It's an immutable law that when old gaming veterans gather together to shoot the breeze and tell misty-eyed tales of the games of yore, one of the titles that always crops up is Syndicate.
Peter Molyneux's action-strategy outing was a compelling tale of sinister corporations, cyborg agents and isometric perfection and was one of a number of mid-nineties masterpieces which established Bullfrog as one of the world's premier development houses.
Well, wonder no more as fortunately our colleagues over at Edge-Online are running a huge feature on the making of the game, with interviews from the original team members and some great insight and info on the shaping of a classic.
Learn, for example, how Syndicate, was once known as Cyber Assault, how the idea for the game took shape over a liquid lunch and how designer Sean Cooper foreswore booze and girls for the duration in favour of weekend multiplayer testing sessions (we're all for dedication, but that's surely taking things too far).
Well worth a read in our view and feel free to drop your own misty-eyed memories of the Syndicate experience in our comments field below. Syndicate came a little too early for CVG, but you can check out the review to successor Syndicate Wars review by clicking here.
Absolutely LOVED this game. Syndicate Wars was amazing as well.
It's weird, I remember playing on the Amiga for hours on end with my brother and always coming back for more (back in the days of limited continues, none of this rechargeable health nonsense). But even AAA titles today just don't seem to have that longevity anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic?
Absolutely LOVED this game. Syndicate Wars was amazing as well.
It's weird, I remember playing on the Amiga for hours on end with my brother and always coming back for more (back in the days of limited continues, none of this rechargeable health nonsense). But even AAA titles today just don't seem to have that longevity anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic?
They don't make games like this no more!
You are correct. They do not make games like this anymore. You can thank the playstation generation for that.... "If it is not an FPS with blood and swearing then it is not worth playing"
This game is possibly the coolest game ever made. It oozed cool from every pixel.
I really hope that the remake is a faithful one and not another generic FPS!
Absolutely LOVED this game. Syndicate Wars was amazing as well.
It's weird, I remember playing on the Amiga for hours on end with my brother and always coming back for more (back in the days of limited continues, none of this rechargeable health nonsense). But even AAA titles today just don't seem to have that longevity anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic?
They don't make games like this no more!
Definitely awesome games. I'm hoping EA will one day release them on XBLA/PSN. No need to touch up the graphics and sound, just release them please!
I'd love to see a remake or just a version of the original released for Live or PSN but please for the love of god offer mouse and keyboard controls!!!!!!
I'm a massive fan of RTS's but as my laptop is very underpowered i've not played one in years. No matter what they do control wise they just DO NOT work on a console controller.
Absolutely LOVED this game. Syndicate Wars was amazing as well.
It's weird, I remember playing on the Amiga for hours on end with my brother and always coming back for more (back in the days of limited continues, none of this rechargeable health nonsense). But even AAA titles today just don't seem to have that longevity anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic?
They don't make games like this no more!
Definitely awesome games. I'm hoping EA will one day release them on XBLA/PSN. No need to touch up the graphics and sound, just release them please!
You can download Syndicate Wars (PSone version) from the PSN, either on its own (I think) or as part of the EA REPLAY collection that also includes Desert Strike, Road Rash and Ultima. I am currently playing it on my PSP.
Absolutely LOVED this game. Syndicate Wars was amazing as well.
It's weird, I remember playing on the Amiga for hours on end with my brother and always coming back for more (back in the days of limited continues, none of this rechargeable health nonsense). But even AAA titles today just don't seem to have that longevity anymore. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic?
They don't make games like this no more!
Definitely awesome games. I'm hoping EA will one day release them on XBLA/PSN. No need to touch up the graphics and sound, just release them please!
You can download Syndicate Wars (PSone version) from the PSN, either on its own (I think) or as part of the EA REPLAY collection that also includes Desert Strike, Road Rash and Ultima. I am currently playing it on my PSP.
It'll have to wait until I get a PS3 then! I'd prefer a port of the PC original, as the PS one was dumbed down on the strategy part. It was still a good game though.
I'd love to see a remake or just a version of the original released for Live or PSN but please for the love of god offer mouse and keyboard controls!!!!!!
I'm a massive fan of RTS's but as my laptop is very underpowered i've not played one in years. No matter what they do control wise they just DO NOT work on a console controller.
This game was brilliant! Some of my friends used to have an Amiga when we were kids and this game got a lot of play time.
Actually, last night I was having a nostalgic night showing my brother all the games we used to play on the Amiga: this, Moonstone, Tanx, Hunter, Myth, Alien Breed, F1, North & South, Crazy Football (AKA Brutal Sports Football), Cannon Fodder, Midnight Resistance (AKA Vindicator), Chaos Engine and more. What great times they were (sniff)...
We also laughed at the Mega Drive version of Rock 'n' Roll Racing. I used to have it on the SNES and I can't believe how bad the music is on the Sega version!
still in my top 5 games ever. totally amazing game, could replay some missions over and over to try different tactics, remember the end mission on the oil rig? total brick. remember playing through the game again recently and forgeting how hard it was! lets hope any new syndicate game does the old games justice, otherwise i may have to do an assassination mission myself.
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