This game has seriously grabbed me in a way that I did not expect at all. I like dubstep. I like dystopian cyberpunk futures. I like shooting dudes in the face. Thus, I was kind of bound to enjoy Syndicate. But something about this game, it's... inexplicably satisfying. For some reason, just every detail about this game is clicking with me. The movement, the intuitive (and more importantly, functional) cover mechanic, the satisfying feel of the weapons in game. Everything about this game just feels incredibly right. The single player experience was a little lacking and did feel like it got rushed towards an undeserved conclusion at the end that really solves nothing, but it's pretty forgivable and not anywhere in the realm of offensive, especially when put in to direct comparison to the multiplayer mode.

Syndicate's Co-op mode is the first time in about six months that I've played a multiplayer game and didn't mind jumping in with random quick match players. Maybe it's the way that the game rewards you tremendously for operating in a support role as well as an aggressive role, but playing with three other people just feels like an incredibly satisfying experience. With the combat being snappy and brutal, ripping through waves of enemies with a few other people feels incredibly satisfying, especially if you get a crew that is diverse in their application set and familiar with the maps. It reminds me of how I used to play Rainbow Six games with friends, except that instead of being grueling and strict, Syndicate seems to encourage wanton experimentation, discovering what the most ideal way is to handle any given situation while also giving you the tools and support you need to be able to adapt and roll with any punches or curves that the game throws at you.

And for some reason, I just find the HUD and the overlay, particularly in the singleplayer, to be really cool. I like how just walking in to a room, the DART chip just immediately scans and identifies everything in the room, from "Wrench" to "Wire" to "Hobo". It all felt incredibly busy and initially was a bit of a turnoff. After sinking a little more time into Syndicate, it all felt rather natural while being oddly profound and unique while thinking about why and how it works, within the context of the game. For some reason I just looked around my house and was thinking, 'man, it'd be nice to have a little overlay like that in day to day life'. I wish I had a better way to define that right now but it's disgustingly early in the morning and I'm putting in some work in a Syndicate wiki overhaul and I want to go to bed.

More Syndicate tomorrow.