If there is one game with squandered potential, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror would be it. At least, it is for me. I can see others enjoying it for what it is. But man, if it didn’t shatter my hope and dreams for something Splinter Cell-like that I haven’t played before. Now, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is not a one-off game. It’s part of a larger franchise with several games under the belt for the PlayStation One. I never played any of these games, so this was my first taste of Syphon Filter. What I was wishing, and believing the game was about, was totally wrong. I expected clandestine backstabbing stealth, but what I got instead was a CIA state sanctioned murder spree.
Technical stuff
Before we get into the game, we have to talk about some technical issues. One minor, and one somewhat major that can stop your progress. I played it on the PlayStation 2 emulator PCSX2. Everything worked flawlessly out of the box with a PS4 controller. However, as said, it comes with two issues. The minor one is some flickering textures on the desert map. These maps are only part of the tutorial and one other map. It’s of no problem at all, since you don’t see much of it and it’s brief.
The major problem is that a guy named Pvt. Jensen gets stuck when you are supposed to cover him. This will soft-lock your game, because if he can’t move through the map – the game will remain in this state forever. It’s an easy fix, thankfully. If this happens in episode 4, part 2. Open settings/emulation and lower the EE cycle rate to 50%, and he should be able to move through. You might have to restart the encounter. This solution fixed it in my game. I should also note that the ragdolls seem locked to 30 FPS, so for one weird reason when bodies flip out, the game lowers the FPS to 30 FPS, from 60 FPS on 100% normal speed. It’s an oddity, but it shouldn’t matter much.
Clandestine R Us
In Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror you play Gabriel Logan, super agent and mass murderer of bad guys, and I would guess, all sanctioned by the American state. I can’t remember if they ever actually mention the organization (Is it Syphon Filter?) Gabriel, and his crew work for, but you can tell it’s very hush-hush. While Gabriel is the main guy, you also get to switch to sexy Asian slaughter chick Lian Xing at certain points in the story. Sadly, these segments are very rare, since I liked her character.
It all starts in Alaska with a faction called Red Section taking over an oil refinery. At first, it seems it’s just your regular local crazed terrorists, and while they sure are crazy, they are a bit bigger than initially thought. It eventually leads into a deep conspiracy, as these guys seem connected with a much bigger agenda than just hijacking a factory. And guess what? It’s a globetrotting adventure to unravel the evil plot of this group of madmen. As things go on, it turns out people from Gabe’s past are also involved, which turns into a personal matter. Very exciting stuff, right?
Well, some parts, because I found the plot extremely cheesy, with the story going way past the cheese scale on several occasions. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be played seriously or not, as Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror seems to hold a pretty intense tone, with very little humor. Then again, the story is so schlocky, I can’t really tell. Regardless, it’s somewhat entertaining, but utterly forgettable.
Stealth, what stealth?
It’s funny. You can start a tutorial in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror that shows all these cool sneaky moves, equipment, and weapons. Tricking you into thinking that this will be some kind of awesome forgotten stealth gem, but as soon as you start playing, you are soon shown that this is a third-person shooter through and through. It’s weird, because stealth is there. You can sneak up on guys and slit their throat, or take out dumb guards with a sniper rifle that can fire silent shock bullets. It works really well, with nice animations. However, the moment you step on mission-soil, and are spotted by some random dude, then 90% of the game will be bad guys running at you with their AK47s firing on full auto.
It’s so disappointing, since the gameplay is there, even if the maps are very linear. I wouldn’t mind the linearity, if it actually gave me something other than murdering. The problem, beyond being very repetitive, is that the enemies are hilariously easy to kill. Guy has armor? Shoot him in the legs instead, and he will die. Even shooting him in the vest just delays the inevitable by a few seconds anyhow. I just get the feeling that it was supposed to be something more here, since all the cool options are there, but the simplest way is always to shoot your way out. And it’s not like you can do much else, either way. Like I said, the bandits are hyper aware, and you only get a few moments on each map to stealth. When that fails, and it will fail, it’s gung-ho Gabe for the rest of the mission.
Man, talk about disappointment, since I love stealth. But I do love action, too. Unfortunately, the combat by itself is not that engaging. The only danger from the enemy comes in numbers. This at points gets a little absurd, especially when you are looking for an exit. You see, on some maps, they respawn until you figure out where to go. Boring, and annoying! They do switch up the enemies at the end, requiring you to EMP terrorists in special armor before you can hurt them. It’s no real challenge, though, as you are always presented with EMP grenades just before each of these encounters, so that makes it feel a little pointless.
Otherwise, it plays like a typical early third-person cover shooter, but with unrefined and clunky controls. It works, but the camera, and the wall-stickiness can mess with you at times, making you frustrated when you just want to have fun blasting dudes. You will also use special goggles to spot mines and other objects, but since Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is very linear, you can spot these sections coming up a mile away. It’s very easy to figure out where to go, and do. You will also have to guide and protect different characters throughout the game. These segments are a bit tougher. These civvies will for the most part be unarmed, and can’t defend themselves. Usually, they are a bit suicidal, too, just to make it a wee harder.
Looks cool
One thing I really enjoyed was the visual style of Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. It has this modern spy theme feel, and the maps you get to visit represent this fact. You will be sneaking through, sorry, I mean, gunning through underground secret bases, industrial areas and a junta controlled town in some godforsaken South American hellhole. It just feels cool. It’s the same with the characters, weapons, and gear. Very Metal Gear Solid in places, except for the gameplay, that is. Another cool aspect is the action CGI movies between the missions. They look pretty damn good, and have some great cinematography to them. The sound, voice acting, and music is solid too, but nothing really stood out to me. Nothing felt off, at least.
Conclusion
I realize I’m coming in late in this franchise that naturally has people liking the story, structure, and gameplay. But for me, joining late, it just didn’t do it for me. I should have looked into the mechanics of the gameplay before. Yet, the tutorial itself rocked me softly into believing it was a stealth game. So, I can’t say I’m entirely to blame here for believing it was more than just shooting crazy people waving rifles around. Do I recommend it? No. For me, it was just lacking on every front. Maybe if the shooting was great by itself, or the story was awesome. I felt it was mediocre all the way, with the major disappointment as the cherry on top of an extremely bland cake.
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
| System: | PC with PCSX2 (PS2 emulator) |
| Played with: | PS4 controller |
| Mods/fixes: | None |
| Enjoyment rating: |  |
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