Syphon Filter 2 (PS1) Review

With the first Syphon Filter being such a good game and the ending leaving open for a sequel, Syphon Filter 2 was released a year later. Does it live up to the original, let alone surpass it? Let's find out.


Taking place after the first game, Gabe Logan and his CBDC team try to locate the encryption codes and discs concerning Syphon Filter. However, the Agency tries to stop them. Lian, infected with the Syphon Filter virus, gets kidnapped, and Gabe, aided by ex-agent Teresa Lipan, has to find a cure for her before it's too late.

I have to say that while the story can be a little convoluted (I still have no idea what the heck is going on), it is a little more interesting this time around because we have a character, Lian, who we are really concerned about and we see her character develop a bit, showing that regardless of the fact that she was infected, she can still take action. I'm starting to think that this is more of Lian's story than Gabe's. Gabe is starting to become an interesting character as well. You can see how much he cares about Lian. Teresa is a welcome addition to the cast of characters. The writing has gotten better and there were a couple of lines that I chuckled at.

Syphon Filter 2 is a third-person shooter with stealth elements like its predecessor. New to the series is Lian Xing being a playable character, whose gameplay is pretty much identical to Gabe's.

Everything I mentioned about the first game's gameplay still remains in this game, so check out my previous review. The same weapons, along with some new ones, appear, especially the memorable Air Taser. One improvement is that certain enemies in the game can now shoot you in the head forcing you to find cover before it's possible. Dodging can sometimes help, but not by much.

The stealth sections are just as cleverly designed as its predecessor. For one, you can finally walk by tilting the left analog stick. There were times where you had to use your surroundings to figure out how to sneak by. Like the previous game, the stealth sections will require a lot of trial and error, so you won't get it right the first time, but they feel rewarding in the end.

Like the first game, Syphon Filter 2 has a lot of good level variety. I think the train level is the level every fan remembers. It might as well be up there with Sly 2 and Uncharted 2 for having a fun and memorable train level. One section in the game, however, takes place in a familiar area from the first game. You'll know if you played the first game, then this.

The boss fights are still a hit or a miss... well, mostly a miss. None of the bosses really stood out to me, and there was one "boss" in which you have to chase him, then you have to shoot him in the head (he's wearing a flak jacket) before he escapes with the chopper, which was really annoying. Though the final boss, while it can be irritating at times, was okay. It certainly was better than the final boss in the first game which was anti-climactic as heck.

A new addition to the series is multiplayer, consisting of death-matches. I've only played the multiplayer with a friend once and it left me with a good first impression. Basically, you or your opponent have to have a certain number of kills set up at the start menu and see who gets, for example, ten kills first. The multiplayer is a nice addition in the game and a reason to buy Syphon Filter 2.

The same problems from the first game still occur, like the stiff controls, underwhelming boss fights, and the frustration of switching to manual aiming, leaving me open for attack.

Syphon Filter 2 is a great follow-up to the original. It takes what made the first game so good and makes it better with a decent story, fair challenge, slight improvements to the gameplay, and a fun multiplayer. It's hard to say whether I like this better than the first game overall is kind of difficult to answer, but it deserves to be called one of the best games on the PS1.

Also, was there any need to split the game into two discs? Syphon Filter 1 and 3 had one disc. Whatever...