Line #180 VideoGame/SatelliteReign


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/419fdaf850dffb85fa295ca1689bfd06.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:A completely trustworthy individual...with a gun.]]
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4	''Satellite Reign'' by 5 Lives Studios is a RealTimeStrategy game with WideOpenSandbox and RPGElements. It is a SpiritualSuccessor to the original ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'' games, with the producers being Bullfrog veterans who had worked on the originals and were unhappy with the 2012 FPS. It was [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5livesstudios/satellite-reign funded through]] {{Website/Kickstarter}}. A playable beta was released November 18, 2014. It was given the Steam Early Access treatment on December 11, 2014. On July 10, 2015 it reached content-completeness and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L3AeCib1F8 a release teaser]] was released. The game itself came out on August 28, 2015. Updates continue afterwards, though; [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5livesstudios/satellite-reign/posts/1426567 on November 26, 2015]], it was announced that co-op multiplayer is on the way. This became a reality on [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/5livesstudios/satellite-reign/posts/1630352 July 15, 2016.]]
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6	The future. {{Mega Corp}}s de facto rule the world, keeping the poor downtrodden with the iron fist of corporate security and the middle class comfortably apathetic, feeding the rich who live in the lap of luxury. Yet among all of them, one stands out: Dracogenics. With their revolutionary [=ResTech=] technology, death is now optional: if your body dies, your brain can be copied and downloaded to a fresh clone body. Needless to say, Dracogenics proprietary technology and absolute control of it gives them incredible power over the world, and CEO Steven Dengler is even worshipped as a god by some.
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8	Cue the robbery: a specialist team, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall led by a commander at a computer, watching from a stealthy drone]], infiltrates Dracogenics' home city. They've been hired by a mysterious benefactor with the goal of navigating the city, subverting Dracogenics control, and taking control of the network of [=ResTech=] satellites, before putting a bullet in Dengler's head. How they do that is up to you.
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10	The first main difference from ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'' is the presence of a CharacterClassSystem. Unlike the originals, where there were no fixed roles and you could equip your Agents however you like, ''Satellite Reign'' has four distinct types:
11	* [[http://satellitereign.com/page/13/ The Infiltrator]]: A fast, stealthy assassin, the Infiltrator has better command of sniper rifles than any other class, and also has the ability to get into difficult-to-reach areas. They also have a built in optic camouflage system.
12	* [[http://satellitereign.com/page/20/ The Hacker]]: A computer and systems expert, the Hacker can subvert almost any system with ease. They also have better command of energy weapons (specifically lasers), and can summon a drone for more firepower if needed.
13	* [[http://satellitereign.com/page/16/ The Soldier]]: Rough, tough and ready, the Soldier carries the big guns and can dish out (and take) a lot of damage. They can make themselves a target for enemy fire, throw grenades, and generally wipe the floor with almost anyone. They can also carry special "heavy" class weapons.
14	* [[http://satellitereign.com/page/21/ The Support]]: Specializing in making everyone around them better, the Support has passive healing abilities, special combat buffs, and the all-important "World Scan" ability, which lets the team see the connections in the world around them.
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16	The second main difference is that instead of having a fixed mission structure you choose from, your Agents get dropped into the city and you can choose to do missions at your own pace in your own way, sandbox-style.
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18	----
19
20	!This videogame contains examples of the following:
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22	* AirVentPassageway: Agents can use air-vents to get around, though only the Infiltrator can use "high" air-vents, which frequently makes a passage one-way or a DoorToBefore. Some vents are clogged with toxic gas, which prevents passage in them until the gas is shut off.
23	* ArtificialLimbs: Cybernetic limbs can be installed on any agent. Some offer straight bonuses, but most confer abilities to an agent that they don't natively have, such as the cybernetic leg upgrade that allows any agent to use "high" air-vents.
24	* ArtificialBrilliance: Even if the game's AI can be faulty, there were instances where it really shines:
25	** When the main gates of a secure zone are blown apart, Dracogenics will dispatch Mooks at the entrance to guard them permanently.
26	** When you've being caught doing something illegal and you've being flagged with a red marking, cameras will report your position to the authorities when you run pass them.
27	** Guards will notice hijacked guards belonging to other companies if they're trespassing, even if they have legitimate access.
28	** If a shootout happens between hijacked guards and non-hijacked guards from the same corporation, with no agents visible, reinforcements who didn't see the fight start won't know who to shoot at and will collectively pick a side at random.
29	* ArtificialStupidity:
30	** Civilians wander randomly in the city and aren't programmed to avoid trespassing on guarded compounds. Like when player-controlled Agents are caught trespassing, civilians can be either shot or escorted at gunpoint back to the entrance. Because civilians are usually oblivious to anything that's not combat, they usually don't realize they're being arrested. They then get shot for resisting arrest.
31	** Guards from different corporations consider each other hostile if they are in secure areas but guards will still run into enemy territory if they hear gunfire or an alarm. This tends to result in a massive firefight as they start shooting at each other which draws in even more guards.
32	** Mooks are unable to recognize the areas full of poisoned gas and don't react when they are taking damage from the poison.
33	** Guards will repeatedly try to use electrified ziplines, injuring themselves over and over.
34	** When the power goes down, guards forget to hardwire doors and get stuck by trying to walk through them.
35	* AttackDrone: There are two main types of drones: flying drones are armed with lasers, generally don't have very much armor or health, and exist to provide a dedicated anti-shield enemy. The other type is the attack dog, which latches on to units and forces them out of cover, but does very little damage on its own. There's also an ''explosive'' attack dog, which latches on to a unit and then blows up, causing extreme damage.
36	** Your hacker can also spawn their own attack drone. You need to invest the required skill points and money however.
37	* AxCrazy: Knight. This causes no end of headaches for Dengler.
38	* BackStab: Attacking an unaware human target while pressing Alt at target's selection results in a OneHitKill, no matter how armoured the enemy is and which gun you use. The selected unit will go very close to the target and shoot him in the back. While any gun will do the trick, using an unsilenced firearm while alert the surrounding mooks.
39	* BadassInDistress: A starting mission, indeed the very first one the game recommends you take, calls for you to break the Infiltrator out of prison.
40	* BeamSpam: The 2xP3W Laser Repeater has the highest rate of fire in the game. It can empty its entire 20-shot magazine in under a second.
41	* BeefGate: The checkpoints between the districts are staffed by much tougher enemies and security systems than are found within the sector's normal mission areas, to prevent players from simply skipping to later areas before they're ready.
42	* {{BFG}}: The fan-favourite GatlingGood is an available weapon, and some EliteMooks may also use it. Beam cannons that deal damage over time are also available. All {{BFG}} give a penalty to accuracy and movement speed except for the soldier. You need to install special augmentations to lessen those penalties.
43	* BigBad: Steven Dengler. Yes, as in ''[[Webcomic/MegaCynics that]]'' Steven Dengler, who paid $10k to have his name and likeness used for the character.
44	* BlackMarket: Once unlocked, you can buy augmentations, gear and weapons. However, if you want to mass-produced them, you have to submit them to your scientists for R&D, less you risk of losing them if you die.
45	* BodyBackupDrive: This is apparently the technology that Dracogenics has invented and used to become top dog. The basic idea is that a worldwide satellite network keeps track of registered individuals at all times. If a registered user dies, they are immediately cloned and their brain is flash-copied to their new body. This effectively makes the elite immortal, while the downtrodden are worth less than fodder and considered nothing more than another resource by Dracogenics. You have access to a less effective version, where you have to plant relay beacons to provide the range necessary, and the clones degrade with each flash-copy. The goal is to get control of Dracogenic's satellite network and disrupt their [[TitleDrop satellite reign]].
46	* BodyHorror: The in-game descriptions of skills and augmentations.
47	** The Drone Puppeteer skill have one of the Hacker's lobe of her brain removed and replaced it with a computer [[AttackDrone to control drones]].
48	** The Ammunition Cavity augmentation require you to replace your kidneys, spleen and liver with artificial ones which double as ammunitions racks.
49	* BoomHeadShot: Shoot someone in the back of the head without him noticing you and he'll die instantly regardless of his health, armor and shields. It only works on humans.
50	* BoringButPractical: Rather than using your fancy guns and trying to bypass the enemy's shields and armor, you can simply walk up to him and kick him dead. Not only will a swift kick stop an enemy calling for reinforcements but early on it's your most damaging attack. This becomes impractical when enemies start carrying stronger weapons and moving in groups.
51	* BottomlessMagazines: All sidearms have unlimited magazines.
52	* BreakOutTheMuseumPiece: The flamethrower is described as antiquated in the description. It's also the only weapon in the entire game that does full damage to shields, armor and health, which, despite the short range, makes it extremely effective in combat.
53	* BullyingADragon: Dengler eventually becomes paranoid and lashes out at [[spoiler: Atamansha, CEO of Uzy Korp, and Mother, the leader of the Eternals,]] two people who can do serious damage to his business. Which one hired you is TheReveal earned by completing the CollectionSidequest.
54	* ChessMotifs: Dengler has his henchmen named after chess pieces: Bishop and Knight.
55	* ChickenWalker: One of the varieties of mooks is a MiniMecha of this sort, generally only spawned in ''very'' high security areas, or when you insist on outstaying your welcome after being discovered. [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Your Hacker, at level 5 skill, can hack and take control of it.]]
56	* CityWithNoName: The game take place in city simply called the City.
57	* CloneDegeneration: The first time you clone a hijacked civilian into an Agent, the Agent will benefit from a couple of bonuses (higher health, faster health regen). Those bonuses disappear if you use the same clone again (for example, if you have to respawn an Agent who has been killed), forcing to have a high enough reserve of fresh clones if you want to keep those stats modifiers (or you can just try to avoid being killed).
58	* CollectionSidequest: The only way you learn the plot is by finding the scattered data terminals. You need to find all 40 of them to learn what the situation in the city is, why the corps are all hostile to each other, and who you're actually working for.
59	* ColorCodedArmies: Dracogenics mooks and drones are white and tend towards ballistic weapons, Uzy Korp's are red and like plasma, and the Eternals' are purple and like lasers.
60	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Certain things stand out when using [[VeinOVision World Scan]]. [=ATMs=] are green, cameras are purple, power lines are cyan, mooks are red, recruitable scientists and quest-related [=NPCs=] are gold.
61	* CombatMedic: An early skill for the Support lets you heal your Agents and boost their existing RegeneratingHealth.
62	* ConcussionFrags: A thrown frag grenade will cause a huge fireball and knockdown, rather than sending shrapnel in every directions.
63	* CoolHelmet: Dracogenics mooks wear hammerhead-like helmets with four optics, Eternal mooks wear helmets that [[SigilSpam resemble their cult emblem]], and Uzy mooks wear mecha-like helmets with glaring optics.
64	* CrapsackWorld: And how. In addition to the standard cyberpunk tropes of the rich oppressing the poor and weak, and the poor and weak having no chance of things getting better, you also have the fact that the rich and elite are ''immortal'' thanks to Dracogenics technology. So not only are the powerful going to stay powerful, they're going to stay powerful ''forever''. Wandering around the city makes it clear that it's a shitty place. The Industrial section briefing warns you that you shouldn't stay long lest you get lung-rot.
65	* CriticalFailure:
66	** Agents can be ordered to use ziplines despite lacking the necessary skill to do so. In this case, agents have a chance of wiping out mid-zip and suffering a nasty fall, which results in them taking damage (or being incapacitated). The agent will also land quite far away from the intended stopping point, which usually results in guards witnessing the fall.
67	** Attempting to hack or hardwire a device higher than your agent's skill level has a chance of failing and electrocuting the agent. This deals damage and stuns them for a short time, while potentially alerting nearby guards due to the noise.
68	* {{Cyberpunk}}: Archetypally so, like past ''Syndicate'' games. You have the world ruled by corporations oppressing the underclass, the rainy, [[NeonCity neon-lit]] urban hell right out of ''Film/BladeRunner'', the disaffected outsiders fighting the power for reasons and with methods that may not be benevolent, various cybernetic implants to enhance the party's abilities, etc.
69	* CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain: The City is blanketed in endless rain, leaving the streets to be illuminated by animated billboards and [[NeonCity neon lights]].
70	* DeathFromAbove: Your agents can drop on top of enemies in drop pods.
71	* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: When your agents die, they are revived at the last waypoint. The only penalty is the loss of your bonus modifiers.
72	* DeflectorShields: Personal shields will easily absorb damage from [[PlasmaCannon plasma weapons]], and also provide good protection against ballistic weapons, but is weak against [[EnergyWeapon laser weapons]]. They also have a much faster recharge time than armor.
73	* DiegeticInterface: The whole action is seen through a remote-controlled drone flying over the city. The various icons and text indications are part of the interface giving orders to the team. The camera even sways back and forth as the drone adjusts position. [[spoiler: The drone is destroyed in the ending, just as the city is hit by a satellite, and the games ends with the words "Signal Lost".]]
74	* DiscOneNuke: Neural Hijacking. It takes a while to upgrade it to max level, but since you won't be fighting anything overly powerful for a while, even the lower levels will make all of your jobs easier. Need to get into a high security area? Hijack a guard and walk right in. A guard's patrol pattern is inconvenient but he can't be assassinated? Hijack his brain. This only gets better at high levels, where you can hijack literally anything. Alarm is at max level and the guards have called in a MiniMecha? Well, that's on your side now.
75	* DroneDeployer: Both the Hacker and Support can deploy drones, albeit of different varieties.
76	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Rather than taking control of [=ResTech=] distribution (as you might expect from a Syndicate-like game), your mysterious benefactor instead opts to steer all of the hacked satellites out of orbit and drop them onto major urban centers worldwide. An implied apocalypse ensues and your team, however much of it survived the last mission, dies when an explosion destroys the Dracogenics tower.]]
77	* EarlyGameHell: Early on even small groups of basic mooks will make things difficult for your Agents, and good luck if you're outnumbered. Most of the terminals can't be safely hacked by the Hacker until you level up a bit and spend points in the Hacking skill, which severely limits early money gain. Later in the game you generally have enough armor, shields, firepower and skills to take out waves of basic mooks and even non-basic mooks as long as you're using good tactics. [[FromBadToWorse So then you meet the elite mooks.]]
78	* ElectronicEyes: You can install augmentations on your agents' eyes to improve their combat performances.
79	* EmergencyWeapon: All sidearm-type weapons serve as this. While they are weak and have limited ammo, [[BottomlessMagazines they have unlimited magazines]].
80	* EnemyDetectingRadar: Your mini-map on the top-left will display enemies in red dots.
81	* EnergyWeapon: They come different shape and size: pistol, SMG, rifle, cannon, etc. They have a bonus against shields, electronics and robots.
82	* EscortMission: You either have to escort someone inside a secure zone or escort them outside. While they are under your control, they are poorly armed have no special skills or augmentations.
83	* EveryManHasHisPrice: You can bribe doctors and scientists to join your research team, as well as the occasional corporate soldier stationed outside a facility to take the night off. Don't expect it to be an option with those actually inside the facility grounds, though.
84	* EverythingBreaks: Any objects in the environment can be destroyed, although you'll need a lot of firepower or explosives to pull it off.
85	* ExperiencePoints: Your agents will gain XP from doing their jobs (i.e. anything ''except'' wandering around the non-trespassing areas[[note]]This means that you can idle in a restricted area, moving back and forth (sitting still doesn't work) and get experience points easily. However, the rate of experience gain is slow enough that this generally isn't a viable option[[/note]]). Gaining a level will award you with a skill point where you can spend it in different skills.
86	* FlyingCar: There is a variety of hovering cars driving around the streets. They are purely cosmetic: they cannot hurt anyone, and they don't even provide cover.
87	* FogOfWar: Your agents will only see as far as they optics allow them to. The rest is covered in shroud. The mini-map sees enemies in perfect detail at all times (thanks to your drone), but details such as civilians and system links are local vision only.
88	* FunWithAcronyms:
89	** F.R.E.D.: Fast Response Emergency Drop.
90	** A [[EnergyWeapon laser beam weapon]] called the P.A.B.L.O.: Particle Accelerated Laser Beam Outlet.
91	* FutureCopter: Of the drone variety.
92	* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
93	** Hijacked guards aren't capable of grabbing the plot item from safehouses. This absolutely has to be done by one of your agents (justified in that even a hijacked goon isn't trustworthy enough for the job).
94	** You just hijacked a guard with a [[GatlingGood minigun]]! Woohoo! Free weapon! Nope, that doesn't count. You still have to acquire a prototype through the missions or the BlackMarket[[note]]This is due to ID lockouts on the various weapons. You're not necessarily getting a prototype, as most of the weapons and gear you recover are clearly familiar tech, so much as getting unlocked gear that you can reverse engineer[[/note]].
95	* GasMaskMooks: The hacker's default headgear is a gas mask.
96	* GatlingGood: The iconic mini-gun is here! Comes in different flavors: ballistic, laser and plasma. Just keep in mind [[OhCrap that everyone can equip them]]. [[BringMeMyBrownPants Large robots and armored vehicles and equip several.]]
97	* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Played straight, either caused by the ArtificialStupidity or by design:
98	** Guards will not sound the alarm when they see bodies of their fellow guards or drones' wreckages.
99	** A guard will not search the area thoroughly if there's something suspicious caused by the player. He will then leave and resume his patrol.
100	** [[FailedASpotCheck Guards won't find suspicious that the power is down, cameras are not functioning or destroyed, restricted doors are unlocked.]][[AcceptableBreaksFromReality Guards DO spawn when you destroy a camera, though]].
101	** Guards will chase you if you run away, but if you hide or go too far, they lose interest in you and they will return to their duties.
102	** When the alarm is sounded, the area isn't in lockdown mode and exits aren't guarded.
103	* GrenadeSpam: You can only carry a small number of grenades with the Soldier being skilled enough to carry 5 while the others are restricted to 3 or only 1. However, picking up ammo will restock your supply or even better, producing your own ammo with the proper mod.
104	* GunAccessories: Every gun can have a single augmentation such as scope, extra clips, laser target, silencer and so on.
105	* HiveMind: The religious group, The Eternals, are said to link all its members to a single mind through their modified neural chips and augmentations.
106	* HumanResources: Commoners and soldiers are hijacked by you. Their bodies are used by you for BodySurf.
107	* HyperspaceArsenal: Fully upgraded, a single agent can carry 4 weapons and 4 pieces of gear. Now imagine carrying 4 {{BFG}} and 4 accessories under your coat.
108	* InTheHood: The Assassin wears a hooded jacket.
109	* KatanasAreJustBetter: The Assassin's signature weapon[[labelnote:*]]The preference for sniper rifles is due to skill synergy rather than skill requirements[[/labelnote]], used for insta-kills.
110	* LevelScaling: As you level up, so will the mooks you'll be facing. WordOfGod says it's a combination of stats, skills and xp.
111	* LimitedLoadout: Your agents are limited to two weapons. With the proper skill upgrade or with special augmentation, you can increase the amount.
112	* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: Run the game and you will have to wait for two loading bars. After, you must choose your save game and load your game with yet another loading time to endure. The rest of the game won't have any loading even between districts. If you load your game midway however...
113	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Riot soldiers carry a shield that act as a mobile cover. It will be destroyed after it received too many hits.
114	* LudicrousGibs: This is bound to happen very often with so many ways to harm others.
115	* TheMafiya: Uzy Korp is now a legit Megacorp, but originates from several groups of Russian mobsters.
116	* MeaningfulName: The laser pistol's model is the 2xP3W, or 'Pew Pew.'
117	* MindControlDevice: ''Satellite Reign'''s equivalent of the Persuadertron is a Hacker skill called Neural Hijack that lets you take over a target's neural implants and create PeoplePuppets. It greatly reduces your Hacker's energy regen while in use, though. It gives full control of the unit, which can be used for:
118	** Making them BrainwashedAndCrazy, attacking their allies in sight.
119	** Sparking CorporateWarfare, as the controlled unit remains friendly to its faction and its allies will retaliate against other corps.
120	** PerceptionFilter - if you don't give the controlled unit any orders, it will continue on with its regular routine and ignore you.
121	** PsychicAssistedSuicide
122	** SeeingThroughAnothersEyes
123	** [[MundaneUtility A convenient way to open locked doors]]
124	** Or just PlayingWithPuppets causing lots of other ''very fortunate'' tactical distractions.
125	* MissionControl: You to your agents. You have one too.
126	* MoodDissonance: The MissionControl maintains her chirpy demeanor while ordering assassinations or deliveries of pet heads. She probably enjoys doing it, what with her comments that this corp over here did in the rain forests but have you ''tried'' their pizza? In a lot of works, characters would act like this to indicate they've gone completely round the bend and taking lives matters less to them than deciding what sandwich to get; here the MissionControl is instead an idealist who's high on justice and under no illusions that the revolution will be civilized, so as long as you're making the bad guys pay she's not bothered by how many heads you break to make an omelette.
127	* MoreDakka: Robots equipped with loads of mini-guns? Yes sir!
128	* MustHaveCoffee: Upon completing a particular mission it's revealed that your mission coordinator briefly hijacked your agent to make them steal a fancy coffeemaker from the break room.
129	* NeonCity: As appropriate for a game which leans into the cyberpunk aesthetic, it's a challenge to find parts of the city that ''aren't'' soaked in neon.
130	* NonEntityGeneral: The player isn't one of the four agents but an unseen character giving orders and seeing the city through the camera of a drone. Your missions are provided by an initially unnamed female operator as well.
131	* NonIndicativeName: Patrol dogs are not canines. They are small four-legged robots with a headlight and [[PersonalSpaceInvader latch at you when they come close to you]]. [[SuicideAttack Some of them blow-up instead.]]
132	* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: An option for the player. When you steal a piece of equipment, you can either sink time and money into reverse engineering it so you can make copies (aversion) or you can give the equipment to one of your agents to use immediately. If you do the latter and the agent dies, you lose access to the item completely unless you manage to steal another one.
133	* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: Your mysterious employers that Tag occasionally mentions.
134	* OneDegreeOfSeparation: There are a fair few major {{Non Player Character}}s and all of them know or are related to each other.
135	* OptionalStealth: Going around gunning down people is perfectly feasible. However, you can also use stealth to accomplish most objectives without firing a shot, and early on you might want to stick to it while your weapons are poor and your Agents weak.
136	* PacifistRun: Invoked - there are Achievements for making it to certain districts "without getting blood on your hands".
137	* PersonalSpaceInvader: Patrol Dogs will latch at you when they come too close to you. Your agent will automatically throw it down and smash it, but this will force you out of your [[TakeCover cover]].
138	* PlasmaCannon: Of the shotgun, mini-gun, rifle, cannon variety. It's as harmful as it sounds. While it easily eat through armor, it lose effectiveness against DeflectorShields.
139	* PunBasedTitle:
140	** It's a reference to the ''Syndicate Wars'' weapon "Satellite '''Rain'''". It also refers to the overall mission: Dracogenics has utter control through their satellites, meaning they have ''Satellite Reign''. And you want to depose them.
141	** [[spoiler:The true pun potential of the title is not revealed until the game's ending: your mysterious benefactor takes control of the satellite network and sends them all crashing down to Earth. The game ends with a literal satellite rain.]]
142	* PurelyAestheticGender: The agents can be either male or female, but it doesn't change anything in gameplay.
143	* RecurringRiff: The combat theme samples a fragment of the ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'' leitmotif - which shouldn't be surprising, since both games were scored by composer Russell Shaw.
144	* RespawningEnemies: When an alarm is raised, a wave of mooks will come after you. If you kill everyone in the wave and no one successfully called for backup, the fighting will end. Otherwise, more guards will come and you'll be overwhelmed. A section that you've cleared will also respawn guards over time, [[ThisIsGonnaSuck including gates, cameras and auto-gun sentries]].
145	* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: You're nominally fighting the power, but since this is a ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'' SpiritualSuccessor, a lot of morally suspect methods will be used. [[spoiler:Your employers, for instance, think that a ColonyDrop is pretty much the only way to stop Dracogenics and remove the distribution network forever. This, at the very least, destroys the city you've been exploring the entire game.]]
146	* SelfDeprecation: There's NPC-version of the game's developers in the game, and they are linked to two distinct achievements: one requires to hack them then clone them all, the other requires to kill them all.
147	* ShoutOut:
148	** The shotgun prototype you pick up while breaking the Soldier out of prison is called [[Film/ArmyOfDarkness the Boom Stick]] and its description references S-Mart.
149	** One mission-giver is called [[Film/TheTerminator Reese Kyle]]. There is also a set of emails from one J. Connor.
150	** As mentioned above, not only is the BigBad based on [[Webcomic/MegaCynics Steven Dengler]], but his MegaCorp is named Dracogenics, an allusion to the real life Dengler's company Dracogen.
151	** One of the locales is Bullfrog Plaza, an unabashed reference to ''Syndicate'''s creator. You may also be tasked with setting up a dummy corporation named Bullyfrog.
152	** One of the random commoners is named [[Comicbook/IronMan Tony Stark]]
153	** The "Black Annex Club" is named after a different CyberPunk game aiming to follow in ''Syndicate'''s footsteps.
154	** In the logs, one doctor is named "H. [=McCoy=]", which refer to "Henry [=McCoy=]", Beast's real name in the ''ComicBook/XMen''.
155	** Model numbers for Extended Plasma Canisters and Extended Ion Batteries are R-2D2 and C3p-O, which refer to R2-D2 and C-3PO, the droids from ''Franchise/StarWars''. There's also a corp named Blacksun Insurance, a reference to the Expanded Universe cartel of the same name.
156	** The Energon Storage Cell is a ShoutOut the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' source of energy. Even the in-game description make a reference to it.
157	** The Eternals logs feature a conversation between [[Film/MenInBlack two operatives named Smith and Jones]].
158	** There's a bar called [[VideoGame/ThiefTheDarkProject Taffers]] in the Industrial sector.
159	* SimpleYetAwesome: The EMP charger. Attach it to your laser weapon and it will fire EMP shots that disable targets and shields. Works on any opponents. Don't like laser weapons? Lob a EMP grenade instead and you can knockout a whole group of enemies.
160	** Hijacking is the OneStatToRuleThemAll: any firefight is made much easier by removing an opponent at the same time that you add a soldier to your side. While the Hacker suffers from stamina regen penalties with each additional hijacked soldier, the Hacker's main abilities aren't stamina-focused, so it ends up being a moot point. And if you lose a hijacked soldier to a group of bad guys, that's just more targets for you to Hijack.
161	* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: One of the random faces for the agents is a skull face in white make up.
162	* SniperRifle: The assassin's favorite weapon as they are special skills linked to this weapon, such as knocback bullets, increase range and damage.
163	* SpiderTank: The Centurion 7 tanks.
164	* SprintMeter: The yellow energy meter restricts how long an agent can sprint as well as use of things like the cloak.
165	* StormingTheCastle: Storming Dracogenics Tower at the end of the game.
166	* SuicideAttack: Some Patrol Dogs are laced with explosives and blow-up when come close to you. They also have a layer of armor, making it harder to kill from a distance. There's an augment that lets your agents self-destruct, letting you do this.
167	* TakeCover: If you point your cursor near a wall or barricade, it will turn into a triangle, indicating that your Agents can hide behind it. The difference between being in cover and not being in cover is significant: damage reduction for direct hits and damage immunity while ducking are the basics, and it's also important for stealth. ''Flanking'' is very helpful. ''Being'' flanked is very ''painful''.
168	* TakeThat: One of the credits screens says "Made in Australia despite the best efforts of our government."
169	* TitleDrop: Right at the end, the virus runs a program whose name is Satellite Reign. [[spoiler: [[ColonyDrop The game's title isn't the only thing that this program drops.]]]]
170	* TrashcanBonfire: There are a number burning barrels illuminating the back streets of the City that somehow manage to stay alight despite [[CyberpunkWithAChanceOfRain the constant rain]].
171	* UniversalAmmunition: The available firearms include pistols, revolvers, SMG, assault rifles, shotguns, etc; some shoot bullets, some others shoot plasma or laser. No matter which gun your squad members are wielding and what your enemies are using, any ammo looted on a dead mook will be added to the current weapon's pool of ammo.
172	* VeinOVision: The Support's starting ability World Scan allows you to see the power lines flowing so as to know what to hack to temporarily disable cameras and such out.
173	* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: Dracogenics Tower, the highest structure in TheCity. There's a good number of SpiderTank, MiniMecha, troops and the BigBad himself waiting for you.
174	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Like ''VideoGame/{{Syndicate}}'', you can slaughter civilians. The developers seem to be aware of this tendency, as you get an Achievement for killing 1000 of them.
175	** From the safety of your relay beacon, throw a grenade at a power station. The explosion will alert angry guards that will wrongfully blame passer-bys, causing them to shoot civilians.
176	** The Hacker's ability to create PeoplePuppets leads to all sorts of horrible potential fates, including abduction for the purposes of cloning, being forced to murder their friends and sabotage their employers, or simply commit suicide. The animation for hijacking an NPC also suggests that the experience is [[MindRape quite unpleasant]].
177	*** Civilians, despite being harmless most of the time, are armed with pistols upon being hijacked. You are fully capable of amassing a small army of civilians and [[ZergRush using them as cannon fodder.]]
178	* WantedMeter: Each of your agents has a separate meter indicating their level of "heat" with your many enemies. Heat lowers over time, as bad guys lose track of the agents. The levels are:
179	** Clean: An empty meter. No one cares about this agent.
180	** Trespassing: Indicated by an exclamation point in at the lowest point in the meter. The agent is doing something actively illegal, but is not considered a threat. If discovered they will be escorted out of the area, and then probably clubbed in the head or have some money stolen...as long as they don't resist. If the exclamation point is visible in any other box, the agent is still doing illegal things, and isn't losing heat.
181	** Wanted (1): The bottom box is full. The agent is considered a threat, and any active enemies will try to engage and kill the agent.
182	** Wanted (2): The second lowest box is full. The agent is hunted, enemies will be more persistent, and backup will have heavier guards and weapons.
183	** Wanted (3): The second highest box is full. Enemies will be more persistent still, reinforcements will have even heavier goons and be more numerous, and [[StuffBlowingUp explosions will become more frequent]] as all the firepower (and grenades) being thrown around start to make a mess of things.
184	** Wanted (4): The big guns will be pulled out, literally. At lower levels, guards will spawn with heavy weapons. At higher levels, MiniMecha will arrive to seriously ruin your day. Enemy forces will now be completely indiscriminate in their attempts to kill you, and will pursue you through the entire complex you're infiltrating.
185	* WaveMotionGun: All of the endgame Beam weapons and the flamethrower can create a continuous wave of destruction until they run out of ammo.
186	* ZergRush: When the alarm is sounded, mooks will quickly overwhelmed you from all sides.

Context VideoGame / SatelliteReign