Syndicate Wars Longplay (PC DOS) [EuroCorp Part 01 of 06]

Developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1996
Follow me on Twitter: / al82_retro
Game Review: al82retro.blog...
Complete longplay of the Syndicate Wars EuroCorp campaign (part 01 of 06).
The longplay was recorded using the game's 640 x 480 resolution mode for extra clarity.
However, the game does not appear to have an internal speed limiter, so the only limit to how fast the game can run is the speed of the CPU. The problem with this is it slows to a crawl when there's a lot of activity on screen, but it is far too fast on less detailed screens, which makes targeting enemies next to impossible.
I had to set DOSBox CPU cycles to 150,000 for the actual game levels, then reduce it to 18,000 cycles for the mission briefing/loadout UI screens else it runs far too fast.
#retrogaming

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Take corporate warfare to a whole new level in this excellent real-time tactics game from Bullfrog! Check out my full review here: al82retro.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/game-review-syndicate-wars-pc.html

[@thatguy9419]

Ah... childhood memorys. First game to ever make we wonder "Wait... who are the good guys in this?"

[@mgtowstanleyzoltanov9808]

I was like Dududududu because no englsih understand bit kaboom everything everywhere on map

[@Aenygma_]

The graphic, sound and UI design is mind-blowing for the year it was made.

[@TheyCallMeBizTCMB]

Insane! This is the most important comment on here

[@papaonta]

it was ahead of it's time, but yeah imagine Commandos but in semi polygonal 3d and similarly can ride vehicles. only commandos riding tanks and syndicates was like gta, riding every vehicle possible in the designated level

[@michelrichert9052]

Bullfrog was the best gaming studio at this time ... every game they put out was a must have ...

[@Kaido_928]

Then Mr EA came around the corner.. Hello my child.. Come here and let me DESTROY YOU!!! AAHAHAHAAA!.

[@Dagoth_Ur_1]

Fable in '04 I think was one of their last greats, actually the 2nd was good too

[@michelrichert9052]

@@Dagoth_Ur_1 I never played Fable, and I didn't play their Populous games either .. I know, it's really too bad for me .. I didn't know that much about these games at that time .. my personal favorite games from Bullfrog Studios ?? Theme Hospital of course, and the exceptional, almighty .. Dungeon Keeper !! 😍😍

[@TheBroz]

@@Dagoth_Ur_1 Fable wasn’t Bullfrog, it was Lionhead. LH had a few ex bullfrog folk but it was definitely it’s own thing.

[@yb9687]

Theme Hospital:)

[@gavinpowell4607]

"Uzi...minigun....Uzi....Persuadatron..." Always loved the sound design in this game. The music was really atmospheric.

[@FreakyGremlinDK]

This game was waaay ahead of it time.

[@willischwabe1324]

Just like all the 80s and 90s stuff, where we feared about what future will come to. A utopia? Or a dystopia?

[@nolesy34]

Like AI gang

[@maestrolodahl8681]

Indeed :) And it is still awesome to this day to play :) I loved it, and still love it :)

[@maastomunkki]

Well, it was a fun game, but sadly my potato pc struggled to run it. "Move along. Keep moving."

[@DiegoEsteban1910]

This needs to be remastered

[@andrewcowan9066]

OH YES PLEASE 🤩

[@Bembel81]

EA has the rights to Syndicate. So, how about no?

[@dra6o0n]

It would turn into a MTX infested mobile game.

[@houstonhelicoptertours1006]

No.

[@schalkengelbrecht7859]

store.steampowered.com/app/268870/Satellite_Reign/

[@akoznasovajusername]

I was playing this game as a kid in 1997 and I didn't know how to play it, but the sound effects, voices, music and the graphics made me remember it forever. PS 1 was such a big advancement from other consoles I played back then, like NES and SNES.

[@bergeracvandamme]

This brings back so many memories. I spent hours playing this on PS1 in the mid-90s. That crazy squeal sound in the soundtrack always cracked me up.

[@janmillsgibson3225]

KEEP MOVING MOVE ALONG GET DOWN!!! Memories.

[@proximity037]

Bring the bullet

[@Salty_tom]

Possibly my favorite PC game growing up as a kid.

[@meyers0781]

Two things memorable about this game: 1. The UI and font design is a major crime in aesthetics and usability. Thank goodness as of today surviving future depictions prefers legibility and elegance over edginess 2. That in my PC sometimes unpleasantly loud sounds happen overwriting any sound in game

[@keithtam8859]

one of the best cyberpunk game ever!!

[@ThatCarGuy1983]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@oneactoneda4393]

@Wiara Służba Modlitwa I'm sorry but Deus ex 2 wasn't that good and overhype at the time. Deus ex 1 and 3 were the great one.

[@proximity037]

More than game...

[@richard7645]

They took the original and absouletly blew they crap out of it 💥

[@sucktitles]

Don't get me wrong I admire the accomplishment of Satellite Reign and I wanted it to live up to this stuff, but it just really didn't. This was pure perfection.

[@paulchappell9606]

I love this game sooooooo much. Would play 10 hours straight without blinking

[@anvb5a1]

Me too! Spent whole nights perfecting 1 mission!

[@Laburnus]

@@anvb5a1 I don't remember precisely but in one of the missions you could hypnotize an agent who had body lv5 which was indestructible. The animation for that part was glitched... Still not sure if that was a game glitch or something they did not finish coding

[@Tony_Cardoza]

I used to like robbing the banks. You'd place an explosive, blow up the building and the vault, and take the suitcases full of money. Not every level had a bank, of course.

[@earthwormjum]

I had this on PlayStation and loved the atmosphere. Like a combination of Command & Conquer and Bladerunner.

[@balintk.9373]

It still amazes me how complex the graphics were in this game. We are talking about 1996. Fun fact, you can find some of the NPC driven cars from Syndicate Wars in Bullfrog's other game, called Hi-Octane :)

[@DjClarky78]

Did you ever see the Original 1993 Amiga Version? That's the one I had. I wish they'd remake this game.

[@radspencer8187]

I had the ps1 version. It was difficult to get used to at first but after that... damn. What a ride that was. Those Ghost in the Shell ads in the backgrounds were icing on the cake.

[@Blastaar7]

hahahha I LOVE the 80s synth music when the fighting starts up. I remember playing this game on my gateway 2000. It was also the first time I ever heard anything about an "orbital elevator".

[@petar.banovac]

Incredible aesthetics, so stylish. My first PC game. Still looks and sounds good.

[@EurocorpFx]

This game is one of my all-time favorites. Also loved 'Satellite Reign' but it can't compete with SW

[@mattc2639]

2022 here, still trying to get this game running from GOG at a normal speed (feel free to chine in with some sort of dosbox config or work around please)..... this was one of my adolescent games after completing syndicate on pc, F'n loved it!

[@wkeil1981]

i played syndicate and loved it. i somehow missed this when i was young. my childhood robbed!! noooooooo

[@sharkylions4069]

охренеть... 2018-й год... я еле вспомнил название игры, игрался в неё в 93-96 годах :)) респект олдфагам :)) кстати во время просмотра несколько раз случайно паузил видос пытаясь мышкой повернуть камеру :)) ни с одной современной игрой такого рефлекса нет :)) вроде и графа не впечатляет и не самая любимая игра в сравнении с другими играми того периода... но зараза, как вот они добились того, что в игру погружаешься полностью? нет эффекта отстранённости, как во многих современных играх, даже с видом от первого лица, такого погружения нет... спасибо за видос лови лайк :) b==(o__o)==d

[@HighProStrategic]

One of my favorite games of all time

[@goncalomaia6987]

Somebody needs to remake all of Bullfrog's classics. That's a money making machine waiting to happen.

[@s77lom49]

this was my all time favourite game on my old Amiga. i remember playing it all night once. the only game that i managed to do that with as usually tiredness would overwhelm me.

[@kt3o5]

I remember being 5 years old and playing this game.. Oh the nostalgia q

[@richard7645]

I can remember when i was still in nappies playing this

[@Boatfisherz1]

Bullfrog was amazing in the 90s. Too bad they couldn't keep developing. This game brings back tons of memories! Someone needs to make a modern iteration of this game with the same music. Just updated graphics and slight changes to the gamplay.

[@yeoedwin1619]

There is still plenty of potential for revival of Syndicate game. Sometimes, I can imagine Syndicate does a crossover with the following: Robocop: When Eurocorp tries to take over Delta City, Ghost In The Shell: Major Motoko and Batau defend Tokyo against Eurocorp, Terminator: Skynet vs Eurocorp, Judge Dredd: Mega City overrun by Eurocorp, Batman Beyond: villains of Gotham City approach Eurocorp, Avengers: Ultron and Eurocorp gang up (involving Iron Man, Spiderman, Captain America, X-men etc) Altered Carbon: Takeshi Kovac fight with Eurocorp, Cyber City ODEO, Appleseed, Predator, COPS: Protect Empire City from Eurocorp

[@NPC_-mf4dw]

Blonde guy at 56:20 really was in the wrong place at the wrong time. xD

[@s77lom49]

haha. yes indeed.

[@DrAnGeber]

Is that the Death Scream from Command & Conquer? Funny

[@D091281]

I can remember tis game. It needed a Pentium 133 with a 3Df(x)-Card to run smooth.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

You really needed a fast Pentium to run the game well, especially for the 640 X 480 mode. Sadly, the game never supported 3D accelerator cards ☹️

[@kailee87]

This Game is Masterpiece

[@SFSomega]

I played the shit out of this game when I was young, ty for the nostalgia!

[@MrDarkTides]

Problem is that any remake would be instantly fucked by potential developers desire for pointless cut scenes and over the top graphics. Sometimes less is more.

[@averyvaliant]

Oh this game was so much fun.....Satellite rain! Watching skyscrapers being wiped out with that weapon was so satisfying

[@joeylittle3535]

God i loved this game

[@masterkraft4746]

this game is insane and needs a new version with modern graphics but the same exact gameplay and atmosphere, this game is SOOOO GOOD !!!!!!

[@fl4k667]

It’s a all time classic that will never be forgotten also reminds me of a lot like the Terminator so that even better

[@nathanielmighty7552]

Imagine if there was a film of this game with a terminator 1 and bladerunner vibe to it.

[@fl4k667]

@@nathanielmighty7552 now I bit of the terminator In a film like this would blow my mind add the song Metallica for Whom the bell tolls as the intro theme that would be a must watch

[@nathanielmighty7552]

@@fl4k667 hahaha I can visualise that 🤣 i say keep it syndicate Intro theme from the game witch is a classic.

[@fl4k667]

@@nathanielmighty7552 they need to make a film on this but got to pick very very wisely about actors

[@peachypietro9980]

Look at the body augment upgrades: they look exactly like the T-800

[@whozyourdaddy]

Keep moving. Move along. This game had great sound design.

[@conniemather6859]

I'm so old. I loved this game when I was a kid.

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

When this had come out, it must have blown people's minds!

[@nathanielmighty7552]

When I first had this game I thought this game isn't all that but when the weapons started upgrading as you progress through the levels I was blown away by it . Hands down one of the best games I played in the 90s era.

[@soldierforchrist631]

Yep. Watched my brother play the demo from a PC Gamer disc and remember it all these years later.

[@scanlines420]

One of my all time favourites on PC. Got this for Xmas 1996!! The ending gets super mental when you go into space. The PS1 version is also worth playing as it has some unique levels! Is this running in DOSBOX?

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Yep - DOSBox (specifically the Daum SVN build as it has a load of stuff built into it like MT-32 support) And yes, it goes absolutely crazy in the space station...that'll be coming in part 06 ;)

[@stefanforrer2573]

Al82: Retrogaming & Computing sounds great! might have to check it out again, last time i tried to run my copy i never got to tweak dosbox, so that the menu stuff doesn't go all haywire

[@georggross1232]

18:39 I wonder why that car resembles a time-travelling DeLorean.

[@AndreiEUR]

SOUNDS of era those days of cyberpunk city

[@AlexanderMazucco]

Man, this is fantastic! Please, tell me how you did to emulate so well?!

[@philharmonic2251]

The gog version of this has all sorts of problems, as it's emulating through dosbox. I could never get it to run properly - usually resulting in animations and menus running far too fast. Shame really. I wonder how you got it running ok here?

[@MrDerKnofi]

Whao, sick. We had this game back then and mostly my brother played it but my english was way too bad to really comprehend the story. Glad that I tuned in. :) Thanks.

[@martinflaten5005]

This sure brings back memories!

[@sir.erik1]

Still much better atmosphere than Cyberpunk 2077.

[@TheKproductionsful]

I haven't tried this game yet (have it on GOG), but from the first 5 minutes alone I'm already in love with the vibe and atmosphere. I should really load this up when I get the chance.

[@Liberty_Prime_Annihil8_c0mm1es]

Best cyberpunk game ever.

[@NPC_-mf4dw]

Cyberpunk 2077 wants to have a word with you... But yes, Syndicate (wars) was fantastic. One of my all time favorites. Magical, back then.

[@Liberty_Prime_Annihil8_c0mm1es]

I have no doubt 2077 is going to be awesome, and I love that your an NPC account LOL, I saw the NPC meme start in T_D on reddit, excellent meme xD

[@leegsy]

Deus Ex is the GOAT but this is easily in the top three.

[@ytgc-royalewarex5190]

Best isometric cyberpunk-like for sure

[@hoangphanvu9022]

@@NPC_-mf4dw this comment didn't age well

[@WildBeret]

I spent good time with this game , those sounde effects are so good

[@Argumemnon]

I wish Windows drew up its interface like this. One of my favourite things about this game is that the world's dominating AI are entirely presented as supportive and constructive. This is one of the most interesting and memorable video games I've ever played.

[@soddinnutter5633]

I wonder if it would be feasible/possible to persuade the agents in mission 3 (Hong Kong). By, say, persuading a ton of civvies/police beforehand and manually activating the super shield (to prevent knockback from miniguns) before charging the rogue agents.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

If that's the mission where you're tasked to eliminate rogue agents then no, persuading them doesn't work. I tried it 😒

[@soddinnutter5633]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays It's the mission where you have to grab the two scientists. There's a small group of rogue agents close to your starting point.

[@Direkin]

Man this brings back memories.

[@Chickenworm9394]

Pretty advanced as a DOS game don't you think?

[@mikael7071]

lol

[@iggswanna1248]

i remember playing this game and thinking i had to upgrade my pc cuz it was slow as hell. also thkat icon intro omg. i would never have remembered it, but watching it, its like i remember everything. ah nostalgia

[@i-am-alxdz]

I never played this version . Syndicate was a fantastic game series!

[@dvhk7497]

How can you increase or decrease the cycles? I'm playing with DOSBox and the game runs too fast, as you say in the description. Thanks.

[@Dagoth_Ur_1]

"Cataclysm" "wooossSSHHHHH" "BOOOOOOM" That nuclear grenade was scary to use back in the day (with PS1 controls) always thought I'd wipe out my own team. Awesome game, very Blade Runner

[@entity8019]

Can't help but look at those dodgy arms in the intro....

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

I'm so happy you mentioned the arms - I thought I was the only one who thought they looked really freaky!

[@entity8019]

I bought this on release day. It's the first thing that stuck out...and all I remember hahaha. There's no skeleton in there.

[@NerdyRodent]

20:49 sign reads “Japanese ramen” never noticed that as a kid

[@MusicalSamurai]

I really loved this game when it first came out... I got to play it to right near the end (it felt epic and very hard) but then a lot of stuff in life happened and I ended up with new hardware and ever since then I've not been able to play the game properly. - I tried to play it again but the entire game was running at like 1000fps, and while this looked awesome for when 'menus were being instantly drawn' the game play was impossible - usually a mission would have been over and I'd have failed before I can even react to it... I'd really love to know if it's possible to emulate this game and somehow get it to play at the original framerate, was is 30fps? - I think when I first played it, was close to 10-15 fps maybe, felt slow compared to the examples I've seen on KZbin but definitely playable. I've 'heard of' DOS Box but I'm a bit of an 'Emulator Noob' to set it up properly with my hardware and still ends up either not running at all, or running at like 10,000 fps... I'd really appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction! I'd love to give this game a crack again regardless of how bad the graphics are compared to today's standards... :D

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

If you just want something to run with a single click and not worry about configuration then buying from GOG.com might be an option - it's based on DOSBox, but it's all preconfigured 🙂

[@cuileann]

This was the first game I ever played, I was like 3/4 years of age, I couldnt read so would often choose random languages and laugh, I remember one langauge "Uzi" sounded like "Boobie" and would crack me up as a kid, my main stratagy was to all ways use the neurolozer to get a massive army and go around collecting guns, I always remembered getting frustrated that I didnt know how to make the cars fly lol

[@soldierforchrist631]

Still a better cyberpunk game than Cyberpunk 2077.

[@bananasandbass]

Ahhh man this takes me back!

[@efpcvintageplanet3406]

Io ho preferito il primo, comunque Bullfrog è il TOP, per non parlare delle musiche e delle atmosfere eccezionali 🤩🤩🤩

[@richard7645]

Get the feeling this is a glympse of our future 🤔

[@willischwabe1324]

If we fail, then all the warnings from books will come true sooner or later, I fear. Orwells "1985" Huxleys "Brave New World" And all the dystopian nightmares where big corporations dictate the lifes of the population on a world wide level, with their money, influence, products. And the resistance will be a few people who try to do the right thing. But I fear it would not turn out like in the Anime series where the good guys win.

[@nolesy34]

@@willischwabe1324 fahrenheit 451 too

[@boscopit]

played this game non stop in high school. oh 90s PC games!!

[@jayriley1452]

Wish I was a bit older when I played this so I knew how to play it properly

[@sir.erik1]

I love the sniper rifle! Hate the spiders when i was kid.

[@mikemhz]

Like most DOS games I had a real time trying to install and run this correctly so it didn't crash, stutter or have no sound

[@an0m1c7]

How did you get the menus and game running so smooth? For me the menus are super fast and the game feels a bit choppy at times

[@bananasandbass]

Playing Cyberpunk 2077 gives me flashback to this

[@holden6104]

Loved the first game, but my PC was too ghetto to run the sequel. Looks like I missed out on something amazing.

[@hanswurst3811]

this game was great ! one og the first ones where you can bomb buildings away :-D

[@piti466]

How you make the persuaitor work im can't do make it work in enemies like you

[@willischwabe1324]

New need enough civilians, before you can persuade other people like police or punks, if I am not totally misstaken.

[@swede7581]

cyberpunk 2077 in 1990s ha,ha nooo but i loved s.plus and this i ever tried out in my teens!! So i just got this game n installing it on my portabel hdd so 30sec install for days of gaming!! Thanks 4 video

[@claustrophobeinspace]

Imagine the amount of DLC if this game made today

[@ThomasCorfield]

Was this before The Matrix movie?

[@nolesy34]

Yes... although technically the wachowski br- i mean sisters would have been thinking about the plot of matrix for some time before the movie so.. Maybe they gleaned a bit of pop culture from syndicate wars

[@retrochomp]

17:50 i knew the sheep scream meme was fake! It comes straight outta this game!

[@illegalsmirf]

are you playing with invincibility cheats? I don't remember the game being this easy lol

[@nandovee2025]

Someone....somewhere..... Remaster or remake this

[@dibberz-v1z]

was this game made on the same engine as dungeon keeper?

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Yes - Syndicate Wars and Dungeon Keeper were built on modified versions of the Magic Carpet engine (which was developed principally by Glenn Corpes)

[@nolesy34]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays did they do prince of persia in conjuction with borland?

[@musicmystro]

Having a go at this now. having a bit of a problem with the graphics though; all the mods and weapon animations when kitting out your dude seems to be missing. for example when I click on Body level 1 there is just a black square where the animation should be and the mod does not appear on the body when I purchase it. Any suggestions would be greatley appeciatted.

[@ShadowYamoto]

My favorite game of all time. I happen to be the person with the most knowledge of the PSX version.

[@zeramoke]

When games were fun and had style

[@Flameb0]

these are definitely games you had to play back in the day because they have not held up well. the actual gameplay is very monotonous

[@gepardmic6003]

I do Wonder why no one have made a newer type game like this, the old game was a little buggy sometimes.

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

There is a spiritual successor to this called Satellite Reign, released a couple of years back. It was developed by Mike Diskett, who worked on Syndicate Wars 🙂

[@gepardmic6003]

I found it :-) and i love the mods you can add on.

[@nis5e]

This looks really interesting, but it also seems like the kind of game that would get very dry within the first 15 minutes of play

[@Turtleproof]

Absolutely not, but like many older games the level where the other guys have lasers is tiresome. I think it even had a space station level like Crusader: No Regret, I wanted to pull my hair out.

[@ShadowYamoto]

It's the freedom of movement game even before Grand Theft Auto. I'm sure once you learn the controls and tactics, Syndicate Wars will instantly become a favorite, especially when learning all the equipment it has to offer for certain situations. I really wish this game was remastered with a build to make up your own stage.

[@Turtleproof]

@@ShadowYamoto That I could learn as a player without being told that I can plant explosives- sorry, ERXSPLOSIVS- by a bank and take the money was just magical. And having a mob of 200 mind-controlled citizens that pick up guns and fight for me.

[@tomg5576]

Somebody was nice enough to port Syndicate Wars to current-gen OSes (Windows, Mac and Linux). It requires having the base game though. swars.vexillium.org/

[@yinyin9833]

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLAY ON WIN10?

[@banoniebatute9682]

Best game of my childhood.any similar games out there?

[@willischwabe1324]

Atmosphere wise: Bladerunner (old game too) Modern ones? No idea.

[@richardcolbourne6151]

I loved this game 🤘😈

[@djvoid1]

Who just used the cheats and Cataclysm'd all the buildings?

[@CaptainConnelly]

God yes, so much fun

[@lefrinj]

I didn't succeed in getting very far with this, there was one level I just couldn't beat. I think it was also a lot earlier on in the game than I thought at the time! I'm looking forward to finding out what was supposed to happen...

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

It's incredibly tough, but it's rewarding if you have the patience...which I didn't when it first game out ;)

[@lefrinj]

@@AL82RetrogamingLongplays I loved the first one and loved the idea of the second, I played it quite a lot but didn't get very good. But when I was studying in Italy for a year, no computer, I spent a long time drawing maps and trying to write a real time play by mail game that would never have worked in real life but was fun to think about. Based on Syndicate Wars but with a number of local cells with an executive each, when the net goes down they're all disconnected and having to make their own sense of what is going on, such that they could find themselves in opposition to other executive cells trying to seize power in their area (a bit like the first Syndicate but more localised)... anyway it was fun to think about and showshow much impact this game had on me at the time. Satellite Reign at the moment is partly satisfying my need for agent destruction but I love these 2 games. I even played the Syndicate FPS on xbox 360 which... was not really Syndicate but had some good things too (especially multiplayer). But I remember when I played Colorado in the first Syndicate (the one with the parade of military vehicles with people lining the streets) and decided to use time bombs to take out the leader... people everywhere... brilliant (in this context, I'm not bloodthirsty in real life). I think I just found SW so much faster and messier, andhard to keep up with. The original was nicely slow and clean. Anyway thanks for this, I'm enjoying it a lot. Maybe I'll try it again sometime!

[@oo0ReaXioN0oo]

Aiiight, it's a freebie @ GOG right now!

[@qwicoll]

Anybody knows why buildings and entire city have a very strong Carmageddon stage I look?

[@randy80ism]

how you pick up stuff?