With the release of Syndicate less than a week away, here’s a quick (and mostly spoiler-free) update on what to expect from Starbreeze Studios’ reboot of the PC classic. I had the chance to play through the game’s first two missions plus a tough co-op map with a few fellow journalist types at the Spotlight EA event last week and as I’ve been saying, the game absolutely nails the feel of the original game in many areas, improving on things by dropping the camera to first person and putting you into the shoes of cyber-enhanced corporate agent, Miles Kilo. Those of you out there still skeptically on your internet forum soapboxes need to step down and pick up a controller at some point, as any bit of quality time spent with the game will prove that it’s a winner that improves on many elements the original pioneered.
Sure, at the end of the day, it’s “yet another FPS” (as I’ve see it called on a few boards), but it’s a damn good one, especially if you remember how addictive the 1993 game was. If you DO recall the original’s pacing and intensity, you’ll truly feel at home within a few seconds thanks to Starbreeze’s dedication to the project as huge Syndicate fans themselves. I won’t spoil the intro level other than to say it begins with a bang and packs a wallop throughout. While this tutorial section is fairly short, it does a great job of introducing the gameplay and lead character Miles Kilo. The usual movement and shooting is covered, but at one point you get to use a really wicked sniper rifle that has an alternate fire allowing you to shoot through walls (which makes the section it’s introduced in great fun). There’s also a neat twist at the mission’s conclusion that sets up the main game’s storyline quite nicely.
Abilities are introduced through pre-mission tutorials that take place in a virtual training session that needs to be cleared before a new map can begin. While this might seem tedious to those who want to just jump in and start shooting, not knowing how and when to use these skills can stop Miles cold (or get him dead quickly) in some areas where environmental puzzles need solving or multiple enemies need to be taken out fast with as little fuss as possible. As with Valve’s Half-Life series, Syndicate mixes in plenty of scripted portions around and during the action so you’re fully immersed in the world it presents. The first mission nearly ended on a literal cliffhanger with Kilo hanging by his fingertips from a destroyed rooftop, but luckily, things didn’t end badly thanks to a little helpful assistance. Not quite deus ex machina, but close enough…
I’ll say even less about the second mission except pay attention to the tutorial and make good use of what you learn, as the AI doesn’t play around here. On Normal, it’s pretty fierce, but unarmored guards are taken down in no time if you’re good at head shots. Armored enemies take a bit more work, but a Gauss Gun combined with one or more Abilities can keep you alive and smiling through some deadly situations. As for the presentation, it’s slick and mostly great from what I saw. A few slightly odd character faces and one minor clipping issue aside, the game is looking quite good. I love the touches of humor such as Kilo’s HUD showing names for everything from important objects to trash as well as the ton of references to the old Syndicate games that are perfectly placed.
As for that co-op play, like the earlier demo I played and the single player campaign have revealed, Syndicate’s online multiplayer will please even the most diehard fan of the original PC game. Starbreeze Studios has actually made the co-op as challenging and fast-paced as the original’s single player game, but the modern shooter perspective and four players tackling missions together online gives the old game a fresher spin. The mission that was playable at EA’s Spotlight event in NYC was a really tough nut to crack for a few reasons, one of which was the noise level in the room. Playing co-op here requires not only teamwork, but concentration and precise shooting in order to deal with waves of enemies trying to stop you from completing your goals.
The goals in question in the co-op demo were for the team to shoot their way into an enemy corporation’s headquarters, nab some tech in a briefcase, protect the landing craft and get out in one piece. Of course, the AI wasn’t having it and between the shielded Sergeants with their powerful weapons and plenty of assist from floating turrets and more armed guards pouring into the rooftop map from different locations, me and my team kept failing the mission. EA’s Jino Talens told me that only one team of four had actually completed this particular map the entire day, so I wasn’t too upset at going down to defeat the next few times we tried the map. Of course, me being up until the wee hours and only getting about three hours of actual sleep before the event may have had a little to do with the high failure rate, but the game absolutely controls like a dream and looks fantastic.
Nine co-op maps will be in the final game, some of which will be updated versions of classic Syndicate missions. It’s going to be really interesting to track the impressions of the most stubborn fans of the old games as far as these updated takes on certain maps, but I hope that crowd gives the dev team (and EA) the respect they deserve. One thing anyone who picks up the game won’t have any problem with at all is EA’s decision to wisely allow the co-op content on the disc to be accessed without an online pass. Granted, should the game do well enough at retail to warrant extra content, there’s no doubt tat Starbreeze will be on the case and EA will probably try and (wisely) profit from the player’s desire for additional mission packs and other enhancements not in the final version.
In any event, this one looks like it’ll be a sleeper with legs, or a game that should do well initially, but needs time to grab FPS fans more used to certain other games that are automatic cash generators on a yearly basis. The launch next week is hopefully only a first step towards seeing Syndicate become a household name and perhaps hit other platforms that need a futuristic shooter with enhanced corporate agents doing the bidding of their invisible (but not quite invincible) masters. If the game succeeds, I can practically smell a Vita version, but it could just be smoke coming from my three jealous PSP’s on the shelf nearby… Back in a bit with a review.
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