After years of rumors and leaks (including one just this weekend), Electronic Arts has officially announced that Starbreeze (of Chronicles of Riddick fame) is working on a reboot of Syndicate.
Scheduled for an early 2012 release on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, the Syndicate reboot will eschew the real-time strategy nature of the 1993 original, opting instead for a sci-fi shooter feel. However, the new Syndicate will retain the cyberpunk aesthetic and corporate intrigue that featured heavily in the original game. This includes a four-player co-op mode made up of missions from that game and a storyline that should makes fans feel right at home:
Set in 2069, Syndicate takes players into a dark, Machiavellian world run without government oversight with many syndicates vying for total dominance of their local market place. With no one to question their intentions or actions, three mega corporations – Eurocorp, Cayman Global, and Aspari – are at the forefront of this brutal war for control of the pivotal American market.
In the world of Syndicate, everything is digitally connected, including the people. Players aren’t limited to the weapons in their hands. Through DART 6 bio-chip technology implanted in their head, players can slow down time and breach the digital world around them to take down their foes using a variety of upgradable hacking mechanics. Syndicate’s blend of fast-paced, futuristic, action shooter settings and story combined with innovative chip breach gameplay instantly immerses players in a unique digital world.
EA and Starbreeze have released an initial batch of screenshots of the new Syndicate, which you can view after the break.
