• Posted November 4th, 2007 by
• 0 Comments

Review Score

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

PSU Review Score

7.0

Avg. user review score:

9.9

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Summary

With a lack of additional content and the complete omission of any multiplayer features whatsoever, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror fails to deliver on the same scale as its PSP counterpart. If you haven’t played the PSP version, give it a try; otherwise, save your cash.

We like

• Updated control scheme improves on original
• Customizable mission mode adds replay value
• Decent loading times

We dislike

• No multiplayer mode
• Poor graphical conversion
• Sound is sometimes not in sync

See PSU's review on Metacritic & GameRankings

Last year Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror came out for the PlayStation Portable and blew everyone away. Not only did it prove shooter games could be fun on handhelds, but it also reaffirmed gamers that the PSP’s single analogue stick was more than up to the task. Powerful graphics, an engrossing storyline, and great gameplay made for an undeniably immersive experience for fans and newcomers alike.

For those of you who have not played the PSP version, Dark Mirror takes series veteran Gabe Logan and his partner, Lian Xing, across the globe in order to stop an evil para-militaristic group from destroying the free world. The group, known as Red Section, manages to get its hands on a new secret weapon. You join Logan and Xing across seven episodes and many more chapters as they kill enemies, collect various Intel, and find out more about Logan's shady past. The game story is horribly cliché, but does the job nonetheless with the help of some decent voice acting and narration.

The game itself is comprised of three different modes: Training, Story, and Mission. Complete with stat tracking and a plethora of unlockables, the variance of things to do in Dark Mirror will keep you busy for a long time. The training mode is quite comprehensive and it covers many of the games points, and with each mission under 5 minutes the action stays hot.

Story mode goes about the main game as Gabe Logan trying to take down Red Section, which itself also offers plenty to keep you entertained. Mission mode offers unlockable story tangents that you get to play through. Similar to the PSP version, Mission mode on the PS2 lets you customize your outfitting and offers much more replayablity than it's hand-held counterpart.

The visuals in the game are virtually identical to their PSP counterpart; the same being if it was on a small screen, you'd hardly notice the stretching and low-res texturing. A remake of a game made last year should not look like it was from 2005. Even the cut scenes are plagued by this lack of decent artwork. On the plus side, the games cut scenes are rendered much more smoothly than before, though the audio wasn't in sync making the cinematic moments far less enjoyable.

The controls in Logan’s new adventure are much better than the PSP iteration. Even though it worked well without a second thumbstick, having one makes playing it much easier. Left stick moves Logan, while the right stick allows you to look around. The D-pad still changes weapons, vision modes, and everything else it had done before. Reloading, aiming, and shooting are extremely easy now so firefights wont be near as much a problem.

It's nothing new for those who enjoy a good shooting game, but its familiarity is a bonus and not a drawback. Some special sequences in the game allow the full use of the dual analog sticks making the events easier to complete. Certain sections of the game have also been simplified, though with the new control scheme it only made the game easier. A good example happens in a train yard level. Instead of the presence of locomotives that blocked your aim or tried to run you down, you only have a few meandering cars to deal with.

Some great features from the PSP edition of Dark Mirror we came to love lost themselves in the transition to the PS2, it seems. In every Syphon Filter to date, including PSP Dark Mirror, you could use your personal taser to light foes on fire and it was useful for getting past obstacles. The PS2 version you can use the taser, but the ensuing weenie roast was removed. Stabbing people in the back, without any blood even becomes somewhat tiresome whereas stealth-combustion of enemies never got tired.

However, the biggest disappointed is unquestionably the lack of any multiplayer features; for reasons unknown, the developers saw fit to removed the entire multiplayer gaming experience that was in the original PSP version. This is a major drawback, as the PSP version bolstered a robust online offering, including unlockable weapons, persistent stat tracking, clans, lobby, in addition to four different match-types - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Objective and Rogue Agent (featured on both ... (continued on next page)