Synapse review: an artistic triumph but something's missing

Perfect VR design but limited.

Synapse review; a man runs through a portal
(Image: © nDreams)

Our Verdict

Synapse has a beautiful art style that marries perfectly with its physical shooter gameplay; for a time it's one of the best VR games you'll ever play. Then it ends. However, if you want to experience near-perfect VR game design Synapse this is a great place to start.

For

  • Exceptional art direction
  • Near-perfect VR controls
  • Incredible immersion

Against

  • Rogue-lite setup can feel limited

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Synapse is a smartly designed rogue-lite shooter that is predominantly played in black and white; the world is monotone; in other hands this artistic restriction could have left you feeling numb, but developer nDreams has used that limitation to create something truly unique.

In this PSVR 2 shooter you’re literally playing inside a person’s memories, stealing their secrets and empowering yourself to dig deeper, and that limited palette really helps sell this Inception-like premise. (If you've yet to get a Sony headset, read my PSVR 2 review, also take a look at my C-Smash review.)

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The Verdict
8

out of 10

Synapse review: an artistic triumph but something's missing

Synapse has a beautiful art style that marries perfectly with its physical shooter gameplay; for a time it's one of the best VR games you'll ever play. Then it ends. However, if you want to experience near-perfect VR game design Synapse this is a great place to start.

Editor, Digital Arts & 3D

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.