SYNCED – A Player Friendly Approach to Free-To-Play?

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What happens when a developer dives into the Free-To-Play scene with the promise to make a title that is respectful of players no matter their financial investment? Well, apparently SYNCED happens! Launching back on the 8th of September 2023, SYNCED has quietly begun to amass a decent fanbase of dedicated players who have stuck around for SYNCED’s ever evolving world! 

So what exactly is SYNCED?

SYNCED is a free-to-play looter shooter that puts players into a futuristic world, called the Meridian, that has been left to crumble by the hands of deadly creatures known as Nanos. Playing as a runner, not only is it your responsibility to take down these dangerous foes, but you can also ‘sync’ with certain ones, called Prime Nanos, to create your own savage beast that will fight back against this ever increasing threat. 

What should I expect from SYNCED?

SYNCED offers much of what you might expect from a typical looter shooter. Whether that be a variety of abilities to use out on the field, extensive weapon customisation or a dedicated hub space called Haven where you can meet new players and take on missions together, there is definitely a decent amount of content to *ahem* sync *ahem* your teeth into. 

And as you would expect, SYNCED features both PvE and PvP approaches. In PvE you will head into dead sectors to cleanse the surges created by the Nanos. In order to do this, you will encounter Prime Nanos which you must take down if you hope to possess a Prime Nano of your own. This can be especially challenging when diving in solo, as you will also encounter swarms of Nano that may seem easy to take down on their own, but in large packs, might just be a lot more of a challenge. So it is always recommended to party up where possible! Because as you keep taking on new challenges, the swarms become bigger and more challenging, and honestly, going solo with your own Prime Nano may not be enough!

PvP on the other hand puts you up against other runners in the Meridian. Now you have to take down other runners and their Prime Nano, whilst completing objectives and earning points to win the match. It’s pretty fun for a few hours of play, but honestly, I would say that the PvE is where you should spend the majority of your time in SYNCED.

SYNCED’s Player Friendly Approach to Monetisation

Now I know that the big question will be regarding the monetisation. When the word microtransaction is mentioned, if you’re anything like me, you would be quick to think of the words Pay To Win. Now, over the years we have seen some horrendous approaches to monetisation, so it is understandable to be a bit hesitant. However, the team behind SYNCED has seemed to have adopted what they call a “player-friendly” approach to monetisation. So this means that players who decide to support the game financially will get some benefits, but not necessarily a competitive edge on their fellow players who haven’t put any money into the game. Time will tell how well this works, but there’s no denying that in its current form, SYNCED does seem to handle microtransactions well. They are what you might expect, but they aren’t invasive. They just provide players with an opportunity to support a game that has been given out for free. 

‘Tis the season to be spooky!

If you jump into the game right now, you will notice that SYNCED has gotten slightly eerie… That’s because The Haunting of Haven has officially commenced! SYNCED’s first Halloween event is in full swing and will be sticking around until the 31st of October! The Haven and the Nanos themselves have seen a bit of a makeover for this festive season. However, that is not all you can expect from this Halloween event. As you trek through the Meridian, you will encounter some ghoulish Nanos that have some treats for you to collect. By taking these treats to the event store, you will obtain some unique Halloween-themed rewards.

Final Thoughts

If you have been intrigued by SYNCED, now is the time to dive into the Meridian. You can be a part of the early stages of this huge endeavour! It is clear that the devs have put a lot of time and love into SYNCED, as is evident in its visual design, which can be praised for the fact that it looks the way it does despite being a free-to-play title. The team has made a commitment to continue working on the game, creating new content, new innovations and much more. So make sure you are part of the action!

SYNCED is available now on Steam, Epic Games or directly from their website here! Also, SYNCED have partnered with Discord to give users 1 month free of Discord Nitro as well as free drops by watching SYNCED on Twitch.

By Samuel Incze