely impacts combat in a meaningful way.

A standout feature is Magus, the AI companion who joins you on the missions. Magus provides tactical guidance, analyzes combat scenarios, and adds a touch of levity with light-hearted banter. This AI adds personality to the game and makes the world feel less lonely.

Magus also contributes to combat, assisting with targeting and offering strategic input, making this partnership essential for tackling difficult situations. That said, some people may find Magus's dialogue repetitive over time.

To its credit, SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada excels at onboarding you into its mechanics. Unlike harsher games where failure can mean losing everything, this title introduces you to its gameplay loop in a more forgiving manner. Early objectives focus on PvE zones where one defeats monsters and gathers materials to develop their home base.

These objectives gradually introduce systems like crafting and resource management, teaching you how to fight, collect materials, and unlock better equipment or base upgrades over time. For instance, an early goal tasks you with setting up a crafting room, showcasing how materials can be used to improve their overall capabilities.

The mech-based combat is a key element of the game, but it's also where its flaws are most evident. Battles rarely progress beyond basic strategies like circle-strafing and shooting, leaving the potential for more innovative mech encounters largely untapped.

Despite the agility and maneuverability of the mechs, these features fail to translate into dynamic or engaging combat mechanics. Weapons lack imagination, sticking to a predictable selection of energy and projectile guns, and even the companion-based special abilities add little to the experience due to their lengthy cooldowns and minimal impact during fights.

While the onboarding process is noteworthy for its accessibility, the tutorialization often becomes excessive. The game frequently disrupts the flow with constant input from either your companion or a mascot character, offering explanations that can feel intrusive and annoying.

These interruptions give the impression that the game doesn't trust you to figure things out on their own. Some of the guidance provided feels patronizing, as though the game assumes that you are unfamiliar with basic gaming mechanics. This over-explaining can detract from the pacing, especially for those already accustomed to similar systems in other titles.

Performance is another area where SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada struggles. I've experienced frame rate drops, particularly during intense combat scenarios, and texture pop-ins are a recurring issue. For a game reliant on fluid, responsive gameplay, these technical shortcomings are hard to overlook.

While not severe enough to completely break the game, these problems undeniably affect the overall experience. A more polished and optimized performance would have significantly elevated the gameplay.

Despite these setbacks, the SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada has its merits. The innovative fusion of PvE and PvP gameplay introduces a level of unpredictability that keeps you on edge, creating moments of genuine tension and excitement.

The prospect of encountering other people while battling AI enemies adds a unique layer of challenge. When the combat does function as intended, it is fairly enjoyable. The wide array of weapons and the sheer thrill of piloting a mech make for engaging battles, while the ability to customize your cradle coffin introduces strategic depth, encouraging you to experiment with different playstyles.

Magus, the AI companion, adds personality to the game, helping to create a sense of partnership that makes the experience feel less isolating. Magus's presence not only aids in combat by providing tactical advice and support but also adds an emotional layer to the gameplay, giving the world a sense of liveliness and connection.

However, these strengths are balanced by deep weaknesses. Most prominently, the game's weakness is in its design and execution. The environment and world-building are not diverse, and exploration tends to be boring.

The controls for mechs, being the pillar of the game, can become clunky and unresponsive at times, and this often happens at crucial moments in a battle. For a fighting game featuring mechs, such a lack of refinement in controls is a big flaw.

The technical performance further compounds the game's problems. Frame rate drops and texture pop-ins, though not constant, are frequent enough to disrupt immersion. For a game that emphasizes fast-paced action, these flaws are especially disappointing.

Replayability is also a concern, as the PvPvE concept, while initially engaging, risks becoming monotonous without more meaningful progression systems or diverse content. The lack of variety in missions and objectives may cause you to lose interest over time.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada's visuals offers a mixed bag. The mech designs, futuristic and complex, stand out in a big way as one of the most impressive-looking parts of the game. Action and weapon animations in combat are polished and add an additional level of tension to battles. Environments fall, however, a little short.

As much as the game wishes to have a desolate and deadly environment, it ends up becoming dull and repetitive. Most locations are similar to one another almost identically, with little variation in terms of landscapes, and therefore, exploration feels lackadaisical—the one flaw of a game that relies so much on its environment.

The artwork lacks cohesion in its style, even. It attempts to combine a gritty post-apocalyptic environment with high-tech sci-future appearances, but it feels off in its imbalance. As much as mechs and character design work perfectly with the futuristic theme, the world lacks the same bite of ambition and brings disconnection in its overall presentation.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada is rich with potential but doesn't wholeheartedly deliver on its objectives. There is freshness in mixing PvE and PvP, providing tension and unpredictability at times, customizability for mechs, and a level of personalized touch and strategy.

All these positive factors, added to its friendly onboarding, make the title accessible to those in its genre. For its fan base of mech-combat and changing multiplayer experiences, only then can enjoyment be taken, at least at an early level.

SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada, however, suffers from significant flaws. Depth in its combat mechanics is lacking, and too much of it is reduced to simple strategies. Its variety in both weapons and powers feels uncreative.

Poor, unbalanced, and repetitive environments and a lack of deep narrative work to take a feeling of immersion and discovery, and even technical glitches, such as frame drops, pop-ins, and poor controls, work to tug at and not in an enjoyment of the title.

The overall experience with SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada is a mixed one, one that will, perhaps, reward its fan base but will not work in creating a standout title in its field.