Symphony of War is a game as ambitious as its characters are. Like the heroes of this tale of war, the game accomplishes most of its goals despite its rough edges.
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga is a tactical RPG focused around the horrors of warfare. It lets you tweak and upgrade your squads, like in Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre. What is exciting about Symphony of War, however, is that the game's squads are comprised of units. Each of these units can be upgraded individually, and can even lead squads of their own if you decide to do so. This gives the game incredible depth and choice in between its battle chapters.
During battle, choice doesn't end: You will be using lots of units, each of which can use battle stances that affect how the squad behaves on the field. The game's maps, while not revolutionary, are servicable - they are littered with side objectives that aid your effort in later chapters, and provide interesting gameplay objectives that connect with the narrative at play. The game of Symphony of War is incredibly fun and interesting. It lets you tweak, fiddle and tinker your army to your hearts content on your way to the final battle.
As for the story, Symphony of War starts off as a generic fantasy fare that carries the game well. Betrayals, iconic character types and some interesting lore provide plenty to carry you through the various chapters of the early game. As the game's story builds its tension, however, I started to get a little uncomfortable with its characters and narrative. While the game seems to be a commentary on war and authoritarian power, it also seems rather enamoured with power and the singular people that wield it to change history. The powerful seem to always be right in their actions in the end, and while killing is denounced, the characters often rejoice in the act. The game's romances are also rather stilted and can come off rather exploitative in some cases, probably owing to the lack of time given to their development: sometimes characters will be given a prompt to bond with no prior interactions. The game's later narrative left me a bit disconnected, as I questioned whether I should relate to the characters or condemn their actions.
That didn't stop me from completing Symphony of War though - As in war, the line of morality often becomes blurred. Here, the line between fun and serious messaging got rather fuzzy. Luckily, the stakes aren't as high when you're playing a game on your Steam Deck.
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga is a tactical RPG focused around the horrors of warfare. It lets you tweak and upgrade your squads, like in Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre. What is exciting about Symphony of War, however, is that the game's squads are comprised of units. Each of these units can be upgraded individually, and can even lead squads of their own if you decide to do so. This gives the game incredible depth and choice in between its battle chapters.
During battle, choice doesn't end: You will be using lots of units, each of which can use battle stances that affect how the squad behaves on the field. The game's maps, while not revolutionary, are servicable - they are littered with side objectives that aid your effort in later chapters, and provide interesting gameplay objectives that connect with the narrative at play. The game of Symphony of War is incredibly fun and interesting. It lets you tweak, fiddle and tinker your army to your hearts content on your way to the final battle.
As for the story, Symphony of War starts off as a generic fantasy fare that carries the game well. Betrayals, iconic character types and some interesting lore provide plenty to carry you through the various chapters of the early game. As the game's story builds its tension, however, I started to get a little uncomfortable with its characters and narrative. While the game seems to be a commentary on war and authoritarian power, it also seems rather enamoured with power and the singular people that wield it to change history. The powerful seem to always be right in their actions in the end, and while killing is denounced, the characters often rejoice in the act. The game's romances are also rather stilted and can come off rather exploitative in some cases, probably owing to the lack of time given to their development: sometimes characters will be given a prompt to bond with no prior interactions. The game's later narrative left me a bit disconnected, as I questioned whether I should relate to the characters or condemn their actions.
That didn't stop me from completing Symphony of War though - As in war, the line of morality often becomes blurred. Here, the line between fun and serious messaging got rather fuzzy. Luckily, the stakes aren't as high when you're playing a game on your Steam Deck.