With Satellite Reign’s robotic deviants and cyberpunk conspiracies, you might expect Rutger Hauer to appear on a rooftop babbling soliloquies. But while this techno thriller owes a lot to Blade Runner, its true inspiration is Syndicate Wars, a strategy game from the ’90s set in a rain-soaked futuristic city.
You control a group of four agents, each with individual abilities. A brawler carries the artillery, while the hacker jacks into ATM terminals, opens locked gates, and switches off security cameras. The support agent pilfers digital information, sussing out crowds with her World Scan Ability, while the infiltrator sneaks about in Harry Potter’s invisible cloak.
Like cyberpunk adventure Deus Ex, players can approach each mission with different strategies, whether sliding down zip lines, or using bribery and extortion to get your wily way. The neon-drenched environments and electronic score capture the mood perfectly.
Occasionally, however, your minions behave like naughty toddlers and ignore your orders.