Mission Briefing: Sources indicate that a rival syndicate has developed a dangerous new computer program and our research boys want it. In the year 2096, the world is divided into regions controlled by a handful of massive corporations, struggling for dominance. The legendary developer talks about a possible sequel to Syndicate, who is best positioned to win the next-gen console wars, and the state of indie game development in the UK. Aug 14, 2006 1:00pm. Syndicate is Bullfrog’s masterpiece of a game in which you aren’t saving the world or protecting innocents. You just make sure that your employers get what they want. At your disposal are four cyborg agents, an impressive arsenal of weapons and gadgets, and a massive selection of cybernetic upgrades.
You rush into a country, guns ablazing, and ready to battle the rival mob to capture their territory. You need a sound strategy, careful planning, and money for powerful weapons and bionic agents. Welcome to Syndicate life.
Seven Deadly Syndicates
On the PC and Macintosh, Syndicate's deep strategy and fluid controls surrounded you. Syndicate on the Genesis retains the CD version's strategy and story line, but it falls a little short in the other departments. Through mission after mission, underground thugs cruise overground to create a stronghold. Once you capture a territory by completing tasks like clearing enemy cyborgs, and putting a hit on a politician's wife, you increase taxes to pay for future missions and more powerful weapons.
The Genesis game's controls are obviously different than the disc versions what used to be a mouse click or key press is now a button combination. Some of these control changes negatively affect game play: Your guns don't target as precisely because you can't pinpoint your target with a mouse, and it's sometimes difficult to maneuver a group of characters between buildings and the screen edge.
ProTips:
- Watch when you cross the street or you'll drag your palls into a collision.
- Read about necessary weapons and tactics before you launch into a territory.
Shot in the Dark
The graphics don't do much to help you track the many small details, such as your radar. The Genesis system's graphical capabilities aren't clear enough for a game that's this intricate. The doom-impending music is crisp and helpful -- it changes with an enemy's appearance, for example.
You can persuade only a limited number of people, so don't waste time with regular citizens. Get police robots on your side, because they're already armed.
Many gamers, however, won't stick around. Syndicate becomes entertaining only after a fairly steep learning curve. It takes a while to understand who you're fighting and then figure out how to get to them without getting drilled by a police drone.
- Be ready with Buttons A and R when things get heavy. The Panic Mode makes your agents very aggressive and smart around enemies.
- Don't overload agents with more than they can carry.
- Stay within your budget but establish a good plan for adding new weapons and modifications.
Missing the Mission
It's not really fair to do a side- by-side comparison of Syndicate with its computer predecessor. Yet the translation could have been a bit more comfy, given the game-play potential of the Genesis system. Sadly, Syndicate didn't push all the right buttons.
