Frozen Synapse Released

By: Derek Yu

On: May 26th, 2011

The simultaneous turn-based squad tactics game Frozen Synapse has been released, with a discounted launch price of $19.99. The game features 5 multiplayer modes and a 55-mission single player campaign. There’s no demo available, but if you purchase the game you get a free copy to send a friend.

Released: May 26th, 2011
Price: $24.99 ($19.99 Today)
TIGdb: Entry for Frozen Synapse

Posted in Macintosh, Multiplayer, Strategy, Turn-Based Strategy, Windows | Tags: Mode7Games

http://profiles.google.com/bartoncasey Casey Barton

The look and the gameplay seem remarkably similar to Introversion's work in progress, Subversion.

http://www.introversion.co.uk/…
Andrea Varotsis

It's been in development since long before Subversion was announced.
Guest

Going to give this one a miss since I don't feel like throwing that much money at it without a demo.

Anyone bought it and can share the experience?
http://profiles.google.com/bartoncasey Casey Barton

“Long before” 2006?
AmnEn

I've played it quite some time ago when a friend gave me the second key so I might as well write down my experiences with it. Please note that I haven't played in a long time as the one I got it from kinda stopped playing it.

Onwards then!
The gameplay is interesting, it plays quite a bit like chess in that you have to predict your opponents moves, this in turn can lead to some really interesting mindgames. If you manage to outwit an enemy, it just feels great.
On the flipside, it's also a game that requires tremendous amounts of patience. You usually don't play turns immediately one after another, instead you ponder and adjust your turn over the course of a day – or for some players we're looking at weeks. Case in point: Longest game I had took roughly 2 months. Ouch.

The graphics are functional, it's a very distinct look and you can easily tell things apart. The AI was decent enough (since essentially you always have the AI fight your turn). Just like in chess you move your pieces around, hoping to get them into an advantageous position. There are of course different weapon systems as well and you can blow up terrain – which is always a nasty surprise. However, and here the game is clearly different from chess, things are a bit random. Or rather it's not always obvious why things played out the way they did.
For example, there was a situation where I had two of my soldiers in a room, guarding a door. An enemy ran into the room, before my soldiers reacted, he had already shot down one of them and when my soldier DID react, he shot the wall instead while the enemy ducked into cover. Luckily those situations were rare (although rage inducing) and could quite probably already be fixed by now.

In the end, if you're looking for a chess like experience and have a lot of patience, this might intrigue you. If however you're expecting a fast Turn based Game in the likes of Jagged Alliance, this is really the wrong game as it isn't even remotely as fast as the trailer indicates.
http://malchemistgames.com sinoth

It's beyond me why games release without some form of a demo. Maybe they have one planned for later and just had to get the game out ASAP. Who knows. Still, so many people will overlook this game because the price is above the impulse buy point with no way to test it out (or verify it will run on your system).
Eagle0600

I don't know about that, but I do know this: They are nothing alike. Seriously.

To expand on that: I have played FS, being a pre-orderer, and must say that the gameplay in FS and the gameplay proposed in Subversion are nothing alike. And the visuals are only a little bit similar when compared to other games that use the same inspiration.

If I see a comment that amounts to “OMG PLAGIARISM HAX!!11!” from someone who knows next to nothing about FS on one more site, I think I'm going to explode.
ABC

it's probably because the game is primarily MP, so it'd be hard to make a demo. maybe they'll do a free weekend or something eventually? (the 55 sp missions or w/e have to be played after logging in, too, last time i checked, although, yeah, they should really consider throwing some into a demo pack)
http://twitter.com/pandafresh Christian J. Ruiz

it seems super interesting, but i cant throw $20 at something im not sure i'll like…really would be nice if there was a demo.
News

So I preordered less than 2 weeks ago at a discounted price of $25, and now it launches at a discounted price of $20? Thanks, Mode 7.

Anyway, I've only played the single-player so far, but I hope the devs have been furiously fixing bugs in the last week. As of a few days ago, Frozen Synapse is among the buggiest games I've ever played.
ANtY

About 2-months games: but to make a turn it takes something like 5-10 minutes.
Brrrrrr

Do you really think it has a lot of bugs? Been playing it for quite a while and didn't notice major bugs. It's a solid game but as noticed by someone else above it takes time (rounds can take days or weeks), strategy and little bit of chance. So this may not be from everyone, but personally I like it, and I know that many people who love strategy would be happy to at least try it, it's definitely something to check out —in that regard, it's a shame there's no demo available, they could easyly give the first 8 missions of the campaign plus one online mode (or a set number of online games) so people can try it. On the kind of shitty side, I also pre-ordered it quite a while ago (since the early Beta's) and I think I paid more than $20 (or at least $20), so thanks for your gratitude with the people who supported you from the start, Mode 7. Anyway, I wonder if that price was “suggested” by Steam though, reminds me of what happens with Super Meat Boy. If it is Mode 7's idea, though, I feel very dissapointed. Notice that this doesn't have anything to do with the game's quality, just with the developer attitude.
Banana

this game is a minecraft ripoff
Guest

No it wouldn't be hard to make a demo.

Just include a couple singleplayer maps.
Just include 1-2 MP maps or only one of the game modes and let the demo'ers play with each other.

Did you ever play the Defcon demo?

These kind of demos are not hard to make.
Guest

Shut up, it's not funny anymore.
X3n

Yeah it's pretty sick. You can replay previous turns so you can always catch up on a game you haven't played for a day or whatever. Controls are decent, sometimes adding a new waypoint you have to zoom in so you don't click the unit instead of the waypoint. Easy enough to drag around though. Oh, and the gameplay is awesome. Psychic chess.
Vania

What are the main differences between this game and “Laser Squad Nemesis” ?

I remember LSN was very slow. I enjoyed it back then but now I'm too old for a game that takes so much time.
Syrion

I was told that a demo is indeed planned :) Though, I also wonder why it wasn't made to be released with the full version.
Sicsided

I think you need to look at both of these games closer then.
Hbt

Basically, his is a Pick up and play version of LSN. The Devs have been completely open about how they wanted to make a LSN but that plays out faster, starting unit placement is automatic and random (you get random classes in random places). Also maps are very small compared to LSN.
So i think Vania this might be a game for you, as for the indie rip off allegations as always are a bit lolworthy considering they say on their website how they ripped off Julian Gollop!
ABC

it was never funny :O
News

I don't think so, I know. These are just the ones I found:

-extraneous, remote waypoints are created when you make two waypoints along a wall
-units can just stop dead and fail to complete the rest of their path if they get close to the map edge
-delete a waypoint (with the delete key, not backspace) and the unit will stop dead on his path

The worst one:

-the game started crashing every time I resumed my campaign around level 25

I'll see if they fixed all this shit tomorrow.
Sdfsfafds

No demo… no copy I buy.
Baines

TotalBiscuit has what looks to be a pretty good review of it on YouTube, just search for “WTF is Frozen Synapse”. It spends a good chunk of time covering playing a solo mission, and then watches someone elses multiplayer match.

Unfortunately, while the game looks fun to me, it doesn't look like $20 worth of fun when I'm running on a strapped budget.
guest

is this like advance wars in any way?
Guewt

Yes. In every way.
PhasmaFelis

Even if it was a ripoff, so what? Is there not room in the world for more than one cyberpunk-ish strategy game with retro neon poly graphics?

Fans are so bizarrely protective of novel game designs. I think we need more Cave Story ripoffs, more Minecraft ripoffs, because those games are awesome and I want to see more like them.
http://profiles.google.com/bartoncasey Casey Barton

Absolutely. I wasn't implying that there was anything wrong, just that they look alike. I'd be criticizing if it were EA releasing Frozen Synapse (as if), but not another indy developer.

And I grew up in 80s arcades. I love neon vector art. :)