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Jun 19 2006
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror Review
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| Summary: Don't buy it for the multiplayer
55
I am not a huge FPS fan, but love stealth games (I wouldn't really count this as a stealth game, either). I bought Syphon Fitler: Dark Mirror because it is marketed as a stealth game, and from looking at the forms on PSP411 the game is (whether intended to be or not) in direct competition with the PSP Splinter Cell game. I guess I got my expectations up awfully high because of the rave reviews. I wound up being dissapointed, unlike most.
Controls
The controls were pretty innovative, and I appreciated the effort to make a game like this work on the PSP. I did, for the sake of accuracy, find it useful to switch the functions of the square, circle, trinalge, and cross keys and the analog stick (like playing Southpaw on Halo). The feature I appreciated most was the system for switching weapons / items. It was quick and easy, and it stopped the action so you had time to think about what you were doing.
Graphics
My opinion remains unchanged from the other reviewers here - excellent. I was impressed throughout by the level of detail. I do think that the characters' motions tended to be a little stiff from time to time, but other than that I have no complaints.
Gameplay
This is where I started to lose interest. I haven't been familiar with the Syphon Filter series before this game, and since the game was marketed as a stealth game, I expected a "get caught and you're dead" scenario. Not true. I only played through the game once, and I believe that there are some times when stealth is an option, but I was under the impression that stealth would be the *only* option through the entire game. Instead, the gameplay quickly became pretty repetitive, as every firefight (save for some of the more major ones) could be easily won with a little bit of patience and a wall to hide behind. The handy targeting system quickly became somewhat of a hindrance once I realized that I could defeat nearly every enemy with a headshot. In terms of story, I feel like it was an awful lot of buildup for a pretty anticlimactic final battle. While the ending sequence (the part *after* the credits) made it all worthwhile, I was dissapointed in the voice acting and lack of depth.
Sound
Overall, I was pretty impressed with the sound. Sound effects were very complete and detailed, and the music was good. Again, the voice acting was less than stellar, but that had more to do with the voice actors themselves. I do think that some of the sound was a little misplaced - the "completely silent" kills made with the taser weapon didn't always alert other enemies to your presence, but still caused the victim to scream out in pain and burst into flames - hardly a quiet way to go.
Multiplayer
In golf, the most skilled player will often take a handicap, leveling the playing field for the other players. In Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, the most skilled players are given the ability to spawn with a shotgun in each hand while casual gamers and newbies are left with the basic burst-fire rifle, no grenades, and no way of separating the casual gamer from the hardcore elite. Points to up your rank are aquired though making copious amounts of kills or being on the winning team in objective games. In addition, most of the players on the SF:DM servers now have been on since the game was released, reducing the ratio of greenhorns to seasoned veterans. Unless you're a hardcore shooter fan, have some real videogaming talent, or simply like to get owned, I wouldn't recommend this game for your first online PSP experience. The multiplayer was over half of the reason I bought the game, choosing it over SOCOM for its supposed stealth game status, and it was the reason that I eventually sold my copy back to EB Games for $17.
Overall
All in all, the game didn't suck. The single player was worth the time, and the storyline (although it lacked depth) was interesting enough to keep me playing until the end. I do believe that Syphon FIlter's supposed stealth genre is a load of crap, and that the ranking system for multiplayer was poorly planned. Everybody else seemed to love it, though, so maybe it's just me. Go figure.
REVIEW IT
PRODUCT INFO
BUY IT
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Comments
Good review. I can tell you thought it out.. I don't quite understand the 55. Ya..the stealth thing is an issue..I agree, but it's the first game to really TRY it on the Psp..and it came out above average. The gameplay and graphics are superior..so 55? Hmm.. Thanks for the review.
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It got a 55 because overall, I really *didn't* think that the gameplay was superior. I guess it's just my opinion, but in spite of the excellent graphics, sound, and decent control scheme, I was pretty dissapointed overall. It's just my opinion; I know that most people aren't going to agree with the score I gave the game because it's such a successful game and most people love it.
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And thanks for the compliments! (sorry for the double post)
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I seem to be moving through the game quicker than I expected. I basically went from the beginning to Episode 4, part 4 last night. The controls take some time getting used to, at first I hated it, but I've gotten used to it and actually like it.
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benny, if you like stealth, your might wanna check out the metal geard sold coming out this year...and mayb tenchu...
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Well, that was the quickest I think I've ever beaten a game. I'd say it took me about ten hours total.
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yeah, i can't wait for mgs and i loved tenchu on ps1. lately I've been hooked on the splinter cell games.
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should i get this game? the levelling aspect is pretty cool. too bad socom doesnt have that
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