I have a love-hate relationship with the extraction shooter genre. I love the idea behind them how you spice up your standard PvP action by having it PvPvE. But, I hate the fact that you can spend ages finding kit and tooling up for a fight, only to be mowed down in seconds. Enter SYNDUALITY :Echo of Ada – a new Extraction Shooter from Japanese developers Game Studio and Namco Bandai. A title that looks to have fused two of my guilty pleasures, mechs and anime, into one experience.

SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada is based in 2222, after a mysterious poisonous rain called ‘The Tears of the New Moon’ has wiped out most of humanity. And now, what is left of humankind is now left to be hunted by grotesque creatures spawned by that same rain.

So, those left standing are forced to build downwards, to create a subterranean world away from the threats of the surface.

Drifter Life

You fill the boots of a Drifter whose goal is simple, really. Collect rare resources known as AO Crystals from the surface while housed in an armoured mech. You are helped along by an artificial intelligence partner. And your AI buddy, Magus, will guide you in more ways than one.

In the main gameloop, you battle creatures known as Enders as well as other Drifters to achieve that aforementioned goal. You are also trying to survive the very real hazards that await on the surface. There’s a tangible sense of peril and risk when you head out.

Gameplay is interesting, although you are a human you never really control them, instead most of your time is at the controls of your mech, which are jokingly called cradle coffins and have a very anime style to them – being nimbler that other titles offerings, think more Lost Planet than Mech Warrior.

Mecha, Gear, Solid

Combat is solid but simple. Most throwdowns boil down to who can aim and circle strafe the best. That said, battling the array of Enders in SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada is fun. You also get to test out a decent-sized arsenal with SMGs, shotguns and a selection of heavier toys. Each feel and handle differently, and each has a real weight to them.

Your AI buddy will also grant you a few unique albitites, which you can select to best suit your play style. However, beyond a barrage buff, their cooldown was just a bit too long.

Extraction Type

Being an extraction shooter, the game does a very good job at easing you into things and not letting you run ahead of yourself. Or, at least, until you learn the ropes and costs of failure.

Synduality: Echo of Ada Bandai Namco anime origin

One of the common issues with extraction shooters is that, 9 times out of 10, if you die, you lose all your kit, gear and loadout. SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada does this, but there’s a lot of PvE to take care of first.

In this PvE stage, the game also teaches you how you can build your home base, get better gear and so on. It’s very in-depth and conclusive, maybe a little overly so.

But, once you’ve invested the time into preparing for the fight, the simple loop of head out, find X resources, kill some locals and pick a fight with someone a higher level than you is enjoyable.

Infusing New Blood

Visually, SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada, the game looks easy on the eye but its far from mind blowing. This is a bit of a shame as there are a few hints of visual flair in there. Enemies and menus, in particular, look the part. But the environments can be flat and forgettable outside ruined settlements and abandoned bases.

SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada taps into new areas in the extraction shooter genre and brings something new to the table that in the heat of the moment is brilliant. As you grab resources while blast attacking enemies and getting ready to face down a few other players.

But the exploration, resource farming and risk management all becomes a grind too soon, due to an unexciting gameplay loop that plays its cards way too soon. Yes, there is fun to be had here but your mileage will vastly differ and that may have a greater impact to the game in the long run.