brett_day's Full Review: Syphon Filter:Logan's Shadow for PSP
INTRO
Syphon Filter made quite a name for itself on the PS2 quite a while back with its great graphics, great storyline and exceptional missions. It has now been released on the Sony PSP but will it live up to the hype that surrounds it or will it be another mediocre PSP game?
WHAT IS SYPHON FILTER?
The PSP is constantly thrown rushed ports of games, simply to make quick money or just because developers consider the PSP a side project with little consideration, I was really hoping that Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror would not become another one of these, the PSP has very few good games as it is and has been needing another game in the mold of SOCOM Navy Seals.
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is a action / stealth experience for the Playstation Portable Entertainment System. If you can imaging crossing SOCOM with Metal Gear Solid, you would get Syphon Filter. It follows the story of Gabe Logan, the leader of a Special Ops group, who gets sent in when things get a little sticky or too risky for the military to handle. You have a team that supports you throughout your missions and you are usually in contact with them via radio. You have all sorts of weapons and gadgets at your disposal to help you fight the enemy!
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror actually boasts some pretty quick loading times, which is something that has affected and made a good game a bad one in the past. Pressing start on the main menu you will be whisked away to the game in just a few short seconds and you can start your adventure as Gabe Logan!
The single player campaign will take you a while to get through, depending on your skill and difficulty level. While its not too long of a campaign, its also built for on the go play, so remember that. The character's share detailed story lines, and occasionally you'll switch characters to see each point of view at the time of the story. This may be one of the best story lines in a PSP game yet.
HOW DOES IT LOOK AND PLAY
One of the first things you will notice about the game is the control system. There are quite a few control schemes to choose from, all as difficult to learn as the other. The PSP has issues with control schemes because there is only one analog stick, this can in fact make things very difficult. The learning curve on this game is actually quite steep and you will have difficulty learning how to control Gabe, it took me a good hour, hour and a half before i felt totally comfortable with the control scheme, but once i had it down i found myself flipping through the various weapons and gadgets screens with ease.
Moving Gabe around is done by using the analog stick and that is pretty simple, forward moves you forward, back moves you back etc. The d-pad has various functions. The four directional buttons are used to crouch, change weapons, change gadgets, and to reload/climb objects. The shoulder buttons have a few functions too. The left shoulder button will have you lock onto your target so you can shoot to kill, in my opinions the target lock can actually make the game a little too easy. If you have the patience and learn the control system you will find yourself liking this game a great deal.
The graphics come close to the PS2, and it really is a nice game to look at. I knock the PSP badly at times but i am still amazed by the high quality graphics that this unit can produce. From shadows that can give away your location to enemy guards, to the breath of your character in the cold night, it truly looks fantastic. Most of the Game is played in very dark areas so you can get the most out of the stealth side of things. The lighting effects are gorgeous and the explosions are awesome as well. There is absolutely no lag or slow down whatsoever. This is one of the nicest looking games on the PSP.
The Sound is also pretty nice. The voice acting is okay and is not too cheesy like in many games. The sounds of guns blazing and bombs booming fill your ears with some delight, and the sound effects really do add to the games atmosphere.
WAIT, THERES MORE
As with many of the PSP games that are being released today, this one supports online play via infrastructure mode. In online play, you can either be stealthy, or just run and gun as you play in 1-8 player matches. While this does not match the 16 players option in SOCOM it is still a fun experience. While online there is very little lag and the game for the most part runs very smoothly indeed! This game also supports the use of the headset so you can bark orders to your fellow online players, or you can sit and listen to some young ones talk about nothing in particular. While this games online play falls short of SOCOM it is still a very nice feature that i know i will keep on coming back to.
OVERALL
Syphon Filter Dark Mirror, Its fast paced, its exciting,and it has a great story you'll find it hard to put this game down for a while. Both single player and online, this is a great experience if you can master the controls. This is certainly one of the better games out there on the PSP and i would recommend it if you have SOCOM and have completed it. If you don't have SOCOM i would probably get that first, but Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror will keep you busy until SOCOM 2 gets released on the PSP.
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