Syndicate Now Available with Origin On the House
dmcdonagh
2015-03-04
Syndicate is On the House! In the dark and twisted cities of tomorrow, corporate syndicates compete for global dominance.Grab this 1993 cyberpunk isometric action classic for free today.
In the year 2096, the boardroom deals and corporate takeovers of the future look very different from today: they are lead by marketing directors who manage teams of half-men, half-machine cyborgs with no conscience and plenty of guns.
As the executive of your very own mega-corporation6, you must command a squad of cyborg mercenaries to infiltrate enemy territory, recruit new followers to your cause and take out the competition by any means necessary.
Some might say that violence is not the answer but you know better. There here are hardly any problems that you can't solve with a well-placed bullet. Collateral damage in the local population and infrastructure during the "negotiations" is, as always, acceptable. After all, what would you expect form the dystopian futuristic world run by mega-corporations?
Of course, as is the case with many PC classics from the '90s, Syndicate can be a daunting game to jump into without any preparation. If you'd like to load it up and figure it out for yourself, by all means do so – it's an excellent game that still holds up to this day. But if you'd like a little help along the way, we've compiled a few basic tips to make sure you get the most out of your experience.
Configure your Megacorp for maximum fun.
Once you load up the game, you can choose to customize your fictional company. Not only do you get to select its logo, you also get to name it whatever you want. Our suggestion? Can't go wrong with Cerberus.
Purchase mission intel to give your squad a competitive edge.
Before diving head-first into a new mission, you'd do well to read over the mission brief. This provides crucial information about your squad's objective. But if you want to go in extra prepared, you can purchase additional intel by clicking the 'INFO" button on the briefing screen. Doing so provides tips for strategies, squad loadouts, and more. Now you know – and knowing is half the battle!
Outfit your squad with the right tools for the job at hand.
If your mission requires that you "persuade" some targets to join your Megacorp, it's probably a good idea to leave that shotgun at the office and bring a Persuadertron instead (yes, that's the name of a real in-game item; we couldn't make that up if we wanted to). Selecting proper weapons, items, and cyborg enhancements will dramatically increase your chances of success. Just don't forget to invest in research; you'll definitely want all the new equipment your R&D team can unlock.
Increase your profits by taxing conquered countries.
As you complete missions, you'll gain influence over the governments of various regions and countries, allowing you to dictate their tax rates. This is how you'll earn cash for your Megacorp, and by extension your cyborg squad. The trick here is balancing the tax rates of all the regions you control; you'll want to earn as much as you can without inciting a revolution.
Familiarise yourself with Syndicate's controls and interface.
Once you're actually in a mission, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the gameplay. After selecting one or more of your squad members by clicking their portraits in the upper left-hand corner, you can move them around by left clicking the environment or minimap. To use a weapon or equipment, select it from a squad member's item menu, then right click to activate it. Finally, pay close attention to the minimap – those white radar pings indicate your proximity to objectives.
You can play this cybrpunk PC classic right now for free. Just log into Origin, head to the On the House page, add Syndicate to your "My Games" library, and it's yours to keep.
