Syphon Filter 2 Playthrough
42000, PS-X. Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
The follow-up to the surprise hit Syphon Filter is more ambitious from a storytelling and gameplay standpoint. On the former front, it succeeds, with some caveats. On the latter, it also succeeds, with some caveats. It's an uneven game that feels padded and stretched thin to try and match the original's length. A more streamlined story with longer levels might have worked better. The second half, in particular, takes a long divergent route with Lian in Russia that feels more like padding than anything and the missions are a mixed bag overall.
The game’s story mostly revolves around Gabe and Lian, now on the run from the Agency that had employed them, and trying to stay alive after the events of the first game. Lian is infected with the Syphon Filter virus and Gabe is dealing with his former colleagues, who are trying to kill him and acquire the information about the Syphon Filter virus. Betrayal lurks around every corner and there are several twists throughout. Some work pretty well and some don’t make much sense because the story, while more detailed than the original, is pretty threadbare when it comes to motivations and character development.
The biggest difference between the first and second game is the stronger emphasis on stealth. It makes sense, contextually, because the characters are fugitives and often need to use this to complete their objectives. Some of the situations are a bit trial-and-error and solutions aren’t always made apparent to the player. Even some of the action sequences, particularly late in the game, can be frustrating because the enemies are smarter and more aggressive than the original, which can lead to many cheap deaths.
While Syphon Filter 2 is a more ambitious game narratively and in terms of scope, it does fall a bit short of the strong game design and balance the original had. The visuals aren’t that much better than the original and the music by Chuck Doud is about even with the original, as well. While it’s commendable the developers took some chances and created a solid game overall, they might have fared better reining themselves in and polishing the parts that were really important.
0:00 Prologue
6:09 Colorado Mountains
20:25 McKenzie Airbase Interior
28:22 Colorado Interstate 70
33:47 I-70 Mountain Bridge
39:45 McKenzie Airbase Exterior
51:44 Colorado Train Ride
54:44 Colorado Train Race
58:56 C-130 Wreckage Site
1:04:12 Pharcom Expo Center
1:15:09 Morgan
1:24:41 Moscow Club 32
1:29:47 Moscow Streets
1:34:00 Volkov Park
1:37:14 Gregorov
1:42:13 Aljir Prison Break-In
1:48:15 Aljir Prison Escape
2:04:28 Agency Bio-Lab
2:19:29 Agency Bio-Lab Escape
2:25:10 New York Slums
2:32:52 New York Sewer
2:41:14 Finale
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