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Swedish developer Starbreeze has admitted it felt developing the reboot of the Syndicate IP was doomed from the start of the project.
Speaking with Edge, CEO Mikael Nermark has said that, despite remaining proud of Starbreeze’s creation, the team behind the EA-published FPS felt a small but vocal group of journalists and consumers would lambast the game regardless of what was created.
"If we didn’t do an exact copy of the game, they’d hate us," suggested Nermark. "If we did do an exact copy, they’d say we didn’t innovate. They were never ours to win; it was a lost battle from the get-go."
"But I’m proud of what the team did and what we made, and I’m especially proud of the co-op; I think that really shows what we wanted to do with the game, and Starbreeze’s DNA," he added.
Starbreeze’s take on Syndicate released earlier this year and sold an estimated 150,000 copies worldwide, motivating EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau to admit the title was: "something we took a risk on. It didn’t work."
The original Syndicate debuted in 1993 on the Amiga and DOC PCs, taking the form of a isometric squad-based strategy game. Developed by Bullfrog Productions, it saw release on numerous other platforms, received a wealth of praise, and has since developed a cult status.
A 1996 sequel named Syndicate Wars, developed by Bullfrog and produced by Peter Molynuex, failed to attain the status of the original, much like Starbreeze’s effort.
