Synduality Echo of Ada Review

In the highly crowded shooter genre, standing out requires a unique twist. Bandai Namco’s Synduality Echo of Ada seems to offer just that. It’s not merely a third-person shooter; it’s a mech shooter, and more specifically, a mech extraction shooter. But wait, there’s more. You also get waifus and husbandos. That’s quite the eclectic mix if I’ve ever seen one!

Echo of Ada is part of the broader Synduality mixed media project, which includes an anime, manga, and light novel. This game marks the project’s first foray into video games. As a mech third-person extraction shooter, it combines various game elements to create a distinctive experience.

Will this appeal to a broad audience or will it fizzle out? Here’s our review of Synduality Echo of Ada.

Rise Up!

Set in a future Earth plagued by hazardous weather due to the phenomenon known as the Tears of the New Moon, humanity has retreated underground. With resources dwindling, a select group of individuals called Drifters venture to the Earth’s surface to mine valuable AO crystals and other resources essential for survival.

These Drifters are accompanied by humanoid AI known as Magus, who serve as guides and partners during their expeditions. These courageous individuals face numerous challenges, including environmental hazards and monstrous creatures called Enders. Additionally, they must contend with rogue Drifters and bandits who also roam the surface.

While Synduality Echo of Ada is part of a larger narrative, prior knowledge of the other adjacent materials is unnecessary. The game’s premise stands on its own, making it accessible to newcomers.

Lootin’ and shootin’

At its core, Synduality Echo of Ada’s gameplay loop involves embarking on scavenging missions to the Earth’s surface, mining AO crystals, and collecting resources within a set time limit. Players decide when they have gathered enough by returning to one of the many elevators scattered around and calling for a ride back underground.

Players familiar with extraction shooters will recognize this core loop of looting, shooting, and extracting. The resources gathered can be used to earn money and upgrade your hangar, which houses you and your cradlecoffin mech, and allows you to customize your Magus.

Occasionally, players will fulfill specific requests while on the surface, such as mining for a particular mineral or defeating a set number of enemies with a specific weapon. Completing these requests will also yield rewards.

Some requests are separate from the usual resource gathering and follow a narrative that explores the fall of Amasia in-game, where players learn about the game’s namesake Magus, Ada, and her Drifter partner. These missions provide players with a set of gear apart from their own. Unfortunately, weapons and resources acquired in these story-like requests do not carry over to the player’s inventory.

This can be frustrating, as players need all the resources they can get for better equipment and upgrades. A higher battery time on the surface depends on cradlecoffin bodies, higher-level excavators allow for mining larger AO crystals, and better guns deal more damage to foes. Synduality Echo of Ada’s cradlecoffin handles like a typical mech, balancing weight and speed, giving players the feeling of piloting a substantial piece of machinery.

Players have a variety of weapons to choose from, including submachine guns, shotguns, and sniper rifles, and can bring two at a time to accommodate different playstyles, whether short, mid, or long-range shooting. If resource gathering and looting appeal to you, then Synduality Echo of Ada might be the game for you—provided you are aware of the risks involved.

Do you have what it takes to be a Drifter?

One of the most well-known examples of an extraction shooter is Escape from Tarkov, which is notorious for its permadeath mechanic. Essentially, if your character falls on the battlefield, all your equipment is lost—no exceptions.

When you lose, you start from scratch with basic equipment and work your way back to decent gear. This mechanic is reminiscent of Hardcode mode from various games, where dying means losing your character permanently, along with all rare equipment and items.

Expect a similarly harsh environment in Synduality Echo of Ada. This includes the rewards you may receive as you progress through the Drifter ranks, which can include new cradlecoffin mech parts. The possibility of losing your hard-earned equipment and even your Magus if you make a mistake can be frustrating for some players.

The environmental/weather mechanic, while random, is at least tolerable. Occasional rain on the battlefield can reduce your resistance to zero and eat away at your health if you don’t find cover. This can be particularly problematic if you’re engaged in a fight with an Ender or another Drifter or Bandit.

Synduality Echo of Ada’s high-risk, high-reward mechanic can be even more frustrating than in a Souls game. At least in Souls games, you retain your equipment upon death, and farming currencies isn’t as much of a chore. In an extraction shooter like Echo of Ada, even with better gear, one wrong move can result in losing everything.

Additionally, Synduality Echo of Ada has a rather frustrating grind. Precious AO crystals are scarce and may not always be available on the field, as they might have already been taken by another Drifter (another player).

The Requests, while offering rewards like money and resources, can become dull and repetitive. Gathering specific resources or defeating a set number of enemies with a particular weapon may feel manageable at first, but they tend to loop and become more demanding.

Requests requiring specific weapons become more frustrating when you lose them and have to buy new ones. Dying means losing all your gear, so if you don’t have the money to buy back a specific weapon for a Request, it can be quite frustrating.

Upgrading your hangar’s various facilities, such as the Crafting Station and Living Spaces, is costly and time-consuming. The time mechanics found in mobile games are present here and can be just as frustrating. Quick build options require either in-game currency or premium coins that can be purchased with real money.

The requirements to upgrade your Hangar already feel pricey with all the resources and money needed. The addition of a time mechanic in Synduality Echo of Ada only adds to the frustration, as you may have to wait a few minutes or even an hour before reaping the benefits of your efforts.

Lots to see, but not to hear

One of the standout features of Synduality Echo of Ada is its impressive visuals. The environments are vast and diverse, with each area containing various biomes such as training facilities, lakes, and agricultural zones. Though abandoned and in ruins, these areas are ripe for exploration and resource gathering.

Your cradlecoffin mech comes in various designs, ensuring that there is a set of mech parts to suit any mecha enthusiast’s taste. However, managing these parts is crucial, as they come with varying stats like battery life and durability. Additionally, there is your Magus.

The Magus that accompanies you on your journey in Synduality Echo of Ada is an interesting twist and is basically your companion throughout the game. After selecting your Magus type and customizing its appearance with a range of options, the game offers a wide variety of clothing for you to dress up. This allows for significant customization to make your Magus look either cute or handsome.

Completing requests may also reward you with new clothes and accessories for your Magus. You can see the results of your dress-up sessions through short clips of your Magus performing mundane tasks like cleaning, resting, or even dancing while browsing your menus. These moments, along with occasional cutscenes when upgrading parts of your hub, showcase your Magus’s personality.

However, the audio experience is not as impressive. While some players may not mind the chatty nature of the Magus during missions, as they report nearly everything happening and provide hints or warnings, the overall audio quality is lacking. Aside from an opening song, the music is not particularly memorable.

Verdict: Wait for it…

Extraction shooter elements, such as permanently losing gear and repetitive missions, are not for everyone. Unfortunately, these elements are integral to the gameplay loop in Synduality Echo of Ada, which could be a deal-breaker for some players intrigued by its premise.

No matter how captivating the world and story are, how much time you’ve invested in building up your impressive gear, or how much you adore your meticulously customized Magus, you must be prepared for the possibility that all of it can vanish if you’re not careful during your sorties to the Earth’s surface.

There is still a market for extraction shooters. If you don’t mind these challenges, enjoy mechs, appreciate a JRPG-style sci-fi story, and love seeing cute or handsome anime avatars on-screen, then Synduality Echo of Ada might be worth trying.

*Synduality Echo of Ada was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.