Review by Kim Randell for Computer and Video Games (CVG)
Phew. It's been a tough day. So far I've stolen one police car, blown up another, robbed a couple of banks, kidnapped two people and killed a skipload of gang members. And to what do I owe my new found bad-ass status? Bullfrog's Syndicate Wars, that's what. Set in a dark Cyberpunk future, the game is a mix of brain-stretching tactics and good old shoot 'em up which also gives the player the unique experience of playing a real dyed-in-the-wool baddie. Play this enough and Christopher Walken will cross the street to avoid you. Probably.
The world of the game is controlled by large criminal organisations (the 'syndicates' of the title), and the player's task is to guide a team of nasty Cyborg agents through a series of missions to further the Syndicate's evil plans. Sounds fun eh? Well, considering the agents are up against not only the police and - more frighteningly - other syndicates, the outlook is bleak to say the least.
The first step in Syndicate Wars is to choose which side to be on. Each side have their own selection of goals which involve a number of very 'sociable' activities. Theft, assassination, kidnapping and search-and-destroy missions are just some of the tasks which face the novice syndicate team. The city is viewed from an isometric perspective and the player must guide the team using either the joypad, or a combination of joypad in one hand and mouse in the other. Up to four players can control an agent each in a bid to take over the world together. But in the single-player game, agents can be selected to either run around as a group or go solo, and drugs can be used to make them mindless killing machines or sentries, so there's great depth to the control of the team. They all look good too, even though they might seem small at first, this is so the cities can look even greater in scale.
Each level is set in a different future city presented magnificently on the screen. The streets teem with innocent citizens and traffic in the form of hover cars. Buildings aren't all just uniform blocky towers either, there are a wide variety of structures giving the impression the action is going on in a real urban war zone. But what's the point having a great-looking level if you can't smash it up a little? While the cities may look suitably atmospheric before the mission starts proper, things really get going once the bullets and bombs start flying.
One of the coolest games ever created, this has everything you want from a shoot 'em up: plenty of groovy weapons, brilliantly detailed cyber-noir looking cities, and some complex tasks to complete. Oh, and bucketloads of (literally) explosive action. This is THE thinking man's shoot 'em up. Deliciously amoral fun. Go buy it. Right now.
Kim Randell