An Introductory Guide to Syndicate

Syndicate will be a futuristic FPS game which takes place in 2069, where the entire planet is governed by 3 huge corporations, referred to as the Syndicates. As a bio-engineered soldier who works for the Eurocorp Syndicate, you have the DART-6 microchip implanted into your brain - which lets you breach (assume control of) items in your immediate surroundings, take over any adversary's weapons together with your adversary's minds, see through walls plus also control the speed of time. This game comes with a four player cooperative mode, featuring a distinct campaign storyline made up of objectives derived from the cult-classic 1993 Syndicate game on PC.

STORY:

The planet in 2069 is controlled by companies know as Syndicates and not individual countries. Every Syndicate governs an area in the world, and people living in every area need a neural chip implant so that they can gain access to information as well as essential services provided through their regional Syndicates, including jobs, education, housing, entertainment and medical services. People can obtain these services in the blink of an eye, however in exchange the Syndicates can take over and command each individual - including what they see and their behaviour.

Big business is now the new war-zone, and each Syndicate would do just about anything for market dominance. All the Syndicates have Agents, who are ruthless biologically enhanced soldiers with advanced neural chips, who are able to hack anything within their surrounding environment which includes their enemy's weaponry as well as their adversary's minds. Players assume the role of Miles Kilo, the newest model of agent working for Eurocorp, as you commence a thrilling adventure brimming with revenge as well as corruption.

HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES:

Harness Your Neural Implant - The DART-6 neural chip implant will allow you to look straight through walls and even slow down time. You have the ability to take command of and operate (hack) all objects under the control of a digital computer chip. Take over your enemy's weapons and additionally control your adversary's minds. Players are able to modify their DART-6 neural implant while they advance through the game.

Utilize Your Assortment of Weapondary - Besides the DART 6 neural chip, you have a huge choice of futuristic weapons readily available, in addition to various types of armour and various other items of equipment that can be used to eliminate your foes. Syndicate provides a unique, intense Fps adventure.

Four Player Co-Op Gameplay - Enjoy Syndicate with as many as 3 other gamers in this 4-player co-op game mode. This co-op option includes a distinct storyline with nine separate missions based on the original Syndicate game which came out in 1993 on the pc.

Intriguing Science Fiction Storyline - Created by renowned writer Richard Morgan, Syndicate features an intriguing Sci-Fi storyline, which immerses the gamer into the science fiction universe of 2069.

The official release date for Syndicate is scheduled around 24th Feb, 2012, with the game to be released on these gaming systems: Sony PS3, Xbox 360 as well as PC/Windows. The video game is published by Electronic Arts, and Starbreeze Studios are the developers for this game. Multi-player options will be offered in this game, and a maximum of 4 participants can play. The PEGI ranking given to the game will be PEGI 18, and is therefore appropriate for gamers 18 years and older.

Point your browser at GamingEdge to view game reviews for Syndicate by the leading gaming review sites. View pricing within South Africa, look at video game images as well as view movie clips. Have a look at this helpful GamingEdge website link displayed here - Syndicate

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Gaming Then and Now

Recently I decided to go back into my collection of video games. I hooked up my Sega Genesis and plugged in Sonic the Hedgehog. This is one of my all time favorite video games. There is no doubt that Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis is a classic that every gamer should play. I realize there are a lot of games out there similar to Sonic the Hedgehog. One of the more famous ones is Super Mario Brothers for the NES.

These games were not the first games ever created but are defiantly Iconic. When a gamer hears the name Sonic or Mario they immediately know who they are. My question is though they know who they are; do they know what their original games were like? Most veteran gamers know the answer to this question. However for the younger generation of gamers who are growing up playing Wii or Xbox 360, this answer might not be the same. In this day in age technology has increased rapidly. Now we have hand free and motion games. We have games with 3D graphics. The thought of where the gaming industry will be in the years to come blows my mind. Although games are advancing, we should not forget the classics and what these games started out as. The Sonic the hedgehog series for the Sega Genesis is a good example of this. Even though these games are so basic, they are still great games to play. They did not need to be complex to be fun and addicting.

In Sonic the Hedgehog you have your basic controls for running, jumping, and spinning. The music and sound effects are simple and catchy. The art and animations are all 2D, detailed, colorful, and enjoyable to see. The story is about a giant blue hedgehog named Sonic who is after an evil master mind who is terrorizing the world with his mechanical monsters in seek of controlling the world with the Chaos Emeralds. All of these elements come together to create a strong but basic game that was very catchy and fun to play. The team that developed Sonic the Hedgehog was made up of less than ten people. Of course the technology back in the Sega Genesis days was nowhere near what we have today, but the game developers worked with what they had and created outstanding games.

I am not trying to say in anyway that today's video games are bad. We should not forget about the classic games that started and impacted the industry as we know it today and teach the younger gamers about these games that we grew up playing. Whether you are veteran or a new age gamer, dig up or find a classic game like Sonic the Hedgehog or Mario and relive its experience.

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Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness Review

Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is the perfect example of a hidden object game that does not focus on overly artistic graphics and visualizations but on the other hand, delivers a magnificent storyline coupled with one of the best game play presentations I had this month. With that said, some people are easily turned off during the first few minutes of playing, but in my opinion it is worth it for us to take a peek further down this game's rabbit hole.

The game's storyline takes you back in the bustling years of the 1940's wherein a man named M. W. Vernon is at the forefront of that time's movie and film industry. Being a man of great vision and innovation, he built a movie studio on his own private island to begin making his best movie yet. However, this project was unable to continue due to several mishaps and troubles that fell into his work. On another time, your mother and retired movie star Rita Rey has been kidnapped. And now, it is up to you to save her in Vernon's island while trying to contend with the madness of the once great director.

As I had said on the first paragraph, Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is all about presentation. Even with the unimpressive graphics, the developers made sure that you are always gripped tight by the story from beginning until end. The voice overs are fantastic and the background music fits the game very well. All in all, it is a very fun game, and that is the most simple but straightforward adjective I can think of to describe it - fun. Something sometimes lost in technicalities of reviews such as this one that oftentimes I am lost for words on how to describe the experience brought forth by games like these.

The game is hidden object, but most of the scenes are less cluttered with stuff. Puzzles are also unique and well thought of, but ranges only from easy to moderately challenging at best. It really felt like you are just breezing through the game eager to know on what happens next to the story. I guess that is the only flaw of Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness. It felt short, but that may only be me.

I highly recommend everyone to give this game a try and see for themselves on how brilliant this game is. Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is a highly fun and addictive game, and I am looking forward for more from this game's developers.

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Battlefield 3

As Call of Duty slowly and surely dominated the first-person-shooter genre, the veteran series Battlefield was put firmly on the backburner. EA wanted to change that with Battlefield 3. They mostly achieved their goals in trying to take a piece of Call of Duty's pie. In fact, this game has one of the strongest multiplayer modes around-though if you love playing single-player you may be extremely disappointed. Regardless of what game mode you choose, the gameplay itself still remains tight and authentic.

There are certainly some parts of this game that completely put Call of Duty to shame; in my opinion, the graphics are the best on any console game, bar none. Granted, you have to download an optional texture patch for the Xbox 360 version to make it look pretty. And not to beat up on the Xbox 360 version too much, but it comes in two discs, as opposed to the one disc PS3 version. It's a minor gripe but it's worth noting. In the win column, Battlefield 3's multiplayer maps are vastly larger than those in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and this makes getting into a vehicle very appealing when starting a match. Other than the size of the maps, though, you can't compare Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty's multiplayer too closely, as they are very different.

Many of the first-person shooters currently on the market have guns that feel like peashooters. That isn't the case at all with Battlefield 3. You actually feel the recoil hammer your weapon when you shoot down the barrel and you can even upgrade your barrel so you can have a steadier shot. Nothing is as satisfying as aiming down your sight, firing ahead of your target and seeing your bullet drop directly on their unsuspecting body. That being said, there is a bit of a learning curve to this game because of the bullet physics. You have to adjust your shots accordingly for targets at a distance. No longer can you magically shoot straight across the map.

The gameplay on the ground works very well but you're probably wondering how you would travel across a huge battlefield. Don't worry, you're covered with an immense garage full of vehicles. You have your standard tanks, jeeps and boats but where it really gets interesting is in the sky. They have two different types of helicopters: one for attacking and another for support and transport. They're both incredibly fun to zoom around over head in. I can't mention vehicles and not touch on how awesome the jets are. Yes, this game has flyable jets. They're not overpowered at all- in fact, they might be a little underwhelming for air to ground battles- but once you see another jet flying around you can definitely indulge all of your Top Gun fantasies.

Mutliplayer is such a big feature in games because it gives our beloved software more shelf-time. And if we can judge how long a game survives just by their online modes, Battlefield 3 just might be immortal. You have the standard game modes such as "Deathmatch" and "Squad Deathmatch," but the real meat and potatoes comes from "Rush," which pits one defensive team trying to defend a bombsite against an offensive team with limited respawns. Once the attackers successfully plant on two bombsites another two pop up and the multiplayer map gets even larger, which isn't a problem with the dynamic spawning system. It's not an entirely fresh idea but the way this game really sets it up with the engaging atmosphere you can't help but be pulled in.

Now that we've covered Battlefield 3's strengths, we definitely have to go over its flaws. The elephant in the room is the horrid single-player. It's very similar to Call of Duty's multiple character viewpoints, where you switch playable characters throughout the story. Unlike Call of Duty, though, Battlefield 3's missions aren't memorable and often times try too hard to blow you away. The only really cool set piece in the campaign is when you're the gunner in a jet. Yes, you're the gunner- you don't actually fly the jet. Which is pretty damn lame. The single-player just feels like a watered down training mode for multiplayer.

This game does offer co-op, if you're dead set on enjoying some sort of story. The missions are actually set up well but are mostly forgettable. Unlike Halo Reach, you can't play with multiple friends. It's just you and one other. It would've been cool to have three or four buddies helping you out, but it's only a minor detraction. Though the only reason I trudged through the missions was to unlock more weapons.

If you like being rewarded you're going to absolutely love how they set up the unlockables. As previously mentioned, you can unlock guns through the co-op by completing missions. Though where you're going to do the most unlocking is online. You can pretty much have any scope on any weapon. Want a hunting scope on your M4? No problem! Want a red-dot sight on your Sniper Rifle? Okay. You can even unlock things for your vehicles, for instance, having flares for your attack helicopters. None of the unlockables feel unbalanced either, which is important for a game that thrives on its multiplayer.

For those looking for a decent change of pace to your close-quarter first person shooters then do yourself a favor and check this game out. Though the single-player lacks any memorable experiences, you'll be blown away by the amazing multiplayer. There's a learning curve when you jump online but if you have the patience to learn everything about the game then you'll no doubt have a new favorite in your collection.

Visit http://www.slackers.com/ for more great reviews!

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Battlefield 3 - Xbox 360 Beta Impressions

Today I will give you some early impressions detailing the Xbox 360 version of the Battlefield 3 beta. Lets get some formalities out of the way early, shall we? Battlefield 3 is a modern first-person shooter developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It releases October 25, 2011. This particular article is specifically detailing my early experiences regarding the Xbox 360 version of the Battlefield 3 beta.

Gamemodes - One game mode and that is Rush.

Rush - I played Rush many times in both Bad Company games. Attacking forces must advance through enemies defenses and destroy M COM Stations throughout the map. The defending team must protect all M COM Stations from the attackers. It's a simple game of defense versus offense and it can be quite entertaining sometimes. Most times defenders win and it seems to be that way in Battlefield 3 on Operation Metro map.

Operation Metro Map - Operation Metro map is the only map on the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3 beta at the moment. This map starts out in a park in sunlight but quickly turns into a underground subway battle. The early part of the subway portion is very linear. Actually, many sections of Operation Metro are linear which makes for Attackers in Rush really difficult. There are open areas in the subway section featuring escalators and open lobbies. But most of the map is train cars and linear passageways. There are also quite a few backroom hallways in the Operation Metro map.

Classes - There are four different classes in the beta including Assault, Engineer, Recon and Support. What primary guns you start out with in default depends on if your Attacker or Defender. Every class give or take has a Primary, Secondary, Gadget 1, Gadget 2 and Specialization slot.

Assault - This class starts off with either M16A3 or AK-74m for primary weapons. Sidearms are MP443 and M9 with the Medic Kit. I played with this class early and often. It feels sorta like the medic class in other games the way you can just toss around health packs to squad members and other teammates. I would say it's a good class to start with in Battlefield 3.

Engineer - Not much use for this class in the beta due to no vehicles being available. However the Engineer class has always been a favorite of mine in Battlefield: Bad Company 1 and 2. Primary weapons are M4A1 and AKS-74u. Sidearms are the same as all of the other classes. Gadget 1 is SMAW and RPG-7U2.

Each weapon in the Battlefield 3 beta has a detailed stats page showcasing everything you need to know about each gadget and weapon.

Support - I played with the Support class and it seems like a good class to lay down suppressive fire with. Primary weapon is the M27 1AR and RPK- 74M. Secondary guns are the same as above. Ammo Boxes are the "Gadget". If you want to keep supplies from running out for you're squadmates and teammates, pick the Support class.

Recon - Sniper class, need I say more? Primary guns MK 11 MODO and SVD. Secondary guns are the same as above. The Gadget is Radio Beacon. If you played with the Recon class in Bad Company it's quite similar.

Controls - Feels similar to Bad Company 2. Only difference so far is the prone option. To prone press down the Right Thumb Stick all the way till you're prone. The controls as to be expected aren't that good due to it being a beta. Seems aiming is kinda off. It seems clunky and wunky and or jerky if I can say that. Sprinting and doing the automatic parkour moves are nice.

Custom Kits - The menu is there but I can't confirm yet if you can make custom loadouts. I haven't played it enough to unlock many options to be frank. I will let you all know later if there are Custom Loadouts in the beta.

Glitches - First game I played on my Xbox 360 it simply froze ten minutes into the match. I had to restart the console. Not a good first impression if I must say. That's not all, almost every match I played had stuttering issues and framrate drops. Connections issues in game are apparent. Finding matches were easy to find on the Xbox 360. Battlefield 3's beta does have quite a bit of issues on the Xbox 360 regarding freezing, glitching and stuttering. Good thing, it's a beta and DICE has time to fix the kinks before the game ships in a few weeks.

My Unlocks - Not much, but for leveling up to Private First Class I attained the 870 MCS shotgun.

So what do I think about Battlefield 3's beta running on the Xbox 360? It's a gorgeous game with great sound design. I do like the Operation Metro map, it's not a great map but it's a solid map. The game does have glaring issues relating to glitching, stuttering and freezing. Thanks for reading.

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Four Great PlayStation Move Games

Some great PlayStation 3 Move games include Dance Dance Revolution, Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition and SOCOM 4.

The first game, Dance Dance Revolution should need no introduction or explanation as to why it is a great PlayStation game. As a quintessential PlayStation Move game it gives you a chance to move around and use the Move and the wand to the fullest. The game is also fun and relaxing with some very exciting and enjoyable music.

The second game, the Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos is a great game as with the first person point of view it gives you a chance to learn what life aboard a sea vessel can be like. The game is also authentic as the developers Liquid Dragon spent some time with Sig Hansen and his crew aboard the Northwestern. Any fan of this series has to be able to enjoy this game. Using the Move to navigate on deck and lift up pots from the ocean is just too much fun. The game also allows you to choose a ship to be on with a choice of the Northwestern, the Cornelia Marie, and the Sea Star. The game never gets old as it just continues to surprise you at every turn.

Of course Resident Evil also needs no introduction as it is one of the early pioneers in computer games for the PlayStation. This version of the game called the Gold-Edition is the one used for PlayStation Move. This game series never gets old and as Resident Evil 5 isn't so much a new Resident Evil for the Move as a repeat of previous games it offers a chance at player control through use of the Move and Wand.

The final game on the list, SOCOM 4 is a typical military game which is enhanced by the Move. This third person tactical shooting game is just incredible when in the hands of the Move. The feel of holding the gun and using it can be thrilling as well as the cut scenes which with these graphics just blow you away, sucking you into the game as a whole. The plot of the game also takes you to some new exotic locals such as Malaysia on secret covert missions. Once again this game also features some multiplayer capability which also enhances the fun even more.

These four games are great games to play when paired with the Move.

Check out the most anticipated PS3 Move Games of 2012.

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Defense Grid: The Awakening PC Video Game Review

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a tower defense game that was first released way back in 2009. If you decide to download the title today, you can probably find it on sale, like I did. In that case-or even if you have to full price, if I'm to be completely honest-you should definitely make a purchase. Hidden Path Entertainment has put together a truly satisfying package.

There's a story, of course: aliens are invading a futuristic complex and you have to save it. You do so by activating defensive measures (mostly gun turrets) while a chatty AI pal who occasionally sounds a lot like Zartan from the old G.I. Joe cartoon gives you alerts and talks about raspberries. He once was a human, you understand. That was years ago, though, and now he just wants to help you as you defend "the grid." The story isn't especially deep. It's told in bits and pieces, through mournful snippets of dialogue that you'll hear repeatedly if you happen to suck at completing a given stage. By the end of the game, you'll know the full tragic tale of your mechanical chum.

The plot isn't really the reason that Defense Grid is such a wonderful experience, though. The real draw is the strategy side of things. Placing towers to stop a seemingly endless stream of enemies doesn't seem like it should serve as the basis for a successful subgenre, but for some reason it almost always does. A few times, I've sat down to play for a minutes before going to bed and then looked up hours later only to find that night had come and gone. That's a rare enough occurrence for me nowadays that I really notice it when it happens.

At a glance, Defense Grid doesn't differ a lot from the typical tower defense title. You start off with a paltry few units and your arsenal expands over time. The first few that you'll gain are often the most useful, however. They include standard guns, flame cannons and lasers. Each piece of arsenal that you add to the mix (known here as "towers") will cost you resources. You start a stage with a set amount of resources and you gain more of them as you gun down aliens that are trying to reach your cores. The goal is to prevent them from doing so, but that's not always possible. Sometimes, you have to just shoot them down before they can escape with any cores that they may have grabbed. If too many cores are snagged by enemies in a given level, you lose. The better you do at preventing those precious cores from being taken, the higher your score will be when you complete a stage.

The score component definitely adds something to Defense Grid. Each stage features default scores that you can try to beat, and you can also compete with friends to prove your superiority. Placing somewhere on the general scoreboard isn't difficult (you're essentially guaranteed placement as long as you clear a map), but snagging a top spot is another matter entirely. You'll need to play a nearly perfect game if you want to claim true victory. Even winning a map without losing any cores might not be enough; you also need to make sure that you're not wasteful with your resources.

Unfortunately, even with the leaderboards on hand to keep you motivated, Defense Grid can become dull after prolonged exposure. It's best played a few hours at a time, or even for a few minutes here and there. If you try to clear too many maps at once, the repetitive nature of things can start to wear on you. Almost without exception, the strategy to clear a map is to start by placing inexpensive units so that they block choke points and force aliens to take the longest route to the core. Then you upgrade some of those units and supplement them with more expensive varieties. There are occasional complications in the form of multiple entry and exit points for enemies in the later stages, but even then your best bet is to force everyone to snake through some well-placed machine guns (your most basic defense) that you have upgraded to their maximum level.

If the general campaign gets old, though, there also are alternatives. Missions include special objectives that switch things up. Your options change depending on the scenario. In one case, you might be able to try a familiar stage with 99 waves instead of the usual 25 or 30. Elsewhere, you might be able to start with 20,000 resources but defeated enemies won't drop any additional resources. Since there are more than 20 missions, each with a handful of compelling variations, Defense Grid can keep you entertained for a long while if you'll just let it.

While Defense Grid won't ever be mistaken for a graphical powerhouse (this isn't the genre for that), its presentation is pleasingly effective. You can zoom in and see good detail on the towers and the invading enemy forces, or you can pull your perspective back to view things from a distance (typically the best option if you're serious about winning or unfamiliar with a map's nuances). Despite the amount of on-screen activity in the more hectic areas, the action progresses quite smoothly on a decent PC. You can also speed up the invasion by holding the 'F' button on your keyboard, or the appropriate button on your gamepad. There's never a point where things move at an incredible pace, but that's probably for the best.

If you've been looking for an interesting title to add to your Steam library and you like being an armchair general, Defense Grid: The Awakening is a terrific investment. Featuring a wealth of content and solid campaign design that shows a thorough understanding of what makes the genre click, Hidden Path Entertainment's attempt at tower defense is arguably the best on the market. Just don't be surprised if it leaves you hungry for raspberries.

Jason Venter is the editor-in-chief at HonestGamers, an independent site for video game critics and fans. He presently earns his living as a freelance game critic, with his work appearing on numerous leading sites and also in the pages of Hardcore Gamer Magazine (no longer in publication). Follow him on Twitter (@jasonventer) or 'like' the HonestGamers page on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/honestgamers ) to keep up with news and reviews from Jason and from other passionate gamers.

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