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Crime pays. Crime has always paid. Some people are caught and are made an example of (Did we say Bruce Grobbelaar? Allegedly, and all that), and admittedly this can sometimes be bad for business. But the best way around this 'occupational hazard' is to organise a crime into a business, perhaps a 'Syndicate' is a more gentlemanly way to put it. By being organised, you can protect your members, keep the hiccups of justice down to a minimum.

And technology affords a second business plan. Just say your Syndicate came into possession of some expendable assets. Just say these assets were vagrants and unfortunates, picked up off the streets, reprogrammed and built up for heavy duty enforcement action. No-one is going to miss them. And as a commodity, they might open up gateways to expanding your operation, on a global basis.

Yet another Bladerunner-inspired creation, with custom elements of Bullfrog's own 'God' games.

Extend the influence of your crooked business Syndicate by coordinating 50 separate missions across the globe.

A separate briefing proceeds each mission, which have a variety of basic themes. Your team may be required to assssinate an individual or terrorise an area. The four boxes along the bottom of the screen contain info about your characters. It's easy to flick between direct control of any of them, or group them together in a unit. A separate command will fire their weapons in the direction of movement. Additional commands allow you to split the party, leave them 'sleeping' or guarding a specific location, or sending your team into 'panic mode' - spreading death in all directions.

The Persuadtron figures recurrently in your operations. Carried by a team member, it brainwashes anyone he touches, turning them into a helpless follower. It's useful as a method of abducting key targets, even enemy agents, who can be reprogrammed at your HQ. The success of your persuasion attempts rests on a complex formula depending on the brain level of the operator and the amount of people he has already persuaded.

The sprawling layouts of each mission cover many screens. Hijacking vehicles is a useful way of passing barriers and covering large distances. Finding your targets is aided by the scanner at the bottom of the screen, which leads you towards the objective. Negotiating buildings is made easier by the scanner revealing the layouts of building interiors.

One tactical feature of the cyborgs is the RPI device. This injects a measure of three separate drugs into your cyborg's bloodstream. The first improves reactions and is a way to speed up the operatives; the second, Perception, improves your cyborg's targetting and sensory abilities; and the last, Intelligence, alters the behaviour of cyborgs not under your control.

A Bullfrog game is a bit of an event, and the bunting has not gone to waste celebrating this one. Syndicate is a big, juicy steak of a game next to the wafer-thin sarnies that have passed for 'quality' releases of late. It has a convincing and compulsive plot, with each mission a 'chapter' in the development of your Syndicate.

The in-game action is much more 'hands on' than in previous Bullfrog games, without totally eliminating the 'God' aspect that has become their trademark. After some initial faltering, your realise that they have made a pretty good job of transferring the tricky mouse and keyboard control to a joypad.

The minor gripes that make this slightly less enthralling than the floppy versions are the titchy scanner (very hard to read in a tight spot) and graphics of a chunky nature. Streets ahead of Powermonger in the action and accessibility stakes, and huge to boot.

Syndicate on the PC went down an absolute storm. The combination of the isometric perspective, intricate mission objectives, and the cyber theme, broke the mould on slow-burning strategy games. So it's about time Megadrive owners had something similar to get their teeth into. Sure, compromises have had to be made in content - the original PC version sporting some horrific violence - and some trimming was necessary to fit it all into a cart.

But nevertheless Bullfrog have done a superb job on the conversion, even making the game more playable than the original! Once you've overcome the initial hurdle of the slightly complex control system, you'll be engulfed in the sheer depth of the plot, desperately trying to complete the missions. Syndicate is a top quality title, and a must for RPG strategy who fancy a real challenge.

Graphics 80%
P. Well constructed and convincing futuristic graphics, with lots of sprites moving with reasonable fluidity.
N. Some things are too small.

Sound 67%
N. Never Bullfrog's strong point, and the moody snatches of music here and there barely make an impact.

Playability 88%
P. Plays like Cannon Fodder for boffins. A feeling of control, but also pensiveness, as things can go awry in a split-second.

Lastability 91%
P. Absolutely huge with fifty different missions. More variety than any of their previous titles. Absorbing gameplay with depth.

Value For Money 87%
P. A quality product aimed at a specific and appreciative market.
N. Cart prices always compare unfavourably with floppies.

Overall 90%
The best-rounded and most effective future-crook game available. Anyone with a brain should devote their attentions on Syndicate.