We'll Be Playing Rebooted Syndicate Sooner Than You Think

It is refreshing to see a game coming out that isn't announced 12 years in advance.

@Cybexx: I feel like there's a slight difference in that for the most part Rockstar's games seem to generate their own hype. Or I guess the players do it for them. After all anyone interested in a new GTA doesn't need six months or more of advertising and media releases in order to know they'll have a look. With Syndicate though we have a game that went rapidly from rumour to close release date.

Thinking about it though I could really get on board with this. I'm so used to protracted lead-in's that this looks suspicious as I said before but in terms of actual time to engage potential buyers and let us know what the game is all about, it should be fine shouldn't it?

If its coming out in February that is pretty cool. I like when games can have short PR cycles, Rockstar is pretty good for this. As opposed to doing so much PR that by the time the game actually comes out you have a launch trailer full of late game spoilers and daily trailers about the merits of each weapon.

@ryanwho: Have to agree. For me it boils down to the question is the IP worth it? And by that I mean either it has something going for it that will draw in the public's interest, which begs the question of why you are radically changing the fundamental gameplay, or it isn't...in which case why are we resurrecting a 20 year old IP?

While another argument could be made that if the fans want the original game why not play the original game, I'd say I didn't even KNOW I wanted another Street Fighter and now Mortal Kombat (let alone Starcraft) but here we are updated with some modern tech to boot without radically changing things. I'm not particularly perturbed by the changes, as you say the cold equations of the market are at work here, but it kinda bums me out that a Syndicate or other similar games now with online co-op or other modern trappings probably won't be made.

Though that said, I believe the announcement DID make mention of some type of co-op so a squad might be a part of the gameplay.

@Meatsim: I'm more of a fan of just dropping games on us given most of the times it's just long waits with the periodic trailers or demos, but yeah while they've definitely been working on this for a while given the rumors for years, that we know almost nothing about such a relatively random new offering from a franchise from the early 90's seems a bit troubling.

@Tylea002: Ugh - yes annoying and unnessesary.

The game is coming out that soon with very little marketing is really suspicious.

Under the radar! Like a ninja stealth assassin.

Wait. Like a CYBER stealth ninja assassin.

I really like that cyberpunks seems to have a comeback in games.

Are more details on the from public, specifically coop? Man, I'd love four player coop in that context.

@SiN13 said:

With it being a FPS game now, I worry that it being released this soon it will be perceived as a retread of what Deus Ex just delivered.

WTF it's an FPS? No way. What a pathetic joke.

@gregoryc said:

@ryanwho said:

@myslead said:

X-Com... Syndicate...

Jagged Alliance FPS coming up next ?

Probably. They also turned Front Mission into a shooter thing. "They" did it. The people who turn things into shooters. Blame Fallout 3.

Hey, Fallout 3 was amazing, I'd imagine you might agree. I don't enjoy the idea of old IP's becoming shooters either, but if old licenses are being developed by studios today, publishers want to know that was is being created will sell - it happens to be that shooters have been the hottest genre for many years.

Fallout 3 was good. But the lesson people seemed to learn from it is, inexplicably, "revive a tactical RPG franchise, turn it into a shooter". It was fine for Fallout because Fallout's combat was kind of clunky. The part of Fallout people really gravitated to was the world and your impact, that stayed in tact. But Front Mission and XCOM are fan favorites largely because of the mechanics in the combat systems, so those choices are a bit stranger. Syndicate is one of those games people mostly like for the world so maybe it'll fair better and maybe it makes more sense. But as a fan of turn based strategy and strategy in general, this whole trend is a massive bummer. I don't want a Fire Emblem that looks like Skyrim or an Advance Wars that looks like Battlefield.

I get that the alternative here is probably either "we make this Syndicate that trends toward popular tropes of modern games or we don't make a Syndicate". So in that sense, this is better than nothing because making a proper Syndicate is probably not even on the table. But still. Like, I can't even figure how this game would work in first person. Is it Rainbow Six now or do you lose the party completely? I guess maybe they're like Fallout companions now? Idunno.

For people who don't have an attachment to the original games mentioned itt, I would ask you to imagine if "Starcraft:Ghost", the cancelled first person game, happened. And then Blizzard decided that was actually what Starcraft would be from then on. That would kinda bum some people out, right? Plenty of people like the gameplay the IP is known for and would prefer that over gameplay that's extremely common, more common by the month.

Starbreeze!

This really seemed like one of those threads where you'd expect that at least one person on the first page of comments to say something to the effect of "I think I just pooped a little".

I'm going to wait for Cartel by Paradox Interactive instead.

"update" ???

c'mon Patrick I thought better of you

@Milkman said:

The fact that it's coming out so soon is a little worrisome.

Its been in development for years though.

Hey EA, how about System Shock next?

@myslead:Funny you'd ask that.

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action.

Though, sorry. It doesn't actually appear to be an FPS.

Slated for Q1 2012 though!

@gregoryc said:

@ryanwho said:

@myslead said:

X-Com... Syndicate...

Jagged Alliance FPS coming up next ?

Probably. They also turned Front Mission into a shooter thing. "They" did it. The people who turn things into shooters. Blame Fallout 3.

Hey, Fallout 3 was amazing, I'd imagine you might agree. I don't enjoy the idea of old IP's becoming shooters either, but if old licenses are being developed by studios today, publishers want to know that was is being created will sell - it happens to be that shooters have been the hottest genre for many years.

Most people who are arguing against these remakes already know this. They're just pointing it out for what it is. Saying, "Well, money," is tantamount to agreeing with them. Also, Fallout 3 wasn't a FPS.

For fuck's sake, I thought we couldn't rape ANY series more after Close Combat: First to Fight or Commandos: Strike Force.

I'm waiting for a Combat Mission cover-based shooter set in the distant future. Motherfuckers.

Every copy of the game comes with a built in Persuadertron - all your friends end up buying copies, everyone loves the game.

The fact that it's coming out so soon is a little worrisome.

@Roger778 said:

@Atom: I'm pretty sure this is a Stand-alone game, so you don't need to worry about it. It's not an expansion to Deus Ex Human Revolution.

lol I know. I was just being a smartass

I loved the old Syndicate games, and kinda enjoyed both The Darkness And Escape From Butcher Bay, but still, this reboot feels weird. Granted, X-COM still takes the cake.

@ryanwho said:

@myslead said:

X-Com... Syndicate...

Jagged Alliance FPS coming up next ?

Probably. They also turned Front Mission into a shooter thing. "They" did it. The people who turn things into shooters. Blame Fallout 3.

Hey, Fallout 3 was amazing, I'd imagine you might agree. I don't enjoy the idea of old IP's becoming shooters either, but if old licenses are being developed by studios today, publishers want to know that was is being created will sell - it happens to be that shooters have been the hottest genre for many years.

Quite shocked at how close the release date is given that I haven't even seen any video of this game in action and only screen shots. Unless EA start marketing this game now it might fall under people's radar and hurt the sales which would be a shame since Starbreeze are a talented studio and deserve the attention.

Back in the day, there was nothing quite like setting a bunch of dudes on fire with the flamethrower.

@august: I remember it being leaked that Starbreeze were working on reboots for both Syndicate AND Road Rash but don't quite remember if the term 'FPS' was mentioned in any way...

Starbreeze makes great first person games, so I'm always looking forward to their next joint.

Eh. I don't really see this as being as egregious as the XCOM reboot, anymore. As long as there's a varied mission structure and the ability to enhance yourself, and if you're expanding the aims of your Syndicate on a world-wide scale.

A FPS? Copycat.

@august said:

More serious cyberpunk is good no matter the context.

Amen.

I've had mere passing experience with the original Syndicate games, mostly watching my older brother waste hours over the first game to much fascination, but even I must admit to being suspicious of EA's motives behind this reboot, as if it was a hasty decision they made observing 2k's own plans with reviving X-Com--sorry, XCOM--or the market reaction 'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' got? Or maybe both? Regardless, I Am curious since this IS Starbreeze we're talking about, and given their brief but rock-solid track record I'm expecting 'Syndicate' to be quite good...!

Chronicles of Riddick was one of my favorite games in terms of atmosphere. Didn't dig the Darkness as much.

I hope if this game crashes and burns that some executive doesn't turn around and say, "Hey, there was just no market for a Syndicate game." Of course would be, if you spent the proper amount of time developing it and figuring out what it was about the first one people so enjoyed. That's not to say this game will necessarily be terrible, but given the stupidly short amount of time between announcement and release, I'm going to venture that this isn't exactly what EA considers a front-runner for GOTY 2012.

Well this is unexpected.

More serious cyberpunk is good no matter the context.

Is this stand alone or do I need to have Deus Ex:HR installed to play it?

@patrickklepek: I'm gonna be the annoying guy and say you said "fare" instead of "far."

That over: Isn't that like, a very very short cycle from announcement to relase? But then this game's been 'rumoured' forever!

haha all we need now is a fallout fps!

well, shit...

@Crash_Happy: I had the same thought. Electronics Arts use short announcement-to-release windows for downloadable games or box games that are sent out to die. EA's Create comes to mind.

@WilliamHenry: Yeah that's certainly true. I saw Rage being advertised on TV several months ago and was agog. I mean, who the flip is that advert aimed at? I always assumed, stupidly apparently, that anyone interested enough to pay attention to an advert that far out probably already knew about it.

Anyway until they get some sort of content out for Syndicate I think the odds are against it being any good. Changed to an FPS, zero media released, and as pointed out... No trench coats!

Write your congressman!

@Vitor: I hope you're right.

With it being a FPS game now, I worry that it being released this soon it will be perceived as a retread of what Deus Ex just delivered.

@myslead said:

X-Com... Syndicate...

Jagged Alliance FPS coming up next ?

Probably. They also turned Front Mission into a shooter thing. "They" did it. The people who turn things into shooters. Blame Fallout 3.

@WilliamHenry said:

@Crash_Happy said:

Actually one would wonder if it's any good since they have failed to market it all yet.

Yea, that could be a red flag but I hope its more of them not wanting to market a game forever than the game being bad. I kid of like having a game come out like 6 months after its announced. Waiting years and years for a game is a bummer.

Starbreeze have a pretty awesome track record so far - even if the company has changed internally a lot recently. I'm hopeful.

Woooooo!

X-Com... Syndicate...

Jagged Alliance FPS coming up next ?

@Crash_Happy said:

Actually one would wonder if it's any good since they have failed to market it all yet.

Yea, that could be a red flag but I hope its more of them not wanting to market a game forever than the game being bad. I kid of like having a game come out like 6 months after its announced. Waiting years and years for a game is a bummer.

Don't know why this first person thing is being called Syndicate, but it could be an interesting game anyway despite taking a name from an IP it clearly has no connection to.

Actually one would wonder if it's any good since they have failed to market it all yet.