Syphon Filter Reviews

Cheesy dialog. International terrorism. Shameful stereotypes. Three things that are bad and negative and are an essential part of making Syphon Filter the game it is. Upon receiving the game through a rather haphazard trade with an old friend, I had little idea how important the adventures of Gabe Logan and Lian Xing would become throughout the years. As is usually the case, Syphon Filter was hardly perfect, sometimes far from it, but from my first moments on Georgia Street to the closing credits of 2001's Syphon Filter 3 I knew I was part of something, that I was no mere observer.

As poetic as that may sound, the depiction of such immersement may cause some to raise an eyebrow, especially when one considers the series has never carried the clout associated with a game like Metal Gear Solid. While the differences in quality are more than obvious to anyone that’s played these games, Syphon Filter and its sequels have come under fire for not surviving the persistence of time due to their release on the PlayStation Network. Does such an opinion hold water or do the games still have something to offer fans and newcomers alike? Unlike the conspiracy behind the virus itself, the answer isn't veiled in secrecy although it requires an open mind and a little forgiveness.

The game opens with a full motion video taking place deep in the jungles of South America where players are immediately introduced to Gabriel Logan and Lian Xing. Such video is an area that would be improved upon greatly throughout the years; Gabe and Lian look pretty blocky here, but if you skip ahead and view some video from Syphon Filter 3, one will see how far this element of Syphon Filter came in a relatively short amount of time. Obviously, in building the original from the ground up, certain elements were left a little unpolished. Leaving room for improvement is fine as long as you succeed at that which is crucial, like gameplay.

When looking at Syphon Filter's gameplay engine, thoughts of Edios' Tomb Raider are never far behind. Actually, while this could be said for a large handful of games from the era, there are worse things to be compared to. We have your typical, low resolution textures and the occasional camera problem but these kinds of things were commonplace in many games at the time. The game overcomes these problems with its spectacular level design. This is something the game - and its sequels - has always had in spades. Seriously, if I was going to hire some level designers, the people behind these landscapes are the people I'd want to hire. The imagination within the environments (especially the option of going stealth in Rhoemer's Base in Rozovka, Kazakhstan - awesome and rewarding!) easily eclipses the limitations behind it all. Gabe may run like he's got a stick up his butt but that’s the last thing I think about when gunning down terrorists at steady framerate.

Speaking of gunning down terrorists, some will be quick to point out the control seems a little loose. I have to admit that I prefer it that way. Sure, I had to adjust and adapt to that initial "looseness," but it ultimately added to the character on the screen. Gabe doesn't handle as workmanlike as Lara Croft and, in all honesty, I wouldn’t want him to. Unfortunately for your enemies, none of these worries cross over when lining up the hundreds of head shots you'll be making over the course of the game.

Despite this, Syphon Filter does manage to land itself into hot water every now and then. The most perplexing of these situations lies halfway through the game when fighting the first boss. Outside of this scenario being ripped straight out of Metal Gear Solid, there are several things about this exciting battle that raise a red flag. First, during the second phase of the battle when enemy combatants start appearing on the platform, why are the enemy soldiers immune to the storm of lead that cuts through me like a cheese grater? On top of that, in the third and final phase of the battle, why do I sometimes take damage even when I'm taking cover? Problematic as this and the increasing difficulty factor near the end can be, it ultimately fails to derail the game.

On the audio side of things, the scenarios we are presented with are thoroughly voiced. In respect to older games, including voiceovers in a game doesn't automatically make it better than those that came before, but there's a feeling that the world we're thrust into here wouldn't be the same without them – the good and bad. There are some true “gems” in here, some that are so bad that they're good. Really, who could forget how convincing Jonathan Phagan sounds when he's begging for his life ("Please! Don't kill me!), Aramov's wretched Russian accent ("Tell me where the virus labs are... if you don't I will kill you!") or the hysterically bad radio transmission with Lian and Rhoemer in Kazakhstan? For the most part, these speed bumps are the minority and the majority of the acting is respectable enough to pull you into the narrative.

Much like the previously discussed level design, the narrative does its fair share of lifting. Granted, I'm not going to sit here and pretend it is infallible – off hand I can think of a few parts that could have been handled with a little more caution - or that it has the quality of well-written book but it's enough to propel the player to the end. Still, if I was going to complement anything concerning the writing, it would be the pre-mission briefings that convey the situation you'll be facing in the following level.

I'm sure to many I've failed to offer a compelling case as to how Syphon Filter can hold its ground in gaming history and in comparison to what is available today. Indeed, in many ways a lot of the above boils down to "you had to be there" but to anyone with an open mind, Syphon Filter may end up surprising you much like it did me back in 1999. The game may not demand the most of the player, but it can be engrossing enough if given the chance. Give it that chance.