Game Informer Review
This wildly ambitious release offers two different ways that players can work through the game. You can simply play through it as a single player, which offers up an experience that is very similar to the PSone trilogy, or you can hop online and partner with up to three additional human players for an action-packed extravganza that is quite unlike anything you've come across before. Interestingly, the content for both methods of play is virtually identical. In such, you can bounce back and forth between online and offline play with the same save data. I found this to be extremely beneficial. Of course, I'd prefer to work my way through the game with teammates, but I did find that if my friends are not logged in and the only people I can partner with give new meaning to the word "annoying," I'll play offline.
Sticking to its guns, the gameplay hasn't changed too much over the years. Headshots are once again highlighted with text, the lower shoulders are used for strafing, and you still have the luxury of tapping into a handy auto targeting system for frenzied fightss. The one area where you will see significant change is in the missions. In past Syphon Filter games, you had to complete most of the objectives and be mindful of parameters to progress to the next stage. In The Omega Strain, the theory has changed to "anything goes." Usually, there is only one critical objective on each stage that must be completed to move on. The remainder of the goals (which can number close to 15 for a level) are more or less optional for the player(s). The game won't come to a screeching halt if you ignore them. You can even finish a level by disregarding all parameters (like don't shoot the good guys) and still move on. So why would you even bother messing with additional feats? Simply because the rewards that they bring couldn't be more delicious.
All of your accomplishments and performances are tracked. Everything from shot accuracy to time you spend in a level are taken into consideration. Much like a role-playing game, your character will gain levels as experience is accumulated. You'll begin the game as a Field Agent and can eventually work your way through 21 additional ranks to Commander in Chief. Through extensive play, you can also earn medals, commendations from the NPCs, and Special Agency Ratings. Each one of these attainments (which number close to 100) rewards the player with a new weapon or power-up.
The density of unlockable armaments that you can wrap your hands around is truly unheard of, and is reason enough for players to work their way through the game over and over again. Although Omega Strain is the same, playing solo and with a group of friends produces two completely different results. Given the gargantuan size of the levels, never before has vocal communication (via the headset) been so necessary and constant. Also, you can reach areas that are not accessible in single player with teamwork.
Some of the missions are a bit ambiguous, the respawn points don't work as well as they should, and the visuals really haven't evolved too much since the previous installment, but as a whole, The Omega Strain emerges as one of the PlayStation 2's most irresistible online titles.
Concept:
Amusing single-player and four-player co-op mixed with traditional run-and-gun Syphon Filter gameplay and role-playing elements.
Graphics:
This game won't win any beauty pageants. Some of the effects are decent, but the lighting, animations, and texturing lack significant detail.
Sound:
Does a great job of forcing gamers to use voice chat.
Playability:
Smooth controls and tons of weapons, but missions can be confusing.
Entertainment:
Both methods of play are enjoyable and loaded with unlockable material.
Replay: High
Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner
Issue: May 2004
2nd Opinion:
I've been eagerly anticipating Omega Strain as a bold new beginning for the Syphon Filter franchise. I'm happy to report that, while this is clearly a groundbreaking game, it does keep most of the strengths (and some of the weaknesses) of its forebears. The way this title manages to meld the multiplayer and single-player portions into a cohesive whole is quite amazing, and I think this may well point to the direction that many games will head in the future. I love the fact that, while you can tackle the missions alone, playing in co-op actually creates a different experience, allowing you to access previously inaccessible areas and use teamwork for both strategy and to more quickly complete level goals. It's great fun, if a bit uneven. If not for the unimpressive graphics, sometimes suspect auto-targeting, and its irritating habit of re-spawning your character in seemingly random locations; this could have been an all-time classic. As it is, it's another great addition to the PS2 online library.
Rated: 8.5 out of 10
Editor: Matt Helgeson
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Syphon Filter is a peculiar franchise. The first game was a very decent pastiche of Metal Gear Solid , but subsequent sequels seemed to become increasingly less so, to the point where this fourth title is really make or break for the series.
The Omega Strain 's big new feature, as with many sequels nowadays, is that the game is now playable online, and rather than being an afterthought or grossly simplified version of the single player mode there's actually an impressive attempt to put the whole game online, where it's playable by up to four people at a time. The only problem is that because the online and offline modes are so similar this actually means that if you know what you're doing, and particularly if you've got microphone headsets to co-ordinate yourselves with, it all becomes rather easy--a fact that a rather intrusive time limit cannot really balance out.
But the problem with the online mode isn't really that it's too easy but that the basic gameplay of the single player mode just doesn't cut the mustard anymore. Considering the advances made in Metal Gear Solid 3 , the Syphon Filter franchise just seems to be treading water and the rather weak graphics, stodgy controls and generally uninspired level design are rather more typical of Syphon Filter 2 and 3 than the original. The Omega Strain is not a bad game by any means, but apart from the novelty of playing it online it really is difficult to describe it as anything other than average. -- David Jenkins |
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