''Sovereign Syndicate'' is a 2024

role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...

developed and published by Crimson Herring Studios for

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Gameplay

The game is set in

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

London with fantasy elements. The setting has been described as

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...

. The gameplay is said to be heavily influenced by ''

Disco Elysium ''Disco Elysium'' is a 2019 role-playing video game developed and published by ZA/UM. The game was written and designed by a team led by Estonian novelist Robert Kurvitz and executive producer Kaur Kender, featuring an art style based on oil pain ...

''.

Reception

''Sovereign Syndicate'' received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the

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website

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. ''RPGFan'' noted, "Sovereign Syndicate is a game of highs and lows. If there is to be more to the story, the gameplay portion would need some rethinking to make it work. But on the positive side, I loved the world and characters, and I'd be excited to see more of them." ''

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'' praised the writing but felt the ending was rushed. ''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...

'' said with its emphasis on roleplay rather than combat and borrowings from ''Disco Elysium'', ''Sovereign Syndicate'' feels like another step forward for the CRPG. ''RPGamer'' said that the game "makes for a lovely take on the

gaslamp fantasy Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history ...

genre, with the plot to back up the appearance." ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' complimented the worldbuilding and characters but criticized the writing, and called the game overall "a mixed bag".

References

External links

*{{official website, https://www.crimsonherring.com/ 2024 video games Indie games Minotaur in popular culture Role-playing video games Single-player video games Steampunk video games Video games developed in Canada Video games set in London Windows games Windows-only games