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Periphery Synthetic

Periphery Synthetic Game Cover
65%Game Brain Score
music, story
gameplay, graphics
100% User Score Based on 16 reviews

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Periphery Synthetic Game Cover

About

Periphery Synthetic is a single player open world role playing game. It was developed by shiftBacktick and was released on August 22, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Greetings surveyor! We have woke you from cryogenic sleep for an exciting opportunity!Explore musical playgroundsAlpha Periphery is home to a desert planet, an ocean world, and its icy moon. These worlds function as tracks of an EP, composed of purely synthesized music and sounds, which evolve and react to your input in real-time.Synthesize new abilitiesYou start with nothing but a terrain scanner…

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Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
Periphery Synthetic screenshot
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100%
Audience ScoreBased on 16 reviews
music3 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • Unique and immersive sound-based exploration gameplay that is highly accessible, including fully blind-friendly features.
  • Relaxing, atmospheric, and minimalist art and audio design evoke a retro arcade and synth aesthetics, creating a beautiful and calming experience.
  • Progression through upgrades enhances movement, allowing for more fluid traversal across distinct, abstract worlds with varied physics.
  • Movement and controls feel initially sluggish and clunky, taking time for upgrades to improve the experience.
  • Materials and landmarks spawn somewhat randomly without clear guidance, which may frustrate players who prefer goal-oriented or strategic gameplay.
  • Audio performance issues including clipping, popping, and stuttering can occur after extended play sessions, requiring restarts for a smooth experience.
  • gameplay
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is simple yet highly accessible, featuring three worlds with varying mechanics like gravity and terrain. However, exploration and upgrade elements lack depth and some technical issues, such as sound clipping over time, affect the experience. Overall, the game shines in blending accessibility with gameplay despite its simplicity.

    • “There are currently 3 worlds, with slightly different mechanics (different gravity, ruggedness, etc.).”
    • “In terms of gameplay it's obviously incredibly simple (as reflected by the price) but, wow, what an incredible step forward in terms of accessibility.”
    • “What truly sets this game apart is how seamlessly it blends accessibility with gameplay.”
    • “Here's the thing, though: none of these "exploration" or "upgrade" mechanics are very actionable.”
    • “There are some technical issues - like the sound starting to clip and break after 15-30 minutes of gameplay, getting progressively worse.”
    • “In terms of gameplay it's obviously incredibly simple (as reflected by the price).”
  • graphics
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics evoke a nostalgic, minimalist style reminiscent of early 80s arcade and Atari games, using simple pixel art that encourages imagination. While not visually complex, the option to switch off visuals and focus on audio highlights the game's emphasis on sound and accessibility.

    • “Overall, Periphery Synthetic offers a unique first-person and accessible Metroidvania experience that’s perfect for anyone looking to relax and explore without the pressure of combat or complicated visuals.”
    • “With visuals on, though, it feels like a love letter to early 80's arcade games or Atari games, making the most of a few pixels and your imagination.”
    • “And if your eyes get tired or if you don't like the graphics, just switch them off and play audio-only!”
    • “But then, once I realized it's more about the sound than visuals.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization currently has noticeable issues, including stuttering and audio glitches that worsen over time, requiring players to restart the game periodically. The developer is aware of these problems and is actively working on improving performance while maintaining open communication with the community.

    • “These upgrades are shared, however, so although a system may be optimized to move in one world, it will help in the others.”
    • “The dev knows about the performance issues and is working on them, and is actively communicating with players in the Steam forum and on the game's itch page.”
    • “There are some performance issues at the time of writing; stuttering and audio pops and crackles start to happen fairly soon into a session, and get more frequent the longer you play, so most people affected by this will likely want to close and reopen the game within half an hour.”
    • “There are some performance issues at the time of writing; stuttering and audio pops and crackles start to happen fairly soon into a session, and get more frequent the longer you play, so most people affected by this will likely want to close and reopen the game within half an hour.”
    • “The developer knows about the performance issues and is working on them, actively communicating with players on the Steam forum and the game's itch.io page.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music is a dynamic, synth-inspired score that adapts to player actions and the environment, enhancing both the atmosphere and gameplay. It creates a calming yet exciting experience while providing important auditory cues.

    • “The synth-like musical score, influenced by your actions and the environment, creates a calming yet exciting atmosphere.”
    • “The sounds and music add to the artistry, but also convey quite a lot of information.”
    • “I have tried in past few games incorporating sound, music, and beats into gameplay.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is relatively limited, with most story content and upgrades accessible within about 15 hours; however, a couple of achievements require additional, more repetitive effort.

  • story
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is engaging enough to be completed in about 15 hours, with players able to uncover the full narrative alongside upgrades and most achievements without excessive grinding.

    • “I finished the game in around 15 hours, discovering the entire story as well as obtaining all upgrades and nearly all achievements.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere is characterized by a synth-like musical score that dynamically responds to player actions and the environment, resulting in a calming yet engaging experience.

    • “The synth-like musical score, influenced by your actions and the environment, creates a calming yet exciting atmosphere.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Periphery Synthetic is a open world role playing game.

Periphery Synthetic is available on PC, Windows and Linux.

Periphery Synthetic was released on August 22, 2024.

Periphery Synthetic was developed by shiftBacktick.

Periphery Synthetic has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

Periphery Synthetic is a single player game.

Similar games include Above Snakes, Windbound, Ambrosia Sky, Scanner Sombre, TIMEframe and others.