Our mod is actually in final release, but we are still working on it to add new features as maps and enemies. For those who don't know SBO, here comes a little reminder : The action takes place after the Dark ages (in a far future). You are a member from the Syndicate, a powerful criminal group specialist in assassination and delicate missions. One of the more powerful mega corporation : Croon, contact you so that you "clean" their little error : Inadvertently they opened some hell's gate and the Federation send its choc troops in order to pacificate all of these things and to bring some proofs against Croon. Your equipments are : last cry weapons, cybertech, biotech and last creations from Croon which lets use them. This mod is composed of 3 parts: - cooperative : you can play it alone or in multiplayer. Players have to do various objectives to success the mission. They fight against enemies and meet some NPC controlled by the IA. Individual experience is managed....
Tried multiplayer and couldn't find a option for bots. Read the readme and doesn't mention anything about it, actually it doesn't say much of anything except a changelog.
Apparently you have to play the co_ maps for monsters to pop up when your playing on your own (or with a friend hence co stands for co-op).
Gave it a try but the levels where really blocky and lacking detail, I didn't find enough to play on, your character selection screen has all these stupid images for each weapon and implant, like one big joke.
Go for E.Y.E cybermancy instead.
For a multiplayer, multi-scenario Half-Life mod with a particular aesthetic, Syndicate Black Ops has an interesting proposal. Some of the ingredients in the mix are one part Matrix, one part Doom, and a third part Blade Runner. Unfortunately, the gameplay experience is barely bearable, with a user interface all over the place, broken AI, and no factual multiplayer matchmaking.
The theme is established from the mod's description to the odd variety of weapons. Models and textures are mostly original creations, but soon one realizes they were not done well. They appear rushed, with lots of clipping, and resemble children's drawings. Even the final boss, who is a replica of Doom's Cyberdemon, doesn't do justice to the original with its plain textures. While the various joke posters add a comedic touch from the developer, they seem out of place when considering the atmospheric background (they could've worked if they looked more like advertisements). The weapon selection menus are awful and unintuitive, given the default keyboard settings, and poorly designed with those mock preview images. Part of what seems like a plot is hinted through weapon descriptions, but the hideous menu makes it easy to overlook.
There are several pros in Syndicate Black Ops' gameplay. It is one of the few Half-Life mods that entirely redesigns the appearance and functionality of weapons. Despite their lack of fittingness, melee weapons, for example, have effects that are nothing like the main game. It must also be praised how diverse the pool of maps is, consisting of 3 game modes: Battle Royale, Bounty Killer (both mainly PvP), and Cooperative (can also be played solo). However, the mod, like most multiplayer-focused Half-Life mods, suffers from what I call "empty server syndrome", effectively rendering 2 out of 3 game modes useless unless you play with friends. Also, game modes are not really intuitive to engage with, and while there is a game guide included, it mostly makes jokes and doesn't explain anything useful, almost forcing you to learn through trial and error.
The worst features are weapon balancing and broken AI. The latter often leans to extremes: it can be extremely powerful and snipe you with high damage in a fraction of a second, or it can stay still while turning around to focus for a few seconds, making it easy to dispatch. Some maps have the feature of infinitely respawning monsters, which greatly hurts weapon choice. While there is a variety of weapons available, as well as utilities like cyberlegs for faster movement and night vision, and a level-up system that upgrades your walking pace, some weapons have unforgiving recoil or are unreliable in other ways. This, paired with lackluster utilities, makes it easy to stick to the same proven and monotonous build. In this sense, weapon diversity can be illusory.
Syndicate Black Ops might be worth a shot if you really enjoy PvP games, have a bunch of friends to play with, and are open to fighting mod mechanics more than the enemies themselves. If you're not into this, I'd give it a hard pass.
From the creators of EYE: Divine Cybermancy, this gem is really fun to play. The broken english, funny weapon advertisements and maps add a lot of charm. It's really fun to play and also a bit hard but all I can say is git gud.
Do yourself a favor and download it now.
A great Half-Life coop classic.
Atmospheric, offers a lot and it have only one downfall: lack of custom maps and active scene. Too bad, because it's great!