When EA and Starbreeze announced that the Syndicate reboot they were working on would be another first person shooter, fans of the series were – and I’m putting this nicely – sceptical. People wondered if turning a squad-based tactical game with a large nostalgic fanbase in to a squad-based shooter would be a smart move. 

The demo showed a lot of promise – especially with its 4 player co-op – alleviating many fans chagrin. The game will be available locally this Friday – and reviews have hit the internet to let us know if Starbreeze’s Syndicate is worth picking up.

Reviews are mixed – but most seem to come to the consensus that Syndicate is a good game – but only if you play it in co-op. It seems its single player campaign is a little shallow. “If Starbreeze had snubbed convention and made a strategic co-op shooter with a global reach, it could have been amazing. As it is, it’s the sort of almost-there effort that entertains for now but will likely be forgotten by Christmas. Pick it up for the highly enjoyable co-op, but just don’t expect it to outlast its FPS rivals,” says Eurogamer, with 1Up calling it  “ultimately a damn good cooperative game saddled with a weak story campaign.”

If you loved the co-op demo, and want more of that, it seems Syndicate might be worth picking up – just don’t expect it to be as fun solo.

• Eurogamer – 7
• The Guardian – 3/5
• PushSquare – 7
• GamesRadar – 7
• GiantBomb – 5/5
• 1Up – C+
• Destructoid – 6.5
• IGN – 7.5
• Joystiq – 4/5
• GameSpot – 7.5
• CVG – 6.7
• StrategyInformer – 7.5