This just in: Syndicate sucks

[pipka]

No.

 

[Aldebaran]

Whenever I see things like massive bloom effects, hilarious eye adjustment for light levels, and head bobbing while running, I have to wonder whether the developers have ever actually ventured into the outside world. Either they have never been outside, or they are counting on their audience never having left the basement.

Since this is EA, it is safe to assume that the developers have never even seen a tree, except, maybe, from the wellness posters lining the concrete walls of the complex. The closest they have gotten to experiencing wildlife is the mice in "Who Moved My Cheese?"

I love how the game confirms that what you are seeing is, in fact, a chair. Meanwhile, things that are important to your occupation, like bulletholes and blood spatter, go unnoticed.

 

[potatojohn]

Well that's what you get when the masses expect improved graphics and your target platform was outdated 7 years ago.

But at least it doesn't have a shit+piss filter like some games...

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Shit + Piss = Green.

I get it. Waddya say to that, SkyGreen?

 

[pipka]

Ok, guys, visually it sucks. What about options? Can you turn bloom/HDR/etc off?
And how are the gameplay and the sound?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Ok, guys, visually it sucks. What about options? Can you turn bloom/HDR/etc off?
And how are the gameplay and the sound?

Now that I played, I think some of these screens are a bit exaggerating. If you look directly into a light/neon source, then yes, you get that effect. Overall it's not that bad.

There aren't that many options available, apart from Res, AA, RGB6/16 and some other worthless shit. Good news is the game runs very smooth. Constant 60 fps even in heated battles with VSynch turned on.

Sound is very good.

Overall, the game is good for what it is. It has the typical no-nonsense Starbreeze vibe to it, that means it's bloody, gory, and the combat has a satisfactory punch to it. AI is better than most FPS out there, alas, it doesn't have any stealth elements, and the 3 different breach mechanics could have been used more creatively in conjunction with the level design.
Still, if you like Starbreeze games, it's recommendable. www.intkeys.com has it for a good price, if your're fag, I heard TPB offers it even cheaper.

Haven't tried multiplayer yet.

 

[Kaol]

Its a boring cover shooter.

I played a couple of hours and gave up.

Shit story shit gameplay shit graphics shit sound.

 

[Astral Rag]

EA: Syndicate reboot as FPS "the right choice"



"Lars echoed Gamon's comment about Syndicate being new for most modern gamers.
"They might have heard of it, but most people haven't played it," he said. "We wanted to cater to those people also, to everyone. I'd rather make a really good game for our players and make them really enjoy it, than just make a copy of an old game with updated graphics. That's not that super fun for either the end user or us. That game already exists."

He pointed to the job Bethesda faced making Fallout 3, which caused controversy among hardcore Fallout fans for going first-person.
"I remember Fallout 3 also had the same thing. It is kind of forgotten now because it was great. Almost everyone liked it. There's always a few…

"We make it good on its own merits, then we take the universe, the setting, the cyberpunk, and really be true to the original Syndicate, and that's it. "

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-27-ea-syndicate-reboot-as-fps-the-right-choice

 

[Phelot]

Are there at least loads of civilians to be killed?

 

[MetalCraze]

But at least it doesn't have a shit+piss filter like some games...

You mean

Dat shitpiss filter where is it

 

[Cassidy]

The new "Syndicate" is a sad piece of shit. Another piece of shit I won't ever try.

I see this thread is now about bashing ArmA III screenshots to troll skyway

 

[Dr.Faust]

I'd rather make a really good game for our players and make them really enjoy it, than just make a copy of an old game with updated graphics. That's not that super fun for either the end user or us. That game already exists.

But call of duty also already exists, which happens to be exactly like this game, except you have to hold down E for a rhythm minigame during combat. Even the plot is goddamn stupid. You do some jobs for your syndicate, learn of a rebellion and like it or not you'll end up helping the rebels against the EVIL corporations! The main character also has a short moment of reflection after a certain boss fight where he weeps for all the poor souls he has killed, then it's back to killing. The gameplay itself is way too easy even on hard since you have a near infinite supply of bullet time that increases your damage, makes you take less damage and with the right upgrade adds a ridiculous amount of health regen. The only time you'll die are the hilariously bad, dubstep accompanied, gangsta style enemy agents where you have to memorize a pattern by trial and error.

As if the game wasn't bad enough this also happens to be one of those very shitty and rushed console ports. Barely any graphics options, absolutely horrible puke inducing mouse accelerations, no binding anything to "rare" buttons like mouse 4 or 5 and terrible menus.

Avoid at all cost.

 

[pipka]

But ArmA's aren't even games!

 

[Achilles]

Why not? You have a set of objectives, you try to accomplish them, right? What makes Arma so different than other games?

 

[Shannow]

Why not? You have a set of objectives, you try to accomplish them, right? What makes Arma so different than other games?

Talk other games down and skyway will agree with you.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

What makes Arma so different than other games?

Games are fun, ARMA is not.

 

[potatojohn]

It's like saying Photoshop is a game because you have an objective and try to accomplish it. Neither photoshop nor ArmA are games.

 

[zeitgeist]

like it or not you'll end up helping the rebels against the EVIL corporations!

Seriously? They really went there?

 

[Oriebam]

I'd rather make a really good game for our players and make them really enjoy it, than just make a copy of an old game with updated graphics. That's not that super fun for either the end user or us. That game already exists.

But call of duty also already exists which happens to be exactly like this game, except you have to hold down E for a rhythm minigame during combat. Even the plot is goddamn stupid. You do some jobs for you syndicate, learn of a rebellion and like it or not you'll end up helping the rebels against the EVIL corporations! The main character also has a short moment of reflection after a certain boss fight where he weeps for all the poor souls he has killed, then it's back to killing. The gameplay itself is way too easy even on hard since you have a near infinite supply of bullet time that increases your damage, makes you take less damage and with the right upgrade adds a ridiculous amount of health regen. The only time you'll die are the hilariously bad, dubstep accompanied, gangsta style enemy agents where you have to memorize a pattern by trial and error.

As if the game wasn't bad enough this also happens to be one of those very shitty and rushed console ports. Barely any graphics options, absolutely horrible puke inducing mouse accelerations, no binding anything to "rare" buttons like mouse 4 or 5 and terrible menus.

Avoid at all cost.

 

[MetalCraze]

Why not? You have a set of objectives, you try to accomplish them, right? What makes Arma so different than other games?

It requires teamwork and patience.
That's why games are fun, ARMA is not.

 

[villain of the story]

Assassin's Creed, which was basically Prince of Persia meets GTA

That's a gross oversimplification and one that I think is unfair. Conceptually and technically, AC is one of the most pushing games/series in recent years without indulging too much in graphics whorism. Not kidding. Huge cities. Fluent crowd behaviour. Streamlined platforming that works like icing on the cake so that the challenge or fun isn't meticulous platforming itself but a navigational and environmental puzzle of sort without bogging the player down with controls. A great combat concept that is sadly simplified by title. Great fucking animation quality. Easily one of the best in AAA games, which usually suck anyhow. Great navigational AI. They can reach your spot through any location, through the best route available to each one of them without getting tied up in ridiculous pathfinding loops. Fun game mechanics and reward dynamics (until it gets repeated ad nauseam and stop being fun). PoP meets GTA oversimplifies what the series really are. It is far more intense and rich than GTA and more gameplay oriented than PoP (which is more like a specialised platforming game). Especially AC2, takes everything good in the first game and boldly pushes it forward.

In hindsight, it covered lot of new ground for other developers to explore. Imagine a AC RPG with actual sandbox adventuring, questing. Maybe I am the one exaggerating but I see it as one of few modern series that made gaming feel fresh and exciting again. There is no other contemporary AAA game that gives you the same amount of emergence and environmental freedom. People who made the series obviously did it knowing what the fuck they were doing and that's more than you can say for most games out there.

 

[Peter]

Assassin's Creed, which was basically Prince of Persia meets GTA

That's a gross oversimplification and one that I think is unfair. Conceptually and technically, AC is one of the most pushing games/series in recent years without indulging too much in graphics whorism. Not kidding. Huge cities. Fluent crowd behaviour. Streamlined platforming that works like icing on the cake so that the challenge or fun isn't meticulous platforming itself but a navigational and environmental puzzle of sort without bogging the player down with controls.

Sounds like the Awesome Button to me.

The rest of your points are more or less solid, but none of the technical aspects can save it from being a turd. The combat sucks, the missions are mostly fetch quests or straight up fighting missions, stealth is practically nonexistent, combat is atrocious, and the games are way, way, way too easy all in all.

Nothing you say will change the fact that AC felt extremely boring and frustrating for me. Play The Saboteur if you want to see the AC formula done right (that game has it's fair share of problems as well, but at least it's fun).

 

[villain of the story]

In a purer platforming title like Tomb Raider or PoP, challenge itself is developing the skill to overcome the hazards of the environment, ie. platforming itself. In AC, it's memorising layouts, knowing routes, where crowds gather the most and hiding spots -which aren't even insta-win because if guards see you, it won't work- and using all of these in a puzzle-like gameplay. Nothing to do with Awesome Button. Entirely different scope. It may not be everyone's thing.

It only sucks because it is too easy and got easier by each installment. I personally like the combat model a lot, it reminds me of Gothic 1/2. Also generally realistic and very satisfying. Its real flaw is HP-scumming of the player, being too easy and the AI getting dumber in each game. It was hardest in AC1 as multiple opponents could strike you simultaneously and you could get fucked fast. By AssBro and AssRev, the game had become abysmal. In fact, I tried to get myself killed and failed at it in AssBro! Still, it's the fault of the console design, not the core combat model. Except for jump-killing people from impossible heights with the wrist blade, I guess.

Also, whatever bit of stealth is in AC is already better than a lot of RPGs. NPCs react to sound, your state (walking, walking fast, running, sprinting), line of sight works well and the game has hiding spots of various types, that aren't instant-win buttons, the likes of which RPGs don't even have anything beyond a basic binary is sneaking/not sneaking check with respect to lighting conditions.

For me, the first game was an exercise at boredom and repetition with great ideas but I loved every bit of AC2 and parts of AssBro. AssRev was kind of meh, though. I think the series is begging to be made into an RPG.

But whatever, it obviously isn't for everyone. I haven't played Saboteur, though.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

AC was pretty much shit. AC2 had potential but was still shit. Never bothered with all these other spin-offs.

It just seems a total waste to me to create all these huge environments and landscapes so just you jump from point A to point B. This is basically how (semi) open-world is done wrong - because it's still linear as shit but only gives you the illusion of an open world.

Fallout NV is how open-world is done right. It gives you reward opportunities for people that explore. AC has no such a thing.

As for Syndicate, played through it. It's definitely Starbreeze's weakest game, story is utter bullshit, but overall the game is still better than your typical NorthAmerican developed Shootah.

 

[GarfunkeL]

I fucking hate modern gamers with a passion. From Eurogamer comments:

P.S.​

The other difficulties available in the full game are Hard & Expert: no Easy mode.​

HOW FUCKING RETARDED DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO MAKE A COMMENT LIKE THAT?

After playing the demo in co-op last night we were all impressed with how hard and fun it was ​

​

was a worthy challenge and the AI was pretty bloody crafty at flanking you and moving around not just taking cover over and over again like some other games.​

HAVE YOU ACTUALLY PLAYED ANY CHALLENGING GAMES AT ALL?

I'm gonna be the pansy wuss and moan that I hope its not too hard though- I have a hard enough life as it is, and I don't want to flail my way through a game- I just wanna sit down and enjoy the experience. From what I've heard though, its not silly, so it should be alright.

HOW ABOUT KILLING YOURSELF? THAT WOULDN'T BE TOO HARD NOW, WOULD IT?