Set in 2069, Syndicate takes players into a dark, Machiavellian world run without government oversight with many syndicates vying for total dominance of their local market place. With no one to question their intentions or actions, three mega corporations — Eurocorp, Cayman Global, and Aspari — are at the forefront of this brutal war for control of the pivotal American market. In the world of Syndicate, everything is digitally connected, including the people.
GenreFirst-Person Shooters
Platforms xbox360
DEVELOPER Starbreeze | PUBLISHER Codemasters | RELEASE DATE
Syndicate Reviews xbox360
giantbomb.com review
I had an outstanding time with Syndicate and really took to the game’s cooperative mode in a way that I really didn’t expect. The teamwork required there is just enough to get you angry when someone’s letting the side down, but not so much that you’ll have to organize and coordinate every little move. Rushing into a room full of enemy corporate scum and mowing them all down as they scramble for cover makes you feel invincible due to your own skill at playing the game, rather than some sort of overpowering ability or story reason that puts you above all. The smart players will rise to the challenge and feel like they’ve been appropriately rewarded for their prowess. The campaign gives you a great look at an interesting world, though its abrupt, too-clean ending feels out of place. It’s a somewhat disappointing reward for an otherwise exciting adventure that puts a terrific and fun spin on first-person shooting.
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gamingxp.com review
No Synopsis Available
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oxmonline.com review
Separate four-player co-op missions add a bit of extra fun after the campaign’s abrupt ending, too. They’re yet another element that makes Syndicate stand out admirably in a sea of same-y first-person shooters.
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xbox360achievements.org review
No Synopsis Available
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joystiq.com review
Starbreeze may have opted to go the route of this generation’s most profitable genre for its Syndicate reboot, but the soul of the series has survived. Its well worn narrative trappings hold your attention for the most part, but the real treat is in the execution of Syndicate’s gameplay. Syndicate manages to mesh the spirit of the old with the style of the new. It’s not the return some fans would have hoped for, but it expands the franchise into new territory where business is booming.
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gameinformer.com review
I went into Syndicate with very few preconceptions and came out pleased. EA’s lackluster promotion of the game implied that the publisher might have been trying to sneak out a sci-fi shooter disaster, but Starbreeze managed to add another unique spin to the FPS genre that’s worth checking out if you’re not hung up on the property’s legacy.
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gamestm.co.uk review
There is no online pass for this game, it’s tight, focused and despite its flaws is easily the best shooter to arrive so far this year. In this sense, we can’t help but wonder why EA has not made a bigger deal out of Syndicate. Games this well-made are a rare commodity at this time of year and Syndicate, with the right marketing behind it, could and should be a roaring success. So do yourself a favour and pick this up – just don’t expect anything more than an enjoyable, linear shooter.
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digitalspy.co.uk review
Fortunately, the game’s four-player co-operative experience is far stronger. Objectives are varied, levels are interesting and the scope for weapon and ability advancements is mightily impressive. While Starbreeze Studios may have some trouble convincing die-hard Syndicate fans to open their hearts and minds to the series’ new style and direction, its multiplayer offering should breach many a gaming session for some time to come.
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atomicgamer.com review
Based on Starbreeze’s previous efforts, I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I enjoyed Syndicate. That said, I played it a number of times at preview events and, as with my first hour in the final game, it didn’t click with me in pre-release state. I’m guessing Starbreeze released a co-op focused demo–rather than a single-player level–because they too realize it takes more than a mission to fully appreciate its decidedly different combat cadence. Take some time to get into Syndicate and you’ll discover it’s not just another shooter with a pretty Blade Runner paint job.
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cheatcc.com review
Syndicate takes place in a world ruled by corporations. It’s your standard dystopian future society where money and technology do all the talking. You take on the role of Miles Kilo, an employee of Eurocorp, which is beta testing a brand new weapons grade neuro-chip. Your chip lets you hack into the chips inside other people’s brains in order to control their movements and make their heads explode, something extremely powerful in a world where competing corporations might as well be warring countries. It starts as a simple attempt to "handle" a competitor that knows about your special hardware, but later becomes drenched in conspiracy and backstabbing. While the story can be clichéd at some points, and nonsensical at its worst, the setting alone drives much of the action. The cyberpunk vibe pushes you from mission to mission simply because it seems like the right thing to do in a world where a corporate suit can choose who lives or dies.
gamespot.com review
That all sounds deliciously gory, though in practice, you’re not focused on the splattering of brains: you’ve already moved on to your next target. Some of those targets may require breaching, which is to say, hacking your target’s chip. Powerful enemies require you to breach their armor before they can be harmed, which requires holding a button for several precious seconds. When such a foe is playing lone gunman, this isn’t so bad. When he’s accompanied by a few comrades, things get a lot more intense. If the action seems too much, you can activate your tactical overlay. Doing so slows down time and highlights every nearby enemy, even those behind walls. And with the right weapon, you can even snipe targets protected by cover.
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strategyinformer.com review
Game-purchasable fun though? Possibly. If you’re a single-player-only gamer though I’d advise you to wait for a little while for it to go on sale. There’s no replay value whatsoever as the game’s just too excruciatingly linear (and too light on spectacle) to be fun more than once. If you can get some friends to play with you online though it’s a world of fun, but it might not be long-lasting fun. It’s hard to tell whether the multiplayer will have legs right now I admit, but I can tell you this about the single-player campaign: I’ve finished playing it, took me about 5-7 hours, and I’m already forgetting it.
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egmnow.com review
If you’re looking for a sci-fi shooter in the style of Battlefield and won’t expect the same level of “OMFG†around every corner, you’ll probably have a great time with this one. But, in the event you were hoping for a more action-oriented Deus Ex, Syndicate’s just a few steps shy of delivery on that front.
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ign.com review
Unfortunately, the trio of breach skills all perform in a similar manner, making them less useful than intended during the single-player campaign. Also, a bodycount-heavy portion of the campaign removes two of the powers entirely (due to malfunction), leaving the stun mechanic as the only available tool. Co-op shakes up the skills with additional features, favoring team-boosting powers like faster breaching and short-term damage boosters, but won’t allow the powerful suicide and persuade skills into the mix. This creates a more complex balance that leans heavily on working together as a team.
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gamerevolution.com review
Syndicate, although originating from the classic nearly two decades ago, deserves to be seen as a game of its own. The option to breach enemy armor and the environment adds a different dynamic to gun-on-gun gameplay. You are given options as to how you want to eliminate an enemy other than with firing your weapon, making gameplay less dull. Cooperative actually strives to encourage teamwork, which is seemingly left on the backburner in most games. While Syndicate’s campaign lacks emphasis, playing the cooperative mode more than satisfies anyone’s needs for challenging squad-based gameplay.
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gamesradar.com review
You play a technologically modified agent, and a simple upgrade system lets you boost his abilities once in a while. More important is his ability to breach (hack) many electronic systems, including those in enemies’ heads. Breaching lets you activate environmental switches, disable enemy shields, and solve very simple puzzles. You can also run three offensive “applications†that stun your foes, make them kill themselves, or start fighting for you (a thankless job, as then they kill themselves anyway). Killing baddies recharges your programs, with rapid-fire killstreaks providing the fastest charge.
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gamereactor.se review
No Synopsis Available
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eurogamer.net review
If Starbreeze had snubbed convention and made a strategic co-op shooter with a global reach, it could have been amazing. As it is, it’s the sort of almost-there effort that entertains for now but will likely be forgotten by Christmas. Pick it up for the highly enjoyable co-op, but just don’t expect it to outlast its FPS rivals.
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destructoid.com review
This is not to say that Syndicate is not enjoyable, because it is. It’s just so very typical and ordinary that hiding behind shallow gimmickry fails to compensate. Having played through each mission, I can’t say I’ve any great desire to go back and play more. The four hours and thirty-eight minutes it took to beat them were fun while they lasted, yet utterly dispensable and easily forgotten.
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oxm.co.uk review
Perhaps if there was a stronger story we’d be less likely to collapse in a disconsolate slump every time a grumpy cyborg showed up. While Syndicate’s small cast includes impressive names in the shape of Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox, they’re barely used. It’s not that a story of warring mega-corporations couldn’t be interesting, but there’s little attempt to reveal the motivations behind the characters, making it difficult to care about them. You’re never given a satisfying reason, from any quarter, as to why you’re mowing down a seemingly endless conveyor belt of Stig lookalikes. Or why you shouldn’t be. "More death? Is that what you want?" Dawson asks us and, by that point, we couldn’t care less either way.
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