Back in the day, games like Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, and many more helped to further expand the stealth action genre’s fan base. Since its release in 1999, Syphon Filter has been a well-known name in the area of stealth action games and quickly rose to popularity with players.
This PlayStation third-person stealth game was created by Eidetic and released by 989 Studios. A sequel was soon necessary because the game sold over a million copies. As the show gained popularity, we became enamored with the riveting plotlines starring the valiant and fearless Gabe Logan. He travels the globe in search of Syphon Filter, a deadly virus that can be tailored to target a particular population.
Eidetic faced many difficulties when designing the first game because they were departing from their typical style and making their first stealth action game. It was saved from cancellation, but following the overwhelming response, there was no turning back. We have enjoyed a lot of franchise additions over the years, some good, some mediocre, and some truly awful enough to damage the series.
When Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow was released in 2007, it served as the last Syphon Filter game. Nobody is sure if the series has ceased permanently since then because of the lengthy hiatus. In this video, we will go over the franchise in great detail and consider the prospects for a potential follow-up.
Syphon Filter
This is the first game in the series and it was clearly a showstopper. The story centered around Gabe Logan, an agent of a secret US government department called The Agency. There has been a recent outbreak of viral weapons by a German terrorist and the causes behind the events are shrouded in mystery. Gabe Logan is sent alongside his partner Lian Xing on a mission to investigate the matter.
They travel to various places around the world, such as New York and a few places in Russia to end the crisis. But soon some sinister secrets are unraveled. It turns out that a biotechnical company named PHARCOM, that was initially helping the investigation, is actually involved in the conspiracy! We get to learn more about a super weapon called Syphon Filter, which if falls in the wrong hands can be lethal for the world. Who is the main culprit funding the entire episode?
The hardened fans of stealth action games had just finished playing Metal Gear Solid and they were looking for more such spy-action. In comes Syphon Filter, with its James Bond-like protagonist Gabe Logan! You get to play as this secret agent, and get to the roots of the evil plans of a German terrorist involving Syphon Filter. The storyline is quite mature, and we loved the intriguing cast of characters in the game.
The good direction is obvious from the gameplay, and it is a fast-paced game that never allows you to go off-track. The combat systems are fun and engaging, and we loved the simple controls on offer. There were some challenging boss battles, and it was quite a task to find out the weakness of each boss and exploit the same. The helicopter boss level is particularly tough, and it takes a few tries to get the hang of things. Considering the times, the graphics were mind-blowing, and the detailing is often astounding.
The cut scenes added to the appeal of the game, and they are almost like a movie. As you track down the bad guy, the gameplay takes you through the snowy mountains of Nepal to the tropical rainforests. There is a surprising twist in the narrative, when Logan finds out that his superiors were not revealing all the information to him. The review of this game would be incomplete without a word for the stunning soundtrack. We loved the electro vibe to the score, and it synced well with the gameplay. This game received great reviews, and the sales figures were impressive enough to spawn an extensive series.
Syphon Filter 2
The sequel was released in 2000 and it was developed once again by Eidetic and published by 989 Studious for the PlayStation. The events of this game pick off hours after the end of the first game. Logan and his partner Lian Xing are now dubbed as enemies of the State after they uncovered the connection between their own agency and Syphon Filter. Lian is captured, and the Agency desperately tries to get to Gabe Logan before he reveals their involvement.
While Gabe and his fellow soldiers are traveling in a plane, it is shot down in the Colorado Rockies. One of the ex-Agency operatives named Teresa helps Gabe in the mission to discover the truth behind the organization, and they move past many action packed levels chasing the mysterious virus once again. The game ends on a note that promises a sequel because we don’t get to know what happens to Gabe in the climactic moments.
If the original Syphon Filter game was received in the shadows of the mighty Metal Gear Solid, such reservations are no longer in the frame. This game takes the best bits of the original, and dare we say, makes it even better! It is a true sequel in every sense of the term because there are plenty of references to the events of the first game. This is certainly one of the better-looking PlayStation 1 games, and the graphics, especially the explosion effects are quite impressive.
It would be better if all the characters had faces, but you wouldn’t let such trivial flaws worry you with such exciting gameplay on offer. You might be tempted to believe that the game is a tad too easy, but your misconceptions would be apparent in a few minutes of playing it. The gameplay is exceptionally well-plotted and the attention to the little details is paramount.
The fans of the sneak-up-genre will enjoy quite a bit of adrenaline rush as they sneak past the enemy and accomplish their missions. There is an enormous choice of weapons to choose from, and you must use them strategically to finish off the enemy. You are bound to be engulfed in the gun-toting CIA-style gameplay and the intriguing storyline only adds to the charms. This series had serious potential to transform into movies, and maybe that would have done its popularity a world of good!
Syphon Filter 3
This game changed hands in terms of developers and it was developed by Bend Studio. It was published by Sony for PlayStation, and marked a steep fall in the popularity and reviews received after its release. The story takes place after Syphon Filter 2, and Lian, who was infected by the Syphon Filter virus, has been cured. However, the threat from Syphon Filter still remains and it is up to Gabe and Lian to stop the evil plans.
The Agency continues to frame the duo as traitors and holds them responsible for crimes that they had never committed. They must clear their names and inform the world about the real threat because if they fail there would be no one left to stop the deadly outbreak. You play as the characters, and through various missions you determine the fate of the world!
The changes are quite noticeable and even without being informed the gamer will know that the developer is new. One of the first things that you will notice is the change in music. The background score is rather empty and that is very disappointing for the fans who loved the music in the previous games. We already told you how Syphon Filter 2 did not have defined faces for some of the characters.
This problem has been resolved in this game, but the issue with the music makes it an unpleasant experience. We were also a bit disappointed with how Gabe Logan looked! Coming to the gameplay, you have to control the past missions of the character, including Costa Rica before the first game. The only issue is that the game starts to feel less and less like the Syphon Filter that we were used to.
So were there no positives at all? Absolutely not! The story continues to be a great asset of this game, and the narrative will still hold your attention till the very end. You still get an unexpected twist towards the end that changes the perspective all of a sudden. The gameplay does retain some of its older features, and we loved some of the additions to the weapons in the inventory – especially the gun that can shoot through everything! In short, this is more of an average game that could be considered a decent effort had it not been a follow up to a glorious gaming franchise!
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
This game was released for PS 2, and developed by Bend Studio once again. Finally, Gabe Logan is in charge of the Agency. However, you would be wrong to assume that things are fine! The menace of the Syphon Filter continues to threaten the world and it is spreading more rapidly than ever.
To control its spread over the world, Gabe would need the help of a few new recruits, and get to the terrorists who are causing these outbreaks. But that would not be a permanent solution to the problem. He must find out the main person behind the conspiracy from the very beginning. Besides this, Logan has to locate Mara Aramov, and it is extremely important if he wants to stop World War III. This time you do not play as Gabe Logan, but you get to do something a lot more fun! You can create your own agent and take charge!
Say what you will about this game, it has to be one of the toughest Syphon Filter games in the series. There are tons of levels in the gameplay and all of them are extremely difficult – not in the impossible sort of way, but as a great challenge. The levels are pretty large and they throw a wide range of objectives at you. What makes it more challenging is the scarcity of ammo in some of these missions!
This game is a lot more online based than the earlier ones and you cannot complete the whole game without a few online parts. There are certain missions that require a teammate, and without the teammate you will not be able to achieve a few objectives of the mission even if you complete it. There are some cool new additions to the weapons available, and the sniper with night vision is our favorite.
There are some glitches as well, such as the one where the action does not pause when you open the map, thus making it impossible to use it during emergencies. Bend Studio seemed to have learned its lesson, and they tried to stick to the basics of the previous games that worked wonders with the fans. However, while playing The Omega Strain we often felt that this game was better-suited for the PS 3, which could have done justice to the vision behind the game. Overall, this was a rather mediocre effort and the game has no replay value whatsoever!
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP)
It was released for PlayStation Portable and PS 2, and for the former this was a perfect game. It was welcomed with favorable reviews, but the sales figures did not do justice to all the kind words about the game. With the Syphon Filter fiasco finally over, Gabe and Lian soon discover that the threat is far from gone. Their investigations take them to Alaska, and they come to terms with another project by a scientist. The missions keep getting more challenging than before and the fate of the world is once again in your hands!
Omega Strain had its share of control issues, but this time they have been resolved. It is nice to play as Gabe Logan once again, and the aspect of stealth that has been missing for some time now, is back! Among the other positives of this game, we have to mention the greater variety of weapons and the ability to use the environment to prolong your cover.
If we could make one thing better, it would be the storyline that somehow doesn’t match up to the brilliance we have witnessed earlier. The dramatic background music is quite pleasing and this game does make the old fans recall some of their nostalgia about the franchise. It is quite an accomplishment when a game defines a system. Halo did it for Xbox, and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror somewhat does it for Sony PSP.
Certain elements that have been added to the gameplay were never explored before, such as the eight-player online version that has full voice chat capabilities. The story is not really original, and it has the clichés that you will find in every tale of a terrorist threat. The gameplay is packed with loads of action, and you will love some of the intense Hollywood-style gunfights that break out. The blend of action and stealth will make you fall in love with this game, and a robust multiplayer only makes things better. If you have loved the franchise, or even if you haven’t, give this one a try for a completely different and unique experience.
Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow (PSP)
Bend Studio developed this one as well, and it was released for PlayStation Portable and PS 2. This game is set to stun you with a rude shock in the form of a twist. The narrative starts off in usual fashion. It is premised after the events of Dark Mirror, and another terrorist group seems to have its hands on a new dangerous technology. Logan is out on his espionage missions to save the world from various threats. However, in the course of one of his missions he makes a startling discovery. It turns out that his closest long time partner might have been a double agent all this while!
After the previous game turned out to be such a stunner, we were skeptical whether a new game would be able to live up to the hype. It turns out that Logan’s Shadow is more than a worthy successor to the previous game. A lot of things change in this one, from the new combat tactics to the fast-paced action. There is even some underwater combat, and those who love fighting games are in for an absolute treat.
The story is back with a bang, and from suspicious characters to unexpected twists, the narrative is packed with delightful surprises. We were awed by the impeccable script, and the cliff hanger ending is something no one would ever expect! One of the new additions to the gameplay is the grenade avoidance system, and every time an explosive is tossed at you, an alert is sounded.
It elevates the story from the last game, and the multiplayer elements take this game to new heights. The tense action keeps you on the edge of your seats, and the gun battles will be remembered for times to come. You might think that the franchise ended on a high and you wouldn’t be too wrong about it! Actually the problem was that despite the bright reviews for this game, the sales figures did not look too good. This effectively made this the last one of the franchise, and after all these years the situation hasn’t changed!
Fall of Syphon Filter
There is no easy way to explain where this popular franchise lost the plot! One of the major issues after the first few games was how the game tried to change itself a bit too much. It was no longer the same kind of fun, where you could sneak around and shoot people discreetly. Syphon Filter games used to be quite challenging and it was never intended to be a mindless shoot-at-sight kind of gameplay. Unfortunately, it ended up being just that and you could run around and shoot people randomly in the later games. It certainly doesn’t help if you decide to snatch away the very aspects that made the franchise such a big hit! We believe that the changes took this game away from the fans, and this was the rust behind the eventual collapse of the structure.
John Garvin, the man who was the writer and director for the games was burned out with the series. He was desperate to work on different projects, and this is probably the reason why he killed off Gabe Logan at the end of Logan’s Shadow so that there would be no more Syphon Filter games. The fact that the later games didn’t sell very well only added to the miseries of the series.
Future of the Franchise
It has been a very long break since the last Syphon Filter game, and the fans have been kept waiting since then. However, there is a theory that the game Days Gone was actually more of a Syphon Filter release. There are events in the game that point to the world of Syphon Filter and the collectibles will also remind you a fair bit about the franchise.
In fact, the lead designer of the game, Ron Allen, revealed in an interview that the game is indeed connected to Syphon Filter. The developers for this game are the original developers of Syphon Filter and the influence is clearly obvious. If that is the case, then it is something to think about how a new Syphon Filter game would look like. Would it pick up from where the franchise left off, or will it dwell in the new world explored in Days Gone?
Days Gone has gathered a healthy fan base over the years, but people either seem to love it or hate it and there is no middle ground. It is not insanely popular, but there have been demands for a sequel for quite some time now. Days Gone 2 was even pitched to Sony and the idea was shot down abruptly. However, Bend Studio is currently developing a new project, where they are exploring new open-world systems.
As for Syphon Filter, the studio director of Bend Studio went on record to suggest that they might consider an addition to the franchise. Many of the developers are still keen on the project, and the question remains whether it will be worth releasing a new game in the future! It might also happen that the responsibility of a new Syphon Filter game falls on another studio because Bend Studio is too busy with the projects at hand. It waits to be seen if Sony finds it a viable investment, and at this moment it is best to not be too optimistic about it!