Retro Synthesis

Release Date: cancelled

Adventure, FPP, cyberpunk, detective, dystopia, Polish, indie games, singleplayer

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The first adventure we've been on since the alternative version in 1999. Playing the role of police detective Harrison Noels, we travel through the dark corners of dystopian New Venice, talk to neutral figures and solve various riddles.

Story
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Retro Synthesis is an adventure game set in a cyberpunk world. The title was developed by an independent Polish studio Black Nest Games (founded by people who previously worked on such games as Hard West, Ancient Space or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt), and was published by PlayWay.

Story

In Retro Synthesis the action is set in an alternative, retrofuturistic version of 1999. Although World War II never happened, mankind had other worries on its head, as the 20th century was marked by drastic climate change, which led the world to the brink of destruction. The struggling civilization has built new cities located on powerful platforms that hold them above the surface of the oceans. One such metropolis is New Venice, whose inhabitants live in the shadow of an oppressive "system"; to make matters worse, while the richest live on safe, high floors of the city, the poor are forced to live just above the water surface.

During the game, we play as Harrison Noels, a police detective who, after his wife's death, has to get himself together and return to performing his duties. The protagonist undertakes a case, the solution of which requires visiting the darkest corners of New Venice.

Mechanics

In Retro Synthesis we observe the events from the first-person perspective. As we travel through gloomy locations, we talk to NPCs and solve [puzzles. All this is complemented by spectacular chase scenes. It is worth noting that during the dialogues we do not choose the lines spoken by the protagonist, but only decide on the tone in which they will be spoken. Additionally, in order to solve a puzzle, we often have to use original achievements of technology, such as a sound scanner that enables us to listen to conversations that were previously conducted in a given place.