Sovereign Syndicate

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 325 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Sovereign Syndicate Game Cover
A little magic, mystery, and mythology seems to be just what you need for a gripping story.
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"Sovereign Syndicate" is a Victorian steampunk cRPG that allows you to explore an open world and play as three characters with intertwining stories. Use skills to level them up and trust your fate to the tarot card chance system for interactions with NPCs. The game features a skill and etiqu system, where the skills you use will improve, and NPCs react to your choices. Combat, persuasion, magic, or explosives are some of the methods you can use to solve problems in the dangerous docklands.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 325 reviews
story95 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • The game features a captivating Victorian steampunk setting with rich world-building and intriguing characters.
  • The writing is engaging, with a unique tarot card system that adds depth to the gameplay and character development.
  • The narrative is structured around three distinct protagonists, allowing for varied perspectives and interactions that enhance the story.
  • Exploration can feel tedious due to slow movement, excessive backtracking, and a lack of meaningful quest markers.
  • The character-switching mechanic disrupts the flow of the story, making it difficult to connect with each protagonist's arc.
  • The game suffers from pacing issues, with some chapters feeling overly long while others rush to a conclusion, leaving the narrative feeling unbalanced.
  • story365 mentions

    The story of "Sovereign Syndicate" is a multi-threaded narrative set in a richly crafted steampunk London, featuring three distinct protagonists whose arcs intertwine through mystery, murder, and magic. While the writing is praised for its depth and character development, some players find the pacing slow and the quest structure convoluted, leading to moments of frustration with navigation and character switching. Overall, the game offers an engaging story that rewards patience, though it may not reach the narrative heights of similar titles like "Disco Elysium."

    • “The story is engaging.”
    • “Sovereign Syndicate offers a good story in a great, beautifully crafted setting.”
    • “A witty, vicious, and charming-as-heck romp through a Victorian steampunk city, Sovereign Syndicate wraps its tight, character-driven story in layers of deliciously decadent prose.”
    • “The game follows three protagonists, a novel idea, but which in practice only dilutes the story.”
    • “As a story, Sovereign Syndicate starts off well, but with each subsequent chapter, it becomes more and more tedious, relying more on the most banal clichés, and by the end, I was simply clicking the 'next' button hoping it would end.”
    • “Switching characters is always a risk and unfortunately, it doesn’t work out too well here; I often found myself disinterested in Clara and Teddy's story, and it made the whole thing much more disjointed overall.”
  • gameplay100 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a blend of visual novel and point-and-click adventure elements, featuring light RPG mechanics that many players find shallow and underdeveloped. While the narrative is engaging and offers unique character interactions, the mechanics often detract from the experience, leading to repetitive actions and a lack of meaningful choices. Overall, the game presents an interesting story but suffers from execution issues and a reliance on tedious dialogue navigation.

    • “The quality of the writing and the unique gameplay experience make it a memorable adventure.”
    • “The body 'humours' as a kind of character development is unique, and the characters' mood affects the gameplay in different ways.”
    • “The game masterfully combines choice-driven storytelling with compelling RPG mechanics, making each decision feel significant.”
    • “Having to reload and blindly click through 100 lines of dialogue you've already read, 6 times, until the toss of a coin is finally in your favor... that was tiresome 40 years ago, that was fixed 25 years ago with smart mechanics and, for unfathomable reasons, the annoyance is trending again these days.”
    • “The gameplay is simply, hardly even a game.”
    • “While this might be acceptable in a game with other gameplay mechanics, when 95% of the experience is simply reading the writing, this is a huge problem, and not one that can be balanced out by other things.”
  • graphics62 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful steampunk artwork and aesthetic that enhances the narrative, while others criticize the blandness of the overall world and the average quality of the graphics. Some players feel that the visuals could have benefited from a more stylized or hand-drawn approach, especially given the rich lore and themes present in the game. Overall, while the art style is appreciated, it is noted that the execution may not fully meet the expectations set by the game's ambitious setting.

    • “The steampunk artwork and concepts are gorgeous.”
    • “The artwork is fitting and the music is often great, setting the mood perfectly for a world that is riddled with dystopian darkness and just few enough slivers of light to not completely lose hope.”
    • “This is everything I have wanted in a game since I played Disco Elysium, the steampunk aesthetic, the seedy narrative, the tarot cards, the art, every part of this game fills a niche for me.”
    • “The game would have been better served as a visual novel, since the strongest part about the game are the comics and some of the visuals, though the overall world looks very bland and unintentionally colorless.”
    • “Graphically, the lack of resources is evident.”
    • “To address other, minor issues first: the 3D art style for backgrounds is fairly dull and unimpressive, and I think the game would have benefited significantly by having a more hand-drawn/stylized aesthetic, but I acknowledge that that may have been too ambitious for how small the dev team were.”
  • music31 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its fitting and atmospheric qualities that enhance the overall mood, while others find it dull and forgettable, often looping too quickly. Despite a few standout vocal performances, many players feel that the soundtrack lacks memorability and fails to elevate the experience, with some noting that it does not compare favorably to other games with more engaging music. Overall, while the sound design is acknowledged as good, the music is often seen as a missed opportunity.

    • “The artwork is fitting and the music is often great, setting the mood perfectly for a world that is riddled with dystopian darkness and just few enough slivers of light to not completely lose hope.”
    • “The music is fitting and atmospheric, and I quite enjoyed it.”
    • “The visual design of the game was very nice, the atmosphere was very strong throughout (of course this was helped by the music, which really was a great fit for the game throughout!).”
    • “The same extremely dull music loops far too quickly.”
    • “Apart from the writing, the graphics are average and the music is forgettable - so, again, it can't really be compared to other games with their unusual graphics and great music.”
    • “Additionally, the music is fine but nothing noteworthy.”
  • atmosphere22 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive steampunk London setting, which is described as gritty and compelling. Reviewers highlight the strong visual design and fitting music that enhance the overall experience, making it a standout aspect of the game. The combination of complex characters and an intriguing narrative further contributes to the rich atmosphere, drawing players into its unique world.

    • “The steampunk London setting is atmospheric and gritty, and the characters are complex and compelling.”
    • “The visual design of the game was very nice, the atmosphere was very strong throughout (of course this was helped by the music, which really was a great fit for the game throughout!).”
    • “Highly recommended for anyone seeking a deep and atmospheric RPG!”
    • “This game has real atmosphere.”
    • “However, the world and atmosphere that Sovereign Syndicate establishes were so compelling to me that I was left curious for more.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Sovereign Syndicate" is heavily criticized for its tedious exploration and repetitive fetch quests, which detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. Players express frustration with the slow pacing, lack of meaningful progression, and reliance on clichéd storytelling, leading to a monotonous experience that often feels like a chore rather than an engaging adventure.

    • “Especially when you walk around the exact same locations and see the exact same things and talk to the same exact people the other characters did while doing tedious chores and fetch quests.”
    • “As a story, Sovereign Syndicate starts off well, but with each subsequent chapter, it becomes more and more tedious, relying more on the most banal clichés, and by the end, I was simply clicking the 'next' button hoping it would end.”
    • “Sovereign Syndicate does something impossible: it makes the notion of an urban fantasy Victorian England with Jack the Ripper boring and tedious.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The game's optimization is generally solid, with good performance and no major glitches reported, particularly on the Steam Deck. However, players have expressed frustration with the slow movement speed, which can hinder exploration and progress, leading to a less enjoyable experience. Despite some minor bugs, the overall performance is deemed satisfactory.

    • “Good performance on the deck with no glitches.”
    • “And I did not yet have any performance issues or anything, so that's great too!”
    • “Beyond that, a few bugs, and somewhat forgettable music (save the vocal performance, which was fantastic), this game was still absolutely worth the time and cost of admission.”
    • “Controls are straightforward, but I really feel like you move too slowly. Since you have to run all over the map sometimes to find clues (or blindly figure out what will trigger progress, which happens way too often), I have found myself playing this game in bursts because I get frustrated running slowly back and forth to the train station to locate a clue.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its diverse skills and attributes that influence narrative outcomes, allowing players to experience different story paths. Many users appreciate the impactful choices and rich world, making it a highly replayable option for fans of story-driven games. Overall, the replay value is considered a strong point, enhancing the game's worth.

    • “The choices really make a difference, creating a highly replayable experience that fans of story-driven games will love.”
    • “[Good stuff, amazingly rich world that feels realistic, amazing set of characters, insane replayability].”
    • “The different skills (or attributes) also clearly change certain narrative outcomes, so there is scope for replayability.”
    • “It's more than worth its price, especially because I can see some replay value in it as well.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of witty dialogue choices that reflect the four humors—yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood—allowing players to shape their character's personality in a steampunk London setting. The sidekick character adds both comedic relief and emotional depth, enhancing the overall narrative experience. The game's artistic direction and memorable characters further contribute to its humorous tone, making it engaging and enjoyable.

    • “He's more than just a sidekick; he’s a character that adds a touch of humor and heart to the story.”
    • “You choose dialog options from the four humors—yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood—that shape who your character is, all set in a steampunk version of London.”
    • “Whenever you have a dialog, you are given choices based on your attributes. Favoring an attribute choice adds a point to your humors, similar to the swelling of Hippocratic fluids, which levels up your attributes.”
  • stability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it performs well on the deck without glitches, users report recurring visual glitches, particularly with the camera, which can cause navigation issues. Despite these problems, the game remains enjoyable and satisfying.

    • “Good performance on the deck with no glitches.”
    • “Some visual glitches, notably with the camera in specific spots, some of them leading to navigation issues.”
    • “Some visual glitches, notably with the camera in specific spots, some of them leading to navigation issues.”
    • “Despite a few glitches at launch and some slightly rushed final moments, Sovereign Syndicate is a deeply satisfying narrative RPG and an absolute pleasure to play through.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted for its unique approach, particularly through the concept of "humours," which influences gameplay based on characters' moods. This emphasis on character growth and world-building draws favorable comparisons to titles like Disco Elysium and Gamedeck, showcasing a deep integration of narrative and mechanics.

    • “I was reminded of Disco Elysium and Gamedec in terms of their emphasis on character development and world-building.”
    • “The body 'humours' as a kind of character development is unique, and the characters' mood affects the gameplay in different ways.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Reviewers feel that the emotional impact of the game falls short due to a weak script, which undermines the intended emotional resonance.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

11hMedian play time
9hAverage play time
9-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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