Cardinal SYN

by Sony

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00002STKU
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 26, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,558 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Cardinal Syn is the product of Kronos, the same company responsible for the abysmal PlayStation fighter Criticom and the mediocre Dark Rift for the N64. Cardinal Syn sticks to the Kronos model as a good-looking 3D fighter that offers nothing in the vein of innovative gameplay.

The game starts out with eight playable characters, but every time you beat the tournament mode the game unlocks a new playable character. It's got the usual modes of play we've come to expect from fighting games: tournament, vs., team battle, survival, and training mode. Cardinal Syn, as far as gameplay features go, is fairly standard. The only crazy things outside the norm are the in-game hazards and treasure chests. The hazards include things such as a mining car that rumbles down the tracks, which you and your opponent happen to be fighting on, or a giant snowball that crashes down a nearby mountain. The levels also have various treasure chests lying about that contain health, added strength, and bombs that damage your character.

Visually, Cardinal Syn is quite appealing. The characters and the 3D arenas that they fight in are incredibly detailed. The motion of the characters is a little fast but looks fairly fluid. That mixed with snazzy lighting effects gives Cardinal Syn a very clean look. All of this is seen from a camera angle that for most of the time is a side view, although sometimes the view is obscured for a frustrating second or two when a piece of the background gets in the way. The music and sound effects fit the medieval theme of the game quite well. With the clashing of swords and over-the-top modern gothic music, the game sounds noticeably rich.

The AI of the computer-controlled fighters is just plain poor. They run through preset patterns that you can see even after only a short time playing, and once you've learned the patterns, you simply create a pattern that counters theirs. Needless to say, this becomes incredibly boring. Even on the hardest setting the gameplay is composed of knocking your opponent down and trying to keep him there. Otherwise he gets up and starts this seemingly endless barrage of high and low attacks.

Cardinal Syn has some nice graphics and sound to set it apart from other games in the genre, at least on the surface. But once all is said and done, with its typical weapon-based fighting system that plays like Soul Blade and Dynasty Warriors, Cardinal Syn just ends up coming off as another 3D fighting game knockoff. --Ryan Mac Donald
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Manufacturer Description

Cardinal Sync covets the power contained in the book of secret wisdom first brought to the Blood Lands by the mysterious Wanderer. You'll fight with weapons and fists to keep the Wanderer's knowledge from giving Cardinal Sync the power to rule the once-peaceful fantasy realm. This dark medieval fantasy fighting contest puts no-holds-barred combat in marvelously detailed settings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars We don't hate Julia Roberts for making bad movies, do we?, September 18, 2000

By 

Pravin Wagh "waghdude" (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cardinal SYN (Video Game)

It's amazing to me that the magazine reviewers keep talking about the game's developer rather than the game they're supposed to be reviewing. Kronos also made "Fear Effect," which has gotten some good reviews. Criticom was no less abysmal than Toshinden. DarkRift for the N64 was a good recovery, and Cardinal Syn for the Playstation ain't so bad!

It's loads of mindless fun! 3D interactive worlds, Blood, dismemberment, maiming, magic spells, combos, special flatulation moves (from Mongoro), a story line, almost naked fighters with a special code, etc. It's a lot better thought out than Mortal Kombat, and the cinematic sequences are pretty good. You could do a lot worse with your money on a discounted game like this.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's wrong with this one?, January 11, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Cardinal SYN (Video Game)

I can't believe this. Everyone says this game is "average" but as far I'm concerned, this game kicks some bootie. It is so much better then them cheap rip offs like mortal kombat and Tekken. Cause there is lots of blood and you can even perform fatalities in the middle of the match! What I'm trying to say is, this game is awesome if you like blood and stuff and in my opinion is a lot better then Mortal kombat or anything like that.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great little game, November 14, 2001

By 

Julio (bergenfield, nj USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cardinal SYN (Video Game)

this no Solid Gear or Zone Of Enders, but it is one hell of a FUN game. you can get codes to dress down the female fighters in very revealing outfits, great blood graphics and very good fighting moves. ALmost prefer it to Tekken Tag on the PS2.