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    Syndicate

    Game » consists of 13 releases. Released Jun 09, 1993

    An action strategy game set in a dystopian future where megacorporations control the world and wage war on each other with cybernetically-enhanced "Agents".

    No.0008 Syndicate

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    hsvlad

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    Edited By hsvlad
    1001 Videogames I must play before I die! 
     
    No.0008 Syndicate 
     
     
    No Caption Provided
     
     Syndicate is another game that I played quite a while after its actual release because I had to wait for an Archimedes port but it may well be the game I played the most of once I finally got my hands on it. Although I must admit, I didn't really play it as it was really intended. All I did was walk around cities massacring every single thing I saw. I decided to come back to it since it just showed up on GOG and it was a very different but very pleasant experience. Now that I have the patience to actually play the game, rather then just play with it, I managed to do better then I thought I would. Most of my memories of games from this era, particularly anything that called itself tactical or strategic, are of them being impossibly difficult at the age I played them and I relied quite heavily on cheats in order to experience them fully. This is the second time I've been surprised by how much easier a game can be now that I've learnt a little patience! 
      
    No Caption Provided
    For those that have never played syndicate it's an isometric strategy game in which you control a squad of up to four, augmented agents working for a shady and incredibly powerful corporation. Your objectives are usually some variety of either killing or kidnapping and you can do so on foot or occasionally in some vehicles. It must be noted however that just because you're going to murder or kidnap someone you will NOT violate local traffic laws no matter how much danger you are in! You have several weapons at your disposal and certain tools, the most famous of which is the persuade-o-tron which converts almost anyone who gets too close to an agent with it equipped to join your side. For the most part they work as human shields but if you manage to "Persuade" a police officer or armed guard they'll fire on anyone who attacks your team as well. It's not a terrible idea to simply turn your persuade-o-tron at the start of a mission and just walk about until you've built up enough of a meat shield to deal with the coming fire fights. 
     
     
        
    No Caption Provided
     I will say that my nostalgia helped me a great deal in playing this game again. I'm not sure a new comer would quite be able to cope with some of syndicates "quirks". I came across a few bugs that made me laugh the first time it happened as it brought back memories of my younger self going out of his mind. At one point I ordered all of my guys to one point on the map, they seem to want to move in a straight line to where ever it is you've directed them so they tend to hug the walls of building a lot. One of them just caught the edge of an open doorway and walked inside the building while the others carried on. The one who had wondered indoors followed the interior wall all the way around the building before he would come to the exit. Another time I had finish all of my objectives and needed to leave a town through one of the gates that only open for cars, so I found an unused car and clicked on the evacuation point outside the city limits. The car drove around in circles for probably about five minutes before I realised what was wrong. I had clicked on the wrong side of the road, and my syndicate were desperately trying to find a way to reach that point, on the side I had inadvertently asked them to be on, that didn't involve violating traffic regulations. The cars can't perform U-turns so their only option is to find a legal traffic route. That one was pretty funny. Exiting a vehicle to being a shootout only to have all of my men fire on and destroy that car and themselves in the explosion because I didn't tell them to move off the cars 2D sprite was not as funny. 
      
    Syndicate is also quite an important part of why I love cyberpunk. At the same time I was playing it I also saw Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner for the first time. Later Deus Ex helped cement that enthusiasm but back then, this was all I had, and it was awesome. I'm very much looking forward to the prequel/reboot thats coming from Starbreeze later this year as I'll take any cyberpunk I can get these days!  
     
    Below is the intro video for Syndicates sequel Syndicate Wars. A lot of people don't seem to like that game. I've never played it myself but I saw it advertised on some Anime VHS my brother had and the music has stuck with me ever since. Also, being a professional 3D artist now I always get a kick out of seeing old school 3D stuff like this.  
     
      
      Back in the day when even pre-rendered 3D didn't have bump-maps o_O    
    Avatar image for hsvlad
    hsvlad

    167

    Forum Posts

    45

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 3

    User Lists: 2

    #1  Edited By hsvlad
    1001 Videogames I must play before I die! 
     
    No.0008 Syndicate 
     
     
    No Caption Provided
     
     Syndicate is another game that I played quite a while after its actual release because I had to wait for an Archimedes port but it may well be the game I played the most of once I finally got my hands on it. Although I must admit, I didn't really play it as it was really intended. All I did was walk around cities massacring every single thing I saw. I decided to come back to it since it just showed up on GOG and it was a very different but very pleasant experience. Now that I have the patience to actually play the game, rather then just play with it, I managed to do better then I thought I would. Most of my memories of games from this era, particularly anything that called itself tactical or strategic, are of them being impossibly difficult at the age I played them and I relied quite heavily on cheats in order to experience them fully. This is the second time I've been surprised by how much easier a game can be now that I've learnt a little patience! 
      
    No Caption Provided
    For those that have never played syndicate it's an isometric strategy game in which you control a squad of up to four, augmented agents working for a shady and incredibly powerful corporation. Your objectives are usually some variety of either killing or kidnapping and you can do so on foot or occasionally in some vehicles. It must be noted however that just because you're going to murder or kidnap someone you will NOT violate local traffic laws no matter how much danger you are in! You have several weapons at your disposal and certain tools, the most famous of which is the persuade-o-tron which converts almost anyone who gets too close to an agent with it equipped to join your side. For the most part they work as human shields but if you manage to "Persuade" a police officer or armed guard they'll fire on anyone who attacks your team as well. It's not a terrible idea to simply turn your persuade-o-tron at the start of a mission and just walk about until you've built up enough of a meat shield to deal with the coming fire fights. 
     
     
        
    No Caption Provided
     I will say that my nostalgia helped me a great deal in playing this game again. I'm not sure a new comer would quite be able to cope with some of syndicates "quirks". I came across a few bugs that made me laugh the first time it happened as it brought back memories of my younger self going out of his mind. At one point I ordered all of my guys to one point on the map, they seem to want to move in a straight line to where ever it is you've directed them so they tend to hug the walls of building a lot. One of them just caught the edge of an open doorway and walked inside the building while the others carried on. The one who had wondered indoors followed the interior wall all the way around the building before he would come to the exit. Another time I had finish all of my objectives and needed to leave a town through one of the gates that only open for cars, so I found an unused car and clicked on the evacuation point outside the city limits. The car drove around in circles for probably about five minutes before I realised what was wrong. I had clicked on the wrong side of the road, and my syndicate were desperately trying to find a way to reach that point, on the side I had inadvertently asked them to be on, that didn't involve violating traffic regulations. The cars can't perform U-turns so their only option is to find a legal traffic route. That one was pretty funny. Exiting a vehicle to being a shootout only to have all of my men fire on and destroy that car and themselves in the explosion because I didn't tell them to move off the cars 2D sprite was not as funny. 
      
    Syndicate is also quite an important part of why I love cyberpunk. At the same time I was playing it I also saw Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner for the first time. Later Deus Ex helped cement that enthusiasm but back then, this was all I had, and it was awesome. I'm very much looking forward to the prequel/reboot thats coming from Starbreeze later this year as I'll take any cyberpunk I can get these days!  
     
    Below is the intro video for Syndicates sequel Syndicate Wars. A lot of people don't seem to like that game. I've never played it myself but I saw it advertised on some Anime VHS my brother had and the music has stuck with me ever since. Also, being a professional 3D artist now I always get a kick out of seeing old school 3D stuff like this.  
     
      
      Back in the day when even pre-rendered 3D didn't have bump-maps o_O    
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