Review: Tactical RPG Symphony of War Shines Through Its Systems
Increased enthusiasm for tactical role-playing games in recent years is leading to a wealth of fun indie experiences in the genre. Dancing Dragon Games, a small JRPG developer, partnered with Dark Deity publisher Freedom Games for its own entry, Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga. It isn't just an homage, though, offering overlaid tactical systems that make it feel mechanically distinct. The scrappy release isn't much of a looker (though there's some nice sprite work!), but the gameplay is what matters, and there's a lot of thought to it.
The tactical mechanics of Symphony of War are inspired by a lot of classic games, primarily Ogre Battle and Fire Emblem. Instead of individual fighters on the grid-based map, you form squads of up to nine warriors operating as one. These squads essentially auto-battle based on how they're arranged, so putting together teams that work well is key. There are ranged units, magic units, firearms and more, each with gameplay implications. Squads also have movement based on their aggregate capabilities, like the increased range of cavalry or the minimized terrain penalties of light infantry.
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Appreciating Symphony of War takes some adjustment to its production values, but our 50 hours with the game were largely a joy. It's built for those who delight in fiddling with systems and tweaking squad builds, and its combination of ideas offers a distinct tactical experience.
Score: 7/10
