Genre: First-person shooter
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Year: 2012
Platform: PlayStation 3
Syndicate is a reimagining of the 1993 tactical shooter of the same name, developed by Starbreeze Studios and released for PlayStation 3 in 2012. Unlike the original isometric strategy game by Bullfrog Productions, this version is a first-person shooter set in a dystopian cyberpunk future dominated by powerful megacorporations.
The game is set in the year 2069, where the world is no longer controlled by governments but by syndicates—giant corporations that use neural chip implants to control and enhance the human population. Players take on the role of Miles Kilo, an agent of Eurocorp, who is equipped with a prototype chip called Dart 6. This allows him to breach enemies’ minds, manipulate electronics, and slow down time during combat. The narrative explores themes of corporate warfare, surveillance, and bio-enhancement.
The gameplay combines traditional FPS elements with strategic abilities such as hacking, persuasion, and environmental manipulation. The single-player campaign features a linear story, while the multiplayer mode includes four-player online co-op missions inspired by the original Syndicate game. These co-op scenarios task players with completing objectives such as assassinations, data theft, and sabotage.
On PlayStation 3, Syndicate runs at 30 frames per second and supports stereoscopic 3D. It received mixed to positive reviews, with praise for its visual design, cyberpunk atmosphere, and inventive co-op gameplay, but some criticism for its story and relatively short single-player campaign.
