Customer Reviews

Syphon Filter 2

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is increasingly difficult to read the reviews on this page, mostly because they are absolutely inane. When looking at a review, I want to know if the game was fun, if the gameplay was tight, how good the story was, and whether or not the graphics and sound added to the game. Since I have played Syphon Filter 2, I will let everyone out there know that yes, this game is fun. The level of difficulty is fairly high, and many times you will have to go through a level a number of times to pass it. But really, would you want to spend your money on a game that you can take out in one night? The story is very effectively laid into the game with in-game movies and voice-overs. The graphics, while not the best on the market, are very solid and add to the feel of the game. The sound, including the great soundtrack, is wonderful. And the controls, which can take a while to learn if you didn't play the original (I didn't), are solid. All in all, this is a fantastic game that will be challenging for anyone who is looking for an exciting game to play.

A warning: If you haven't mastered the first Syphon Filter, this game will prove an extremely difficult one.

Syphon Filter 2, both in terms of story and gameplay, doesn't pretend to be an independent game from the original. In fact it has the feel of a mission pack -- the story picks up exactly where the original left off, and the level of difficulty of Syphon Filter 2 (somewhere in the stratosphere) goes beyond the toughest levels of the original.

A couple of weaknesses about Syphon Filter 2 stems from this. First, even the first levels are intensely difficult -- there are no relatively easy levels where you can hone your controls and reflexes; if you haven't played Syphon Filter and cut your teeth on how to strafe, aim a two-handed weapon while running, reload, roll, manoeuvre, use explosive weapons and pull off split-second headshots, you won't get much breathing space here to practise it. Syphon Filter 2 is VERY DIFFICULT. What bugs me more than the difficulty is that most of the missions (especially stealth missions) are dependent not on wits and skill, but on familiarity -- for example, if you don't know already where the G.I.s in the exhibition center are, you won't be able to avoid being detected. The result is that it's nearly impossible on most levels to finish on the first try, which is a bummer in terms of story continuity. The save-game system is a slight notch above the original but still flawed. I don't understand why most game developers feel compelled to make saving such a big deal -- in Syphon 2, you can't save without quitting your current game first, and on one enraging occasion a bug in the game resulted in an entire mission being lost (I'd saved the game before the scene had finished fading in completely so when I loaded the game, the bug caused my character to "fall into limbo" and die automatically and instantaneously every time I load).

With the grumps out of the way, there's a lot of good things I can say about Syphon 2. Controls are still good (though a little better in the original), the story is detailed and absorbing, and the new weapon options (crossbow, silenced HK-5s, combat knife) are intriguing, even though the hand-to-hand weapons have nearly no range and take a long time to adjust to. One huge plus of this game is, surprisingly, the voice acting. This usually doesn't matter much in adventure games, but on Syphon 2 the cast of old ("Gabe Logan" is still played by bass-voiced John Chacon) and new voice actors was obviously picked with care, and do incredibly well on the extended, well considered cinematic sequences. The smartypants "Teresa Lipan" especially provides a spunky counterpart to the new, soft-spoken "Lian Xing". Little things like that really enhance your sense of character and your stake in their success and failure. The score, of course, is rousing and kinetic, as befits the franchise, and the "Select Mission" option in the menu has been greatly improved -- if you select a later mission, now, you won't be stuck with just 45 damned bullets for your 9mm, but will be restored to the equipment you had when you were at that level in your loaded game.

Despite its incredible toughness, Syphon Filter 2 is destined to be a classic.

When I learned Syphon Filter 2 was in the stores, I instantly put up my Dreamcast and pulled my Playstation out of retirement. I was not disappointed! The enemies soldiers are more ruthless, and the storyline is more polished. What I loved most about this game is that I'm able to use my honed skills from Syphon Filter 1 to move through the levels. A lot of people who said the game was difficult probably tried to outshoot their way through scenes and got drop to their knees. This game requires you to use your head more than the weapons at your disposal. I strongly suggest buying Syphon Filter 1 and finishing before you play number 2. Both are excellent games from 989 that helps Playstation be the best game console on the market.

The original Syphon Filter is probably one of my all-time favorite PlayStation games, so I had really high expectations for this sequel. In general, I wasn't disappointed.

The new weapons were neat, and I got much more of a feeling of really being in the game than in the first installment. A few things, like seeing "Head Shot" next to *my* head, really got my adrenaline going.

As others have pointed out, this is a TOUGH game, and some levels are just impossible to survive in the first pass. I found I had to repeat several of them, and it got tedious in some spots. More "Checkpoints," where gameplay resumes, would have been nice.

It also runs beautifully on the Connectix Virtual Game Station 1.2, a PlayStation emulator for the Mac. I love being able to play this on an airplane on my laptop.

I highly recommend Syphon Filter 2, but definitely cut your teeth on the first game before you jump into this one.

This game has some flaws but overall it is a very good game that surpasses other games in this genre. This game can be almost impossible to beat if you have not played the first one. As in the first one some of the missions could have more direction. It seems once the action gets started I get stuck in a situation that can be difficult to beat. But as you learn quick in the first one you learn quick that there is some trick to it and figure it out alot quicker.

There are not alot of let downs in this one as in the first. This usually takes up a good portion of my weekend even if it is just playing the game through again. Some of my favorite levels are the bridge and train and I must of played these at least 6 or 7 times each. This game combines action and stealth in the same level instead of just action or just stealth. Like in some levels where you must avoid a certain group of people and conflict with the other. This game lived up to all of my hype and what I have heard it is getting great reviews and many people seem to love it.

I am an adult gamer who also happens to be a cop. I love the action games and Syphon Filter 2 finishes at the top of the charts. In my opinion it far exceeds the first game. The plot is deeper and thicker than the Syphon Filter 1. Personally, I would recomend playing SF1 before playing 2. The experience from the first game definately helps in playing #2. I really enjoyed the 2 player portion of the game, where you play against another player much like the 007 game for nintendo. Overall, I would highly recomend this game for anyone with a taste for high action/high violence. Parents do not buy this for younger players. It has pretty graphic scenes. Sniper head shots, blood, language, etc. But MAN! This game is fun!

The original Syphon Filter had pretty decent visuals. They may have not compared to Metal Gear's, but were still pretty good. In the sequel, the visuals were slightly changed, there are just a few tweaks around the edges and that is all about it. The CGs on the other hand look excellent, they don't show a single sign of poor data compression and they remain smooth the whole time. In my opinion, I would compare them to those found in Final Fantasy and Resident Evil titles. The stage design is excellent, SF2 includes most of the stages from the first one in the two player DeathMatch mode and that made me feel kind of all tingly inside. The new courses are flooded with great looking environments and navigation. Some stages are extremely huge and it takes quite a long time to check them all out. The character detail is there but it lacks in good polish. You won't find grain here, but you will find some sharp edges on bodies. I noticed that the bodies in SF2 look a bit edgy on the sides, it isn't very noticeable, but it's there. Syphon Filter 2's graphics aren't very bad, they just need a little refinement and that's all, otherwise the visuals are fine.

I'll admit it, not much has changed thought the sequel. The gameplay remains the same, but that is a good thing. When I picked up SF2 I felt like I was right at home, it didn't take me any adjustment at all. From the moment I picked up my Dual Shock I was able to smell the blood of the enemies. Though the gameplay style may not be different, I'll tell you what is, the value. Not only does SF2 carry a two disk package, but it also contains over 20 global areas to shoot some ass on. The game starts out with Lian and Gabe at the Pharcom Wharehouse, they are putting the finishing touches on the pace when helicopters come in and start havoc. During the process Lian is kidnapped and she has also been infected with the Syphon Filter virus. Gabe quickly gets to his feet and he starts his journey and escape. The game has a few new faces such as Teresa, who is Lian's fill-in and new bosses to give Gabe a hard time.

The Two-Player Mode is an one killer addition to the sequel. It really gives the game more value, there are tons of characters to choose from, but many of them have to be unlocked. The stages that you play on are either the original Syphon Filter stages, or new ones that need to be unlocked. Of the top of my head I'm guessing that there are about 30 Two-Player characters and that includes Gabe Logan, Lian Xing, Mara Aramov, Uri Gregarov and more old faces from the first SF as well as new faces from the sequel. With the sequel not only comes more stages, but more artillery. Gabe has now got over 25 weapons and gadgets to help him out on his missions. And finally speaking of missions, the game is divided into two parts, not only do you play as Gabe but you also have the chance to play as Lian for a segment of the game. That's about for the gameplay portion of SF2, if you thought that the gameplay was great just wait till you read about the sound.

Like the first Syphon Filter, SF2 has voice acting. The quality is as great as ever and at no time did I find myself trying to figure out what Gabe, Lian or Teresa had said. The background theme still remains, so those who liked that touch will be pleased to know that it is back. The explosions sound great, and so do the gun shots for that matter. I can't really think of much to say about the sound, because it is basically the same as the original and it's just not a very deep subject.

All rejoice, people who have hard times getting used to controls in sequels can now settle down and stop worrying. SF2 features the exact same control layout as Syphon Filter. Shoot, roll, side step, aim, all of them are at their original placement. But Gabe has now learned how to jump, instead of just plummeting to his death Gabe will now jump at a ledge. As for the basic stuff like Analog and Dual Shock, it's all there and both are working great.

For those who loved every second of Syphon Filter (like me), will love every second of Syphon Filter 2. The visuals may have remained the same but everything else has changed. Excellent gameplay, great sound, the same control and especially the Two-Player Mode make Syphon Filter 2 a definite winner. A must have!

This is an awesome game. I think the graphics could have been better. Just the right length. The multi-player mode is cool, the only drawbacks being that you can't pick the weapons for each board and the boards aren't big and expansive like bond but overall i'd give the multi player mode a 4. The game itself is very cool i think iliked the levels on the original a little better but alot of these are pretty cool. The enemy AI has improved a ton over the original, they are a lot more strategic! But don't belive the people who say that this game is too hard... The original was too easy and this is one is a little hard but definetly not impossible as some would suggest. Anyway, definetly buy this game, not as good as bond or perfect dark but probably the best shooter on the PS.

When picked up my copy of the hard core action thriller Syphon Filter 2, on a quiet Friday after noon, I was expecting more of the same action from the first game. Well, I got that and more!Syphon Filter returns with more action than never before!

What impressed most about this game is the well thought up storyline and the cool two player death match, this adds more lifespan to the game as there are more arenas and characters from the first Syphon Filter game. Gameplay is outand having you control Gabe and Lian through the Colorado Rockies, Moscow and the lab responsible for producing Syphon Filter. The game also should take more time to finish, as the enemies are not stupid and can now get head shots on you!

The levels are big, and after a checkpoints you have a chance to save your game from that point. With this game you can expect lots of action and suspense. When you get to end of game cutscene, you will be hit with two nasty suprises I cried my eyes out. Please get up and go and buy this wonderful piece of gaming!

a great, great game. better, in my opinion than the original, although not appreciably different. missions are challenging, but doable. cut scene's are mercifully short (does anyone really enjoy those?) gameplay is exceptional, and the whole thing is utterly absorbing. loads fast as well, which really helps when on some of the tougher missions you're dying every five minutes. only major criticism is the last mission, which is so disproportionately difficult it leaves you with that same feeling you get when you leave a movie that was great all the way through, then ended badly.