The Torus Syndicate
- November 22, 2016
- Codeate
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamExperience the intense, non-stop action of the arcade rail-shooter in virtual reality! Play as Lucas Lawson, a rookie cop swept into the dramatic underworld of the Torus Syndicate. Put your shooting and dodging skills to the test as you battle across metropolis in a quest for justice.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers extremely immersive and fast-paced gameplay, reminiscent of classic arcade shooters like Time Crisis.
- Players enjoy the physicality of the game, requiring them to duck and dodge, which adds a fun exercise element.
- The low-poly graphics style is appreciated for allowing players to focus on gameplay mechanics rather than visual fidelity.
- The game is considered too short, with only three missions that can be completed in around 30 minutes, making it feel overpriced.
- There are significant issues with controller compatibility, particularly for Index controllers, and the game appears to be abandoned by the developers.
- Gameplay mechanics, such as weapon switching and reloading, are frustrating and lack polish, detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay17 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its immersive and fast-paced nature, reminiscent of classic arcade shooters like Time Crisis, with a unique dash mechanic that enhances movement. While the campaign is short, the mechanics are solid and engaging, offering a satisfying challenge with a variety of enemy placements. However, some players find the control scheme confusing, particularly with simultaneous grenade and reload mechanics, but overall, the game is praised for its enjoyable wave shooter experience and responsive developer support.
“The campaign is short, but bolsters extremely immersive and fast-paced gameplay.”
“This paired with the need to shoot back creates fun and interesting gameplay.”
“Having both grenades and reloading mechanics available at the same time on your left controller is very confusing, especially when the meshes/objects both show up on your left controller at the same time.”
“Even though the game is totally on rails, there's a real sense of freedom that comes from simply moving continuously around a map, rather than simply blink teleporting (this uses a dash teleport to fixed locations mechanic).”
“Mechanics themselves are solid, though I got a D on mission one for 45% accuracy and 95 headshots. Sad days.”
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story in the game is relatively basic, consisting of only three missions that can be completed in about 30 minutes, which some players feel limits its depth and engagement. While the gameplay mechanics and graphics are praised, the narrative lacks substance and could benefit from improved voice acting and sound effects. Overall, the storyline serves as a backdrop for the action-oriented gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.
“The torus syndicate is a game that allows you to tackle mission-style sessions in a short story.”
“This is an arcade rail-shooter with a storyline, with great graphics and incredible VR immersion.”
“You start off with a very helpful tutorial and shortly thereafter jump into the main story, progressing from level to level with constant action and a cool storyline!”
“The story is fairly basic, and some more realistic sound effects and voice-over narration could definitely improve the production value of this title.”
“No one likes to click through endless crawls of text to understand a thin storyline.”
“Concept and gameplay are amazing for being on rails, but the so-called 'story mode' has only 3 missions.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are described as cartoony yet excellent, contributing to an immersive experience that belies their simplicity. Despite their straightforward design, they effectively enhance gameplay, particularly in VR, where players feel a strong sense of presence within the game world. Overall, the graphics prioritize game design while still delivering impressive visual quality.
“As others have said, the graphics are cartoony but are excellent.”
“Although the graphics are cartoon style, the experience is surprisingly immersive and there is great variation to the different challenges.”
“A prime example of putting game design over graphics.”
“Don't let the cute, simple graphics fool you.”
“The graphics of the Torus Syndicate may look simple, but it's actually really awesome, and the feeling of being inside this game in VR is just incredible.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users have reported stability issues, particularly noting bugs in the tutorial where gun instructions remained visible, hindering gameplay.
“The tutorial is a bit buggy; the gun instructions stayed up when I was trying to grab my badge.”
“I experienced frequent crashes during gameplay, which made it hard to enjoy the experience.”
“The game often freezes during loading screens, forcing me to restart my console.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users indicate that the game has limited replayability, with some finding only slight value in replaying it, suggesting that it may not justify its price tag of $15.
“I have found slight replay value, but there definitely isn't $15 worth of playtime.”
“The game lacks the depth needed to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
