First thing to note is that you get two copies of the game, one for you and one for a friend.

FS Prime is a really enjoyable and unique turn based strategy game where players can simulate their plans over and over again until they are totally happy with them.

Online multiplayer is turned based so players can plan their attacks without their opponent being online, once you're ready you submit your turn and both players actions happen simultaneously.

Plenty of online customisation options so matches are always different.

Lengthy campaign with varied mission goals and a detailed story if you're prepared to look into the lore.

Developer is actively listening to the community and appears to be supporting the game for the forseeable future.

9/10 "Would Prime Again"

Very nice and clean graphics, smooth gameplay and not a single issue. Performs well on low spec systems. Challenging and well thought out long lasting singleplayer campaign. Currently I am 16 hours in and I believe I am close to the finale now. After that, the really challenge starts as I will get into skirmish and multiplayer to really get my bacon handed back to me! Looking forward to it.

Well recommended game for people who like turn based games and attention to details. In my book, this developer is in good standing! Keep up the good work! No nonsense, game works from the beginning and all is well. A lot of developers need to learn from these guys.

A slightly different interpretation of the brilliant Frozen Synapse.
I took me a little while to adjust, but I think this game feels a little more streamlined.
Your plan doesn't need to be quite as precise. The story seems a bit more to the point too, I think.
Love the new graphics, escpecially the kill cam.
Love the new tactical options.
More frozen synapse is always good.

The game is great so far, I love it already because it plays pretty much like the original but I could really do without the xbox control reminders in my UI when i'm using KB+M

edit: nvm, you can turn that off in the options menu, all's good then

At this moment it is a bad port. (30 minutes of trouble)

It basically is the previous game with a graphics update, except that:

Cons
- It has crashed multiple times while doing basic actions (like moving a unit)
- I still haven't found the option to play with a friend.
- The control scheme is considerably bad compared to the old game, everything seems to be made for a controller, which is nice, except that I don't use one for Frozen Synapse
- Coop is nonexistent (this was DLC in the first game)
- The menus are a bit confusing (same with the original game)

Pros
- Fancy graphics
- Fancy kill cams

Overall it is barely an upgrade, if you want to play Frozen Synapse I advise playing the original, the controls are more smooth and it is crashes a lot less.

I may be a bit biased, but I'm a big fan of Frozen Synapse and am biased toward liking Prime as well.

With that said, given the 50 percent off coupon, and two copies of the game, it is more than worth the price for anyone who is a fan of the original.

The primary improvements, in my opinion are this:

• Units have "weight;" a feel that they are actually impacted by gravity. In other words, when you turn, it isn't some 180 degree in a millisecond trick. You have to actually turn. This requires more planning and thought for checks, rounding corners, etc.
  
  
• In the original synapse (with the Red DLC, actually) were mutators. FS Prime has smartly integrated the Focus Aim and Double Kill ones. WIth Focus Aim (called Sweeping Aim in Prime, if I recollect correctly), every unit can choose whether to aim in the classic sense (facing in a direction and continuing to do so until orders change), or in the Focus fashion, which locks the aim to a single point rather than a direction, thus allowing units to move and remain aimed at the dictated point. This is a far better way of handling this feature than making it all or nothing as it was in the original. As for Double Kill, it is now the standard. All things being equal, two units squaring off will both die if there is no particular advantage.
  
  
• Balancing the power of weapons: In FS, shotguns were unbeatable if coming around a corner against an MG. Not so much now. Now any unit will defeat any other unit, or both will perish, in more realistic fashion. If I'm an MG unit and I'm sitting in a room pointing at the door, and a shotgun rounds the corner, I am going to get the jump on him with my trigger, one would think. Now that is the case. I don't have to square off, look down my scope, etc. at that short range, so it only makes sense that I'd fire quickly from the hip and head home for glory. This does not mean that shotties aren't more deadly at close range, faster moving, etc.; they are. Now range just isn't the only factor.
  
  
• Match creation has become much more straight forward. There are preset squad setups, as well as the expected random and player defined ones. Maps are easy to resize, and the amount of cover, windows, doors, and state of the walls on a map are all easily definable. Changes to these elements are reflected in a quick loading preview.
  
  
• No more Global Elo! This is, unfortunately, both good and bad. The Elo system is brutal on high ranked players, and morever, nobody on the planet Earth fully understands how it calculates. However, while Prime keeps things much simpler, the one downside is that it is based purely on points from all matches played. So, the unemployed guy who plays all day, if good enough to win more than lose, will likely be king of the hill into eternity.

There are a number of very nice details and changes, and this review is long enough already I suspect. There are some bugs as well, but from my very brief experience so far, Double Eleven is listening to the community and attempting to address all feedback, concerns, and issues. Unlike Mode7, they seem to actually act on their words. I hope it stays that way and the various bugs get fixed in a timely fashion.

The final buy or don't buy is really very simple:
If you love Synapse and want the same game in a slightly updated and interesting fashion, this is a must, especially at the $10 for two copies price right now (until Nov. 21, 2014).

If you are not a real fan of the original game, and the reason is not because of the top-down only, dullish, graphics, then you won't want to spend your money on this either.

I personally enjoy it, and even though point rankings aren't that important, given the hope for upcoming patches, I'd have to offer up a 7.5 out of 10, maybe even an 8.

I'm going split this review into two parts: First I will talk about the game, then I will compare it to its.. um predeccesor I guess? I have played the first one and so far from what I have seen the core gameplay and campaign havent varied from it, so I will just take my experience from there over here in matters of which I am sure have not changed.

The game is brutal stragety. No RNG. If you lose its not the computers or the games fault, just yours. Matches against the computer ar fair, the AI doesnt "cheat" and matches in multiplayer are always an interesting experience. The tutorial gives you the basics, but some things you have to figure out on your own. Playing against pros usually teaches you some new tricks, even if you have been in the game for a while. So how does this game work? You have a bunch of different units, all with unique skills (Sniper good at long range, shotgun good at short range, rocket guy goes BOOM! and so on). You give orders to these units, for example move there while aiming there. You can also give orders to the enemy units. Then you simulate what WOULD happen if the enemy moves exactly the way you expect it to. You can simulate and give orders to infinity until you are happy. Then you click on the button to actually activate your actions and once the enemy has done this as well (auto against AI) you see the actual results. The closer it is to what you expected and planned for, the more damage you usually do. You win if you kill all enemies or capture certain things, depending on which mode you are playing. All the modes also have a "Light" and "Dark" version. In Light you see the enemy units. In Dark you see them at the beginning and then after that you can only guess where they are (which can get your heart pumpin if its coming down to an all or nothing one on one hunt). The music is nice, I personally can't agree with the "OMG SO AWESOME!" that the others rate it though, it fits the futuristic style of the game though. The looks are also futuristic, but...I dont know why, but I kind of dislike the way the game looks. Its very subtle and experience will of course vary with others. There is a pretty lenghty campaign with a story that has rather confused me more than anything else so far, but I guess if I read every single text I probably would understand more of it, since the game gives a LOT of background information about its world. The campaign also contains some gameplay features that arent in the multiplayer, for whatever reason. Since the multiplayer matches are turn-based it sometimes takes weeks to finish a match because the opponent goes offline. Once you are in the game and while you are in the game you will be told if in one of the games you are playing a new turn has occured. The controls with the keyboard are a bit clumsy and I would reccomend using the mouse and maybe one or two keyboard buttons for functions that you use often. All in all, if you like a game that is really nothing more than simple strategy I can totally reccomend this.

Now to the comparison:
The game looks a lot different. While I dont like the new looks I like them more than the old ones. Sometimes the old looks were just TOO simplistic for my taste and left room for interpretation. With the new looks I know exactly whats going and to going to go on. There is also a killcam now, which is fun to watch so far, expecially since in the old game I sometimes had "how the hell did that kill me?" moments. the controls are...worse? better? I cant tell. I think they could have been done better in both games. I have to say that it is a lot easyer to give orders while waiting though. The best addition really is the new order. You can tell your unit to always look at a certain spot even when moving. So now you dont have to change the field of view every few steps, which in my opinion was a much needed update. One thing, that I am wondering though: where did the riotshielders go? I never figured out how to use them in the old game anyway, but they could have at least used them here as well, without DLC. I havent quite figured out the new arena mode yet, so far it just seems like a normal match on a pretty large map to me. One thing I am uncapable of finding is the chat in multiplayer. If they removed: MY GOD WHY? If they didnt: where is it? A change of look that I am liking is the.. I'm just going to call it interface, of the campaign. Where you view background information and talk to people. I just..looks better in my opinion. Now to the main question: "Should I buy it if I already own the original?" Cant answer that one, I know I am glad I did it, but that is, hoping, that there will a couple of updates on this game.

♥♥♥♥♥ier UI, clunky controls, very minor gameplay tweaks that do not merit the pricetag.

Just stick with the original.

==Just going to say I haven't tried playing this game since the patches, so it might be fixed. This is purely based on how the game was at release==

There's a few new features that are nice, but the UI feels horribly clunky compared to Frozen Synapse.
If you've played Frozen Synapse before, stick with it. I went back to it after playing however many minutes/hours on Prime and had a much better time. But if you're new, this might be passible so give it a go if you have some spare money lying around.

Also mildly disapointed the soundtrack is exactly the same, so don't get the soundtrack edition if you already have it from Frozen Synapse.

Pros over the original
+Ability to aim at a spot regardless of movement
+Added clarity for where your vat forms can actually see
+Improved visuals

Cons over the original
-Clunky UI
-Improved visuals
-Clunky UI

I have very mixed feelings. It's a fine game, turn-based, tactical, futuristic and stuff. But it's nothing new for the gameplay. I recommend this game if you haven't played the original or prefer newer graphics or have a device with touchscreen.
It's 7.5/10 as standalone,
It's 6/10 as "HD"-ish remake.
P.S. Oh, I forgot. After 4,5 hours of playing there are two things that I really like in this remake: optimized outcome calculation (MUCH faster) and grenade's bouncing physics.

Good old Frozen Synapse in new futuristic design. This time with all-new visual effects, strategies, content and different improvements. However it remains as one of the best tactic game, especially while playing online, where you can discover tons of unique strategies and become the great tactician. If you haven't played it yet - do it.

Let me just put this out there, I love Frozen Synapse!
(TL;DR: Got the the 50% discount coupon and you want more Frozen Synapse? Give it a try. Is this your first time with Frozen Synapse? Buy the orignal Frozen Synapse instead.)

This is what I expected from the remake:
New features, improved exisiting features and improved graphics. Nothing fancy, just Frozen Synapse 2.0!

However, "Frozen Synapse PRIME" is like a bad console port. The UI is full of unecessary "graphical elements" taking up the screen, symbols with no tooltips, horrible mouse click detection on buttons, units and waypoints.

They've added features like the ability to add a waypoint between two existing waypoint which is a nice update from the original. There is also a visual representation for standing, crouching and dashing etc. But trying to select two waypoints or units next to each other is a nightmare. Adjusting waypoints can be frustrating beyond belief, in a game that is ALL ABOUT WAYPOINTS!

The UI is not very intuitive either, there are tutorials that teach you all about the UI, but they are so linear/strict and slow that I was bored out of my mind after just the basic one, and I am usually a very patient person. All of this could have been avoided if the UI had mouse-hover-tooltips for each symbol representing the different commands. The UI really feels like it was designed with consoles and tablets in mind, and doesn't work very well on the PC.

All in all, it's still a good game, but unless you got the 50% discount coupon (including 1 extra copy of Prime) from owning the original Frozen Synapse, don't bother, get the original game instead.

If you liked the first Frozen Synapse, you're gonna like this one. Graphics definitely took a realistic turn (comparitively), the AI seems smarter, the story is still pretty much a non-focus. It's like the first one, but better.

The interface is a huge change from the previous, you'll need a bit of help rifling through it. Luckily, they put in tutorials to do just that. Once you get the hang of it, the tactical ♥♥♥♥♥torm you can create rivals, if not outdoes, the previous installment. Satisfaction in accomplishing a mission (story or otherwise) has only increased. Losing soldiers feels a lot worse (and thus killing feels a lot cooler) than in the first one, with the kill cams amplifying your mistakes (or victories). Also, there's a few new gamemodes that give an interesting twist to how one might attain victory. Creation of instant and random skirmishes keeps things fresh and the strategic mind sharp (provided you're not playing on rookie).

All in all, an amazing revitalization of an already amazing game.

Frozen Synapse in a new beautiful coating.

Pros:
- New 3D graphics
- Kill cam
- The frozen Synapse gameplay you love
- The Devs are listening and patching the issues the community has with it
- Cheap. Price gets you two copies. 50% coupon sent to owners of FS makes the game out to around 5 USD per copy (get it before the coupon expires)

Cons:
- many would complain about UI, but as of community patch 2 I think this moving towards a pro
- MP functionality not as flushed out as the original
- Does not include features of FS Red



Overall I recommend, the devs are really showing good communication and support on issues, they have answered my own private tickets quickly and I've witnessed their quick action in the forums - even to the extent of them buying peripherals which users report not working with the game.

While many say FS is better fleshed out, I say "duh". FS has had its fair share of patches and updates over the years. It's unfortunate that Prime didn't start off "perfect" but the 2 patches to land since launch have addressed many of the major issues people have reported and their "to do" list is populated with changes and fixes to be made based on user feedback.

Anyways, I'll see you on MP.

"A Reimagined Frozen Synapse Experience"

Not sure what was wrong with the original Frozen synapse but this is the first game remade with updated visuals and models , while it does look better than the first game. The Reimaging brought in a ton of bugs and issues , It also lacks the expansion dlc the first game had.

The mechanics are pretty similar to the first game , The devs are fixing the bugs and issues but was hoping for more sweeping changes.

Its not a terrible game but i would recommend getting if you have played the first game and liked it.

Good
- Better visuals give a feeling that you are fighting in a realstic location
- Retains most mechanism of the first game and adds some
- Kill cam

Bad
- Imperfect ui its not as smooth and fast to do stuff as before
- Bugs
- no new content
expect to find bugs like this
http://steamcommunity.com//sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=344644396

Okay it's a Vita port, but I think this game: is okay.

Pros:
- feeling is good, I like the new intros
- in some aspect games is faster than old
- graphics (and engine?) better than original seems same style as Frozen Cortex
- music still perfect
- the 50% coupon - if you have old version - reasonable price

Cons:
- yep the control is fixed but is well playable, except some mouse ui manouver is could be better
- tutorial is very boring

http://youtu.be/6bg_ESwYCiU

The original Frozen Synapse was intriguing to me. I got it on a cheap trade, and liked it... but never played it much. It was just missing... something. This game seems to have gotten it right! (Mostly)

I love the graphics, they are soooo much better than the original. (I'm sure purists will disagree with me, and that's fine.) My previous problem with the game not allowing me to choose which controller scheme to use has been fixed. The only problem I have now is that if my controller is plugged ion, and not on when I start the game, then it thinks I am constantly hitting the up joystick. This isn't the only game I've noticed this issue in though.

Other than this issue (which will hopefully be fixed soon) the game is fantastic. I don't share the same criticism as others (such as the FPS being limited to 60) I don't see why more than 60 FPS is really all that necessary.

I plan on playing this game much more in the future, it seems like a great strategy game. I think it might be my favorite turn based strategy game since Final Fantasy Tactics.


http://youtu.be/nqLz6ivuuOA
http://youtu.be/sombU-gas2k
http://youtu.be/3OQwMM-GdxA

Worse controls than the original. Why can't I place a waypoint when I'm in order mode? The replay controls are really strange. You will find yourself pressing x and spacebar and double clicking in futility sometimes. Crashes frequently for no reason. If you can look past that, it's still the same old Frozen Synapse we love.

A reimagined legendary Frozen Synapse in full 3D.
For a PC port from Vita it's quite well done and the OST by "nervous_testpilot" brings back old memories.
Gotta love it!

I give 5/5

This is a great game! Though there are still a few bugs and such but it's a brilliant game

Pros:
More tactics (pun intended)
Kill-cams
Blood
More themes
More soundtrack
Improved graphics

Cons:
Still bugs left unquashed
Controls are a little bit confusing
Option to play with friends isn't there (yet, hopefully)
Missing FS Red dlc content (which would be awesome)

Overall, I think this game is good for anyone who wishes to rattle their minds over this game