Syndicate Review

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
Gorilla Gunk said:
Don't really know how to respond to this so I'm going to go do something more productive and not waste any more time "debating" (And I use that word generously) you. I've made my points and you're just reinforcing them. if you can't see how faulty your own logic is then you are beyond help.
My logic is as flawed as yours. Thats clear as day, it makes none of the points any less valid. This game will appeal to some people yes but it is in no way, shape or form worth 120 bucks (AU) and i pray that it fails and the industry realises that they need to up thier game.

In my mind this game, (Like the forthcoming First person X-com failure in the making) Would be fine if it wasnt titled "Syndicate". Using the syndicate name to make a generic "Corporations r bad k?" FPS is an affront.
 

Frost27

Good news everyone!
Jun 3, 2011
504
0
0
The review is pretty much spot on but you forgot the fact that the majority of the game is dirt easy and then they throw in boss fights that are either insulting in simplicity and only allowing one path to victory (Missle deflection guy) or insanely difficult (end fight against the three agents)
 

-Datura-

New member
Nov 21, 2009
43
0
0
Therumancer said:
...I considered this Syndicate reboot to be heresy of the highest order, closely followed by the X-com reboot as a shooter.

Really we need fan-sponsored Warhammer 40k-style Inquisitors to hunt down heretics within the gaming industry....
If it were up to people like you, Fallout 3 would never have happened.

Want an update of old-school Syndicate? Here you go. [http://www.alienswarm.com/]

Want an update of old-school X-Com? Choke on it. [http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/News]
 

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
-Datura- said:
Therumancer said:
...I considered this Syndicate reboot to be heresy of the highest order, closely followed by the X-com reboot as a shooter.

Really we need fan-sponsored Warhammer 40k-style Inquisitors to hunt down heretics within the gaming industry....
If it were up to people like you, Fallout 3 would never have happened.

Want an update of old-school Syndicate? Here you go. [http://www.alienswarm.com/]

Want an update of old-school X-Com? Choke on it. [http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/News]
Actually, most fallout fans were -For- Fallout 3. The only "Fans" who were against it were people who only had PC's powerful enough to run Fallout 2. And at the end of the day it was still an RPG. The X-com FPS is nothing like the original except that there are aliens on earth. Just like the only semblance this bears to the original syndicate is that there are Agents and mega-corporations. So not all Reboots are bad...But in this case...Its bad.
 

kouriichi

New member
Sep 5, 2010
2,415
0
0
So its a gimmicky version of Deus Ex:HR?

Great! :D Time for me to go rent it, return it, and never bat another eye at it.
 

ph0b0s123

New member
Jul 7, 2010
1,689
0
0
So all those lamenting that it was a shame that the Syndicate names was just being used to shift another bland FPS, called it.

In your face all those who were optimistic and said let's wait and see what they do with the game before passing judgment. Cynicism and Pessimism are proved right again....

As a big fan of the original game when it came out, I think that the game above just being average is a real insult to the IP.
 

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
ph0b0s123 said:
So all those lamenting that it was a shame that the Syndicate names was just being used to shift another bland FPS, called it.

In your face all those who were optimistic and said let's wait and see what they do with the game before passing judgment. Cynicism and Pessimism are proved right again....

As a big fan of the original game when it came out, I think that the game above just being average is a real insult to the IP.
Pretty much. Now we just have to weather the "oh you dont like it just because its not isometric" crowd who have to hail every new game as some sort of innovative star child whos potential is only just showing (None of them are or have been) until such time as they realise another bland FPS has been shoveled out.
 

Capt. Crankypants

New member
Jan 6, 2010
782
0
0
Fucking Dubstep everywhere :mad:

But anyway, to me, looks like just another addition to the overflowing slurry of titles in my 'Another FPS that I can't be bothered to get' list. Linear, enemy-spawney games just don't flip my 'excitement' switch.
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
9,909
0
0
-Datura- said:
Therumancer said:
...I considered this Syndicate reboot to be heresy of the highest order, closely followed by the X-com reboot as a shooter.

Really we need fan-sponsored Warhammer 40k-style Inquisitors to hunt down heretics within the gaming industry....
If it were up to people like you, Fallout 3 would never have happened.

Want an update of old-school Syndicate? Here you go. [http://www.alienswarm.com/]

Want an update of old-school X-Com? Choke on it. [http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/News]
Actually your correct here, "Fallout 3" would have never have happened if it was up to me. I maintain to this day that while "Fallout 3" is an excellent game, it is a REALLY bad *Fallout* game. I think Bethesda would have done better to have created their own post apocolyptic RPG series, and left the Fallout liscense alone.

The reason is quite simple, Fallout requires a certain level of depravity and continued pushing of the limits to really capture the right magic. While "Fallout 3" had a lot of black humor in it, it really pulled a lot of punches compared to the previous games, and seemed like it was afraid to push the envelope far enough. What's more I think the writing was lacking to say the least, while they gave you something to do, I don't think the plotlines either main or secondary in Fallout 3 were all that great. What made the game work was the huge sandbox world, and really that probably would have worked without trying to emulate Fallout, and truthfully I think Bioware has kind of trapped themselves by trying to parrot another writer's style as opposed to doing their own.

I'll also say flat out that "Fallout 3" was not RPG enough to be considered a real sequel. While it doesn't appeal to the casual, mainstream market, Fallout was an isometric number crunching game and that was part of the fun for a lot of the fans. "Fallout 3" might appeal to more people, and be a good game, but it's not the same thing.

Personally I would have preferred to see the actual "Fallout 3" known as Van Buren resurrected, finished and updated in technology with the same play style the series has employed.

Bethesda should definatly have created their own game, just not made it Fallout. They largely bought the liscence for name appeal, and let's be honest, the contreversy it got due to the fights in inspired with the fans of the series made sure everyone who was a gamer knew about it and had an eye on it. I do not think that was accidental, I think Bethesda intentionally picked that fight knowing what was going to happen, and exploited it as a sort of viral marketing.

The most important thing I consider though is that these franchise reboots wind up turning everything into the same basic thing. Right now we have dozens and dozens of shooters out there, they literally clog the shelves year after year. It's nice to see other kinds of games. How many AAA level isometric strategy-RPG games have you seen recently? See an actual update/modern sequel to X-com would add some variety to the market for those of us not into shooters, ditto for Syndicate. Turning those games into shooters because shooters sell and that's what everyone else is doing, is kind of a waste.

As much as I would have preferred Fallout survive as an isometric RPG series, I still give Fallout 3 credit for actually doing something new, and coming up with the first really workable compromise between shooters and RPGs, even though New Vegas started to go too far
in the shooter direction, which makes me feel that there won't be much actual RPG left in Fallout in the next couple of installments unless the trends seriously change.

Also I'll say that those "updates" you mention, aren't really AAA level productions done in the same way. Nor are they set in the same worlds and continueing the lore and progression of those series.

It wouldn't bother me so much if they weren't turning everything into a shooter. I mean even if they changed the style, they could at least have kept it a bloody strategy game.
 

Skops

New member
Mar 9, 2010
820
0
0
I'll pick it up when it comes to it's inevitable Steam sale of roughly $9.99.. Can't be worse than some of the other shit I've got my account.
 

Metalrocks

New member
Jan 15, 2009
2,406
0
0
Skopintsev said:
I'll pick it up when it comes to it's inevitable Steam sale of roughly $9.99.. Can't be worse than some of the other shit I've got my account.
if it ever comes out on steam. ?A uses their own version of steam called origin. ME3 will also not be available on steam. all titles with a ?A logo will come on origin, so as retail version will require origin to play any kind of their games.
 

Skops

New member
Mar 9, 2010
820
0
0
Metalrocks said:
Skopintsev said:
I'll pick it up when it comes to it's inevitable Steam sale of roughly $9.99.. Can't be worse than some of the other shit I've got my account.
if it ever comes out on steam. ?A uses their own version of steam called origin. ME3 will also not be available on steam. all titles with a ?A logo will come on origin, so as retail version will require origin to play any kind of their games.
Huh, didn't know it was an EA Published game. Not troubling, I have Origin, and a few games for it. Though I rarely check for sales (except that one time where if I signed up they gave me 66% of Crysis 2. Which I promptly said "Yeah, alright you got me there.")

Does Origin do sales? I did check during Christmas break to see if they would attempt to contend with Steam's Holiday sales and no, they didn't.
 

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
Skopintsev said:
Metalrocks said:
Skopintsev said:
I'll pick it up when it comes to it's inevitable Steam sale of roughly $9.99.. Can't be worse than some of the other shit I've got my account.
if it ever comes out on steam. ?A uses their own version of steam called origin. ME3 will also not be available on steam. all titles with a ?A logo will come on origin, so as retail version will require origin to play any kind of their games.
Huh, didn't know it was an EA Published game. Not troubling, I have Origin, and a few games for it. Though I rarely check for sales (except that one time where if I signed up they gave me 66% of Crysis 2. Which I promptly said "Yeah, alright you got me there.")

Does Origin do sales? I did check during Christmas break to see if they would attempt to contend with Steam's Holiday sales and no, they didn't.
Origin rarely does sales. For EA to do a sale someone would have to sacrifice a goat at the exact moment that earth is aligned with the universal centre of life, the universe and everything while waving thier arms about and dancing on an excitable walrus.
 

Blind Sight

New member
May 16, 2010
1,658
0
0
Adultratedhydra said:
I chose to ignore the story in my earlier rant because i called the plot twist when the game was announced. Boy the hatred that shall flow to EA if they release DLC titled "American Revolt". I also quite clearly remember that it was impossible for the agents to revolt against Eurocorp and the other syndicates due to Massive amounts of conditioning and brainwashing. The very idea (within the Syndicate universe)is ludicrous, ignoring the "LOLALIENS" reason in Syndicate wars.
Hell, that's a good plot there in itself (not the aliens). Have a character slaved to the corporation, hating what he's doing but ultimately unable to stop it because he values his own survival above all else. Opens a big can of morality worms and all that. Possibly end on a bittersweet climax of the character accepting his role and the futility of even attempting to fight back. If you're that set on having a 'good' main character and ignoring previous canon that's a great way to convey the hopelessness of the Syndicate universe. If they're going to wipe the conditioning and brainwashing canon of the original then at least try to come up with something interesting. Instead we get the plot to every 'resistance vs. the big bad evil corporations' story ever made.
 

SL33TBL1ND

Elite Member
Nov 9, 2008
6,467
0
41
Wait. You turn against your syndicate because they turn out to be evil?

Fuck everything about this game. That's completely missing the point of the franchise.
 

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
Blind Sight said:
Adultratedhydra said:
I chose to ignore the story in my earlier rant because i called the plot twist when the game was announced. Boy the hatred that shall flow to EA if they release DLC titled "American Revolt". I also quite clearly remember that it was impossible for the agents to revolt against Eurocorp and the other syndicates due to Massive amounts of conditioning and brainwashing. The very idea (within the Syndicate universe)is ludicrous, ignoring the "LOLALIENS" reason in Syndicate wars.
Hell, that's a good plot there in itself (not the aliens). Have a character slaved to the corporation, hating what he's doing but ultimately unable to stop it because he values his own survival above all else. Opens a big can of morality worms and all that. Possibly end on a bittersweet climax of the character accepting his role and the futility of even attempting to fight back. If you're that set on having a 'good' main character and ignoring previous canon that's a great way to convey the hopelessness of the Syndicate universe. If they're going to wipe the conditioning and brainwashing canon of the original then at least try to come up with something interesting. Instead we get the plot to every 'resistance vs. the big bad evil corporations' story ever made.
Exactly, atleast try to make -SOMETHING- within the source material, hell even a classic "WELL NEVER DEFEAT THE CORPORATIONS" would have been nearly acceptable. But no, there needed to be a scrappy militant faction that can somehow completely botch the mental conditioning and immense amounts of programming that Eurocorp agents receive upon "Recruitment". I can still forsee EA not learning thier lesson and using this "Resistance" faction as an excuse to name DLC "American revolt" Just you wait.

And reading the plot, as i did with MW 3 against my better judgement, im left saying....What the fuck.

SL33TBL1ND said:
Wait. You turn against your syndicate because they turn out to be evil?

Fuck everything about this game. That's completely missing the point of the franchise.
As i said above i just read the plot. you dont just turn against eurocorp. You destroy it... i wish i was making that up.

oh right. Spoilers for bad games bad story were above.
 

Adultratedhydra

New member
Aug 19, 2010
177
0
0
nikki191 said:
*edit* first shadowrun and now syndicate how can companies screw up IP's that badly. next thing you know they will be making x-com into a 1950's cover based FPS
Dont be Daft. That way madness lies. That would be like if someone tried to Re-boot jagged alliance as some horrific looking mess of broken combat mechanics and horrendous AI.
 

Char-Nobyl

New member
May 8, 2009
784
0
0
Gorilla Gunk said:
This. It was short (Although I beat it in just over 8 hours; reviewer must have been playing on easy) but I had a hell of a time with it, especially when you find two super-weapons. Going through the last few chapters with that laser cannon and the assault rifle that shot smart bullets, just mowing people down, was pure FPS gaming bliss to me.
...wait, what? How is that a fair assumption? That's A) asserting that the reviewer was half-assing his job and B) that you're some sort of paragon of gaming ability, and the standard by which all game lengths are determined.

Gorilla Gunk said:
I do hope it sells well enough to warrant a sequel. There's so much that could be done with this. Perhaps EA should hand it over to the Bulletstorm guys?
Erm...to be honest, those two don't meld together all that well. Starbreeze is best remembered (for me, that is) for the surprisingly well-done Riddick games, which at least had a dark tone to it. As good as they are, I don't think that People Can Fly are the right developer for Syndicate, even discounting its current incarnation.

Voltano said:
I wondered if this game would do well. I never played the original "Syndicate" (though tempted to pick it up off GOG.com), but from what I recall this was shortly announced after the release of "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" last year, and I instantly thought this was only made to cash-in on the Deus Ex fans. I think that is still my personal theory, but it sounds like the game is dull and incapable of standing out.
Look at it this way: Deus Ex dealt with the rather stupid issue of people arguing over whether or not prosthetic limbs are evil. If nothing else, Syndicate did a great job looking at the implications of widespread techno-organic innovation, rather than wallowing in the 'will people embrace new technology' part.

Voltano said:
Plus, while I heard many people saying this is "Betrayal" to the original reboot, I'd point out that this is no different from what Microsoft did with "Shadowrun" on the Xbox 360 years ago.
Okay...but how is that an example against that argument? Shadowrun was panned, not only for that reason, but because it just wasn't very good. I had the unfortunate privileged of having bought it, and...yeah. 'Counterstrike plus magic' should have been a winning formula. It's more of an accomplishment that they cocked it up.

ThatDarnCoyote said:
It seems unfair to ding them for "the corporation you work for turning out to not be very nice."
That wasn't so much the issue for me (for the reason you go on to say), but for once, I wanted to play the part of the corporate cyborg enforcer. I spent the entire game cultivating a bright future as a hitman/scientist wrangler alongside by cheerfully sociopathic partner, and then it went all Far Cry 2 on me by wrenching away my choice in the matter and making me be good despite all evidence to the contrary.

ThatDarnCoyote said:
While I grant you, that trope is one of the most tedious cliches in games, to Syndicate's credit, they don't even bother with the pretense that EuroCorp is nice.
But by that point, why would you (the player, that is) even work for them? Your fellow employees are clearly scared for their lives every time they talk to your boss, you upgrade yourself by ripping microships out of people's brains via tentacle-screwdriver, and your partner is a sociopath on almost comedic levels.