Overview of Sovereign Syndicate. If in Disco Elysium, the Minotaur caught Jack the Righter

At first I thought to describe my impressions of Sovereign Syndicate after two hours of game. Then – after four. Then – after six … but how much the game is fascinating! So after three evening walks in London, it was possible to only come to terms with the inevitable and write a review.

The end of the 19th century, London. You just have to close your eyes, how the images of everything that the Victorian era was famous for. With industrialization, social contradictions and terrible working conditions. With outstanding (albeit invented) detectives and frightening bandits – quite real. Great basis for creativity!

But developers Sovereign Syndicate Let’s go further. They added a little steampunk to the familiar world and a significant portion of mythology and supernatural, inhabiting it with minotaurs and yardes, centaurs and cyclops, ghosts and werewolves. And as a special ingredient, mechanics were used, inspired Disco Elysium. Role -playing game, which I love with all my heart (I’m sure you too!). Therefore, I could not help but appreciate the creation of the Canadian studio Crimson Herring Studios.

And now – with joy and enormous enthusiasm – I share my impressions!

Detectives are involuntarily

Unlike Disco Elysium, there are three main characters in Sovereign Syndicate. Who have their own character, goals and methods of achieving them. As in films like “inglorious bastards”, sooner or later the prostagonists will be at one point. And no one knows which of them will survive after the final somersaults. And what dear they will go further.

The company of the heroes turned out to be truly motley. First of all, we are met by a rough Atticus Daily. It is a big and suffering from alcoholism of the Minotaurus. Daily is mired in debt and cannot pay even a small rented apartment in slums. And he also contacted the local bandits … Fortunately, the hero is strong, quite smart and can master the skill of illusion.

A little later, we get acquainted with the charming “artist” (as well as a thief and prostitute) Clara Reed. The girl prefers to achieve her charm or dexterity, but in which case she is ready to use the stylet.

And the last of this amazing Trinity is the Teddy Redgrave monsters hunter. He is not cruel, but will not give up the extra pounds for the capture or eliminate some dangerous creature. Being a capable engineer, he refers to technology and automatons with trepidation. Like his assistant and even friend Otto.

Mr. Daily may seem formidable, but inherently he is very empathetic. Especially when communicating with orphans.

Each hero faces death, murders or crimes that encourage them to take decisive steps and get to the bottom of the truth. Daily, for example, worries the disappearance of orphans – after all, Atticus himself grew up in an orphanage. And the Minotaur also hears someone’s voice in his head and tries to understand who speaks to him and what to do with it. In addition, a serial killer who kills courtesans, and this cannot but alarm Clara, wound up in London. Being a mercenary, for his part, Teddy looks at what is happening in the city.

None of them planned to be a detective, but the events in London (and the mysterious stranger in the mask) pushed them onto this path. To make a difficult choice more than once and experience good luck.

Let’s play cards?

The heroes of Sovereign Syndicate do not have numerous sides of the personality, as it was in Disco Elysium. Here, everyone has four characteristics (although internal voices expressing their position on interlocutors or events, a little more). These skills are used during dialogs and scenes requiring verification.

The situation involving verification has a level of complexity, which correlates with the value of a specific characteristic of the hero. For example, Atticus threatens the interlocutor, and for success it is necessary to use Animal Instinct, And to fall not less than 20. Daily has this feature at the level of 14, which means the player needs to be pulled out card the advantage of at least 6.

Yes, in Sovereign Syndicate there are no visible Nongamstopcasinosites.co.uk or invisible “cubes”, as in Disco Elysium or Baldur’s Gate III. Here everything is decided by Tarot cards. With a critical failure and critical success (giving immediately +100 to check).

On the one hand, in the novelty there is no large -scale and integrated system with “internal dialogs”, as was the case in Disco Elysium. At the same time, each characteristic of the heroes of Sovereign Syndicate offers only a look at the situation. And when the character’s feature begins to “speak”, in fact, a protagonist is always expressed, looking at things from different sides. So yes, in Sovereign Syndicate there are much fewer internal conflicts. And to be surprised at the written in the text will have to noticeably less often.

On the other hand, the built system works well. The more often we use this or that skill, the faster its level grows. Plus the characteristics can be affected by the items used. But even properly pumping any skill, you will not feel like a winner in all situations. In the end, no one is safe from a critical failure. And the game offers tests related to other characteristics. And when they have to use them, the characters are more likely to wait for the failure.

Also, in the course of the game, heroes receive features (cards that can be seen a little higher). They open additional opportunities. For example, Atticus will be able to appear in a new image, and Teddy will show his strength. If the character does not unlock specific cards, he will not be able to choose the corresponding options in the proposed situations. But even if you have a new opportunity, not the fact that it will be the best solution.

For one passage, you can both open all the unique features, and skip one or more cards.

The psychological state of the heroes also affects the options for choosing in dialogs. Or, as the game presents, the level of hope (from 0 to 100). The more optimistic the character, the more likely he will do or say something good. And vice versa: there are separate options for the state below the average.

A little below, for example, a dialogue with one of the secondary NPC is shown. Since Teddy has no feature at the time of the conversation Brutal, Option 3 is not available. And since the emotional state of the hero leaves much to be desired, we can choose option 1, but not 4.

Peace, economics and no lutboxes (almost)

Sovereign Syndicate is divided into 18 chapters, in each of which we control only one hero. At first it is Atticus, then Clara, then Teddy, and so on (sometimes the essay changes). Some chapters (such as the second) can last more than an hour, while others run in a matter of minutes. Much depends on, including on whether you go strictly in the plot or decide to perform side tasks.

The world of the game is quite small, but at first you have to spend a lot of time to study it and remember where (and who) is located. In fact, we will be offered to visit five relatively large locations (where there are available buildings, basements, sewage systems, and so on) and several small. Already by the fourth chapter, you will navigate in East London as in your area. Here are orphans, here is Teddy’s workshop, here is a club, and there is a beautiful fountain and an artist … who should not forget to order a portrait for three pounds!

Yes, the game has a simple economy (useful or not very items with NPC), and each hero has his own wallet and his own inventory. The same Daily appears before us a poor man who collects garbage to get a little shillings. But Clara initially does not know the need, and therefore is able to spend money … And to be in a noticeably worst situation than Atticus. So when she needs money, there will simply be nowhere to take it from ..

And a unequivocal plus of single role -playing games – the lack of microtransactions. No lootboxes! But the developers decided to joke and added to Sovereign Syndicate comic “Lutnybox” or Lute Box. Inside which there are some kind of space trinkets. But the brave minotaur Daily decided to buy Lute Box everything to once again note his uselessness.

By the way, Sovereign Syndicate is sold in Russia for about 700 rubles. As for me, a great price for about 10 hours of game (or more, if you decide to pass RPG again).

As in Disco Elysium, Sovereign Syndicate does not have a traditional combat system. If conflict situations arise, everything is solved by the text. More precisely, our choice of possible action. But this will arise very, very rarely: despite all the severity of the protagonists, they are peaceful or good in their souls. At least there were such in my passage. In your youem, they can become aggressive and thirsty for the authorities. And this is your way, it cannot be erroneous.

Throughout the game we have to constantly communicate and interact with the environment. Some things can simply be considered, and others can use. Moreover, something useless for one hero can be important for another, so reactions to the same thing can and will be different.

For example, the same doors for different characters can be either closed or open. And the NPC will meet and perceive Atticus, Clara and Teddy in different ways. In this sense, the world of the game will have to study from to three times, every time finding something new. And since the world is not so big, it doesn’t bother.

Sometimes heroes will meet during the game. We will manage only to those we play. Pursuing only his goals, which can go against the goals of the interlocutor.

Completion

There are several endings in Sovereign Syndicate, and closer to the end of the game, it seems that they may differ strictly. Of course, in some places the choice is illusory, and regardless of our decision, the hero will be where the developers should be according to the plan. But closer to the final, the consequences of the choice can be quite unexpected. Therefore, having completed Sovereign Syndicate, you will soon want to go through the game again.

Come to the end and not only see a more tragic (or bright) denouement of history, but also complete side quests. Because some of them can automatically be canceled either as a result of the decisions we have taken, or after the expiration of the time. Although sometimes all the fault is simple inattention … In any case, RPG precisely deserves the second passage. Especially if the Russian language is added to the game to better understand what is happening and capture lost shades and hints.

Now there is only English Sovereign Syndicate. But he is much simpler than the level of Disco Elysium, which scared some of the lack of localization for release. The novelty is easily given if sometimes resort to the help of an online translator (still there are enough incomprehensible terms in the game).

And the developers identified some unusual words and expressions with yellow. If you bring them to the mouse, a small explanation will open. Such notes make the game not only more accessible, but also more atmospheric! And a couple of unusual phrases can be adopted at all.

Crimson Herring Studios developers also act as a game publisher. Having passed Sovereign Syndicate and enjoying its atmosphere and plot, role -playing system and “Elysium flashbacks“, You experience even more respect and admiration for talented independent creators.

By the way, I met for the whole game Only one bug (which repeated a couple of times). Иногда бегущие персонажи упираются в угол и как бы буксуют на месте. We take them back and send them again to the goal – and the problem is solved.

The studio promised that she would translate the text in Sovereign Syndicate to other languages ​​with good games. Therefore, I would like to wish them success. And hope that among new ones for RPG there will be Russian.

Instead of Kitszen in Sovereign Syndicate, you can see pictures in the style of comics. The drawings are good!

Sovereign Syndicate is a pleasant and atmospheric role -playing game for those who are not afraid of English and an abundance of text. Travel to Victorian London, full of unusual creatures, maybe it will not become unforgettable. But it will definitely be pleasant.

• Charismatic heroes and secondary characters
• Role system
• Detective component and tie
• Music and visual
• Almost no bugs
• Very democratic price.

• The game is quite small
• Disco Elysium is largely inferior
• The “validity of” side quests is not always clear
• So far, the game is only in English.

The author played PC for about 10 hours. The key is provided by the developers.

The whole game in English. Additional localization may appear in the future – in case of success of Sovereign Syndicate.

“The best detective in the world!”. Make a mistake in all your forecasts about the finale. Well, or in almost all.