The developers of Songs of Silence managed to quickly and efficiently attract the Ukrainian gaming community to their side. The presence of Ukrainian localization, direct and loyal communication with players, understanding of Ukrainian cultural and sociological contexts - and now Ukraine is becoming the first in the world in terms of the number of copies sold. So the situation around Songs of Silence can be considered indicative, and if other developers follow a similar policy, Ukrainian players will definitely have a better time.
However, evaluating the game itself is something radically different from evaluating the actions of its developers. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to Chimera Entertainment and everyone involved in the creation and distribution of Songs of Silence to the masses, but in this review we will try to look at it with an unbiased eye. After all, even with this approach, we got a good game, which, nevertheless, constantly makes us want more, and sometimes - something completely different than it is able to offer.
| Game | Songs of Silence |
| Genre | turn-based strategy, car battles |
| Platforms | Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Languages | English, Ukrainian |
| Developer | Chimera Entertainment |
| Publisher | Chimera Entertainment, H2 Interactive |
| Link | songs-of-silence.com |
Songs of Silence intrigues at first sight thanks to its distinctive visual style. Thanks to it, every art and screenshot of the game looks not like another stereotypical indie from Steam, but really original. However, promotional materials can play a cruel joke on players, because if you rely solely on them and don't read anything about the game, you can potentially find yourself in an awkward situation. Because Songs of Silence may seem very similar to the popular Heroes of Might and Magic series, but it is actually quite far from it.
[caption id="attachment_262357" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
The artistic part of Songs of Silence deserves only positive feedback[/caption]
Chimera Entertainment didn't even try to trick players into thinking the game was something it was never intended to be. Honesty has become one of the key pillars in the developers' communication with the community. But the parallels with Heroes of Might and Magic came naturally.
Perhaps it's all about the desire of players around the world to get new, real Heroes. Perhaps the proximity of Songs of Silence (even by name and release date) to another turn-based strategy, Songs of Conquest, which was already inspired by Heroes of Might and Magic III, played a role.
Anyway, it is important to realize one thing right away. Songs of Silence does not have a combat system with full control of each unit. After all, one of the main genres of the game is an auto-battle game, meaning that your army fights the enemy army mostly without your participation. This is neither a plus nor a minus, but a simple fact that must be accepted: this genre is quite popular. However, at this point, some potential players will definitely lose interest in the game.
Such emphasis is easier to understand if you look at the portfolio of Chimera Entertainment. This German studio is known mainly for mobile games, which are often offshoots of "big" game series. Angry Birds Epic, XCOM Legends, Sacred Legends are all the work of Chimera Entertainment. Therefore, Songs of Silence is also an attempt by the studio to reach a new level. However, you can see that the developers did not try to take on a burden that they could not carry. That is why Songs of Silence is a relatively compact, simple game that is not at all difficult to imagine on mobile platforms.
[caption id="attachment_262359" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
The Ukrainian translation in the game is not bad, but there are still some mistakes and misprints[/caption]
However, this does not mean that the developers skimped on the quality of the game. For example, in Songs of Silence, the authors have thought out the fictional setting well. It would seem that this is a classic fantasy world that is gradually being destroyed by evil forces and intrigues of individual kingdoms. However, everything is presented so skillfully that there are no unnecessary questions.
Songs of Silence is one of the few turn-based strategy games in which the plot and setting are central, so you'll enjoy the single-player campaign. From the very first video, you will be able to feel the fictional universe, everything in Songs of Silence is so great.
This is despite the fact that the campaign is noticeably scripted, suffers from balance problems, and sometimes seems to lead the player too much by the hand, not allowing them to show tactical and strategic abilities. However, the dialogues of the characters, especially their voice acting, the script and the already mentioned visual style draw all the attention. The story of finding one's place in a world that is gradually falling apart is really successful.
However, most of the time you will be engaged in battles rather than absorbing the plot. Still, in turn-based strategies, they always come first, even if the combat system does almost everything for you. Battles are the main element of Songs of Silence, which shows both the clear focus of the developers on their goals and some ambiguity and problems of execution.
[caption id="attachment_262361" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
Sometimes the game looks impressive even at close range[/caption]
Songs of Silence is not just a car battler, but also a card game. In addition, the term "deckbuilder" can be used to describe it, i.e., "collecting a deck." However, Songs of Silence cannot be called a full-fledged deckbuilder, as there is no direct interaction with the deck, shuffling of cards, or element of chance in the game.
Cards represent your abilities, units, and opportunities to improve your settlements. As you level up your characters - and there are several characters in the game, with significantly different gameplay and abilities - you will unlock new cards or upgrade old ones.
It is through cards that you mainly interact with the game world. They are especially important in battles, because even escaping from the battlefield is a separate card. Cards can also be used to raise various characteristics of units, give them special bonuses, direct an attack to a specific point, call for additional support on the battlefield - in general, there is a lot you can do with them. And you will interact with them constantly.
Don't let units fight automatically, you need to choose their position on the battlefield in advance. Some units should be left in settlements to defend them during attacks. And it is better to keep some units in reserve to replenish your own army in case of losses. Unit positioning is one of the most important parameters of the game. Place your archers too close to the enemy and they will be instantly destroyed. And if you disperse your main forces across the battlefield, they will not be able to fight effectively and quickly.
[caption id="attachment_262363" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
Most often you will see something like this. Fussy but fun[/caption]
In fact, these are all the features of Songs of Silence's gameplay. You explore the levels-which, frankly, don't have many points of interest-conquer settlements, form an army, and fight enemy units, not forgetting to upgrade your own cities and cards as you level up. A simple resource system is also in place, but it doesn't really grab attention like, for example, Heroes of Might and Magic or Sid Meier's Civilization.
On the one hand, the gameplay may seem too simple, even trivial. All you have to do is constantly use almost all the cards in your hand and place your units correctly. There is not much tactical and strategic depth in the game, which is why you can master it relatively quickly, but it can also get boring just as quickly.
Songs of Silence, on the other hand, is a surprisingly tactile, almost physically tangible game in which every action has a meaning. You can joke about the experience of the developers in the Angry Birds franchise, whose popularity is also based on the tactile, almost subconscious sensations of the game's physics. In Songs of Silence, it is a pleasure to observe every action of your army, and successful attacks cause trepidation.
[caption id="attachment_262365" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
A tactical pause helps you not to get lost during eventful battles[/caption]
Your enjoyment of the game depends on how much you can accept the objective factors and mechanics of the game without trying them on your own preferences and expectations. After all, Chimera Entertainment's mix of genres turned out to be unique and seriously successful. Even if the non-standard combination of familiar mechanics is not to everyone's taste.
But what the game has serious problems with from any point of view is the balance. Some unit buffs are almost useless. Other cards can be so useful that you can complete the game solely thanks to them. This is especially true of cards that allow you to summon additional units without using resources or quickly move a unit to a specific point on the battlefield. It gets to the point where you will spam some cards right after their recharge rollback, while others will never find a worthy use.
The balance problems are exacerbated in the single-player campaign. There are too few resources and too strong enemy armies, and sometimes you need to go through several chapters to get really useful cards. The choice of difficulty level doesn't help much. Even the easiest one, which is marked as story-focused, still makes you look at the defeat screen from time to time and appreciate every unit.
[caption id="attachment_262367" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]
The units of different factions are noticeably different, you won't be able to confuse them, which is also important for the pace of the game's battles[/caption]
Some game design decisions also raise questions. For example, sometimes you have to wait too long for your units to regain health in a city - or the number of individual soldiers in a unit, depending on how you look at it. The stealth system also works too efficiently at times, which can cause enemy armies to appear right in front of you, and sometimes it doesn't help at all. The value of certain types of units varies unevenly, which is why starting archers can be one of the best choices at all times.
Part of the problem is the lack of freedom in the story campaign. It's as if the developers are afraid that you'll do something wrong or take a wrong turn. And it's strange, because literally in the neighboring free battle mode, the vast majority of such problems disappear, leaving you with sincere satisfaction.
There are no restrictions - only complete freedom in trying to defeat the five other players. It's in the free-flowing battles with their random map generation that Songs of Silence flourishes. Somewhat mundane "card battles" turn into an intense competition when you realize that a real person is fighting against you. In this situation, even a half-second delay can lead to defeat.
The free battles demonstrate that the key principles on which Songs of Silence is built work well. In addition, they allow you to unlock additional classes in the game's three main factions, as well as learn new pieces of the lore. Combining free-to-play battles with the narrative development of the setting is a difficult task, but Chimera Entertainment has managed it.
The game's composer, by the way, is Hitoshi Sakimoto, who worked on the music for Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, and Valkyria Chronicles
In many ways, it's still evident that Songs of Silence is a trial run for developers in a somewhat new league. That's why the game lacks insight and sophistication in the gameplay, so it's hard to imagine that someone will "live" in it for several tens or hundreds of hours. However, even if you stay in it for only a few hours, it will still leave a pleasant impression.
Good turn-based strategies are not that common in the world of video games, and bold experiments in this genre are even rarer. Therefore, Songs of Silence is also a kind of promise from Chimera Entertainment that the next game will definitely impress everyone. And thanks to the quality of the game, you can trust the developers without any doubts.