Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
Score: 95% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: Sony Bend Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 (2 - 8 Online) Genre: Action/ Shooter/ Stealth
Graphics & Sound: While the Syphon Filter series had a great run on the PSOne, the series failed to achieve on the PS2. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is yet another platform jump for the series, but with much better results. Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is a string of successes all combined into one great experience. It all starts with visuals that are pushing the system about as far as any game on the PSP has managed to do so far. Characters are well-designed, though level architecture is the real star here. While you’re kept on a straight path throughout most of the game and the levels are small, there’s still a lot of variety to be found. There’s so much going on in levels (like zip-lines and areas you can climb), that you rarely feel confined to the level’s small size. Dark Mirror contains a ton of voice work, most of which is presented through chatter during missions. You are constantly sending and receiving messages to other team members, reminding you about mission goals as well as keeping you updated on changes. Overall, the writing is good, though there are moments where the typical, cheesy “action movie” phrases pop up. Consider yourself warned. Music sounds great and is as dynamic as the gameplay. During gunfights, it will pick up in tempo, only to subside once they’re over.
Gameplay: Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror once again returns players to the role of Gabe Logan, an operative for a government agency that legally doesn’t exist. When world situations get too hot for direct government involvement, Gabe and his team are sent in to diffuse them. As far as the game’s story goes, Dark Mirror doesn’t break any new ground. You have the WMD that can destroy the world, shadowy agencies and a few double-crosses. Really, it is the same "terrorists threatening the world" plot seen in every secret agent game, book or movie. Were it not for the top-class presentation, the story would probably be forgettable. Gameplay is where Dark Mirror’s greatest successes can be found. Missions feature multiple paths as well as the option of playing through them however you please. Each is linear and has a set number of goals you must accomplish before moving on, yet the experience unfolds in a more free-form nature. If you want to play the game more like an action game, you can pick up a gun and go for it. Or, if you would rather do the spy thing and sneak around, that option is open as well. Whatever way you choose, the game adapts to what you are doing and manages to keep the feel that however you are playing is the way it was meant to be played. Pulling off special techniques and just being an efficient player unlocks new weapons. The opening weapons cache isn’t anything to scoff at, but later weapons definitely make missions worth playing more than once. Multiplayer was one few really good things about Omega Strain. Of course, this is relative to the quality of the game itself, which wasn’t all that good to begin with. Dark Mirror takes what worked and improves on it, resulting in one of the PSP’s best multiplayer modes. Several modes are available, including traditional play types like Deathmatch, as well as objective-based gameplay (which has players working as a team) and Rogue Agent, which plays a lot like a game of tag (only with guns). Better yet, if you have a USB headset, you can chat with other players during matches.
Difficulty: Getting accustomed to Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror’s controls is the biggest hurdle you are likely to face. Like most 3rd-person shooters on the PSP, Dark Mirror is hampered by the lack of a second analog stick. To make up for this shortcoming, Sony Blend has gone and offered a number of control schemes for the player. I found the default one, which used the face buttons as a sort of stand-in analog stick, worked for me. If that’s not your style, enough options are available that you’ll certainly find one that suits you. Beyond control issues, Dark Mirror is well-balanced and offers enough challenge without becoming too easy or too hard. Check points are evenly spaced out and health/armor are usually easy to find. Again, how the level plays out is mostly up to you, so if you find something isn’t working for you, there’s always another way.
Game Mechanics: A super-spy wouldn’t be a super-spy without his utility belt full of gadgets and an array of moves. Aside from a very useful radar, Gabe’s more used tool is a set of Splinter Cell inspired goggles. Vision modes include standards like night vision and thermal vision, as well as EDSU, which is useful for finding switches and other key objects. Whether sneaking or shooting, Gabe can make use of cover. After putting his back to a wall, Gabe can take aim and quickly pop-out from cover to take a shot. Aiming can be done either manually using the face buttons or automatically by using the left shoulder button. Either way, the control is one of the best on the PSP, though relying on Auto-aim exclusively does lead to some aggravating moments since it doesn’t always pick the most important target. There isn’t much to say about Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror other than this is how handheld games should be done on the PSP. Dark Mirror manages to hit every little sticking point that has managed to trip up other games on the system. Whether you prefer stealth or gunplay, Dark Mirror is highly recommended.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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