Syndicate Catch-All

Nicholaas wrote:

Man, I'm gonna have to pick this game up. I've seen some of the coop stuff, and it looks so slick.

Given how badly it bombed, you can probably already grab it dirt cheap on 360. StanliTech is always happy to get new members, we can help get you trained and certified in the art of Expert level cybermurder.

ian, parallax: how is the campaign? Given I'm in a mood for something sleek and fun (and my standards aren't super high at the moment), it looks like something I could blast through and enjoy myself with.

I'd say you could do that much. The story is nothing memorable but it's a good 8-10 hour violencefest that's challenging without being maddening. I enjoyed it for what it was. Co-op is the real meat of it though.

Once this hits sub 20$ on 360, look for me. I am interested, but have so much on the pile already!

Just messaged a whole bunch of StanliTech employees about Friday. Hopefully, something will pan out.

Just heard back from non-Goodjer StanliTech-er NightFox0042, he's in for Friday from 8PM eastern onwards. So that makes for three, counting myself and Parallax Abstraction. I'll post once I hear we have a fourth. Any response beyond that and I'll try to coordinate things for a second group of four. Fingers crossed.

Nicholaas wrote:

ian, parallax: how is the campaign?

I didn't care for it enough to finish it. The shooting's tight, the action is fast. The trouble is that these scripted cinematic bits keep cropping up and rob the game of its momentum. The hack/breach powers roll out slowly over the course of the story. It all feels a little too canned for my taste - the dynamic is dips and spikes and not a whole lot in between.

Co-op, on the other hand, is often downright frantic, and involves a lot of teamwork, and a lot of shouting and gallows laughter when things go south. It's one of the most fun multiplayer experiences I've ever had in a FPS title, and I'm really not big on FPSes (I've played a lot, but I haven't been fond of a lot). It's a damned shame hardly anybody's playing it.

I'm still down! Could rotate a man in and out, I don't mind.

Blind_Evil, that's fantastic news. Looks like we've got four for some expert runs!

As responses roll in, I'll post gamertags here to set up a second group if at all possible.

ianunderhill wrote:

Blind_Evil, that's fantastic news. Looks like we've got four for some expert runs!

As responses roll in, I'll post gamertags here to set up a second group if at all possible.

Heeeells yeah! I can be on at 8pm or after as well. Let me know the time and let's murder some fools!

I came away from the campaign much happier than Ian. Gun-feel goes a long way in my eyes, and Syndicate nails it, so that helps. Particularly toward the end there were some interesting, very challenging combat puzzles, the kind I hear praise for in Halo games. The co-op is definitely the premiere experience, though.

Friday @ 8pm is the target. I'll aim to serve as first host. I don't think we've gotten extensive testing in since the game got patched, but the handful of times I've teamed up with NightFox0042 for some two-player on Hard mode, things seemed pretty stable. We'll see how things look with four connections up over two.

UPDATE: Slight change of plans. Friday @ 9pm is now the target.

Alright, you guys pretty much sold me on this. I picked up a copy, and am gonna give it a go tonight.

Cool! Please fill us in with your impressions as they are established.

Well. I found it cheap, but only on PS3. Anyone? Anyone at all?

StanliTech is sadly all 360 people. We haven't launched our hostile takeover of Sony Computer Entertainment...yet.

So I have to clean the apartment tonight and go and see a treadmill I want to buy for the new place but I should be back before 8. If fellow board members see me online, invite me regardless of what it says I'm playing and I'll jump in.

Noted, Parallax. I'll be on around 8:30 and start bugging people around 8:50. Can't wait to finally play some more of this!

Reiterating what I posted earlier in the week, I'll be popping this in tonight and tinkering between SP and public MP matches. If there are StanliTech spots open, I'll jam!

I'll try to get back on around 9-9:30, eastern time.

I always forget that you mean 9 central -.-

Oh bloody hell...

Two and a half hours later, I am mad at everyone that didn't play this game. Christ it's great.

StanliTech was reppin' like a BOSS tonight! Full expert run front to back and we absolutely dominated so many of those missions, even the really hard ones. When you have a squad that heals and communicates in this game, damn what a fine experience! I defintiely want to paly more in spite of beating expert and unlock the rest of my research. Soon again lads! And Nicholaas, I'm sure our group would be happy to show you the ropes of co-op. It's what makes this game pure magic.

Blind_Evil's Best Co-op Games of All Time

1. Monster Hunter Tri Syndicate (2012)
2. Monster Hunter Tri
3. Secret of Mana
4. Final Fantasy XI

"Pure magic" is a fitting description. Tonight was a blast and a half. You guys are the best.

I may be enabled. Find me a deal!

I don't know the best sites to find deals in the US but I've been poking around and I'm amazed this is largely still full price everywhere. The game bombed, I would think EA would have slashed the price fast to try to move some inventory.

I think $25 used from an Amazon seller is fair, but I know you prefer to buy new.

The game doesn't feature an online pass, IIRC.

Parallax Abstraction wrote:

I don't know the best sites to find deals in the US but I've been poking around and I'm amazed this is largely still full price everywhere. The game bombed, I would think EA would have slashed the price fast to try to move some inventory.

Yah, o will buy the second it hits 20. I am amazed it is still so high.

The real Female Doggo of it is that it'd be worth $35 if enough cooperative, well-intentioned, fun-loving people played multiplayer. Besides all the shouting, swearing, and laughing last night, one of the big things that stuck with me was a remark on how f*cked it is that this game was a failure and as such we'll never see any DLC. I'd pony up $25 easy for as few as six new missions. It's very frustrating.