Now playing: SYNTHETIK
SYNTHETIK by Flow Fire Games is BRUTAL. It doesn't take long to get killed. Thankfully, you're an android, so it's only spilled oil and scattered chassis parts.
This premise lets SYNTHETIK get away with a lot of visual gore without being actually gory or unsightly. Still, all these neat factory-like levels turn into a porridge of decals, particles and debris from exterminated enemies, explosion marks, some environment destruction even. Your goal is to get to the Heart of Armageddon, and you are a bot from a certain prefab, packed with a couple of abilities (some customizable) and up to 3 guns.
And guns are the king of this show. While abilities and utilities offer you assistance, and you can upgrade your body through shops and collectables along the way, it's the diversity of pew-pew sticks that makes you a killing machine. It's a roguelike (or rather roguelite) game, and while there is some meta progression, you mostly start from scratch every time. You have a pistol of some sorts, and it can already pack quite a punch, but things will escalate quickly.
Guns carry a distinct profile each, fitting different playstyles and situations, and you need to carry a few, because ammo is limited, bullets are wasted on reload, and enemies are in abundance. Guns are also loud, they have weight behind them. It's fun and satisfying to actively engage the enemy, and there isn't a lot of room for stealth or distant approach. Some characters can go invisible, but that doesn't last long enough, and a strategic use of cover, mobility or physical wherewithal are your lifeboat in this ocean of projectiles and explosions.
Every now and then the difficulty level increases, similar to Risk of Rain, and headhunters spawn to stop you from catching your breath. Your vision is inherently limited, as the game uses a kind of isometric perspective, with no zoom in or out. You only see what's in the immediate vicinity, and must be aware of your surroundings, as it's easy to back yourself into a corner or another enemy group and get overwhelmed.
Graphics is actually one of my favorite parts of SYNTHETIK. I adore this prerendered, high fidelity iso-view, in the same vein as Factorio. It's a look that is fundamentally so real, in a way no ray-tracing lighting can ever be. Of course, there is goofiness due to limitations of using prerendered graphics, but that only adds to the charm. It's a shame the sequel abandoned this aesthetic completely, the 3D look seems so underwhelming to me.
Despite technical restrictions, there is enough variety in these industrial-meets-PCB worlds (and one alien planet). Enough for 5 stages each run consists of, punctuated by a boss encounter. There is a lot of variation in how these bosses are designed, and the challenge is not always in draining an enormous HP pool. In fact, most often than not it tests your abilities developed through the rest of the levels, to outmaneuver and outplay your robotic foes.
To outweigh these challenges, the game can be played in co-op! Though as things get easier, they also get harder. When you die in normal levels, your companion needs to hold the fort for a handful of seconds until you are allowed to rejoin the battle. During a boss encounter, however, they are on their own until the end. And you will not get the loot, which means a disadvantage moving to the next stage.
There is always the next run though, full of bullets and cacophony.