As worst-kept secrets in the industry go, few secrets have been worse-kept than that of EA's upcoming Syndicate remake. Between leaked copyright filings, constant rumors of Swedish developer Starbreeze handling the project, and EA actually leaking the project's existence over the weekend by accidentally posting details to its own Origin service, it's safe to say that everyone saw this one coming.
But much as one might feign shock during a spoiled surprise birthday party, just so as not to disappoint their significant other who spent so much time putting this whole thing together and then just inadvertently left one of the party invites sitting around on the kitchen table for you to find, let's all sit here and pretend we're really surprised and shocked that EA today announced that it is, in fact, remaking Syndicate, with developer Starbreeze on board to turn the former tactical-strategy franchise into a first-person shooter. Seriously, look surprised, or EA's PR people are going to start sobbing again.
According to the press release, this new Syndicate doesn't sound too far off from its cyberpunk predecessors, taking place in a "Machiavellian society" in the year 2069 full of corporations running rampant over a government-less landscape. The three dominant corporations--Eurocorp, Cayman Global, and Aspari--are constantly jockeying for control of a world where everything is digitally interconnected, including its people.
Players will be able to take advantage of a specialized microchip technology that allows them to slow down time and "breach the digital world around them to take down their foes using a variety of upgradable hacking mechanics." As an added bonus, Syndicate will also feature a four-player co-op mode, with reworked versions of missions from the original Syndicate.
If there is one detail of some surprise to be found in this announcement, it's that Syndicate is currently set for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in early 2012. That is, as you may know, soon.
I am happy now
Finally accepting the worst kept "secret"!
@fatalflame said:
If you can call "remade as an FPS" back.
I hope it will be good =)
I doubt this will any of the stuff that made the original great.
Much like X-Com the first person nature of all these remakes puts me off a bit, but not so much that I won't give it a chance. Where my isometric games at?
Starbreeze are pretty alright.
Looking forward to another Starbreeze game, regardless of the title. Those guys have a track record of treating licences properly.
That logo could really use some V-Sync...
Starbreeze is a good developer.
Don't know what the point in resurrecting old forgotten IP in the form of a shooter is all the rage (eg. Shadowrun, XCOM, Syndicate). Why bother? Why not start fresh if the people who liked the original are not your audience?
The swedes know how to make striking shooters.
Remaking it as a First-Person Shooter... with time-slowing mechanics? Hmmm.
I wonder if they announced a "throwback" isometric 3D remake (much in the same vein as the Bionic Commando Rearmed vs. Bionic Commando games) if they'd also be better received than the "full" 3D revamp.
this is just boring. ANOTHER FPS remake. *yawn*. I might not even rent this. I'm THAT bummed.
Lol gotta love all the pointless hate with mockups to Deus Ex HR,but the game came out just few weeks ago.
Even though the release date is surprisingly soon Starbreeze stuff never let me down.