S2 Demo Impressions Discussion

I was really excited to see a demo so early on! Great work Flow Fire Games for getting this out for our opinions. I'd like to give a few of my impressions. Keep in mind this isn't a review since this is early on in development. I'm going to treat this as sharing my experience in the hopes that my input is useful for the devs in spotting what's working and what might need some attention.

I'd like to start by saying that the transition to 3D looks great to me and I'm enjoying it so far! I think the levels are much more interesting than they were before. That being said I did tend to get lost more often, not sure if it's because the view is zoomed in or if it's the layout not having as much of an obvious path. I also wasn't sure if I had been in an area already or not because some areas looked pretty similar to each other. I think once a minimap is added it should fix this but I just wanted to mention it in case it was useful for the devs. It should be noted I tend to get lost in games more than the average player I would say though. haha

The combat I experienced was enjoyable, not quite on par with the experience of the previous game but I love the implementation of ragdoll bodies etc. I feel like hits lacked a bit of weight and kills didn't feel quite as satisfying but I'm sure this is something that is being tweaked and this was just a proof of concept. I enjoyed the enemy variants and I'm interested in seeing more. So far I'm liking it!

Weapons seemed pretty cool and reacted differently which I liked. I like the new armor system and how some enemies really make you focus on positioning. Weapons don't feel quite as satisfying to use as the first game but can't quite put my finger on it yet.

The UI is pretty basic at this point and I had a little bit of trouble getting used to the new system as opposed to the one in the first game. One thing I will point out is I had a hard time finding pickups and chests against the backgrounds. Like I would just plain walk past them sometimes without noticing them. Another thing that stood out was I often forgot that robot corpses couldn't be walked through. I think it's a cool way to add dynamic cover but I often had drops that were stuck inside the robot corpse and unattainable. These were probably my most frustrating experiences with the demo.

Overall I'm VERY excited to see where the game goes from here! Hope this little slice of my experience is helpful!

Overview Hello there! This is my review of the Demo of Synthetik 2 Pre-Alpha Stage, I played 6 hours of the demo and tested everything on it. I really liked playing the demo. Foremost, I would like to congratulate the team because seems like they have a good perception in what to look for and are walking in right way, few things are on point, others need to be polished and I believe they already know what is it.

Visuals - Cool visuals, the environment looks pretty neat, structures too, the enemies and player characters need some more polish and more design mainly for the enemies so they can standout in the gun fight and I can lock on my priority target like elites with robust design/more well armed. Music - Good ass music, the guy who does it, know his shit very well Community Overview Showing the game at it’s early pre-alpha stage is a really bold move and most developers don’t do it because it can have a backwards/negative reaction of the community that they didn’t expect. I think the Synthetik community is very solid, who likes the game still playing it like myself and will be around the development too, as it seems in the forums there is alot of feedback of the player community and thats for a developer is pretty cool and an achiviement nonetheless of touching our hearts desires like ultra violence after a hard day of work. We have a good frequency of response from the developers too, so I feel like there is a pretty healthy environment for the growth of Synthetik 2. Shrike/Eric did his stream yesterday and It got me laughing how his german comes in the way of his english sometimes, so it's cool to see his personality and actively making part of the community as an player not only as dev. Also Taro dabbed on me yesterday because I wanted to join the cool gang on discord so I can stream in the discord voice chats and he had a funny/smart answer for it, now I want to dab on him for being a cool ass developer. Major Issues 1) Slower Pace/Less intensive action still enjoyable though Feels a little bit slower pace than the previous game, like the movement speed, dash speed look slower although really neat/cool animation of the dash, bigger maps contributes for it too, so there is no frenetic action like before, but the synthetik universe is there, just not as intense. What I think could improve the player experience: - Increasing the overall movement speed would greatly increase the experience of the players and aggressivity of the enemies, like dogs and the androids with police sticks that charges at you, the positioning of the snipers. Make the player walk a little bit faster and the enemies too? - More enemies together with different specializations so the player need to plan fast and move on. Like "Run n Gun Dashing Shotgun Yellow Droid" from the 1st game with sniper, riotguard and they all act their way (like most of the enemies already do). - The LMG Towers should supress fire even if the player is behind cover so he needs to think and act fast. It fills the map with android/artificial life and danger/challenge. 2) Too easy to avoid shots of enemies Even standing still the robot with 2 lasers misses me, proof: Regular Enemies, proof: Enemies don't shoot cover, So I can hide behind of it forever - Thats why different enemies together can make the player move more out of his safe zone. Summary Basically, what I'm trying to say is give us ultra violence, not regular 3d shooter. That's Synthetik in a nutshell for me at least. Too keep me on my toes, alert, movin, shootin, hiding, laughing on how overpowered I'm or why the fuck there is 7 tanks coming to eat my ass in the last minutes of the last level and how I gonna deal with it. Your game is not generic and it's standards are higher than most roguelites/RPG/Top Down Shooters thats what makes number 1 for me and why I still playing. There is nothing like it in the market. Classes Riotguard Shield Bash Doesn’t fell like it should, maybe a different dash animation when the player holds the shield would solve the issue or just the effect of bash in the enemies (could use the stun effect from the "Battlecry Module" scream but with white indicator) and passing through the enemies too, so It can work with bigger vehicles like tanks and bigger robots, except bosses like in the 1st game. Most of the time I bash and the enemies still shooting in my head at point blank range, can't get their backs either. The "Shock Materkey" skill Looks too much clutter in terms lighting effects. I mean the map is very clean and the power just doesn’t fit the ambient. The Chrono Class Rework The idea of the class makes sense, it was in the 1st game as an enemy and fits the universe of synthetik, but his powers do not, with the exception of the blink teleport which is his signature skill. A good idea would be like reuse his "shield dome" in a tinier scale to slow bullets and/or enemies around him for like 2 – 3 seconds because of the manipulation of time. That makes sense with the class theme and would make him a badass. But not too much slow or it would be a riotguard with teleport. The Blink Teleport problem is where we are landing, where I'm aiming and not where I'm moving too, also if you have 2 charges of it the 1st boss has a hard time hitting you with his explosions and lasers. You can kill the boss with his own explosions in the end. His Shield Dome is almost god mode, specially when combined with the combo blink+chrono charge, he can down the enemies too fast with this combo and any weapon. Maybe a random teleport away from danger like the "Black Market Teleporter Ring" from the 1st game or a mini rewind where he goes backwards in time and recover a little bit of health to get out from a tough spot (like a reverse dash from riot guard with different collor).

What is Obvious 1) Pattern of the movement of the enemy So this one is very interesting because sometimes the enemies slide when turning around to move in another direction, the dogs sliding towards me or the corner of a wall got me laughing (which is pre-alpha so makes sense), but the snipers move away from the player (which is cool) but they stay aiming and shooting at the same time (which is weird). Maybe if the sniper only focus on running to repositioning and them firing or just stay still shooting like before so they are a consistent threat would be better, still cool idea making them retreat from us though. 2)Shops If I’m near of the shop it opens and I can’t see anything under it in mid fight. To solve it maybe open it only with the press of a button. Then it can’t clutter the gameplay. 3) Types of Bullets/Upgrades for Weapons & Characters No different bullets to swap and no upgrades to the character stats and weapons. 4) Enemies Tracking The enemy Riotguard can keep up with almost all my dash movement, so I can’t flank him properly, unless I’m playing with another person. The towers instalock on me, if I stun it and go behind of it, it instantly turns around. 5) Power Ups Drops When some robots die, sometimes they leave behind buffs but most of the time I can’t pickup. Update: I tested it and you can destroy all the robots if you get the right angle to shoot them, I think their hit box should be larger so doesn't matter where the player stands, they can be always be destroyed. 6) Oil/Blood Spilling There was some more subtle pools of blood/oil in the 1st game, like the bullets of a sniper hits the head of an enemy and the bloods looks like it follows the bullets penetration direction(it’s more oriented oil/blood not just splash pools).

7) Uninteresting power ups/items - Speed buff don't need to be in the game if the characters in it had more speed. I seriously saw the horn and waited to hear it loud noise just for fun. - Most of items are buffs, they are not interesting, leave stim packs and healings for the classes main choice items or the potions with various effects. The other ones are below average, I mean there is the chain of lightining which is cool, just doesn't feel like it works how it should. Also having a lightining effect around the player when we get shot is just "Lightning Boots" with extra steps. - Use the items from the 1st game, they are pretty cool and already work as intended, put some new ones too as you like. 8) Weapons Accuracy Some weapons have a very good sense of deviation, others don’t like the Tsuba Burst Pistol has an awkward sense of bullet deviation (it misses more than it should) so I really don't like using it. On the other hand, P30 Compact bullets only spread if I’m moving n shooting or in the last bullets of the mag if I don’t stop shooting. SMGs feels very different from each other in a odd way, like one is super accurate and the other misses most shots after the 3 bullet in the magazine.

9) Weapon Overview Tsuba Burst Pistol - Every burst is kinda innacurate for me, would be better if the deviation scalates with every burst, instead I feel missing shots with the 1st burst of bullets. No consistent damage because of it. Would not consider using it again because of it. MP72 Akita - Lower damage in 4 bullets than the Tsuba Burst Pistol - No reason for using it. Tokko Fusion Carbine - Cool lighting effects in the bullets, balance a little bit P30 Compact - More reliable pistol, consistent damage, headshots and accuracy. Top 2 pistol for me. MP70 MARO - very reliabe, very good accuracy and consistent damage. Best SMG. R2000 Anti Material - Need to wait too much for the accuracy come back, maybe lower a bit the waiting, because in a crowd of enemies it can't be used properly, I mean you can have 3 players with you it should be no problem, but I was playing solo. If the player reacts to the recoil would be cool, like he moves a little bit backwards and reacts to recoil like in the Judge Revolver (the head moves a little bit each shot of the Revolver). Nice Sound. Judge Revolver - More destructive sound for the shoots, the character feeling the recoil and reacting to it is very cool detail. Patrol Revolver - Best Pistol/weapon in the game, it has 6 rounds, don't shoot as fast P30 which makes sense but it does alot of damage and put damage on that headshots doing 1300 of damage, its like a "mini glass cannon" in the beginning of the game. PXR Fusion Rail - looks severely overpowered and unbalanced. For instance this weapon uses too many bullets so every 2 clicks I need to wait a long reload and she melts everything one burst. A burst of 5 shoots is too much, a burst of 3 with 9 - 12 bullets/clip should be better with a lower damage so I can upgrade it in the future. What is on point 1) Structure Textures Very nice textures for the structures, very polished too wouldn’t change anything of it. 2)Characters Models Need a little bit of polish with some cool designs, there is alot from the splash art of the 1st stages of synthetik that were provided in the website, there already are the ones from synthetik 1 and community fan art. Note: Put some jetpack legs on those police guys, make them stand out in the crowd and come beat my sorry ass. They look too regular for me, not wicked enough like synthetik designs from the previous game. E.g: Lida from Boku no Hero Academia https://pm1.narvii.com/6458/71ecdef598b98dadbc20429da31fe0f092900ceb_hq.jpg The elite mobs having tougher/robust visuals/more fearsome Enemies collors to identify their class, like the white snipers, yellow run n gun in the 1st game, in mid fight you know who are you shooting and what is your priority target. Bicycle robot has more armor and its design is less fearsome than the other enemies. 3) Music Very nice music, wouldn't change it. The music box would be cool to have back, but instead of changing the music, let us choose it? Wasting one credit to use it would be hilarious too. Make an achiviement for it, Just do it. Suggestions 1) Idea for a Boss Motherboard Circuit – When the ground flashes the boss unleash a barrage of everything he has like missiles, grenades launcher, lasers. I find those circuit grounds you guys implemented very cool because of the aspect of killing the mother of all robots or something like that (maybe that’s too cliché to a game violent like this one dunno).

2) Robot Dogs I dunno about the dogs, looks like a neat idea, of course the look alpha stage but an idea for it is from Helldivers they not only look aggressive but alerts nearby robots of your presence. 3) Structures that interact with envoriment Maybe putting the stages of destruction of it and let the player using it to his favour would be cool as fuck. Use the ambient to your favor, like there is some structures to destroy partially, others explode with different effects, not only barrels but the structures itself like generators/fans, each one of them have a different effects like, e.g: If The eletricity towers were damaged a little bit to release small doses of eletricity that hurts anyone that touches it or it could discharge shields of who is near if exploded. Make the barrels more like batteries or don't lol. Observation: The only problem is players could lure all the mobs and kill them using the props and also the enemies could shoot the structures trying hitting the player behind of it and kill themselves and the player so “it’s unfair and unfunny for most casual players”. 4)Flashlight in the dark Like in the shield of Riotguard it’s a detail that makes the game cooler, especially in the reflection of the armor of the enemies. Maybe too much work to make it function properly, lol idk not a programmer. There is a part where the ambient has less light, I didn't notice the robot dog in a part of it, only when my bullets hit them by aciddent. 5) Weapon Overheating Visually Fire and Smoke coming out the chamber of the weapon (top tier detail) Examples of Smoke https://youtu.be/zbtyaKAMDdk?t=190 https://youtu.be/BSizVpfqFtw?t=641

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKH-_gRTAFM

Example of Overheating https://youtu.be/BczhT1ByrXA 6) Less Humans/ More Artificial The shop or tutorial art and the game in general, they feel more humanoid than robots like in the 1st game. I don't mind if the player has humans features but the guys with police sticks look too human.

Some art for the Shops

Starcraft - https://tenor.com/view/adjutant-starcraft2-terran-portrait-gif-15223417

Riddick 3 - https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dv3ECVxHlNc/maxresdefault.jpg 7) 1st Boss Improvements The 1st Boss should have one more weapon to make it harder to avoid his shoots, too easy to avoid right now. The fight is cool, the laser gaps and missiles, but make him spin randomly and shoot everywhere so the player need to be on their toes. I saw he doing it two times, its pretty cool. Some traps on the floor and enemies to help him like in the 1st game? I will update with gifs showing my points later

Gripes first, goods after. The Gripes

1. Aimpoint is NOT aligned, shots directly on an enemies head will often miss unless you aim high

2. Hitboxes are inconsistent, may be contributing to 1. Main perp is the small machinegun turrets.

3. Headshots largely unrewarding or impossible due to 1 or 2.

4. Health and ammo drops can spawn inside the wreckage of shielded drones, becoming inaccessible

5. No audio improvements over synthetik

6. No hotkey popup when standing over a new weapon with 2 equipped

The Goods

1. level design is a bit more engaging than the first

2. New art style is different but so far I'm a fan

3. Tutorial is a nice addition and covers the important features.

4. New varied factions sound interesting so long as it's implemented well

The new graphics look a lot better. It feels a bit more hardcore with better ai and i think more dangerous enemies earlier. Ball Defenders leaving corpses that can be used for cover is pretty cool, and i feel like it can be useful when i get used to it. Backstab is also a quite interesting mechanic. The gameplay felt pretty solid, but it definitley needs a bit more work, and abilities and items need rebalancing. I also found the map a bit hard to navigate, but i expect a minimap or something to be added at a later date. I have high hopes for the game when it gets finished.

tbh im really not enjoying it. One of the things I loved about Synthetik 1 was how it could feel - not saying there wasnt room for improvement. I feel emphasis is put on the wrong specifics (e.g. busy, flashy little decals everywhere but dulled sound queues for jamming, dash cooldown. The movement, gun play and abilities all feel a bit sluggish. There's also a few walls/floors you can teleport through in the boss stage that drop you through the map, not very exciting. Synthetik's minimalistic, stylised art was a good part of what I enjoyed about it and to me sythn 2 feels more like a high budget flash game currently.