Review: Symphoni
When I first noticed Symphoni, I couldn’t help but compare it to Maestro, which came out late last year. I’ve been exploring techToy Studios’ method of conducting in both virtual and mixed reality. However, the question remains: does it offer enough uniqueness compared to Maestro?
Release Date: March 6th 2025
Developer: techToy Studio
Publisher: techToy Studio
Price: £9.99
Reviewed On: Meta Quest 3
* Access Provided For Review *
Conducting Meets Magic
In Symphoni, you’ll find a variety of notes to hit, all based around a circle in front of you. You’ll be using a wand in your dominant hand, while your other hand will emit an arc of energy. Each hand is color-coded: your right hand glows orange, and your left hand shines blue. This color coding makes it easy to know which hand to use for striking the incoming notes, which appear as arcs starting from outside the circle. Your objective is to hit them as they reach the circle’s edge, and they can come as single or double notes. The double notes will either appear on the side that matches the color of your hands or occasionally cross over.
A few additional notes are included, creating a combined arc that challenges you to hit them with both colors simultaneously. Once you do, you’ll encounter different circle notes that you need to hold and trace by pointing at them with the matching color. These mixed notes stand out from the regular ones, adding a nice touch of variety to the experience.
You have the option to play the game using hand-tracking or controllers. While hand-tracking offers a more immersive conducting experience, I personally find the controllers to be much more precise, making them my preferred choice for playing Symphoni.
The team has added a sense of progression to the game by categorizing tracks into distinct moods, like dark and enchanting melodies, which you can unlock as you advance through the levels. Additionally, as you achieve milestones, you’ll unlock new wands to use. This provides extra goals beyond just climbing the leaderboards and gives players a reason to come back for more.
The Feeling Of Synesthesia
The game is available in both VR and MR, so it really comes down to your personal preference for which mode to choose. Each mode excels at creating the feeling of synesthesia the team aimed for. I initially started with mixed reality, but once I switched to virtual reality, I found it to be much more visually engaging.
The game features a total of sixteen tracks, all inspired by classical music. If you lean more towards contemporary songs in rhythm games, this might not be the ideal choice for you. However, the developers have included some iconic pieces, such as Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, so even if classical music isn’t your favorite, you’ll probably recognise a few of the tunes. Each track comes with three difficulty levels, giving you the option to either take it easy or challenge yourself according to your gaming style. One aspect I wish was improved is the audio feedback when you miss notes; currently, the sound takes on an underwater effect as you approach failure.
The tracks feature a variety of styles, each creating its own enchanting visual world that complements the mood of the songs. While they perform well in every setting, I personally believe that virtual reality enhances the experience more effectively. This is because it offers a richer visual experience, whereas mixed reality often dims some effects to highlight your surroundings. One aspect I truly appreciate about the visuals is how beautifully they respond as you follow the notes you play; the transitions are executed wonderfully, resulting in a seamless and smooth appearance in both environments.
Comfort
The Verdict
Symphoni offers a unique twist on the rhythm game genre by blending the experience of conducting with the art of casting spells across sixteen classical pieces. Its minimalist visual design is effective in both virtual and mixed reality settings. Personally, I find the virtual reality mode to be the most visually captivating, truly capturing the sense of synesthesia that studio founder Imgram Mao aimed to achieve. Currently, the game features only classical music tracks, but there’s a track editor available, and the team is encouraging players to create their own custom tracks. They also plan to introduce more free tracks through updates in the future. As with any rhythm game, its success may heavily rely on the creativity of the modding community.