Syphon Filter 3 Preview
The series' final PlayStation iteration has fallen into our hands. Read all about it.
Hearing that Syphon Filter 3 was PlayStation-bound came as a bit of a surprise. Being one of Sony's more lucrative internal properties, it seemed logical that it would be given the PS2 treatment as soon as possible. But rather than do so, Sony has decided that a new Syphon Filter would better serve the original PlayStation. And there you have it. Given that there are several million (and likely hungry) gamers out there with dusty PlayStations, it seems indeed difficult to critcize Sony's logic in any way that would matter to the company.
The game is being developed by the team formerly known as Eidetic, which is responsible for the whole of the series. Now named Sony Bend, the team is definitely well versed in the intricacies of the engine it's developed for the Syphon Filter series. The latest Syphon Filter game reflects the team's keen hindsight and serves as a testament to its mastery of the tools it's created. Syphon Filter 3 seems to harken back to the pacing of the original, and a little bit of thoughtful level design is bringing it that much closer to realizing the sequel's ambitions.
Fans of the original Syphon Filter were mostly into the sense of destructive freedom it facilitated. Most of the game's stages were sprawling and not necessarily linear, allowing, to an extent, for a variety of paths to the goal. However, the objective was constant, if not explicit: "destroy everything," or some variation thereof. The sequel emphasized the game's adventure element more heavily and focused a great deal on stealth missions. Ultimately, though, the missions felt deliberate and rudderless, when compared with the first game's high-energy, focused pacing.
The ideal remedy was obvious: Keep the action fast and constant, but make it feasible for those so inclined to use less-direct tactics. It's this very philosophy that Syphon Filter 3 was built on. Though we're inclined to say that the game is definitely skewed to reward the confrontational approach, most scenarios seem to allow for stealth action, however understated the option may seem. At any rate, it's definitely obvious that the levels were designed more mindfully than the previous games'. The downside is that they seem to have lost some of their focus in their quest to become multifaceted. The plus, however, is that they feel more dynamic--you feel that you have more of a choice in regard to how you play your missions. Simple things--like being able to jump over a counter, instead of unlocking its entry--emphasize this, and a pleasant variety of scripted events help reinforce it.
Syphon Filter 3 Quick Links
Summary | Reviews | News | Previews & Features | Images | Videos | Answers | Hints & Cheats | Forum
Games you may like…
-
Syphon Filter 2
(PS) -
Syphon Filter
(PS) -
Syphon Filter: Omega Strain
(PS2) -
Syphon Filter: DM
(PS2) -
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
(PS)
Users who looked at content for this game also looked at these games.
See More Similar Games
0 Comments