'Syphon Filter' takes aim at crowded genre

March 30, 1999
Web posted at: 3:15 PM EST

By CNN Interactive
Senior Associate Editor John Robinson

(CNN) -- Choosing an action-adventure game for your PlayStation console can be a daunting task and now that task just became a little more difficult. Even though there is no shortage of titles available in this genre, "Syphon Filter" from 989 Studios joins the crowd and attempts to lure players by offering a new angle on this popular style of game.

In "Syphon Filter" you assume the role of agent Gabriel Logan. As the most valuable member of a secret government Agency, Gabe is responsible for locating and destroying a chemical weapon capable of killing millions. Gabe gets a little help along the way from other agents including a female agent named Lian Xing. She is a communications specialist that contacts you with mission objectives and instructions.

The first few levels of the game are relatively slow with a decent array of bad guys and some cool mission objectives to keep you busy. The game really gets interesting as you make your way through the remaining levels and like a lot of other recent games in this genre, you will have to use a bit of stealth to survive. Even so, "Syphon Filter" is primarily driven by action and Gabe spends most of his time picking off the bad guys instead of avoiding them.

In addition to liquidating enemy agents, Gabe has to locate and tag the deadly chemical bombs and blow up various other explosive repositories. A large map is available in addition to on-screen radar to help Gabe locate the enemies and their weapons of mass destruction.

"Syphon Filter" offers a nice variety of mission-based levels that incorporate some interesting puzzles as well as some other gaming elements like jumping and climbing. Once all of the objectives are completed on a level, you will be treated to a computer-generated video sequence where the objectives for the next mission are laid out.

The weapons that Gabe uses throughout the game range from a 9mm handgun and an M-16 assault rifle all the way up to C4 plastic explosives and grenade launchers. One minor complaint is that the controller does not vibrate when you fire a weapon. This feature could have added a bit of extra realism to the overall experience.

Other items like a flashlight, virus scanner and flak jackets are used to help keep Gabe alive. Most of the action in "Syphon Filter" takes place in the third person perspective, but when you use certain weapons, like the sniper rifle, a first person view through a scope is available.

The graphics in "Syphon Filter" are good, but not great and the levels are extremely dark in some places. While the flashlight helps with this in some areas, it is not always that useful. The darkness does contribute a lot to the suspenseful mood created by the game but can also create a bit of frustration when you can't see. The level of detail is very good and there are a lot of things that Gabe can interact with. For example, if you get too close to something that is burning, Gabe will catch on fire.

Using the sniper rifle

Controlling Gabe is pretty easy to learn although he moves like he has molasses in his boots. A cool control feature is the ability to target enemies automatically before you shoot them. This feature is particularly useful because it is a good way to tell if there are any enemies around you. If no enemies are around, you get a message that reads "no targets available".

While "Syphon Filter" certainly borrows a lot of elements from other successful action-adventure games, it does do a good job of maintaining an original look and feel. The storyline is well conceived and even a bit believable if you are in the mood to play the role of an action hero. If you don't already have another good military action-adventure game, or if you are looking for another one, "Syphon Filter" is a worthy contender.

As you might expect, "Syphon Filter" is somewhat violent and is rated for Teen (13 yrs. and older) audiences by the ESRB. For more information on game ratings, click on the ESRB link below.

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