This review is going to drop in several parts, the first addressing the brilliance of Crypt of the Necrodancer, and then the next will also quickly cover its first expansion. After that we’ll start exploring the specifics of the new DLC update. Thus, if you’ve never played the game before read from here, but if you’re only here for the skinny on Synchrony, scroll down.
Right, good stuff. Let’s begin. And a one and a two, and a one, two, three, go:
Crypt of the Necrodancer by Brace Yourself Games
There’s nothing out there quite like Crypt, the toe-tapping roguelike by Brace Yourself Games. The studio describes its creation as a “hardcore roguelike rhythm game” and I think that sums it up pretty well. However, despite the musical theme that defines all aspects of the gameplay, it also somehow manages to be a fairly traditional turn-based roguelike, too.
Over time, updates, and a major expansion (Amplified) the game has morphed into a roguelike powerhouse, full of challenge and adventure. There’s even a Zelda-themed spin-off on Nintendo Switch and I highly recommend you check that out if you haven’t already.
The original Necrodancer was deceptively simple, but still managed to retain great nuance. It’s the kind of game that will keep you coming back for more and more – not just over weeks or months, but years. Each enemy moves only when you do, so the game itself plays as quickly as you do, however, if you want to maintain your score multiplier, you’re going to need to move with the beat.
CotN’s quality lies in the execution of this simple clash between tactical urgency and rhythmic necessity; you always feel the need to push on, to keep to the beat, even when it hurts. The energy caused by the clash between aggressive locomotion and nervous energy creates a one-of-a-kind video game that ranks among my favourites (despite the fact that I’m not very good at it).
Crypt of the NecroDancer: Amplified
The first major DLC expanded things considerably, with a new leading lady by the name of Nocturna, and a fifth zone to boogie through, plus additional playable characters, new game modes, and more music.
When thrown in with the base game, it resulted a complete experience that only improves the more you play it. While death is permanent in Crypt of the Necrodancer, there is a really engaging meta layer where you’ve got access to training rooms, alternative characters to play with (and some of them change things up considerably), and a roster of interesting items.
Before you find an item in a chest, they must first be purchased using the diamonds that you find while playing. This allows the player to discover things at a pace that works for them, and once you’ve become a musical master, you can even tinker further by having certain items removed from the rotation. Simply put: there’s tons to see and do.
Crypt of the NecroDancer: Synchrony
Now we get to the beating heart of this review: Synchrony. This DLC has just left Early Access on PC alongside its release on console platforms (PlayStation and Switch – I’ve asked about Xbox). It has been five years since the game’s previous expansion, and the new content has been developed with the community. Indeed, the main aspects of Synchrony started life as a mod and has been developed alongside Vortex Buffer.
The expansion includes online multiplayer for up for eight people, both in co-op and PvP. There are also three new characters, which I’ll detail imminently, as well as new weapons, items, and enemies – including pesky shock monkeys. Finally, we’re getting proper mod support, a mod portal, and weekly community-made challenges!
I think the change I like the most is a more nuanced one, and that’s the addition of mini-symbols that sit on your avatar’s shoulder and clearly show what you’re carrying at any given time. This visual simplification of the inventory helped remind me that I had useful tools at my disposal.
Suzu, Chaunter, and Klarinetta
As alluded to above, there are three characters in this DLC. They’re all interesting, even if I was only particularly enamoured with one: Suzu.
Chaunter has a rather unique ability that allows them to possess enemies and the use their abilities. I’m not sure you’d really want to do this with any early game bads, and that’s where I spend most of my time playing, so this one wasn’t much use to me. I can see how they would bring huge variety to a run, though.
Klarinetta was my first pick because who doesn’t love a MASSIVE sword. However, first impressions can be deceiving, and while the brilliantly named Klarinetta does indeed have a humongous zweihander to swing around the place, I found her unwieldy at best. It’s hard to get the blade where you want it when you want it, and I think you’ll need much better situational awareness than I possess, if one were to master this character.
Suzu beats them both, hands down, in my humble opinion. Kinix’s gameplay below shows an extended run with this lightning fast character who has an invincible dash attack that lets you ping around the level, smashing through enemies and making short work of them. Apparently Suzu’s weapon is called the Lance of Courage, which not only is an exceptional name, but it also allows you to kill any enemy in Suzu’s line of sight as she pings this way and that.
Crypt of the Multiplayer
Alas, there’s no gameplay intact from our multiplayer session, but if there were, you’d have seen me getting my butt kicked. What I can I say is: both PvP and co-op are a lot of fun.
The co-op mode allows you to pick from the roster of characters and attempt any unlocked stage. In the past, I’d not played Crypt of the Necrodancer on PC at all, so teaming up with an experienced friend helped me grab a ton of diamonds and unlock most of the items and upgrades in the campaign really quickly.
The player-vs-player side of things, on the other hand, is a simple way to inject some hilarity into any multiplayer session. It supports up to eight players online and the netcode felt solid, which is important when you’re all tapping away to the same beat, I’d say. There are several different modes to choose from, but ultimately the aim of the game is out boogie your opponents, land hits, and dodge incoming attacks wherever they come from.
Each new life gives you a chance to tool up differently and try one of a selection of weapons, so you can switch from a broadsword to a staff, depending on how you want to play. Throw in a few additional items to keep things spicy, and you’ve got just enough variety to keep things fresh, but not so much that it’s easy for someone to get overpowered.
That pretty much covers the main things you need to know. I’ve yet to sample any of the weekly community drops, but I think these are an added bonus to help keep us playing, rather than something to judge the game against – I’m glad they’re there, at least. The main question mark hanging over Synchrony was whether it’s worth picking up a belated expansion for a game that’s almost a decade old? I think you already know the answer but for the avoidance of doubt: hell yes it is!
Crypt of the Necrodancer: Synchrony is out now on Steam PC (Linux, Mac, Windows), PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
