The present: Leela is doomed, trapped inside a prison cell of a dead race.

The past: After a disaster aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor and Leela arrive at the capital city of Synchronis, a world renowned for peace and civility. But an attack by a vicious creature leaves the Doctor in a coma, and Leela is persuaded to fight in the forthcoming Empathy Games, where she discovers that nothing on this world is as it seems.

Empathy Games by Nigel Fairs picks up after the events of The Catalyst (review here) which saw Leela, long after the conclusion of her travels with the Doctor, imprisoned by the warrior-like Z’nai. Now the Z’nai are long dead and, as her life draws to a close, all Leela has are the memories of her past adventures…

Unlike The Catalyst, very little time is given to the framing device of this story, instead focusing on Leela’s narration of her time in Synchronis. The nestled narrative is, admittedly, very interesting, though the middle part is notably weaker than the beginning and the end, but it’s a shame there’s not more connection between Leela’s present-day predicament and the story she’s telling.

Louise Jameson puts in, as always, a brilliant performance, once again giving us a slightly darker take on the Fourth Doctor in her narration, while expertly differentiating between the older and younger versions of Leela which feature in the script. She’s joined by the inimitable David Warner, who gets a slightly thinly-written role as the misguided Coordinator Angell, but elevates it with an impeccable performance.

The worldbuilding in Fairs’ script is truly excellent, the city of Synchronis feeling like a properly fleshed out society. The truth behind the city’s lack of violence and the role of the Empathy Games in maintaining it is a great twist too, nicely philosophical without being too overbearing. This, and the conversations it causes the characters to have, is undeniably the highlight of the story.

Overall, while it isn’t quite as strong as The Catalyst, faltering somewhat in its second act, Empathy Games is still a very enjoyable Companion Chronicle, with some excellent ideas at its heart, earnest performances from all involved and truly stellar music and sound design from Nigel Fairs. Recommended.

Empathy Games is available as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com