I still think the reinvention of Syndicate as an FPS is a mistake, the only people who remember the Syndicate name will be the ones upset that it is no longer squad based strategy. While the second and last screens look appropriately Syndicate-y (although the neon blue colour scheme is actually more reminiscent of the sequel, Syndicate Wars, Syndicate was actually quite brown and black), if it is just another futuristic shooter it won't succeed. I'm interested to see what the "espionage" elements of the "action/espionage" gameplay they talk about will be.

I'm confident that Starbreeze will be able to make a great game regardless of what people might expect a Syndicate game to be, and regardless of its appearance as a futuristic shooter - Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness were both excellent games that eventually found an audience.

There's four-player co-op in this new Syndicate, too, so I would bet that they've found a good way to smooth out the squad-based aspect of it (if you're playing singleplayer without online players), with a bunch of depth available in your strategic options.

Even though they say 'early 2012,' it's still far too early to dismiss the game. I'm looking forward to a proper, full reveal most probably in the very near future (or perhaps we'll be made to wait until the Spike VGAs... hopefully not!).

I did read about the 4 player co-op (and they're apparently even included missions from the original Syndicate for this 4 player mode), which is the closest link to the original game. I know the Darkness and Chronicles of Riddick were well received, which does bode well, but I'm just not keen to see another cyberpunk franchise die as an FPS nobody cares about. I know a comparison to Shadowun is unfair, but it's still a concern.

Like you say, though, we will probably find out more soon enough when there is a full reveal. Project Redlime (Syndicate's development codename) was under development for ages and if it's coming in early 2012 it must be a long way down the track already.

Sure sure - I wasn't saying you shouldn't dismiss this new Syndicate, but rather in general, we should be looking forward to further details.

Also, because of the information leaks the issue becomes a lot more murky - what's real, what's construed and what details are simply old and outdated?

Personally, and from here on out, I'll be snapping up official details and trying to disregard what's come before, but as always, it'll be up to the full, final game to blow us away, and it'll be up to EA to make sure that consumers don't think of Syndicate as another simple genre entry, and instead market and position it as something extraordinary and unique. If not, then I agree - gamers will disregard it.

Let's see how they get along. ;)

i have been waiting for this official announcement for a while. Syndicate and to a lesser extent its sequel, have been some of the best games from my tainted youth, and have been filed in the "nostalgia" drawer. that drawer is reserved for nostalgia only and will not be replayed in fear of it being ruined now.

i agree with Graeme, an FPS is, in my opinion, a mistake. it will probably be lost in the flood of shooters out there. in the same breath it has to be mentioned that i cannot see an isometric squad based shooter doing any better these days.

this new sequel has been filed in the "highly anticipated" drawer, along with other remakes of isometric squad based shooters, such as XCOM.

Two classic franchises being remade as first-person games... market research is at play here! ;) I ain't cared, I'm excited to dive back into these universes in first-person!

If they were made for Xbox LIVE or PSN as high quality, downloadable, isometric strategy action games, remade for the new generation, I think they would have done OK, but full retail releases, no way, agreed.

That 'nostalgia' drawer is something I need to invest in - I'm tempted to go back... but I know I shouldn't! ;)

After my genre indignation has subsided a bit, it has dawned on me that both the new Syndicate and X-Com sound like pretty good games in their own right, and while the FPS is not my favourite genre by a long way, that's no reason to write them off.

Incidentally, I wrote a blog post about these games in April 2010 (when my blog was still going), back when we had far less information about these remakes. It's at http://attitudeforgains.blogspot.com/2010/04/everything-old-is-new-again.html

I LOVE CO-OP GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (TEARS IN MY EYES) ....i love you co-op :')

There seem to be lots of tears (of joy) with you today! ;)

You're going to have lots of fun with Battlefield 3 - that co-op mode is awesome!

really!? cant wait....make love to me Battlefield 3 times!!!! (tears of joy) :')

brandon stop it!! dont make me come into that room and give you a hot cup of coffee and a slap in the face hehehe. "thinking of doing that now"