Sovereign Syndicate Reviews
With its emphasis on roleplay rather than combat and borrowings from Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate feels like another step forward for the CRPG.
While Sovereign Syndicate offered a rich world with colorful characters and an enticing story, I left it feeling like there was more to see. Luckily, its unique Tarot system and detailed dialogue kept me intrigued.
It mostly whiffs on its greatest ambitions, but the world is intriguing enough that I'd like to see more of it.
A witty, vicious, and charming-as-heck romp through a Victorian steampunk city, Sovereign Syndicate wraps its tight, character-driven story in layers of deliciously decadent prose. Delving through the seedy underbelly of this alternate-universe East London is compelling on its own, made all the more intriguing by the different perspectives of its trio of protagonists. Despite a few glitches at launch and some slightly rushed final moments, Sovereign Syndicate is a deeply satisfying narrative RPG and an absolute pleasure to play through.
While it packs an original setting and gameplay twist, Sovereign Syndicate would have benefitted from a narrower scope and improved execution.
If you're looking for a game that follows in the footsteps of Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate is a good choice. With its steampunk London, colourful characters and intriguing story, it is a good book, I mean, game.
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Successful application of the Disco Elysium recipe in an atmospheric setting. The story's conclusion should have been less rushed and more cohesive to provide a more complete experience.
Sovereign Syndicate is a decent first attempt from Crimson Herring Studios. The setting and characters alone make it worth playing, especially considering the price. The game would have benefited from a tighter narrative and a more fleshed-out Tarot card system. Here’s hoping that the game does well enough so that the devs can implement partial voice acting (at least) and learn from its shortcomings to make an improved sequel.
Sovereign Syndicate does something impossible: it makes the notion of an urban fantasy Victorian England with Jack The Ripper boring and tedious. Visually impressive, narratively godawful, this is one tour through Whitechapel you can safely skip.
A deftly told tale, with a well-realized and unique cast of chracters. While it sometimes lacks for choice, the choices you are offered are interesting, and anyone fiending for more Disco Elysium could do a lot worse than Sovereign Syndicate.
Sovereign Syndicate provides a detailed, colourful, and visually redolent tableau of the Dockyards of London’s East End, where tenements are under siege by industrial expansion, women and children go missing in the dark of night, soot covers all and the cobblestones run wet with alcohol, fresh or recycled. It makes for a lovely take on the gaslamp fantasy genre, with the plot to back up the appearance.
Sovereign Syndicate highly focuses on the narrative and story aspects. Getting into a skill check and using many different Tarot options can be great. However, it is up to you to show restraint and simply not reload after a back card draw. Additionally, many exploration mechanics, like quality of life or customization. You may consider the game if story choice far outweighs good movement controls.
Sovereign Syndicate is one of those games that you need to experience for its incredible charm, ambiance, and, most importantly, its amazing story. While three different stories might be a bit confusing, they all come together indirectly and build on each other to bring you a unique experience that just keeps giving. This might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s well worth a go if you’re a fan of anything RPG-related, even more so if you’re always on the hunt for a good story.
Sovereign Syndicate utilizes its pacing to gradually pull the curtain back on a world filled to the brim with character and detail. It allows its story to be delicately planned and comes together brilliantly while setting up possible sequels. I for one, will be extremely excited to return to the world of Sovereign Syndicate if any of those sequels come to fruition.
There’s a lot I like about Sovereign Syndicate. I like how it steers away from combat in favour of dialogue and decisions. I like its characters and its world. But there are chunks of the game that don’t quite work for me, from the levelling and skill checks which feel disconnected from everything else, to the final chapters of the story that struggle to bring our heroes together in a satisfying way. When it’s all working right, the story is absorbing and the world is fascinating. When it isn’t working right, the text becomes hard to parse and the sensation that Sovereign Syndicate is more like a book with mild interaction floats back to the surface.
Sovereign Syndicate emerges as a captivating gaming experience that breathes fresh life into the RPG genre. Its distinctive mechanics, anchored by the Tarot Card Chance System and Skill and Etiquette System, contribute to an engaging narrative that combines suspense, intrigue, and social commentary. With its richly detailed open world and three compelling characters, the game is perfect for any Steampunk RPG lover.
Sovereign Syndicate uses a super unique setting and phenomenal writing to tell a multi-faceted story with dark themes and deep introspection on human nature, despite two of the protagonists being a Minotaur and a Dwarf.
Sovereign Syndicate is an engaging cRPG with a lot of heart, and a surprisingly competent first title from developer Crimson Herring Studios. Its alternative take on Victorian-era London is refreshing and doesn't fall into the trap of painting mythical creatures with their generic fantasy characteristics. It captivates you the moment you start the game with its strong characters and writing, and doesn't let go until the very end.