The registration of new accounts has already halted on July 9th alongside the microtransactions. Servers will remain available until then alongside any of the player’s items. After September 9th, SYNCED will be unavailable to play or download. Level Infinite has outlined conditions where it will retain user information for 30 days after termination. Head here for more details.

As a post-apocalyptic futuristic shooter, SYNCED saw players as Runners battling the Nanos within the Meridian, a special exclusion zone. The twist is that one could hack a Nanos and use them in fights, with PvE and PvP options available. You can check out our review for the title here – we gave it a seven out of ten, praising the aesthetic and gameplay but criticizing the progression and lackluster story.

SYNCED

Developed by NExT Studios, SYNCED is a co-op shooter set against the backdrop of a sci-fi world. Players take control of mercenaries as they venture deep into enemy territory to defeat machines that impose a mortal threat to human existence. In addition to solid third-person cover shooting and the ability to summon Nanobots for assistance, SYNCED also features high-fidelity visuals with great lighting and texture work.

So, what is SYNCED all about, first off? To summarize, it’s a futuristic sci-fi shooter that pits human character players against swarms of humanoid or creature-like monstrosities constructed out of polygonal shards called Nanos. No matter which game type you select, you have the capability of seemingly “hacking” one of these beasts and forming your own Nano to help you fight back. In effect, you “sync” with a Nano hence the game’s title. This third-person shooter offers two modes, a PvE and a PvP mode. The PvE mode, which enables online co-op play, is easily the more thrilling option that offers a sense of adventuring progression despite a thin story.

"This sci-fi action experience offers a great time at the shooting gallery, but not much else. SYNCED has all of its eggs in a couple baskets, leaving others pretty barren."

From a gameplay position, SYNCED is a well-oiled machine. The shooting and other tactics you employ in the field such as unleashing and recalling your synced Nano, tossing throwables, looting, and even power leaping long distances (with your Nano in tow), are all highly satisfying with intuitive controls and smooth action. To complement the gameplay, the visual design and non-linear maps within the world are detailed and exquisite. Perhaps, for these two reasons, SYNCED is likely worth your time trying out since it is free-to-play after all.

However, those two highlights of SYNCED are (currently) the best aspects of the experience. Despite its sci-fi backdrop and unique-designed characters, the story and lore are painfully thin and extremely dull. The characters follow suit with one-note dialogue and personalities. This, however, is a minor complaint for a game that still offers a decent draw with regard to great gameplay mechanics.

The heftier issues with SYNCED lie in its progression grind. This is obviously what will keep players returning for more playtime hours and potentially spend money on the game’s monetization efforts: microtransactions. While I’m on the subject, microtransactions don’t feel overtly intrusive – at least not from what I’ve seen in my time with SYNCED. The main menu doesn’t throw any big flashy advertisements at me immediately and I have to actually visit the vendor at the Haven to look through the bundles, skins, currency, and other items for sale. Of course, that can always change down the road. But for now, the monetization is respectable and largely stays out of your way if you don’t intend to give the shop a look.

Now, about progression. There is a “main campaign” that is central to SYNCED. Basically, it’s playing all of the PvE levels throughout the Dead Sector mode. At first, you’ll be tasked with clearing swarms. Do this enough times and your team will obtain the data that will lead you to a Tyrant Nano – which are, essentially, the boss fights of the game. You are allowed to play through Dead Sector solo, but that might make the experience feel even “grindier” if you catch my meaning. If you have friends that play or simply matchmake with folks over at Haven, you can strike it out as a team of three.

"From a gameplay position, SYNCED is a well-oiled machine. The shooting and other tactics you employ in the field such as unleashing and recalling your synced Nano, tossing throwables, looting, and even power leaping long distances (with your Nano in tow), are all highly satisfying with intuitive controls and smooth action."

The progression ultimately hinges on you battling your way through an onslaught of Nanos. With refined gameplay mechanics, this is good fun – for a while. The game lacks a range of diversity in its objectives, however. This can lead to rapid burnout. Furthermore, the game offers little incentive to return to areas you’ve already completed which begs the question: What happens to a newcomer down the road when most players are far beyond in more challenging levels? Perhaps, the game will draw in newcomers for quite some time, and that may not be an issue. However, the incentives seem to be lacking as they’re largely basic. It’s incentives, after all, that drive progression in most solid online experiences. Again, however, this is something that could always change with future updates to SYNCED.

I found myself more drawn to PvP match-ups against other players. This is ultimately what may have players returning in the future. With solid shooter mechanics, going up against skilled players makes for a fun and thrilling challenge. Each PvP match is a 3 versus 3 scenario. You can, of course, sync with a Nano and bring them into the fray.

Your character (referred to as Runners) and Companion Nano that you select while in Haven or in a pre-game setting (whether PvP or PvE) have their own sets of abilities. For instance, the Seer companion, while fused to your character’s arm (not unleashed in battle) can detect other Runners close by. When deployed, the Guardian Nano will utilize a shield to help defend itself and you. If it’s not deployed and fused to your arm, you can materialize a shield in front of you when aiming. Different Runners also have different abilities. Layla can use a cloaking ability to conceal herself while Dr. Stone can deploy a drone that heals himself and allies in a certain radius. So, there are strategic reasons behind your character and Nano selections that, when coupled with a team, could synergize well if you all coordinate.

"The progression ultimately hinges on you battling your way through an onslaught of Nanos. With refined gameplay mechanics, this is good fun – for a while. The game lacks a range of diversity in its objectives, however. This can lead to rapid burnout."

At the end of the day, SYNCED offers players a worthwhile shot at a potentially fun online free-to-play shooter. With any luck, future updates will refine the progression aspect of the game – it’s driving force in finding a returning audience. Still, fun and frenetic gunplay coupled with excellent visual design and the low, low price tag of “free” should at least earn an hour (at minimum) of your time just to see what the game is all about. It may not be the best free-to-play title out there, but you can easily do worse.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Ghostrunner 2

Ghostrunner was easily one of the biggest surprise hits of 2020, and fans were absolutely impressed by its fresh gameplay ideas and the one hit one kill design philosophy overruling it all. A sequel was known to be in the works, and the recently unveiled Ghostrunner 2 looks primed to build upon the foundations of the original in new ways. Ghostrunner 2 will once again thrust players into the dystopian setting of Dharma City as they slash and dice their way through hordes of new enemy archetypes and other obstacles. In addition to having motorcycle levels, the game will also feature better boss fights and more complex level designs among a slew of other improvements. It releases for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2023.

Starfield 

Set in the far reaches of space, Starfield looks set to take the Bethesda RPG formula into an entirely new dimension – and it looks nothing short of breathtaking. You get to explore over a hundred different planets brimming with quests to track and people to meet, and the choices that you make during these quests will ultimately dictate the outcome of this adventure. Between a solid gameplay loop and impressive NASA-Punk designs, Starfield is looking to be worth all the hype and anticipation. It releases for PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 8, 2023. 

NEXT Games has announced that SYNCED will launch for PC sometime in 2023. A brief new trailer was also showcased, offering glimpses of the different Runners players will be able to play as and the unique traversal abilities they will bring to the table. Meanwhile, various different enemies and mods for weapons, companions, and more are also showcased. Check out the trailer below.

It’s also been confirmed that the free-to-play sci-fi shooter will also be coming to consoles “soon after” its PC launch. Exactly how soon that’ll be and which consoles specifically it will launch for remains to be seen, but hopefully, those details will be shared in the near future as well.