Syphon Filter PS1 Review

Syphon Filter is a third person stealth shooter game that was developed by eidetic that is now known as bench Studios and was published by 1989 Studios for the PlayStation in 1999 and the game would receive two foreign sequels a Syphon Filter 2 and 3, later during the PlayStation's development cycle and the series would prove to be very popular as it would spawn a number of sequels that would later be ported onto the legs of the PlayStation 2 and Sony PSP handheld console. 

And Syphon Filter starts off with the early stages of a deadly virus that has been dispersed across different environments throughout different regions in the world and it is up to Gabe Logan, a US secret agent that takes on the role of trying to eradicate the virus and the series of events to happen in this game lead on to the events of its inevitable sequels that tell the story in more detail. 

The first Syphon Filter is considered to be one of the best action adventure titles to ever be seen on the PlayStation as at that time you had the iconic Metal Gear Solid which was considered among many to be the best stealth action game seen on any console at that time. 

So it left people wanting to look for an alternative or to see if there was anything else that was out there that could even compete or compare to it and Syphon Filter was the proven option and probably was the closest alternative to that. 

While it didn't have the vast array of game mechanics and unique attributes that metal gear had a Syphon Filter definitely made up for with its action and stealth based mechanics as it was one of the best of its type and even of its kind during that period and the stealth based mechanics alongside of Metal Gear Solid this would also be a massive influence that would have to inspire a lot of other games seen on future consoles and even on later PC games and so forth moving forward. So the game did play a critical role in the future of games development itself. 

While many consider with the game not to be like visually groundbreaking compared to many the games on the system, what it would have lacked in the visual department, it more than made up for in its gameplay and mechanics and just all the unique elements that the game had to offer because it had a great mix and balance of action attributes, lots of explosions lots of shooting and great array of weapons, shooting mechanics with the stealth elements is where the game really set its own standard because it was one of the very few games out there that allowed you to play with different styles. 

You could either go in all guns blazing and blow everything out of the water if you will or you could take a more cautious and tactical approach where you could use stealth and be silent to take out your opponents and it gave a much different diversity and complexity to more mainstream games that really hadn't been seen at the time. 

That's why it stood out among many other games that were being made and again these elements would prove to be so successful that they would still be implemented into its later sequels that would just again expand on the overall story and when you look back Syphon Filter was revolutionary for its time it really was during the 32-bit era and in a lot of ways even with regards to all of the sequels it's still a very underrated series on consoles that definitely deserves a lot more attention and the funny thing is it's also one of the best series of action games out there and it's also one of the most recognizable but at the same time it's often overlooked which is kind of crazy when you think about it. 

But from a gameplay standpoint the game is really really good, yes it takes a little bit of a while to get used to the control methods and the schemes and even the weapons because you do have a vast array of weapons at your  disposal anything from a taser to handgun, you can pick up machine guns, M16 assault rifles, shotguns ,grenade launchers, sniper rifles, anything that you can pretty much use to take advantage of a certain situation you will find as you play and even when you dispatch enemies and take enemies out of the equation they will drop any ammo or weapons that they have laying around so it just keeps you on your toes the whole time. 

There's just a really good balance of action in the game and it even with regards to how you decide to play it when you want to use stealth you can take as long or as quick as you need to to get through levels and that's the fun about the game as well you can approach each level in each situation your own way and that's what makes the game really cool in its own right. It just has a lot of unique elements and for many people on the PlayStation it is considered to be among some of the best games ever created on the system and I wholeheartedly agree even when I look back at my own first experience of this game I originally played it on a demo CD that came with the monthly UK PlayStation magazine back in 1999. 

Now I hadn't been long after playing Metal Gear Solid and truthfully I remember when I seen Syphon Filter I wasn't really sure what it was and I didn't even know what to expect of it because at that point when it was on the demo I'd never even heard of it at the time, I didn't even know that the game had even existed or what it was going to be about and I remember playing it and I kid you not I was addicted to it. I was completely blown away by how good the game was once I got into it and I understood the controls. 

Now it only gave you access to play a portion of the first level of the game but even with the first level there's loads of different areas and hidden secrets that you can find as you play and for me that was perfect because I love games that require exploration especially when in more confined environments where you have to look for hidden secrets and look for anything they can give you an advantage like if you're looking for weapons health or whatever it is I just love doing that type of stuff and I loved more so doing that and games of older years like back in the PlayStation and Syphon Filter gave me that example that I was looking for and the truth is I didn't expect it and I was just addicted to it. 

I remember playing that demo an absolute ton and that's what I loved about with especially with demos because you would play through them and try to figure everything out. 

You would also try to see if you could even break the game you're always trying to find if there was any glitches or hidden secrets, something that you could use to get somewhere that you probably shouldn't be or to take advantage of a certain situation and it was just so much fun and this game provided that in spades. 

It really was so much fun and the fact is even was hilarious as well even though it very violent was using the taser when you shot someone and when you held on to it smoke would start appearing from the enemy's body and then eventually they'd burst into flames even though they're screaming you'll be just there and you'd actually be torturing them with the with the taser and it's just like you're like it was beyond anything you'd ever seen really in the game that you had that ability to do that in the game it was crazy but it did allow you to do it and again they would continue that trait on for the next two entries in the series as well. 

So as you go through the course of the game itself you unlock different levels and even different attributes even you gain access to additional weapons and so forth but you learn various elements of the story and you realize that Gabe even though he's trying to stop the Syphon Filter virus he's also been used as a pawn by the US government to spread the virus even further even though he thinks he's actually doing the right thing he's actually not because it again he doesn't really know what's going on he's just going by what he's told. 

It's only towards the end of the game that he starts to figure things out and that leads on to the events of the second and even the third game and then few future entries in the series on both the PlayStation 2 and PSP. So it does have a long lineage and it tells a really good story. 

That was another really good thing they found about this game as well is even though it's an action focused game but it also had great intro sequences that had really good voice acting and good storytelling and it felt like that you were part of an action movie that you would have seen even growing up. 

But it's just the story that really drew you in alongside of the action and stealth elements. You felt like this every interaction that you had and move that you made had some reflection of what was really going on. 

It was so well done in that regard what it lacked graphically it definitely made up for in terms of its playability and story elements. It just is a really good all-round game and I wholeheartedly consider this to be one of my favorite games on the PlayStation this and even the second one the whole three games on the PlayStation. 

Now the sequel Syphon Filter 2 ended up adding in a few additional modes and it had slightly better graphics and had a multiplayer mode which was quite fun as well did you play with your against your mates in split screen mode and then with the Third game they added in additional modes we had different challenge modes and so forth to complete and it was fun in its own right and to be honest I love all three of them. 

It's kind of hard to pick a favorite if I'll be honest between the three of them. 

I love the first one because the first one was one that really got me into it but I found the second one probably a bit more to it that's really got you into it I think because of the fact is at that point the story had flipped on its head where Gabe was now an outlaw and he was being haunted so that gave it a whole different element and it was quite fun as well. 

That is another phenomenal game which I will cover in a future video but just this first Syphon Filter game yeah for me it's just definitely one of the best action games on the PlayStation and if anything it's one of the best action games of all time because this game alone has had to inspire many action games that you see on modern consoles today. 

It really is that good, while it might not hold up well in terms of various features compared to today's standards but it doesn't take away from what the game does offer and what it represents for its time and if you're a fan of the Syphon Filter series it's one of those games I highly recommend that you you go back to and the thing is it's one of those games that I will still go back to every so often I guarantee you I I'll always take an notion and I'll go back and play either one of the three games or play through them all again they're just out that good because I just love the story and the flow that the games have to offer. 

They're so good and I will always be guaranteed that I'll go back to them there's only a handful of games that I've always remembered and they would still go back to even to this day that I would always play like I would always go back to like play the Resident Evil games and Syphon Filter would be among them and even other games and other consoles or even likes of Streets of Rage 2 on the Sega Mega Drive that for me is one of my favorite games of all time. 

I grew up with that game and even with Max Payne on the PlayStation 2 and even on the PC. 

They're just a handful of games that I will always without a doubt go back to play every so often because they consider them to be among some of my most favorite games of all time and Syphon Filter is definitely up there with the best of them. 

So if you're looking for action games that mixes it stealth with great combat attributes then Syphon Filter definitely has it in spades and you will definitely have your work cut out for you let's just put it that way because it is challenging but it's so much fun and I highly recommend you try this game or any of the games in the series as they are a lot of fun as they present enough elements to keep you playing and to really make them worthwhile and enjoyable.

And I would love to know your thoughts on Syphon Filter and what are your stories on this iconic game. 

Do you enjoy all of the elements that I've mentioned with the stats and action-based abilities or what way do you like to play the game do you like to use stealth or do you like to just go and just blow everything up and just cause as many explosions as possible? 

I'd love to hear whatever stories you have with this iconic game so be sure to share it down in the comments below and be sure to keep watching to see more content on other games similar to Syphon Filter, you can check out the blog where we will be diving into the iconic elements of these classic video games and as always keep those gaming memories alive...