Syndicate
Score: 86% ESRB: Mature Publisher: EA Games Developer: Starbreeze Studios Media: DVD/1 Players: 1; 1 - 4 (Online) Genre: First Person Shooter/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Syndicate is 100% cyberpunk. Futuristic environments combine with awesome weapons and a fully-integrated HUD to deliver one of the most consistent realizations of a dystopian world of tomorrow. It's got the same look of most Starbreeze games -- slightly grainy visuals, but expressive character models and a fully-rendered player model (you can see your own legs). The sense of momentum is really something to behold. When you sprint with a pistol, you do so with the gun extended outward. You know, because that's how badasses with guns are supposed to carry themselves. Actions such as vaulting over and sliding under objects have a real sense of weight behind them. The downside to the visuals lies in the excessive use of light bloom. It's pretty and jarring for the right reasons (sometimes), but all too often, it overpowers the rest of the visuals. That's unfortunate, because the overall visual quality is better without the bloom. Syndicate features the best use of Skrillex in any video game ever. His treatment of the classic theme is reflective of the fact that this is a franchise reboot. The voice acting isn't bad, though most of it isn't particularly interesting enough, despite the inclusion of some Hollywood talent (Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson). By far, the best part of the audio design is the special effects. Warped electrical noises assault your senses at nearly every turn, and it's perfect for the cyberpunk theme. Even better is when you use your breaching programs; a successful use of the Suicide app results in a heavily-distorted scream of agony from the targeted enemy -- that is, before he pulls the pin on a live grenade.
Gameplay: Syndicate is a reboot of the classic Bullfrog franchise from the 1990s. However, this reboot takes the franchise in a completely different direction: a first-person shooter kind of direction. This alienated several longtime fans long before the game was even released, and I'm hoping they've given their jets time to cool, because this new Syndicate is worth the attention of anyone who is interested in a different kind of shooter experience. The year is 2069. Mega-corporations known as syndicates have essentially supplanted governments as the world's most dominant forces. Business is literally everything, and there is a clear disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Nearly everyone has had their brains implanted with chips, special bits of machinery that interface with the human mind. Syndicates vie for dominance through augmented soldiers called Agents. You play as EuroCorp Agent Miles Kilo (good one, Starbreeze). His story initially has him in pursuit of a potential defector, but naturally, it's a lot more complicated than that. The narrative gets more personal and interesting towards the end, but it doesn't even come close to reaching its potential. Furthermore, the Campaign is let down by terrible pacing. This is shocking, coming from the guys who brought us The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, which are exceptionally well-paced games. All too often, the game takes control away from you at moments where the momentum seems about to reach a fever pitch. This is unfortunate, because when Syndicate gets going, it catches fire. The online cooperative multiplayer suffers from no such problems. This is where Syndicate will build its new fan base. For the most part, it's a simple affair of getting from point A to point B and staying alive while doing so. However, the level of intensity present in the gameplay is absolutely relentless; enemies are bold, but not suicidal. They take cover and work in teams, but they are constantly trying to get into the position that allows them to easily pick you off. However, between the breaching applications and the incredible arsenal (and provided you're not terrible at shooters), you can survive these missions. Just be sure to assemble a full team of four.
Difficulty: Syndicate is the right kind of challenging. As mentioned, enemies are smart and aggressive at the same time. They don't rest on their laurels as you blaze down the warpath. You will need to make smart use of your weaponry -- and that includes both your guns and your cybernetics. Only teams with good communication skills will survive Syndicate's collection of multiplayer missions. It is also essential to have a good sense of battlefield awareness; you must keep track of where each of your teammates is, because the chances are high that one of them will need healing once they stumble upon a nest of bad guys. And I must insist again: bring three others with you. You can go it with two, but don't expect to get very far if you do.
Game Mechanics: Your character is outfitted with the EuroCorp DART 6 Chip, a revolutionary neural processing unit that gives the host extraordinary abilities. It's a customizable system that allows you to use chips ripped from high-ranking enemies to upgrade certain features of the DART 6. For example, you might want to increase your base amount of health, or increase the amount of energy gained from melee kills. Or you might want to increase the amount of time you can spend in DART Overlay Mode, which is essentially bullet-time with a digital flourish that allows you to see (and in some cases, kill) enemies who are behind cover. The DART 6 is powered by energy synthesized from raw adrenaline. Performing well in combat (whether by shooting dudes in the face or snapping their necks) rewards you with this energy, which is used to power your breach applications. So what is breaching, you ask? Breaching is the process that allows an Agent to interface with machines from a distance. It's essentially high-speed hacking -- with the mind. So if there are snipers on the roof giving you and your team hell, you might be given the option to breach a set of shutters to block their shots. Some enemies wear special armor that must be breached before it can be fired upon. And in multiplayer, you can breach into your teammates and instantly restore them to full health. All you have to do is get close enough, maintain line of sight, and hold (LB). There are several interesting uses of this simple yet ingenious mechanic, but in terms of sheer awesomeness, few can stack up to the applications. Applications are perhaps Syndicate's best features. These allow you to get creative with your kills and never get old. The ones used in the single-player Campaign are my personal favorites, but the multiplayer apps clearly have teamwork in mind. It's always a good idea to save your Suicide app for those moments when enemies cluster together. That way, when the breached enemy pulls the pin, it always results in a shower of gore and dismembered limbs -- as well as several less goons to contend with. Backfire is good for when you're pinned down; it usually knocks down enemies and damages them a bit. Backfire is particularly effective when coupled with DART Overlay Mode. Persuade causes an enemy to open fire on his comrades; when none are left standing, he turns the gun on himself. It's all great, morbid fun. So this new Syndicate is not a strategy game. That doesn't mean it isn't worthy of the franchise. More importantly, this is a shooter that is unique -- a characteristic that rarely belongs to most shooters these days. It makes a number of critical missteps, but the truth is that there really isn't anything like Syndicate on the market. And that may be its greatest strength.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of Syndicate PlayStation Illustrated's Review of Syndicate on PlayStation 3 Buy Syndicate on Amazon
Plants vs. Zombies Binary Domain