E3 2003: Syphon Filter Hands-On

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain marked our first venture into the bioterrorism world of Syphon Filter - and we came away satisfied with what I experienced. Find out why inside.

Throughout the years I've read some positive things about the Syphon Filter series. Some gamers have compared it to the likes of Metal Gear Solid, and claimed Syphon Filter was superior in areas.

In the latest (and final) chapter of Syphon Filter, outbreaks are happening all across the world as the deadly virus known as Syphon Filter continues to spread quickly. Gabe Logan, the star of the previous games returns, but this time is on the sidelines as he instructs you, a trained operative on how to proceed.

With Gabe's intel and the special training of you and your teammates, it'll take effective teamwork to stop the virus from eliminating mankind and put an end to the rotten corporation responsible for spreading such a deadly virus.

The Omega Strain contains 17 non-linear missions, all of which are designed with multiple paths. Utilizing the online play feature, four players can team up and cover more of the game's areas a lot quicker and more effectively when using teamwork. One of the coolest aspects of the game is that you'll be able to talk to the other players by using a USB headset.

The basic gameplay and controls of Omega Strain are easy to pick up and consist of running, locking on and shooting, rolling out of the way, and even a first person view to lock onto certain out of the way enemies and blow their heads off. The auto targeting feature was well implemented and allows you to target various body parts on an enemy and even put them out of their misery immediately with a clean head shot. But then, the results won't be so clean.

Fortunately the enemy characters aren't just mindless drones who just stand there absorbing bullets, they'll actually roll out of the way or duck, as well as strafe in hopes of nailing you before you nail them. For an early game the AI was definitely looking good.

During your missions there will be plenty of weapons you can obtain from fallen enemies. You'll have access to over a hundred weapons and gadgets, but only be able to carry four guns at once. It'll be up to you and your team to figure out what weapons work best for your missions. You'll also be able to customize your characters in a few different ways by modifying their equipment and uniforms, as well as gain access to more weapons and outfits as you progress further into the game.

Graphically the game looks pretty smooth, with solid characters and environments. The characters are modeled quite well and contain some nice details sprinkled all over their outfits. They're animated just as well, moving smoothly and looking pretty good, even in death, with enemies grabbing their wounds after being shot and falling to the ground. Both the environments and characters in the game have a nice, dark, smoothly textured look to them. The subtle lighting effects did their job and I just loved the animated fire and billowing smoke coming from the cars and buildings in the game, which looked pretty convincing. Throughout all the action the frame rate remained a consistent sixty, and the overall pace was pretty brisk.

The E3 version did suffer from graphical problems such as pop-up, with buildings just appearing out of nowhere, even when they were just several feet away. There were also some collision detection issues with portions of the characters arms and legs disappearing through walls and stairs. None of this affected gameplay but hopefully the developers use the time to polish the final product enough to escape the microscopes of game critics.

The sound effects were top notch and contained all sorts of environmental sounds as well as sharp sounding gun fire sounds, alarms ringing, fires burning, smoke billowing, and car horns among others things. There was no music in the version at the show, but that actually enhanced the game by being able to hear all the environmental sounds while running through the streets and making your way from building to building.

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain is set to be released in February 2004 - with so much time left before it hits store shelves, it'll be interesting to see what the developers pack into this already solid game. Despite the graphical imperfections that existed in the E3 build, I enjoyed what I played and we're looking forward to the final product.

Joseph Jackson
Staff Writer, Kikizo Games