Launch Station: Syndicate

Yesterday, we took a look at one of the underdogs that release today, Asura's Wrath.  Today, we take a look at the other underdog.  Published by EA Games and developed by Starbreeze (the developers who made Escape for Butcher Bay and the Darkness), Syndicate has talent behind it, but has not made much of a smash among the gaming community.  Maybe it is that the cyberpunk setting is not as familiar with shooter fans or that hardcore gamers just sick and tired of first-person shooters.  It is sad considering Syndicate looks to be a very unique first-person shooter.

Starbreeze's Syndicate is a reboot of the 1993 strategy game of the same name.  In the year 2069, the world as we know it is no more.  Governments and politicians have become a thing of the past as mega-corporations known as syndicates have taken over and divided the world up as they pleased.  As greed and power have now become the main goal among these syndicates, business has become war.  You take control of Miles Kilos, EuroCorp's super-agent.  Equipped with EuroCorp's new DART 6 chip, Miles embarks on an adventure filled with corruption and revenge.  Syndicate offers players a more visceral first-person shooter experience as you are not limited to just guns.  You can take down foes with some brutal takedowns.  Through the DART 6 chip implanted in the player, you can manipulate the world in different ways.  You can slow down time, see through walls and other solid objects and hack computers, terminals, turrets and even other "chipped" humans (friend or foe).  The idea that you can hack into a "chipped" individual and either persuade them to join your side or take out others before committing suicide is crazy yet extremely dark.  Syndicate also offers online co-op for up to four people.  In the online co-op, you and up to three other people join forces to complete one of nine missions.  Earn experience points through killing enemies, healing squad mates and completing mission objectives, collect new weapons from fallen enemies and acquire research points that can be used to upgrade weapons and enhance your Agent's powers.

Ever since EA released the first trailer for the Syndicate reboot, I personally have been excited to play this unique first-person shooter.  The first-person shooter genre is filled to the brim with mindlessly shallow experiences like Call of Duty that focus on more grander set pieces and bigger explosions with each sequel than push the genre forward like a Half-Life or a Bioshock that I do not get that excited for FPS games.  The guys and gals at Starbreeze look to add a something new to this genre with Syndicate and I commend them for that.  From what I played of the co-op demo, I am very impressed.  It focuses more on actual strategy than twitch-based run-and-spray tactics that a usual Call of Duty game devolves into.  While I do not think gamers will jump to Syndicate like they would a Call of Duty or Battlefield game, those who actually give Syndicate a try they will be in for a much different and unique experience unlike your average first-person shooter.