Second Sight

Second Sight blends action/adventure gameplay with a stealth twist, to mixed results.

X-Files and Metal Gear Solid collide in Second Sight, a new stealth-based adventure from the developers of the TimeSplitters series.

Second Nature
Second Sight employs the fractured storytelling technique made popular in films like Pulp Fiction. The game opens in an unknown scientific facility, as you escape confinement and harness your new paranormal talents, which include telekinesis, self-healing and psychic attacks. Occasionally, the game jumps back in time to depict the events leading up to your apparent abduction. It's a fun approach to what otherwise would have been a straightforward plot. Though Second Sight's premise packs plenty of promise, the execution is uneven. The weird mouse auto-aiming is a perfect example; it's a blatant violation of PC player expectations and just gets in the way. But more distressing is the fact that, for all its diverse gameplay possibilities, Second Sight is surprisingly limited. The game has its moments--hurling psychic blasts at enemies is a gas--but the gameplay often descends into frustrating stealth episodes. Again, the controls here come up short: sneaking against walls to evade guards, for instance, is often a frustrating trial-and-error affair. And don't look for any mid-mission quick saving, either.

Sight for Sore Eyes
Second Sight's visuals are more balanced than its gameplay. In a unique comic book-inspired visual style last seen in TimeSplitters, Second Sight's cartoony characters sport exaggerated facial features and mannerisms that paint the cinema scenes with broad strokes of emotion. Likewise, the atmospheric environments feature crisp textures and elaborate props, right down to the useable computers. The low-key music--again, ripped straight out of the TimeSplitters cannon--and Spartan sound effects create an eerie mood but ultimately don't leave much of an impression. But enough quibbling: The $20 price point is low enough to make Second Sight worth a least a quick look.

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