10 Video Game Entries That Drastically Changed The Formula

3. Syndicate (2012)

Syndicate 2012
Starbreeze Studios

For the uninitiated, the futuristic sci-fi game Syndicate came onto the scene as an RTS utilising an isometric perspective, in the vein of something like X-COM. Well it sure did take its time but almost two whole decades later the franchise returned for its third entry but as these things go, the original developer was now out of the picture. Fast forward to 2012 and EA published the Starbreeze Studios developed entry, also called Syndicate.

The game was set prior to the original games and drastically changed up the gameplay formula.

Gone was the original set of mechanics in favour of a more traditional first-person shooter with gameplay consisting largely of shooting sections and hacking puzzles. Clearly they were trying to pull in a bigger audience but it fell short of the mark. The story left a lot to be desired despite being really strong in the original games and veteran fans sorely missed the absent strategy elements.

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Jess has been a journalist and content creator in the games industry for over 15 years and has been WhatCulture's resident Australian import and sorry cop since 2020, upping the quotient of swearing and apologising in WhatCulture Gaming's annual blooper videos considerably. She previously worked at GameSpot for 10 years, most notably hosting GameSpot News in addition to E3 live shows, and PAX panels. She regularly livestreams a variety of games on her 'jessmcdonell' YouTube and Twitch channels and hosts the 'Do It On The Day' podcast. She has won awards for her news and feature work in gaming as well as an accolade for her comedic writing (likely an admin error). She can be found on X at @jessmcdonell and Instagram at @jessicamcdonell sharing her current videogame fixations, industry insights, and videos of her cat, Karma.