Synduality Echo of Ada is a curious game with a post-apocalyptic world, mechs, and idyllic AI companions. It even has its own anime tie-in called Synduality Noir. To be honest, it hadn’t even crossed my radar until recently, but after spending some time with this PvPvE extraction shooter and talking to the developers, I’m intrigued, to say the least.

I played the first hour or so of Synduality Echo of Ada, the same portion that was recently available during the closed network test. The game begins with a condensed history told with comic book-like storyboarding.

Many years ago, the world as we know it was destroyed after a poisonous rain called The Tears of the New Moon not only decimated the population, but spawned vicious monsters called Enders. Now, the last remaining dregs of society run on a rare resource called AO Crystals. It’s up to the Drifters, essentially mech-piloting freelancers, to face the dangers of the surface and collect these crystals. Drifters are never alone, though–they always have their highly customizable Magus (aka Human Duality Cognitive Androids) by their side, helping them manage missions and even pilot their mechs. Mechs, by the way, are called CRADLECOFFINS. No, I don’t know why, and yes, I should have asked.

This intro video is presented by the Drifter Support Association and immediately reeks of propaganda. It’s hosted by an adorable rabbit-looking plushy named Yoshio with a disturbingly deep voice, who says things like, “I heard all the cool kids want to be Drifters. You’re cool, right?”

The video’s goal is, obviously, to recruit (or peer pressure) folks into becoming Drifters, and prefaces the Drifter Support Association’s final section of the Drifter Selection Exam, which acts as a tutorial.

Though the story hook left me curious, especially about the Magus origin and purpose and the potentially nefarious Drifter Support Assocition, it isn’t as important as the core gameplay loop. As a new Drifter, your garage is, to put it as lightly as possible, a complete dump. It needs a lot of repairs if you want to craft freely and live comfortably. To repair the base and craft supplies, you need to collect materials and resources, and to make money, you need to complete missions. Both of these goals can be accomplished by deploying on Sorties out into the world piloting your CRADLECOFFIN and accompanied by your Magus.

Expeditions to the surface can almost be described as methodical and calming, but with bursts of action. Sortie to the map. Scan surroundings with the help of your Magus. Extract AO Crystals and collect materials needed for quests, crafting, or base upgrades, and then get the hell out–all while dealing with hostile Enders, other players that may be friend or foe, and the toxic rain that eats away at your CRADLECOFFIN’s armor.

So yes, you can kidnap other players’ waifus or husbandos, and have your own kidnapped, too.  Avoiding the poisonous rain is more difficult than it looks at first glance–I found myself trying to seek shelter in ruins that looked protected yet were apparently not. Luckily, I was able to recover, and I’m sure I’d learn of safe resting spots if I played more. But I can’t say I wasn’t annoyed by the lack of shelter from what would have blocked the rain for me in real life.

The main enemies, Enders, come in a wide variety, but I only saw three when I played. They ranged from simple nuisances to dangerous foes to be avoided, especially when in numbers. Still, even with scarier Enders about that forced me to retreat at times, the real difficulty of Synduality seems like it could be determined by the other Drifters–real players like you.

As you explore, you can spawn at many different points, and other players will be looking for resources on the same map. They, or you, can choose to hunt other players, ignore them, or help out. You can’t turn off friendly fire, and that applies to things like your Magus’ healing AOE’s, too.

It was nerve-wracking when my Magus told me another Drifter was nearby! Would they be friend or foe? When I did encounter someone, they emoted a friendly wave and said to cease fire… before they immediately turned on me when I let my guard down.

If you’re defeated before making it to an extraction point elevator, you’ll leave behind everything on you, all of which can now be taken by other players. This includes the parts that make up your CRADLECOFFIN and equipment, and even your Magus, who you’ll have to get back by paying a large ransom, the developers told me. So yes, you can kidnap other players’ waifus or husbandos, and have your own kidnapped, too.

You can somewhat prepare for this by getting insurance for different items, or putting something in a safety pocket. And, as a last resort, you can hold a series of buttons to bail out with your Magus. You’ll lose everything else, but at least the two of you will escape with your lives.

Encountering hostile players sounds like it could get incredibly frustrating, especially if you encounter players at a much higher skill level than yourself, when playing an otherwise not-too-difficult yet enjoyably challenging game.

The developers assured me that, at least in the beginning, you’ll be grouped more often with players similar to yourself–PK’rs with other PK’rs, and peaceful players with other peaceful players.

As far as difficulty in general, the director of Synduality, Yohei Kataoka, said feedback from players points to Synduality being as at a “good” level of difficulty and they can see from their end that missions have a high clearance rate. The controls are easy to master and the more you play, the more you’ll learn, Kataoka explained. I can definitely corroborate that the controls were very intuitive for anyone who’s played a third-person shooter, and they felt good, too, for simulating piloting a mech.

I asked them to compare Synduality to the notoriously difficult extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov, and Kataoka said: “If you’re comparing [Synduality] to Tarkov, this game’s easy.”
Though the rewards seem disproportionately high for being a player killer, there are also some consequences to going after fellow Drifters. The Drifter Support Association looks down on hunting other Drifters, and will stop issuing quests to adamant player killers, among other consequences that are yet unrevealed. The developers also told me your Magus would even start offering different advice if you’re a player killer, like if someone on the map is an easy target. Interesting!

Usually, your Magus will dish out advice as it learns by going out on expeditions with you. It will remember things like where you found a rare resource, so it can automatically mark those points on your map if you have a quest for it or wishlist something that requires it. It will also warn you if you enter an area you previously died, among other things.
The devs easily landed on “Magus” when asked what the most difficult part of development was. Not only was it difficult to determine how much information the Magus should relay to the player (they are quite chatty as they are, currently), but from the production side, it makes for a lot of different dialogue lines that need to be recorded by many different voice actors.

“There is no other title that has something quite like this, you know, a Magus, a helper, side-by-side with the player,” Futami explained. “Maybe it’s because it’s difficult, a hassle, to do… So having Magus itself is one of the stronger points of Synduality.”

Magus also provide moral support, another unique benefit. Futami explained that AI in Synduality will be together with you at good times and bad. Usually, in extraction games, you lose everything, which can be very demoralizing. But in Synduality, Futami said your AI will be by your side to support and encourage you to try again.

I can already tell you some people would probably get annoyed by their Magus constantly confirming hits or telling you where to go or what to do, but universally I think players will enjoy their Magus between Sorties. They greet you when you return and are seen puttering about in the base. When I upgraded an area, my Magus cleared the area of weeds and cooked me dinner with them–it was cute! They’re fun touches that break up the monotony of menus and any potential repetitive expedition-going.

I’m told there’s a lot more to the Magus, too, but we’ll just have to find that out as we play. Synduality’s theme that “you’re never alone” is entirely made possible by the existence of the Magus. Though you’ll technically be playing with other people, they won’t necessarily be helpful, and you won’t be able to team up with any particular person online.

Futami explained that they chose to not include co-op because not only would it entirely throw off the balance of the game, but because losing a human partner can be difficult to deal with. Magus is a better substitute, and is always available to play with, unlike adults with sporadic free time.

Synduality is a full-price, full-experience standalone game, but there will be season battle passes with different missions, goals, and rewards, and some monetization that includes cosmetics, like for the Magus, that won’t affect gameplay. I didn’t get a good look at this system myself, unfortunately, but I was told the first season focuses on rising up from zero–out of the starting hub covered in vegetation.

It’s hard to say if the gameplay loop might become repetitive sooner rather than later after such a short amount of time with it, but Synduality’s hook definitely left me wanting more. The structure lends itself to a mindset of, “I have time for one Sortie” that would easily lead into “but just one more.” I had fun exploring and fighting, and I wanted to learn more about the customization options I could unlock for my CRADLECOFFIN and Magus–it looks like there are plenty.

Synduality Echo of Ada will be released on January 23, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.