Syndicate Wars
Webpages concerning "Syndicate Wars"
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Wikipedia-Article "Syndicate Wars"
| Syndicate Wars | |
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| Developer(s) | Bullfrog Productions |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | |
| Engine | |
| Latest version | {{{version}}} |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre | Real time strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer (deathmatch) |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows 95), PlayStation |
| Media | CD |
| System requirements | |
| Input | |
'Syndicate Wars' is the third title in the Syndicate Series created by Bullfrog Productions in 1996. The final game in the series marked the transition to three dimensional landscape.
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Plot Overview
Syndicate Wars presents a rough sequel to the events in Syndicate. At the game's opening, the player-controlled syndicate Eurocorp is at the peak of its power (achieved in the previous game), an alliance of corporations controlling the world through a combination of military and economic power, and technological mind control. Corporate decisions are facilitated through a number of AI entities connected through a global communications network.
As the game opens, this totalitarian status quo is threatened by the emergence of armed insurrection by "unguided" persons (people not under the control of the AI network). The unguided appear frequently as elements in early missions, either as targets for assassination or as random antagonistic elements. Simultaneously, control of citizens is disrupted by the introduction of a virus named "Harbinger" into the global communications system, damaging mind-control implants and leaving citizens vulnerable to co-option. Viral damage to the global network causes disruption to Syndicate coordinations and at times necessitating direct intervention by the game's signature quartets of heavily armed agents.
The bulk of the game concerns the development of armed conflict between Eurocorp and the Church of the New Epoch, a church (led by a group called "The Nine") seeking to undermine the world rule by corporations in favor of subjecting its paritioners to its own particular varieties of mind control. As insurrections take hold, the player is also obliged to conduct missions to control rogue elements within the syndicate itself, as various sub-corporations change allegiances or make bids for independence.
The ironic parallels between the objectives of Church of the New Epoch and the original Eurocorp syndicate itself are abundantly clear throughout the game, and indeed the game can be played from the point of view of the Church itself to similar ends.
Interface
Syndicate Wars preserves the isometric view of Syndicate, while adding rotation and pitch controls over the view. Control over one's agents (or acolytes, when playing as the Church) is largely the same as the previous syndicate games. Agents may be commanded singly or in groups, with simple instructions to assume positions, pursue or attack NPCs, collect items, etc. Agents may be set to behave passively, acting only when commanded, or to react to threats through control of brain and adrenal functions (the effectiveness of this autonomous operation may be improved over the course of the game through cybernetic brain upgrades, amongst others).
Notably, the player has access to view the entire area of the game map for a level on first entering it; an area of the map need not be "seen" by the physical characters for its terrain and events to be known. This often allows the player to formulate a strategy and plan routes through the map. Consequently, the player generally has a good idea of the forces opposing him or her before starting the level, aside from cases where opposing elements were previously concealed in vehicles, buildings, etc. The armament of those forces, however, is generally known only by comparison to other recently-encountered forces.
Tactics
The relatively simplistic combat mechanics of Syndicate Wars do not provide much scope for sophistication in infantry tactics. Combat tactics in the game are usually centered around maneuvering to attack small portions (ideally one or two agents) of the opposing force at a time, with intervals in between for regeneration of health, body shield strength and ammunition energy by one's own agents. With only four controllable agents, the player's own forces are almost always outnumbered, and hence most combat strategy is simply a matter of possessing superior weaponry while avoiding confrontation with large numbers of enemies simultaneously.
In some instances, use of terrain can be significant, such as when attempting to approach a target while remaining immune to long-range small arms fire, or when attempting to ensure an open field of engagement in which to use area of effect weapons.
Weapons
The selection of weapons in Syndicate Wars are quite similar to those in the previous games, being principally an array of small arms weapons. Picking up where Syndicate left off, the weapon of choice for the early game is the minigun, chosen for good range and damage properites. As other weapons are encountered in the game they may be passed to one's research and development teams for productization (any enemy weapon captured may be used immediately and carried into future missions, but must be productized before more copies can be purchased or to reduce the energy cost of using it.)
Most of the landscape in Syndicate Wars is destructible in the face of explosive weapons, most notably high explosive charges which can be used to destroy buildings (for example, when robbing banks to secure capital), and orbital bombardment from armed satellites.
The Persuadertron from the first game also re-appears, now with two models. Persuadertrons are hand-held mind control devices which enslave persons neaby. "Persuaded" persons follow the agent holding the persuadertron until one or the other is killed. They will also collect dropped weapons and fight on behalf of the persuadertron's wielder, albeit with limited effectiveness. Many missions involve the use of this device to abduct scientists or executives friendly to opposing factions in the syndicate. In many cases, persons persuaded become available to the player as research scientists or agents. The range and effectiveness of the persuadertron varies with the brain-implant sophistication of the agent wielding it, and the number of persons already persuaded at the time.
Vehicles
A number of ground vehicles appear in Syndicate Wars, stylistically similar to those found in Syndicate; these differ in durability, but all have essentially unlimited personnel capacity (for the player's agents and persuaded persons). The game adds a series of flying vehicles as well in some missions, which are used as antagonists and may be captured for use by the player.
Missions
Most missions in Syndicate Wars adopt one or two basic motifs of action -- assassination, persuasion, etc. These motifs are, as in the original Syndicate, often explicit in the player's mission orders.
Combined with the background story presented for each, most missions further the basic plot as the confrontation between Eurocorp and Church of the New Epoch develops. Missions differ from one another less in terms of their objectives as in their settings, complexity and combat elements. While the game maps are generally quite similar (depicting futuristic technological cities, with roads, buildings, parks, etc.), the map layout and architectural differences between each city are often significant, and many cities have unique buildings, parks or sculptures.
Trivia
- The 3D engine used in Dungeon Keeper is a modified version of the one from Syndicate Wars.
External links
- Syndicate Wars @ MobyGames
- Syndicate Wars plot description
- Facetious overview of Syndicate Wars
- Syndicate Wars at Home of the Underdogs
| Syndicate – American Revolt – Syndicate Wars |