E3 2003: Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
- May 14, 2003 00:00 AM PST
It�s been a years since Gabe Logan battled terrorists, but it looks like he hasn't lost the touch.
It�s been a few years since Gabe Logan battled terrorists in his popular PlayStation games, but his PS2 debut packs the kind of serious firepower that�ll get gamers stoked about the return of this third-person-combat series. The whiz-bang new feature in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain is online play. Following the SOCOM model, gamers can form four-man squads to cooperatively tackle the game�s 17 missions. SOCOM�s headset (or any other USB headset) can also be used for voice communications with teammates.Sony has a few other tricks up its sleeve, too. It seems that Gabe has been promoted to head up the Agency, and he�s tasked with guiding the effort to track down the latest outbreak of the Syphon Filter virus. Mara Aramov naturally lurks in the shadows of this latest conspiracy, which involves the sales of the virus to terrorist groups and an attempt to start a world war with a viral attack on Moscow. With Gabe calling the shots, players take on the role of one of his elite assassins, customizing their physical appearance, uniform, and arsenal of gear. Over the course of the game, players get access to more than 100 weapons, but they can only carry four at a time, plus a knife for hand-to-hand combat. The series� intuitive target-lock system is returning to action with an added layer of depth: You can lock onto specific body parts, which will come in handy for enemies in flak vests or armor.
Sony reports that it�s also beefing up the enemy A.I., while the levels, which range from Tokyo to Yemen, have multiple, nonlinear paths, which should really open up the feel of the gameplay. With all that in its favor, Syphon�s starting to look like another sure-fire hit for the PS2.
