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I got this game for the co-op multiplayer and it does not disappoint in that regard. The AI intelligence is good and the "boss" characters are difficult to take down. You will need to work as a team, especially since you can't see your health bar, only the ones of your teammates. Constantly healing each other and working in pairs is a must. If you try to run-and-gun or go lone wolf, you will die (CoD players, you have been warned). There are 9 co-op missions in total and you have to finish one to unlock the next one. There are also several difficulties for each mission so there's replay value in that regard. There is no competitive multiplayer. My friends and I experience some freezing and server lag last night however. Hopefully, EA will have it sorted out soon and it's been reported that StarBreeze is already working on a patch.
If you're looking for an immersive single player campaign with a deep story, look elsewhere. The single player campaign is short, around 5-6 hours. The story is pretty generic and the action is not as fun as when you're playing with your friends in co-op. It's not terrible, but it's not great. It's kind of like Battlefield 3 where the single player wasn't that good, but the multiplayer was amazing.
The presentation is definitely similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, especially when you're indoors. Blade Runner also seems to have a big influence in the level design. Relying heavily on the cyberpunk genre, this game looks great, especially when it's raining.
I would value this game at around $40 and Amazon did just that with the $20 credit. I would say it's only worth it if you want to play co-op multiplayer. I put the $20 towards a preorder for Mass Effect 3, which comes out in two weeks.
***Edit: If you're experiencing periodic crashing while playing co-op, it is recommended that you do not use Xbox Party Chat. Use the in-game chat instead. Apparently, the lag from Xbox Party Chat makes the game freeze up while playing co-op. After using the in-game chat, my friends and I have not experienced any more game freezes.
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After playing the demo I was really looking forward to this game since it was so much fun to play, and I'm pleased to say it did meet my expectations. This game has a really cool single player campaign with a really challenging co-op campaign.In the Extras menu they added a manual to tell you all about the game, so even if you rented it/bought it used you can check that out. I like that they added this due to the fact EA seems to hate physical manuals these days. Also if you are part of the EA Gun Club you get some challenge unlocks along with a Bloody skin for the Kusanagi.
Story:
The Single player campaign has you playing as Agent Kilo working for EuroCorp and the battle against the enemies that love to steal the products they create. You don't get to know many characters through the campaign but the few that you do talk to and learn about are really cool and unique individuals. They did a good job with the voice acting and I didn't really notice any annoying voices throughout the game. The story is really fun rollercoaster that comes to a solid conclusion at the end.
In the Co-op missions I believe you are working for your own created syndicate since the missions have you fighting all sorts of different corporations that you are stealing information from. I will go more into Syndicates in the gameplay section. Before each missions you are provided with a paragraph on what you are doing and why you are in that location. Most of the descriptions are pretty amusing and made me laugh a few times.
Gameplay:
This is another first person shooter that has a really awesome combat system. Regardless if you are in singleplayer or Co-op you rely on your implanted brain chip along with weapons you come across. Majority of the weapons in the game have an alternative firing mode that can range from having a grenade launcher to having both a red dot sight and an ACOG Scope on at once.
When it comes to your brain chip you have a system that is called DART that allows you to see enemies and friendlies through walls and makes killing them a lot easier. In both single and Co-op you can get upgrades for your implants that range from dealing out 25% more damage in DART to improving your health regeneration. Majority of the enemies in the game can be executed in a multitude of ways(One way has you kicking them below the belt and punching them in the face).
In singleplayer your DART also slows down time and with the right perks you can set it up to heal 7% of your health per second. The singleplayer campaign is pretty short, even on hard. I did have a ton of fun playing it and really enjoyed the story though. Some of the locations are really cool to visit and kill all the enemies in. I did find myself looking forward to what was going to happen next. You can also find a lot of side items in the game that expand upon the story with little tidbits of information.
In the Co-op campaign you are tackling over 10 missions with up to four people that are manageable on normal mode, but really require good teamwork in the Expert difficulty. As I said before, I think they set it up so that you're working for your own Syndicate. Syndicates in multiplayer are guild like organizations that can be created and everyone works towards goals (everyone's play time is over 7 days of hours, X amount of kills) and leaderboard standings.
When upgrading your Agent you most of the talents you have in the singleplayer game, but harder to unlock (can't just pick the bottom talent, you need to work towards there). You also upgrade a bunch of weapons that end up making them more powerful, or unlocking their secondary fire mode. Two abilities can be used at once (Only one until you get the talent) that ranges from a Protective shield to reviving yourself once when you go down. This really adds replayability to the game, and will make the Expert modes more manageable, even if it's just a small percentage of stats.
Every co-op mission has a surveillance report that shows you a computerized 3D map that shows you the objectives you need to complete and where you start. I think this is pretty awesome, and makes you feel like you're on an actual mission. Just like the singleplayer game had collectibles, the co-op mode has challenges for you to complete that are pretty different from each other (Kill X amount of employee's to disarming X amount of grenades)
Soundtrack:
The Techno music they added to this game just fit so perfectly. It adds that sense of a futuristically feeling world. A ton of famous (IMO) techno artists add to this sound track, including Skrillex, Nero and Digitalism. When I fought the first boss fight and the main theme starts playing it made me pumped up and ready to kick some butt.
Some of the specialty guns sound so cool when you fire them and you could tell they didn't just use a stock sound for the weapons. I think it's a really good job when companies do this successfully because it adds so much more to the immersion of the game.
Graphics:
The graphics and look of this game scream a blade runner/Deus Ex esc world. Some people have complained about how the light bloom in this game gets annoying, but I think it really fits in the game. I mean if you try to stare into a light in real life it's going to be bright. The guns look really awesome and when you fire some of the specialty weapons the animations of the bullets look just amazing.
When you go into the DART overlay you see a computerized view of the world and the enemies appear yellow and when you kill them the blood is white. This is a nice addition to the game where they could have just been lazy and just made the people stand out in the normal looking world. The people look really cool, and you can see the expressions they make.
When you kill enemies sometimes their heads explode or they get cut straight in half. This adds a sense that some of the weapons you use are really powerful tools of destruction. The executions look just as amazing as I previously stated, and really make you feel like a total Bad***.
Verdict:
I had a blast playing through the single player campaign, even if it was short. It's so worth a rental if you're just interested in story based games, and not Co-op. If you're planning on playing co-op with friends or wanting to unlock a bunch of stuff this is a definite buy. It's so much fun completing missions as your supped up Agent, even if it's your 10th or higher time through a mission. Even after completing this review I am planning on continue playing the co-op on this game for at least a month, and that makes it worth the sticker price.
Also even though this is an EA game there is no Online Pass, Locked content, or on the disc crap. Starbreeze actually specifically asked EA to not put an Online Pass in the game. This makes me really respect the company and its worth supporting games like this that don't want to be part of the BS that mainstream games are being torn apart for.
Positives:
* Fun combat that requires strategy in co-op missions
* Tons to unlock, find, complete and advance
* Well made story that had me wanting more, but also had a great conclusion
* Soundtrack that fit the game really well
* Fantastic graphics that shine through DART and enemy dismemberment
* NO ONLINE PASS
Negatives:
* Hard is really easy until you get to the final boss, which can be cheap if you're not ready (singleplayer)
* Co-op menu seemed to crash a few times, but a patch is going to fix this
Achievements: The achievements in this game are actually pretty fun to complete. They range from killing the bosses without using some abilities, unlocking everything and beating the game on hardest difficulty. Both the Single and Co-op Campaigns have achievements, and I think it's a fun game to attempt 100%.
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****Update 2/24/12****I haven't finished it yet, but the game is very much still fun with the intensity of the battles. The enemy AI isn't the brightest, but it's not the worst either. Rage's AI led to each battle being a setpiece in itself, this is more like a non-stop ride of killing aggressive AI's.
The initial fanboyism has worn off, but it's still a solid game. I agree that it's too short, and I wish there was more of a tactical side to it like the original had. Choose this mission, choose that mission, gain whichever improvement. Instead it's a fairly linear shooter. They've captured the environment, but then sort of left behind some of the fun parts. Maybe someone else will decide it's worth trying to do a tactical version much like X-Com revamp has the first person and the top down versions coming.
This is not a game for easy achivement hunters, the achivements are all obscure and tricky from what I'm reading. After 5 hours of play I popped *1*.
I have no co-op reviews to give yet.
******
I really enjoy the atmosphere. It combines what's great about Deus Ex Human Revolution, Bladerunner, and the original atmosphere of the games, while being totally unique. The graphics are excellent, the gunplay is satisfying, and the voice acting from the opening sequence alone is great. Brian connelly, Rosario Dawson are evident right off the bat (As well as the ultimate baddy from the original Crow movie. Deep menacing voice.)
The only thing I notice that while the world is pretty, you don't seem to be able to explore it much. Aside from nuggets of lives and personel files.
Maybe it gets better, maybe it stays the same, but so far it's fun as heck and it's worth a rental, purchase or playthrough just to experience it. Starbreeze did the excellent Chronicles of Riddick game which was far ahead of the curve graphically and a solid game as well.
I'll update when I finish it.
Honest reviews on Syndicate
I just got this last night from the UPS store. I have been a long time fan of the original, but obviously it needed an update. Since I am only 1.5 hours into the campaign, I cannot speak to the average 6 hours for the single player. I played the demo a few times. It is an awesome multiplayer experience. There are some server and lag issues, but hopefully EA will solve these.Starbreeze is an excellent developer. They also made a favorite of mine, Riddick, so there are lighting similarities in the graphics. The sound is great and the ambient music feels like a 2012 version of Bladerunner. I know there will be some that dislike this game since they will put it in with BF3 and MW3, but for fans of the original, or a general sci-fi fan, this game is unbelievable.
I would tend to agree with others that this should be $40-50, but with the rebate, it comes out to $40. I would say to get it if you like the Matrix movie series, Bladerunner, or are a long time gamer who liked the original game. You're in for one heck of a ride!
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If you are not a fan of the run the ONE SINGLE PATHWAY games then avoid this one. No side exploration at all, you simply move forward on the twisting predetermined path and fight your opponents as they are thrown at you. Tactics is the old "let's see how it kills me and then try to avoid that on the respawn" schtick that annoys completely with no real satisfaction. No tutorial, or gameplay help other than a crummy "Agent index" is nonintuitive to the extreme. Feels like a very cheap Deus Ex knock-off which is a shame because I loved the original syndicate back in the 90`s.
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