Syndicate (2012)

 PC
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Hyper Magazine
    May 14, 2012
    60
    An ok campaign with potentially great co-op marred by uninspired design, poor storytelling and glitches. [June 2012, p.76]
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  2. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 27, 2012
    50
    When it's not going out of its way to be terrible, Syndicate is simply mediocre. [May 2012, p.54]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Mar 22, 2012
    70
    Neither a disappointment nor euphoria – it's Syndicate, excellent multiplayer action game. Unfortunately, the whole single-player campaign feels like a five-hour tutorial. [March 2012]
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  5. PC Gamer
    Mar 21, 2012
    60
    Syndicate's confused story gives way to passable shooting with a pointless layer of hacking mechanics. [May 2012, p.68]
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  6. Computer Games Online RO
    Mar 19, 2012
    65
    It's too short, too small in many ways and way too conventional in a market oversaturated with AAA alternatives. Alternatives which last longer and offer competitive modes, not just a few dozen hours of co-op runs in which you can't point anything out to your teammates unless everyone has a microphone for the game's VoIP.
  7. CD-Action
    Mar 13, 2012
    70
    The potential of both Syndicate as a franchise and Starbreeze as the developer was not fully used. The co-op mode and the video post-processing are great but the game as a whole is a disappointment. [April 2012, p.52]
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  8. Absolute Games
    Mar 13, 2012
    64
    Syndicate is amazingly dull and thoughtless for a game where you can kill people with your brain.
  9. PC Master (Greece)
    Mar 12, 2012
    74
    Obviously, Syndicate does have the eye-candy factor, as well as interesting battle features, a large number of available weapons and palm-sweating moments of action. But its lack of personality betrays it, as does the completely predictable finale, the absence of remarkable opponents, the colorless locales and the lacking multiplayer mode. [April 2012]
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  10. MEGamers
    Mar 6, 2012
    70
    It's the co-op missions that really give the game some replay value, and I suspect is the only part that is truly memorable.
  11. Games.cz
    Mar 4, 2012
    60
    A sloppy singleplayer that is pretending to be something it is not is being rescued by its entertaining cooperative multiplayer. Unfortunately, the co-op still needs much more content to be acknowledged as the fully fledged game.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
49
#49 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 434 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 143 out of 434
  2. Mixed: 168 out of 434
  3. Negative: 123 out of 434
  1. TheGrid72
    Feb 21, 2012
    10
    I have to agree with nikmaster. The game play is excellent and the co-op is really really fun with friends. Overall the game challenge yourI have to agree with nikmaster. The game play is excellent and the co-op is really really fun with friends. Overall the game challenge your brain even more then other FPS's out there. In few seconds you can change the whole battlefield.… Full Review »
  2. cane
    Feb 24, 2012
    0
    The game is just terrible and while the game itself is an awful dumbed down generic FPS it doesn't get any better that it is a straightThe game is just terrible and while the game itself is an awful dumbed down generic FPS it doesn't get any better that it is a straight console port. Be prepared for super low FoV, tons and tons of bloom and bad options for the PC.
    Although I doubt the game would be any better if played on a console, it is as I said early a totally generic FPS relying on an over hyped gimmick called the dart system. This game brings nothing new to the table and to be honest as much as I hate the recent CoD games you are better off playing any of them because at least they don't true to act all smug about how awesome their games are.

    STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME UNLESS YOU LIKE THROWING AWAY MONEY

    PS it totally butchers the syndicate IP, need to be said even though the game wouldn't be able to stand on it's own legs anyway    … Full Review »
  3. whitespider999
    Feb 21, 2012
    6
    This game emulates the setting of an emotional, deep science fiction world. It sets up story threads that can evolve. However that's allThis game emulates the setting of an emotional, deep science fiction world. It sets up story threads that can evolve. However that's all anything is in this game amounts to, suggestions at a better game. The moment you step back, and take the game at what it is, a mindless shooter - the more you will get out of it - at least in singleplayer. Furthermore, if that's what you want out of this experience. You found deus ex slow and ponderous, and you are more of an action junkie. Then this game's singleplayer, is solid enough. It has inventive mechanics and satisfying gameplay. Unfortunately that gameplay never really evolves. It introduces 'breaching' however it never really expands on that concept. It just gives you waves of enemies that require the same useage of an inventive core mechanic. That's the main gameplay separator between this game and say, half life 2, deus ex, bioshock, or other beloved first person games. Those games constantly change things up, either by providing a toolset, or changing the environmental useage of an inventive ability (half life 2 gravity gun, options and tools in deus ex and bioshock). And that's a shame, because based on the first few levels of co-op. it seems like those scenarios are better designed and require significantly more management and thought. (Although still not remotely on the same level as other games). Co-op is a far deeper, and better experience for someone like me who prefers first-person-thinkers. And that's the conflict right there. I could reccomend this game to action junkies who don't want to think, however that is simply the singleplayer portion of the game. The other 50% of the money you are paying is a co-op mode that requires a different thought process. So in the end, both first person thinker players, and action junkie players only get half a game. And a not-fantastic half a game for either side. I have made the game sound terrible, yet - it actually holds a lot of promise. It keeps flirting with the idea of it being deeper than it is - and you can see it reaching out... However a valiant failure is not a 10/10 game nomatter what angle you come in from.… Full Review »
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