Syndicate aka the best game ever made, was released by the mitical Bullfrog Productions in 1993. Followed by an expansion and a sequel, its fame has endured throughout the years.
In march 31 2009, GamesIndustry.biz has confirmed that Starbreeze was working on a new title of the franchise, possibly a remake. However, no further information has surfaced, until now...
At the United States Copyright Office search:
Doc. Number: V3581 D054 P1
Doc. Number: V3580D346
Doc. Number: V3581 D049 P1-5
(for some stupid reason it does not allow linking)
These are might be good news. Considering what they have done to X-COM, cheerful nostalgia turned into dreaded anticipation.
One of the best games ever made, Neuromancer hails us from the bygone year of 1988. Made by Interplay and published by Mediagenic (best known today as Activision), it takes its name and setting from the homonymous novel by William Gibson.
Written in 1984, Neuromancer started the literary trend we know today as cyberpunk and is one of the best Sci-Fi novel ever written (Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, Hugo Award). Despite pre-dating internet, long stretches of the novel are set in cyberspace.
About the game:
Starting as a washed up console cowboy, you'll have to make your way through Chiba City underbelly, in order to recover your gear and go back online, and find out why so many of your fellow hackers are disappearing.Buy interacting with several characters and snooping around databases, you gain information and credits to by better hardware, software and skills.
Eventually, you'll be able to return to cyberspace, and take on powerful AI's.
The good: graphics (unbelievable for 88, expecially the AMIGA version). story. mechanics. sound (in the Commodore 64)
The bad: bit slow. sound (every other version but the Commodore 64 one). graphics (MS-DOS version)
The ugly: sound (MS-DOS and AMIGA versions)
The soundtrack is awesome. It's curious how the Commodore 64 version has the actual Devo song, while the Amiga one has synth sound, considering the last has much more memory than the first. In fact, very few games show the sheer awesomeness that was the Commodore 64 as this one.
Give it a try. If you can overlook the dated graphics, you'll play one of the best adventure game ever made. If you can, play the AMIGA or COMMODORE 64 version.
Tip: play with a pen and paper by your side, and write down everything.
Tip: the pc version works great with DOS-BOX.
The game is abandonware: you can find it here (PC version) or here (Apple IIGS version, sounds much better than the Apple IIe one)
