Syphon Filter 3

Platform:

Pre-Owned/Used: Very Good Condition copies available

Product Information

• 3rd installment in the best-selling Syphon Filter franchise
• Enhanced high-tech weaponry
• Play as Gabe Logan, Lian Xing, or other agents
• All-new mini-games
• Extensive battle training

Product Description

Enter a world of deceit and secrets with Gabe Logan and Lian Xing, back to finish off the Agency in Syphon Filter 3. A two-disc set, Syphon Filter 3 is the third instalment in the more than bestselling Syphon Filter franchise. This newest instalment offers all new high-tech weaponry and edge-of-your-seat action that unfolds through more than 18 international environments. Playing as Gabe Logan, Lian Xing, or other agents depending on level and situation, you will battle enemies with a deadly arsenal, including all-new weapons such as proximity mines, new rifles, and a variety of other lethal weapons. Mini-games offer opportunities to prepare for missions and annihilate the enemy.

Review

It was surprising to hear that the third game in the popular Syphon Filter series would be built for the PlayStation; we're going to have to wait another year for the series to jump over to the PlayStation 2, but that's all right, because playing Syphon Filter 3 on the PSone is like coming home again. You again play as Gabe Logan as he tracks terrorists, enemy spies, and the Syphon Filter virus; the story has Congress getting involved and trying to pin the virus problem from the first two games on Gabe and his partner Lian Xing, so Gabe must clear his name and save the world again. Interestingly, the missions are played out of order as Gabe and his team explain their past missions to the committee; this flashback structure keeps the game refreshing.

Syphon Filter has never been for the weak-skilled. It features location-based damage (a head shot is fatal), making it one of the more frustrating or exhilarating of games, depending on how you look at it. The controls are as responsive as they've always been, and the camera system doesn't fail, which is a rarity in third person action games. The graphics are quite good for the PlayStation, if only slightly improved from Syphon Filter 2. The gameplay is extensive, with not only the story-based missions but also some mini-games and a multiplayer option that lets you gun for a friend in head-to-head combat.

Given the flashback nature of the missions, Syphon Filter 3 might be confusing for new players, so it's best for fans of the series, or as something to buy along with the earlier classics. In many ways the game feels like an expansion pack to Syphon Filter 2, which isn't a bad thing at all; overall, it's a compelling game that proves there's life yet in the old PlayStation. --Bob Andrews