Syphon Filter Dark Mirror pulls familiar multiplayer modes and a rich story mode into an “accessible” and visually compelling handheld experience

SCEA shows off title during media day in Bend, Ore., studio

We live in a video-game era firmly ensconced in the realm of the franchises – successive titles featuring the same characters or organizations vying against similar foes release after release. While this can be quite enjoyable, it is not so much what number the pending release is in the series, but rather what have you done lately? What is so compelling about the title and series that will make Joe Gamer want to rush out and get the next iteration?

Syphon Filter began its run on the original PlayStation console back in 1999 and there have been four releases, to date, in the series with the fourth one, The Omega Strain (2004) transitioning the series to the PlayStation2 console. Two years later, and the next (fifth) title in the series is in the home stretch to release. But Gabe Logan, Lian and the rest of the special forces group are not sticking around on the PS2, instead they are heading for the PSP.

Ok, the cat’s out of the bag – in some missions you will be able to play Lian.

Sony hosted a media day at the Bend studio for a look at the pending title, which is slated for release in early March.

(Please see Nick Valentino’s preview at http://psp.gamezone.com/gzreviews/p28441.htm)

During the event, members of the media were allowed to play through some of the levels that were previously unavailable in preview code and got a chance to tangle head-to-head in the multiplayer elements.

Dark Mirror was “the opportunity to take another approach to Syphon Filter,” stated John Garvin, the title’s creative director. While there are four training levels, and three difficulty settings (not to mention the four multiplayer modes, but the “story mode is where the heart of the game is,” said Garvin.

There are 28 levels in the evolving tale, and the missions are replayable to improve ratings in the six different areas that result, somewhat, in customizing your character. Of course the game goes back to the SF days before Omega Strain and brings back Gabe Logan, and Lian.

“We’ve done everything we can to make the game more accessible to a broader range of people,” Garvin said.

The game also features unlockables. Weapons can be unlocked to take into story mode and hidden evidence found will lead to unlocking bonus material like movies, concept art and bonus missions.

Multiplayer modes will include deathmatch, team deathmatch, an objective mode (Syphon Filter-style objectives in which teams compete against one another) and a mode called Rogue Agent. Players, in the latter, take on the role of the rogue agent and then have to kill other players to score points and avoid getting killed. A player who kills the rogue scores points and can become the rogue agent. Of course, this is straight run ‘n gun, and, depending on the map, can be rather intense.

The multiplayer modes will be available through infrastructure and ad hoc.

Dark Mirror will also feature a game sharing mode, which features an all-new level that players can send to a friend via ad hoc. It is just one mission but it may give that friend a taste of the game and help bolster more targets … err, gamers for the multiplayer mayhem.

The Bend team also has “come up with some pretty good compression schemes to curtail load times,” noted Chris Reese, co-director of the studio and the title’s technical director.

But until you play the game itself, there are not many ways to describe the experience. The game gives players all the tools to succeed and if it is played intelligently, you can work through any level. Graphically the game is stunning for the handheld platform, and the sound is equally impressive. Being able to guide a secondary mission partner through using the Select button to issue commands is rather entertaining and using the goggles to scope out targets and objects that can be used to create more mayhem or lead to a different path through the level also proves rather fun.

Dark Mirror’s CGI is stunning, the game’s mission levels are well designed, the control scheme and customization options provide an entry point for almost everyone, and while the multiplayer does tread some familiar territory in some regards, it is fast-paced, reflexive and fun.

During the pre-media day dinner, some of the members of the dev team said they were really ready for the game to ship. Consider those sentiments echoed, guys, from this player’s perspective.

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