Syndicate: Bio-chips, corporate warfare, Skrillex, oh my.





Syndicate is not Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Syndicate is Syndicate, and that's okay. It's really not fair to compare the two, but I'm going to entertain it because it's bothering me. It's also because there are too many similarities to ignore. Don't misconstrue these similarities as Starbreeze Studios (Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay and Chronicles of Riddick: Assaullt On Dark Athena)  "ganking" DE:HR. The similarities lie only in setting and certain themes.

Both games are visually and thematically identical, just replace trans-humanism with humans embedded with bio-chips,  hardcore corporate espionage with full blown corporate warfare, and Adam Jensen with Miles Kilo. They're also fundamentally different from a gameplay perspective.

Syndicate is a superior shooter in almost every regard because it is a traditional FPS, through and through. Syndicate does try to emulate the cool praxis point system that was in DE to an extent, only it isn't nearly as robust or well designed. It serves little or no purpose in the game, while the praxis point system was basically the entire foundation of how your character played in DE.

The similarities are hard to ignore, especially in the narrative. Both tiltes tend to paint this very bleak future where corporations will be exceptionally greedy and evil, but Syndicate goes in a darker direction. While Deus Ex flirted with moral grey areas and ethics, Syndicate creates a world where corporations are the governing bodies of the world.

I'll break this down really easy for you. It's 2069 and companies are at war with each other in a massive power struggle. The world population has exploded, and to garner control, companies implanted chips into the general populace. Those who can't afford to be chipped are relegated to the pit of the underworld. You are an agent employed by Eurocorp, and it's your job to preserve the good of the company. The parameters? Execute objectives by any means necessary.



The world as Miles Kilo sees it. The DART 6 bio-chip opens up countless ways to dispatch your enemies. Usually ending in some grisly scene where people scream, bleed a lot, and explode.  

Sure it's a bit cliche, but I still go gaga for these sci-fi bits. DE:HR has a richer story to tell, but what sets Syndicate apart is its creative approach to a genre where players have seen it all. Syndicate may be an FPS, and finding imaginative or creative ways of making another FPS exciting is difficult. That being said, Starbreeze Studios did a phenomenal job of making Syndicate stand apart with some really ingenious gameplay elements.

The DART 6 gives you some insane ways to dispatch your enemies. It allows you to hack into enemy chip sets compelling them to do things that they have no control over. For example, say you're in a situation where you have three enemies firing at you, you have the ability have the guns backfire on enemies. This gives you time to turn on the slo-mo function (which has been done to death, but it's still so cool) and pick your shots. This is one of the more timid take down methods, the rest are incredibly violent.

The suicide and persuade functions are really where it's at. You can literally get into the heads of your enemies and have them take themselves out while taking out their team in the process. I loved how the DART 6 system worked seamlessly within combat. You could be in the middle of an insane firefight (which happens every five minutes) , and DART 6 works on the fly.




Low on ammo? Time to get creative. Use the persuade option to get covering fire from one of the grunts, and then get in close and snap a few necks to get ammo. Activate the backfire function to buy the time you need to plant a few rounds in the last couple of grunts. Remember the guy you used persuade on? Don't worry, once he's served his purpose he'll turn the gun on himself. Like a boss.

The DART 6 system has a lot to do with why I really enjoyed Syndicate. It's an  unique addition to a title that would otherwise be your run-of-the-mill shooter. The action is so satisfying in Syndicate not only because of DART 6, but sharp AI as well. The action can get overwhelming at times, requiring players to think on their feet. Enemies are well-organized, constantly flanking you as they ruthlessly attack you.

Syndicate isn't doing anything terribly new from a narrative standpoint, however, it does break some new ground with the DART 6 system. Syndicate is a gratifying experience (making an enemy pull a grenade on himself and running into his teammates never gets old.) due in large part to Starbreeze Studios creative approach to a genre that many feel has run stagnant.