A forgotten pioneer of the first wave of modern stealth games. Syphon Filter is a true classic
In the era of the first PlayStation, Sony was just building its catalog of brands. An important role in this process was played by Syphon Filter, which, although somewhat forgotten, still enjoys cult game status.
Over the years, the stealth genre has seen plenty of memorable and influential games. Among them, standout franchises include Metal Gear Solid, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, and Thief. Veteran players will no doubt also remember Tenchu.
Sony also helped shape this corner of the gaming world with the release of Syphon Filter. The game, developed by Eidetic - more about them later - was so well received that it spawned a franchise with a strong following - one that even today is considered by many to be iconic. It’s worth taking a look back at what this game had to offer.
Splinter Cell before Splinter Cell
Syphon Filterwas launched on the original PlayStation in 1999, right as another classic, Metal Gear Solid, enjoyed immense success. Despite some similarities, Syphon Filter carved out its own path, meaning the two games coexisted without stepping on each other’s toes.
The game’s protagonist was Gabriel "Gabe" Logan, a special agent serving the United States government. His main task was to stop terrorists who had acquired a chemical weapon capable of killing millions and planned to deploy it in the heart of Washington, D.C. Naturally, it was up to us to help Gabe stop their deadly plans.
This meant a lengthy adventure - lasting 10 to 13 hours, according to HowLongToBeat - that took us to various corners of the globe. Our journey began in a ruined laboratory hidden in Central America, and over the course of subsequent missions, we traveled to places like Kazakhstan, an underground bunker, catacombs, and, ultimately, the American capital.
Stealth
Syphon Filter is a third-person game, letting us freely look around the environments - a feature that wasn’t standard back then. Since enemies often outnumbered us and were surprisingly smart for the time (using cover, for example), the game largely rewarded careful movement and stealthy tactics. We did so by watching enemy movements, memorizing patrol routes, sneaking up from behind, and either taking them out by surprise or avoiding them entirely.
Things were a bit easier thanks to the danger indicator in the top-left corner of the screen, which showed how close we were to being spotted - because enemies could see or hear us, running around or firing unsilenced weapons was always risky.
Gunplay and weapons
Still, in many areas, it was possible - and sometimes necessary - to fight your way through, and the game encouraged this with a fairly extensive arsenal of weaponry. Logan could wield not just a silenced pistol, but also regular pistols, machine guns, shotguns, and even grenades or other explosives. In open areas sniper rifles proved useful as well. Pacifists, on the other hand, could use a taser; it lets you take down enemies from a distance, but you have to be careful not to fry them by shocking them for too long.
Speaking of shooting, the game featured auto-aim. While this might seem “outdated” by today’s standards, back at the end of the 20th century, it was nothing unusual, as auto-aim was pretty common in console action games. Still, for those who preferred it, there was an option for more precise aiming, which switched the camera to a first-person perspective.
Rounding it all out were the futuristic gadgets at the protagonist’s disposal. Among these, the flashlight stands out, since the game included levels shrouded in near-total darkness. The flashlight let us navigate the environment, but it also made us an easy, visible target for enemies from a distance.
Minor stumbles
I have to mention that those “dark” levels were a real challenge for me. Due to the low-resolution graphics, the heavy darkness in some levels made it hard to see much on screen, which could be pretty straining on the eyes. Another thing to note is that, like most action games from the original PlayStation era, Syphon Filter included environmental puzzles. I’ll admit that while these puzzles don’t bother me much today, my teenage self saw them differently - viewing them as unnecessary “interruptions.”
The success of Syphon Filter and its legacy
Syphon Filter was both an artistic and commercial success, earning high praise from industry media (with an average Metacritic score of 90/100) and winning over players with strong sales. The game launched a series that went on to release installments on the original and second PlayStation, as well as on the PlayStation Portable. The final entry in the series was Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow, released on the PSP in 2007.
As for the series’ creators, Eidetic, they joined Sony in 2000 and were renamed Bend Studio. In addition to the Syphon Filter series, the team has worked on titles like Resistance: Retribution, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Days Gone.
How to play Syphon Filter today?
Syphon Filter can still be enjoyed today on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, available in the PlayStation Store for $9.99. A used boxed PAL edition for PlayStation goes for about $19.57, while the NTSC version or editions in other languages can be found for less.
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Author: Christian Pieniazek
Started working with Gamepressure.com in August 2016. Although the Game Encyclopedia has been his pride and joy from the beginning, he also writes for the Newsroom and the Editorial section. Gained professional experience through a now-defunct service, in which he worked for almost three years. Graduated in Cultural Studies at the AGH University of Krakow. Runs his own business, jogs, cycles, loves mountain hiking, is a fan of nu metal, is interested in space, and of course, enjoys playing games. Feels best in action games with an open world and RPGs, although won't turn down good racing or shooting games.
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