Developer: SCE Bend Studio
Publisher: SCE
Released: September 2007 (NA)
Time played: 45 minutes
Background
- 5th game in the Syphon Filter Series.
- Released in 2006 on PSP, later ported to PS2 in 2007.
- Apparently the fourth game introduced a more open ended experience with custom player creation and a more open structure involving RPG style missions with optional components.
- This game is described as a return to the series roots.
Observations
- The game did remind me of the original Syphon Filter game on the PS1. I believe I played this to completion when it was released. I'm curious to know how it would hold up and whether I'd remember any of it (a party/ball sequence comes to mind). I expect it would be a very dated and tedious experience by today's standards.
- The game is old and sluggish by today's standards. Controls are reasonably laid out but fiddly and sluggish. It gives the impression of having been a decent PS2 third person shooter, but is by no means decent for a 2007 era (post Gears of War!) title. Not sure how it compares to benchmark PS2 shooters like Black, Killzone, or Timesplitters (though these are all first person - notable PS2 third person shooters don't come to mind though I'm sure thee exist).
- Reasonably strong production values.
- Very basic mechanics propped up using a variety of weapons and gadgets like goggles.
- The enemies stand still and fire with no accuracy at all - probably in mainly to give the player time to rotate and aim using the sluggish controls.
- Story seems to be the usual elite squad secret mission stuff - within the first mission they were blabbing on about "something Washington isn't telling us about this situation...".
- Side note: apparently it only snows in the middle of the screen. This may be a widescreen mode problem though the game was ported from PSP so it is odd.