Frozen Synapse Prime
- September 24, 2014
- Double Eleven
- 60h median play time
Frozen Synapse Prime marries classic turn-based action with thoughtful design like turn previews and asynchronous multiplayer. Graphics can be bland, and design frustrations wear at the experience, but it's a satisfying strategy romp made better with friends.
Get on SteamFrozen Synapse Prime is a reimagined turn-based strategy game where you lead a rebel faction to overthrow a controlling corporation. Command futuristic soldiers across destructible, customizable battlefields in single and multiplayer modes. The campaign features 40+ challenging missions set in a dystopian future, while multiplayer options include asynchronous and synchronous play, player matchmaking, and customizable matches.
iPad
iPhone
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Playstation 3
Playstation Vita
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features improved graphics and a new kill cam, enhancing the visual experience and adding excitement to gameplay.
- The tactical gameplay remains engaging, with new command options that allow for more strategic planning and execution.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback, actively working on patches to improve the game based on player suggestions.
- Controls and UI are clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to issue commands and navigate the game effectively.
- The multiplayer experience is severely lacking due to a low player base, making it hard to find matches and diminishing the game's replayability.
- Many players feel that the game is a downgrade from the original Frozen Synapse, lacking new content and features that justify its release.
- graphics69 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant improvement over the original, featuring a new art style and updated visuals. However, some critics feel that the new graphics come at the expense of user interface clarity and gameplay precision, leading to a less charming experience overall. While the graphics are generally considered nice and clean, opinions vary on their appeal, with some preferring the older aesthetic.
“Very nice and clean graphics, smooth gameplay and not a single issue.”
“Love the new graphics, especially the kill cam.”
“Although, I wouldn't really call the graphics stunning, they are (to me) a huge improvement on the original.”
“New art style is a bit juvenile; the older art is more mature.”
“While the new graphics are pretty, they do much to cloud the precision of the original game.”
“The UI is full of unnecessary 'graphical elements' taking up the screen, symbols with no tooltips, and horrible mouse click detection on buttons, units, and waypoints.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many noting that it largely mirrors the previous installment, Frozen Synapse, with minimal new mechanics or enhancements. While some players appreciate the smoothness and graphics, others express frustration over clunky controls, a lack of innovation, and the absence of multiplayer options. Overall, the gameplay is described as solid but disappointing in terms of new content and improvements.
“The gameplay (particularly in multiplayer) is simply stunning.”
“Very nice and clean graphics, smooth gameplay and not a single issue.”
“The gameplay itself is pretty cool.”
“I'll never understand why they didn't map the camera to WASD or some other solution, but either way the gameplay turned out to be far more frustrating as a result.”
“Shittier UI, clunky controls, very minor gameplay tweaks that do not merit the price tag.”
“I have played the first one and so far from what I have seen the core gameplay and campaign haven't varied from it, so I will just take my experience from there over here in matters of which I am sure have not changed.”
- story32 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 84 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story has received significant criticism for being confusing and lacking proper context, with many players finding it an incomprehensible mess that detracts from the overall experience. While there is a lengthy campaign with some background information available, the narrative feels disjointed and unengaging, leading to frustration among players who desire a more coherent and compelling storyline. Overall, the story appears to be a non-focus, overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and mission satisfaction.
“While I don't need an epic backstory penned by a best-selling novelist to enjoy games, I need some reason to play the campaign or it just feels like a board game.”
“The story seems a bit more to the point too, I think.”
“Part of it comes down to the story, which is an incomprehensible mess of pronouns without proper context and backstory.”
“The story is so bad.”
“There is a pretty lengthy campaign with a story that has rather confused me more than anything else so far, but I guess if I read every single text I probably would understand more of it, since the game gives a lot of background information about its world.”
- music20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its moody and atmospheric qualities, effectively complementing gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. While some players find it exceptional, others view it as fitting but not groundbreaking, with a mix of familiar tracks and new additions that maintain the charm of the original. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its ability to serve as both an engaging backdrop during gameplay and a potential standalone listening experience.
“I absolutely love the soundtrack.”
“It's moody and accompanies you perfectly along with the orders you give, and it would make for some killer background music to a podcast (if you could use it legally for that!).”
“The music is great, the multiplayer is tense and it's one of the best tactical games to come out in forever.”
“The story, missions, music, gameplay - it's mostly the same game.”
“That being said, this game does have some nice touches: it has all the charm of the original game, and plays a bit more realistically (you can't just have units spasm between looking in multiple directions) and the music is mostly the same, with a few new additions.”
“The port has some issues but I still love the combined soundtracks, the new graphics and the kill cams.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received positive feedback, particularly for its faster outcome calculations and improved grenade physics. However, players expect better adaptation to PC capabilities, such as larger screens and additional features like VSync, to enhance the overall experience.
“After 4.5 hours of playing, there are two things that I really like in this remake: optimized outcome calculation (much faster) and grenade's bouncing physics.”
“Not that there's anything wrong with tablet games, but if you bring them to a PC, where the screens are usually larger and you have a couple more functions (vsync, etc.), then you should make sure that it's optimized accordingly.”
“Not that there's anything wrong with tablet games, but if you bring them to a PC, where the screens are usually larger and you have a couple more functions (vsync etc.), then you should make sure that it's optimized accordingly.”
