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Symphonia

Symphonia Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
replayability, optimization
95% User Score Based on 130 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCXbox Game PassPlaystation 5CloudMac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXbox Cloud GamingXboxWindowsPlayStation
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Symphonia Game Cover

About

Symphonia is a single player platformer game. It was developed by ISART DIGITAL and was released on December 5, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Symphonia" is a poetic platformer where you play as a violinist on a journey to the core of a forsaken world. Using your violin and bow, you'll awaken the realm and uncover your role in this universe. The game features stunning visuals, unique gameplay mechanics, and an original score, all created by students at ISART DIGITAL.

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Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
Symphonia screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews
music69 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • Gorgeous hand-drawn graphics and a stunning art style that enhances the overall experience.
  • The orchestral soundtrack is beautifully composed, perfectly complementing the gameplay and creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • The platforming mechanics are engaging and rewarding, with a good balance of challenge that keeps players motivated without feeling overly punishing.
  • The game can feel short, with some players completing it in just a few hours, leading to concerns about replayability and value for money.
  • Some controls, particularly wall jumping and certain mechanics, can feel unintuitive or janky, leading to frustration during gameplay.
  • The lack of a map and limited guidance on where to go next can make navigation confusing, especially for players unfamiliar with the genre.
  • music
    129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in *Symphonia* is widely praised for its beautiful orchestral score, which enhances the game's atmosphere and complements its vibrant visuals. Players appreciate how the soundtrack is thematically tied to the game's world, with each region reflecting different musical instruments, creating an immersive experience. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, making the game a must-play for fans of both platformers and classical music.

    • “A beautiful, inventive precision platformer with gorgeous, fully-orchestrated music.”
    • “The music adds to the atmosphere of each area; the art style is bright and vibrant when it needs to be and somber during appropriate moments.”
    • “The music is fantastic and fits the game perfectly in every aspect.”
    • “I love music, I love art, I love platformers... but this game is inaccessible to me because of precision platforming.”
    • “The only thing I think was missing was some kind of rhythm gameplay, even if minimal, this being a game with music as its theme, and there are a few moments where it would have fit perfectly (when performing with the other characters).”
    • “Don't be fooled by the charming graphics and classic music style - this metroidvania is unforgiving.”
  • gameplay
    67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in *Symphonia* is primarily focused on precision platforming, enhanced by parkour mechanics and a captivating musical backdrop, creating a smooth and enjoyable experience. While the game introduces various mechanics and optional challenges that add depth, some players find certain controls counter-intuitive and the backtracking tedious. Overall, it is praised for its polished execution, beautiful art, and engaging level design, making it a strong debut for the studio.

    • “The gameplay is quite beautifully crafted and well thought out.”
    • “Symphonia is a stunning precision platformer that mixes gorgeous visuals and smooth gameplay with a well-balanced challenge.”
    • “Its lack of combat is compensated by engaging platforming mechanics, making it approachable for new players while offering extra difficulty for veterans through optional challenges.”
    • “I found the controls and movement mechanics to be counter-intuitive and frustrating.”
    • “The only gripe I have with the game is how I had to fight a few of the mechanics' inputs every single minute of the game.”
    • “While labeled by the developers as 'non-intended' in terms of the gameplay design, these options include the ability to double jump or allow players to adjust the game’s speed among other options.”
  • graphics
    51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn visuals and vibrant art style, creating an immersive and enchanting atmosphere. While some users noted minor aesthetic inconsistencies, such as lighting issues and a mix of 2D and 3D elements that didn't always mesh well, the overall impression is that the artwork is beautiful and enhances the gameplay experience. The combination of exquisite visuals and a fitting orchestral soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout in the indie platformer genre.

    • “✔️ Exquisite art direction: the hand-drawn visuals are breathtaking, creating an immersive world that is both vibrant and enchanting.”
    • “The visuals in Symphonia are outstanding with incredibly detailed environments & vistas or crisp & colorful assets.”
    • “The graphics are very pretty and crafted with love around the musical themes and work very well with the ambience of the game story.”
    • “Sadly, the shards you collect only change the visuals.”
    • “It doesn't even have any graphics settings!”
    • “I personally found the graphics too noisy visually.”
  • story
    31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally perceived as simple and linear, lacking emotional depth and complexity, with some players noting its brevity. While the narrative is conveyed through music and visuals, which enhances immersion, it often feels underdeveloped and straightforward. Despite these critiques, many players appreciate the charming aesthetic and the unique storytelling approach, even if the overall plot does not stand out significantly.

    • “The story is truly amazing, top 10 of my favorite games.”
    • “I loved this game for its sumptuous scenery and innovative storyline.”
    • “The music stands out as a storytelling tool, adding depth and immersion.”
    • “The story falls very short here, as there are no dialogues apart from a couple of lore pieces throughout the game. The story is certainly not the biggest strong point here, as it's pretty much linear and too simple.”
    • “The story is almost nonexistent, but frankly, I couldn't care less.”
    • “Extremely good game, amazing artwork, I loved the music and the environments. I’d definitely get it, but I would warn that the story is very linear and there isn’t much of a replay aspect to it aside from the collectibles.”
  • replayability
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the inclusion of modifiers, speedrunning achievements, and optional modes that enhance replay value, others find its linearity and short length limit the experience. Despite these concerns, many agree that it remains enjoyable for those who appreciate platformers.

    • “So, don't be too put off by any concerns about length and linearity as the game does have replay value.”
    • “The lore won't really add up to a narrative masterpiece but the modifiers can get crazy, there's also a few sweet achievements related to speedrunning which add even more replayability if you're into that.”
    • “The game isn’t long, it is possible to finish it in under two hours, if you’re not trying to get the collectibles, but it does have strong replay value.”
    • “The lore won't really add up to a narrative masterpiece, but the modifiers can get crazy. There's also a few sweet achievements related to speedrunning which add even more replayability if you're into that.”
    • “The game isn’t long; it is possible to finish it in under two hours if you’re not trying to get the collectibles, but it does have strong replay value.”
    • “Short... very short with a very limited replay value.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews; while some find the music to be a masterpiece that enhances emotional moments, others feel the visuals and story lack depth and complexity. Overall, the game is described as fun, heartwarming, and relaxing, particularly for those with a personal connection to its development.

    • “It's so fun, heartwarming, and relaxing (when you're not platforming, that is).”
    • “✔️ Phenomenal music: the soundtrack is a masterpiece, perfectly complementing the gameplay and enhancing the emotional resonance of each moment.”
    • “Having worked on the original student project, it was very emotional for me to play Symphonia 4 years later, it having evolved into a full game.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the visuals, music, and precise controls without performance issues, others feel that the alignment of animations to 60 fps creates a stuttering sensation, detracting from the gameplay experience. Additionally, there is a sentiment that the moveset feels overly optimized from the start, limiting the sense of progression.

    • “I loved the game, the visuals, the wonderful music, the difficulty felt just right, the controls are extremely precise, and I never had any performance issues!”
    • “Here’s to more violin performances, more satisfying jumps, and maybe just a little less dying next time!”
    • “I feel like it's because all animations and pacing are aligned to 60 fps, which makes it feel like the game is stuttering when it's not.”
    • “Your moveset should evolve over time, but it almost feels like you are at peak performance from the get-go.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stellar integration of classical music, which enhances the experience in each area. The art style effectively shifts between bright and vibrant to somber, complementing the emotional tone of the gameplay. Overall, the combination of music and visuals creates a captivating and immersive atmosphere.

    • “The music adds to the atmosphere of each area; the art style is bright and vibrant when it needs to be and somber during appropriate moments.”
    • “This game has a very cool atmosphere, and the musical elements (which are a huge part of the game) are generally quite beautiful.”
    • “The classical music and the general atmosphere are both stellar.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, with only minor glitches reported that can be resolved by restarting. While these bugs detract slightly from the experience, they do not significantly impact gameplay, making it a near-perfect title despite some backtracking frustrations.

    • “It's a near perfect game, with a few bugs and glitches taking away from the overall experience.”
    • “Some minor glitches that go away when you restart the game.”
    • “I'm not the biggest fan of having to get abilities and backtracking to be able to get certain things, but that's really the only major complaint outside of some glitches that showed up once I was replaying for the coins.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While the game features beautiful art, engaging mechanics, and impressive character designs, the reviews do not specifically address character development, suggesting it may not be a focal point of the experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
    • “The depth of character backstories and their growth over time adds a layer of emotional engagement that is hard to find in other games.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, despite some gameplay changes like double jumping aimed at reducing monotony. This has led some users to abandon the game altogether, as they prioritize enjoyment in their gaming experience.

    • “I did not bother finishing the game, as I play games to have fun and I found this game to be tedious and frustrating.”
    • “There are gameplay changes provided to make things less tedious, such as double jumping.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Symphonia is a platformer game.

Symphonia is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

Symphonia was released on December 5, 2024.

Symphonia was developed by ISART DIGITAL.

Symphonia has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its replayability.

Symphonia is a single player game.

Similar games include ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights, MO:Astray, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Unbound:Worlds Apart, ITORAH and others.