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Sony’s stealth series arrives on PSP. The Syphon Filter series started out very strong on PlayStation, although some argue that the quality of subsequent games hasn’t been quite as good. The first game on PSP, though, manages to reach its former glory, making it one of the better games on PSP.
You’ll once again play as Gabe Logan. You begin the game in Alaska as you try to figure out why some chemical plants were attacked. The plot doesn’t venture too far from the typical fare, but the presentation is quite good. The story is told through excellently produced cut scenes complete with full lip-synching. The game’s different characters constantly interact with one another helping the story move along even if the actual writing wouldn’t win an Oscar. That said the plot isn’t stale since you’ll even come across some characters from previous Syphon Filter games.
The game’s single-player campaign includes seven missions, though each mission should take around an hour to complete. You’ll travel to locations including Europe, South America and Alaska. As you’ll learn in the game, Gabe has a number of moves, weapons and gadgets at his disposal. Aside from the basics, the game includes radar to let you spot enemies. Giving a nod to Splinter Cell, Dark Mirror includes a number of different vision modes including thermal imagining and night vision. The gadgets include a zipline which you can use to get to different locations. Weapons range from typical guns, pistols, submachine guns and sniper rifles. Shooting in the game works well since aiming is straightforward. The game allows you to make good use of cover so that you can have your back against the wall and pick specific enemies. The game also includes a lock-on system to let you get accurate though less fancy shots. The PSP’s control scheme doesn’t lend itself easily to shooters all that well, but Dark Mirror is very intuitive to use.
Though I introduced the game as a stealth game, there is plenty of run-and-gun shooting in Syphon Filter. There are clearly areas where sneaking would be best, but the game gives you the ability to shoot your way through. Sometimes, though, you’ll want to sneak behind an enemy, pistol whip them or perhaps snap their necks. You’re rewarded for sneaking around by having to face fewer enemies, since simply shooting everyone will trip alarms causing more enemies to appear. Aside from simply shooting and sneaking around, the game has some additional variety. Some times you’ll have to infiltrate an area, rescue a certain number of people in a limited amount of time, or search for hidden items. Yet other times you’ll have to provide cover to your partner or another character while they do something.
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror has multiplayer for up to eight players. You can play either local wireless or online. The online mode is quite full-featured including a buddy list, voice chat, clans, and leaderboards. The actual modes include deathmatch, objective-based matches, and rouge agent where only one player (the one with a certain kit) can score kills. Further, the game includes five rather large maps. Technically, the game performs very well online with little lag.
Syphon Filter is one of the most visually stunning games on the PSP. The character models are very detailed with sharp textures. The animations are also great, as you can see the guns on Gabe’s character model, and you can see how the character model actually switches guns instead of it magically appearing. The game’s environments show an equally high level of detail and sharp textures. The framerate holds up throughout the game.
The game’s music is great, too. The music fits in with the game very well. The voice acting is top-notch adding life to the characters and adding depth to the story. The sound effects are of good quality, though the volume should have been turned a bit higher. Nonetheless, it’s hard to complain.
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is a very competent action/stealth game. There are plenty of opportunities to sneak around and take the road less travel or simply run in and hope you have enough ammo to clear the place out. The single-player portion is a bit on the short side, though you can unlock additional missions by beating the game. The game’s multiplayer mode adds a lot of replay value, though. This and the excellent presentation make Syphon Filter one of the best games on its series and one of the best games available on the PSP. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Mar 26, 2006
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