Syndrome takes the genre back to its terrifying roots as players wake up on a deserted spaceship, dazed and confused from a deep cryosleep only to discover that most of the crew are dead or… changed. In the midst of this deeply frightening environment, surrounded by reactive enemies that pick up on every move and sound, players must discover what has happened to the spaceship and how to escape its claustrophobic confines alive. To survive the horror of what is left of the crew, gamers first arm themselves with the few weapons that are scattered about only to discover that ammunition is scarce and not really adequate to deal with the transformed monstrosities lurking in the shadows of the ship, which reacts violently to every movement and noise. Gamers soon discover that hiding and breathing as noiselessly as possible is the best course of action to both avoid and defeat the enemies.