Review

Review – A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

Review – A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

Sci and Néro take centre stage as the heroes in the puzzle-platformer A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories. With four worlds and 46 levels to explore within the visually delightful world of Hemeide, the duo tackles a variety of puzzles that will test their platforming skills and ability to solve math-based puzzles. This unique adventure is a fun take on the genre and can be enjoyed alone or co-operatively, taking advantage of each character’s unique skills.

The plot is a little difficult to follow, due in part to translation issues from French developer Souris-Lab. Grammatical issues, award phrasing and typos are a little too present. The game begins with an interesting set-up but almost instantly fades into the background as the world hopping adventure begins. It’s not always clear why Sci and Néro are doing certain things narratively but luckily the gameplay is enjoyable, respectably challenging and the beautiful backdrops the adventure unfolds in are a welcome substitute to narrative substance.

Review - A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

The stunning visual direction is a joyful wonder from start to finish, consistently decorating the screen with striking imagery, vibrant colours and worlds full of wonder. There is a cartoonish charm to the characters and the way they seem to be brought to the foreground is very effective. Each world looks fantastic and distinct, a visual treat throughout the entire adventure.

Screenshot

When it comes to gameplay this title is dominated by platforming, a decision that doesn’t work well with the locked camera issues. The inability to control the camera leads to the screen stretching or shrinking, leading to frequent mistakes when platforming and trying to land on specific platforms. This direction doesn’t take away from the quality of the experience but rather adds a layer of difficulty and potential frustration.

Screenshot

Solving the game’s puzzles requires some logic, especially as it heavily revolves around math-based puzzles. There is enough variety and new ideas introduced to prevent A Tale of Synapse feeling like homework. Initially uncertain of how this type of puzzle would impact the experience I ended up pleasantly surprised but it, certainly standing out from the crowd of other puzzle platforms by adopting the mathematical approach.

Review - A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

Basic combat is present, though it feels more like an afterthought. It’s not deep enough to be particularly enjoyable, though it’s not too prevalent throughout the adventure to feel tedious. It works and kind of just exists rather than feeling like a meaningful addition to the gameplay offering.

Review - A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

Further gameplay mechanics that don’t quite work as well as they could is the dual protagonists each controlled by a thumb-stick. The platforming in particular can feel a little clumsy and frustrating, especially when coupled with the camera issues. Overall, it adds a bit of challenge without feeling too difficult or infuriating, it just doesn’t quite lend to the most seamless of experiences.

Review - A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories

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DAYNE for One More Game

7Good – This is an all-round solid game that delivers some features really well. It’s a game that most gamers will likely enjoy. If you’re not a fan of the game or genre then you may want to wait for a deal before picking it up.

Please click the link here for a full rundown of our rating scale.

A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories was reviewed on Nintendo Switch and is also available on PC.

A digital code was kindly provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. Our thoughts are ours and ours alone.

This review can also be found at Games of DAYNE at the link here.

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