SYMMETRY is latest survival game to entice me with its pretty art style and allure of simulated suffering in a frozen wasteland. It has a unique charm and an alluring story. Unfortunately, it is too short and lacks content. Forget the $11.99 price tag for a moment. There is absolutely zero bang for your buck here. In terms of production quality, it’s an incredibly professional looking game. However, it feels like the tutorial level of a much larger story.
Novel mechanics that allow for dynamic storytelling are what make this game. That strength lies in the small choices that you make instead of an overarching plot or theme. The kinds of armor and clothes you wear around town, what skills you choose, how you interact with local merchants all changes how the world reacts to you, to an extent greater than I’ve experienced before. In many ways, how you chose to live from day to day has more impact than the dialogue choices.
There just is enough good stuff to make this game fun. The writing is top notch, combat is okay, and the UI is sub-par. Other than the storytelling, nothing else is noteworthy; and to be frank, I don’t think the writing is enough to salvage this HD remake. Everything feels like a rough draft of what could be an amazing game. I don’t feel like this recreation stands on its own feet. If the original release wasn’t beloved, I doubt this game would have even been noticed. It’s fun and it works, which is probably more than enough to make it worth buying, if not at full price than certainly on sale.
It’s essentially made for people who spend their time clicking links in Wookiepedia and any of the other countless lore databases on the internet. If you can look past the outdated UI and technical issues, enjoy reading, and don’t mind point and clicks, you’ll fall in love with this game.