Syndrome

Anyone looking purely for tension and scares could, and should, check this out. Anyone hoping for scares - and - a captivating plot will likely be disappointed.

Syndrome is a frightening experience that reuses the outer space - survival horror medley; it makes us suffer thanks to its overwhelming difficulty and mechanics: run and hide... or die.

Syndrome is not outstanding in any aspect, but it works. Still, it borrows from many well-known horror games, which makes it quite predictable.

Not quite as well accomplished as recent big AAA-hitters in the genre, but nonetheless a fine horror game with nice puzzles.

Syndrome wants to be like System Shock, Alien: Isolation and Dead Space at the same time, but these pieces don’t come together to form a pretty picture; instead, they produce a monster not unlike zombies that shamble along Syndrome’s corridors. [Issue#214, p.58]

Where Syndrome should have been a love letter to classic sci-fi horror games, it instead feels like a drunken, rambling text sent at three in the morning.

Another B-grade survival horror set on the space station. The game has its moments, but mostly it does not surprise you. [Issue #268]

A classic survival horror with clear pros and cons. The game delivers good levels of tension, different types of enemies, good visuals and sounds. Still, some gameplay choices do not feel so right, while the PC version shows some technical flaws. All in all, a pretty decent product first survival game.

Alien Isolation gave me goosebumps. SOMA enraptured me with its interesting story and underwater-scenario. Dead Space shined through awesomely directed fights. And Syndrome? The horror-game by Camel 101 copies a lot of those outstanding examples, without ever reaching their overall quality. Syndrome has no elements that separate it from other games of this particular genre and thus descends into mediocrity. If you desperately look for something horror related though, Syndrome might entertain you - at least for a little while.

Syndrome has a foundation in place to be a creepy horror story that focuses on the desolation of outer space and the madness it can bring, but the execution is a few light years behind. It might give players something more to try out for a Halloween-themed gaming binge, but players might also die of boredom long before they succumb to shock.

Not a complete disaster, but very close to being one. Syndrome does offer quite a few scary and tense moments, but its sluggish gameplay and bugs make it more of an annoyance to play.

Syndrome is an extremely atmospheric action, which should be avoided by all cardiac patients and, along with them, even people who have no desire for bug-infested games, poor level design and tragic artificial intelligence.

Space engineers are trending in horror games, but you'd be better off spending your time with Amanda Ripley from Alien: Isolation or Isaac Clarke from the Dead Space series.

In short, Syndrome is disappointing. Your level of disappointment will depend on how many horror games you have played as the games Syndrome borrows from are all substantially better.

Syndrome can’t be recommended to any particular player, except to a diehard fan of horror games, even though second-rate games.

It succeeds at being scary, but that is about the only part of the game that lives up to expectations. It’s poorly designed and poorly refined stealth mechanics make for a very frustrating experience, and the game gives you no reason to endure that frustration. There is little to reward you for your troubles.