Symphonia Review for Nintendo Switch

It’s rare that I find myself clicking with an indie platformer like Sunny Peak’s Symphonia. I usually like my games with a bit of combat, and I feel as though many precision platformers can fall into the trap of being so difficult that it stops being fulfilling and ends up being frustrating. Symphonia, thankfully, knows how to walk the fine tightrope between challenge and unfairness, and it does so with a unique world and aesthetic.

As I’m sure you can guess by the title, Symphonia’s world, aesthetic, and gameplay all centers around the theme of music, specifically orchestra. You play as a mysterious, bird-like violinist that is reborn into the world of Symphonia: a mechanical city powered by music that has fallen into decay after its founders, a four-man band, disappeared. The game sees the player embark on a journey to find his missing bandmates and bring music back to the city.

I’m not going to act like it’s a grand, life-changing narrative. It’s mostly an excuse to go through levels and explore the world, and I don’t mind one bit because I think the world of Symphonia is fantastic. Initially, I thought that the levels you traverse could have gone harder with the theme of “orchestra,” but each of the areas you traverse are themed after its accompanying band member’s instrument in incredibly clever ways. The individual level gimmicks are themed after each instrument, such as the flute player’s area having updrafts you have to navigate around obstacles or the cello player’s area having lines of string you can bounce on. It’s all incredibly charming.

Still, the gameplay is the main draw of any good precision platformer. Symphonia’s gameplay is incredibly satisfying to use. The main mechanic is your violin bow. Initially, you can use it to poke the ground and gain height and momentum if already in motion, and you can use it to stick to cushions and launch yourself over spikes and bottomless pits. While simple, you can chain your bow abilities to perform some incredibly satisfying platforming tricks. You will also unlock more movement abilities the more you progress such as a grappling hook or air dash for even greater mobility. Symphonia’s gameplay never feels stale. There’s a steady progression of new abilities and level gimmicks that keep things fresh, and the game is long enough that you’ll have a blast without it overstaying its welcome.

Symphonia’s levels are designed well enough to pose a proper challenge without feeling overwhelming. Precision platformers are known for their punishing, almost impossible difficulty, and, while Symphonia is incredibly difficult, it never feels unfair. Each obstacle feels difficult but fair, and respawning is instantaneous even on the switch. Meaning, you can try a trap as many times as you like, and the impact of each failure is lessened because you aren’t losing any progress.

All in all, Symphonia is a fantastic precision platformer. The levels are incredibly well-designed, and the gameplay is sure to satisfy long-time platforming fanatics. It easily and elegantly earns a 9/10 rating.

Symphonia is available for Nintendo Switch on the eShop, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Related: Reviews by Josh Freeman