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I don't know why I keep playing this game because honestly, it's only really worth it as a rental. But I guess I keep playing because I want to be able to unlock more weapons and actually beat a par time for a level. You see, every level has a par time requirement which you have to beat to unlock certain special missions. For some missions, par time requirement is ridiculously hard. For example, the Carthage Mall mission requires you to lock down the 4 ways to the malls, diffuse two viral containers, and then kill this veteran sniper with AU300 that is surrounded by respawning trigger-happy terrorists all under five minutes! The game can be incredibly frustrating since there are absolutely no save points at all and if you fail an objective for that mission, the only way you can try to succeed is to restart the mission since checkpoints merely act as spawnpoints. This makes for an extremely difficult and time-consuming game. Of course, this game was desinged more towards online players. And what the game does online, really is rather excellent. If you have a headset and online capability, totally buy this game because you will love it. Single player... it has some major flaws. The beginning is extremely slow since you only start out with a crappy pistol and a stun jack. But pretty soon, your skills will help you unlock massive amounts of weapons. This game has more weapons than I've ever imagined in a video game (maybe that's because I haven't played any of the previous syphon filter games). It's incredible. From the taser to M16 (and six other modified versions of the M16) to grenade launchers to never agents to SMAW rocket launchers... the unlockable items are what makes me keep playing this game, long after my frustration meter has maxed out. The graphics are okay... It's an old game and all but it really just feels like Playstation 1 got fine tuned just a tiny bit. The water graphics are absolutely horrible and texture is bland. This game is all about unlocks and gameplay, not about the visuals. Trying to be stealthy in this game is really weird and at times insanely frustrating. The "crouch" button (x button) will solve all your stealth dillemmas but only to a certain degree. Sometimes, the A.I is just programmed to know you're there and will come at you like madmen. Speaking of which, A.I is absoutely stupid in this game and I hate the fact that some enemies are programmed to continuously respawn. It makes achieving that par time just that much harder, as if itsn't hard already. The story is... almost horrible but not quite there yet. The cutscenes are interesting and you'll learn some French here and Ukranian there but overall, you'll be left wondering, "What in Jesus's name is going on? Why am I here? Who? What? When?" The writer of this game needs to take some lessons from Hideo Kojima or even Tom Clancy because this game's story presentation just sucks. The level designes on some levels are magnificent. On some others... not so great. The Carthage Michigan level for example is just convoluted and confusing and bland, esp. with the not-so great graphics. The Zurich level made for insanely fun level though and it was the only level where stealth worked real well! One thing I loved about this game was character customization. Just aweosme, from tattoos to shirts and whatnot. If you plan to buy this game, (1)completely forget the concept of saving in levels (2)be online capable and have headsets and (3)train ur fingers!Read full review
The key to truly enjoying Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (SF:TOS)is dedication. The whole game carries with it a progression of learning and skill-building that will turn off the casual crowds. SF:TOS begins by letting you customize your own agent (which gets very detailed and extensive as you go along). It then throws you into a mission where you are a rookie in the agency. You will have no idea what you are doing, where you are going, etc. but the game gently guides you. By gently I mean it points you in the right direction but never tells you outright how to accomplish a task. This lets you get creative and learn through doing. This is indicative of the entire game from start to finish: learn, get better and be rewarded every step of the way. You will never finish all mission objectives on the the first play-through. Some of the most difficult objectives must be completed once you've progressed further in the game and have acquired new skills and gear you didn't have access to before. When you do complete these more advanced goals and show to the agency that you have indeed become more skilled, you will again be rewarded. Rewards come in the form of new weaponry, new abilities, new customization options (and there are oodles), new ranks, unlocked levels, etc. The missions have a nice pace to them and the scenery almost never repeats itself. You will see arctic climates, deep tropical jungle, urban sprawl, rural trainyards, oil platforms and more. Some situations during a mission require stealth in order to execute them properly. Unlike most games, breaking stealth does not end your mission (unless it is one of the 4 bonus levels). It simply makes things much much more difficult for you and you will need to run the mission again later to meet that objective. You can complete objectives in seperate runs of the missions, which is great because you can learn from your mistakes. Death too is a learning experience. You won't be forced to restart the level but instead are placed at the last checkpoint you hit (which are all logical and well spaced out). The story can be a little complex but is very interesting and laid out via mission files you can read for yourself, including memos, photos, personnel files, newspaper articles, etc. The controls allow you to move and fire and interact with great ease, although the setup cannot be changed and does take some getting used to. Never have I wanted to do something and not had the game/controls respond to my whims immediately. The control is tight. Firefights have a beautiful variety to them as well, mixing close-quarters with long-range, controlled with reactionary. Objectives are varied as well. You are given a lot of freedom with how you go about completing a mission. Some routes and tactics make things easier but you are never punished for doing things the hard way. You simply learn from your mistakes and get better. The whole game gets better as you dedicate more time to actually learning and growing in skill. In that regard, it's akin to a fighting game. Few titles cater to this kind of persistant gaming style, but I absolutely love it. The gratification you get from TOS (aside from the never-dull firefights) is rarely immediate, but from a job well-done. There is always at least one direction to branch out in... and at the end is always a reward.Read full review
Reviewer's age: 27 This game isn't even similiar to Syphon Filter on the PS1. I was very dissapointed, and would have rather seen the PS version redone for PS2, rather than this new series.. Omega Strain. Frankly, online sucked.. Requires quite some team work. You get kicked out if they decide you are not good enough.. etc. It is old, maybe was good then.. but is not good compared to what online multiplayer games the PS2 now has to offer. Plain old Syphon Filter on PS was one of the best I ever seen for that console. They should take that, work it out a bit, and make it online. I have ported Syphon Filters maps for play on Timesplitters Future Perfect Mapmaker online. The garage parking deck to be exact. People loved it. Just needs brought back and relived. Omega Strain was just to far of a cry different.Read full review
I got into Syphon filter when it first came out, i played it with my friend for ages, we both took turns beating the first, then i got the second, Sadly i missed the thrid, and omega strain so i decided to get them both, Omega strain is a new twist for sure on the Syphon filter series, having played all of them, this game brings a new realism to the game. I haven't played it to the end but i can say with confidence that this one isn't going to be a let down at all. Great games they make you think hard and plan your moves, plus the 2 player requirements at times make it a must to share with friends.
Because it has a story movie to play for.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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