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Just when you thought it was safe to go back to try and crack the original Syphon Filter again, 989 Studios are back (and how quickly?) with a sequel to the surprise hit of 1999. Syphon Filter 2 is not a radical departure from it’s predecessor, but does present a whole host of new problems and precarious situations for the game’s central characters, Billy Zane lookalike Gabe Logan and the lovely Lian Xing. Indeed, Lian Xing’s got a real problem on her hands this time around, as she has been infected with the deadly Syphon Filter virus, which had supposedly been made safe at the end of the original game. With Lian Xing having been given more of a role to play in Syphon Filter 2, it makes good sense to be able to play as her character in several scenes, as the labrynthine plot unfolds.
So once again, the virus has to be tracked down, along with the wicked chap responsible for it’s disappearance. There is more than enough in Syphon Filter 2 to keep you (trigger) happy, as the gameplay and control system are not dissimilar to the original. The mix of stealth-‘em-up and gung-ho gun power is enormous fun and not a little challenging, as you will soon find out. Spread over two discs, Syphon Filter 2 will keep you transfixed for a long time, not just because the publishers couldn’t pack it all onto one disc, but because of it’s habit of kicking sand in your face when you feel as though you’re really getting somewhere. The line between challenging and frustrating has never been finer.
Never mind the head shots, Syphon Filter 2 is a shot in the arm for fans of the genre.
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