  Gabe Logan takes the fight to the evil doers. |
Gabe Logan and his merry band of covert operatives are back in the field once again and this time on the PSP.
In the first ‘Syphon Filter’ release just for the Sony handheld device, Gabe and the crew investigate the seizure of an Alaskan oil refinery by terrorists but as expected that is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg in ‘Dark Mirror’. There’s the matter of how the baddies’ plane made it through NATO’s radar and the uncovering of some gruesome genetic experimentation that cannot possibly bode well for mankind.
With faceless supervisor Teresa issuing commands and advice through your handy remote head-set, you and your partner Lian Xing rescue oil workers and endeavor to foil the reprehensible plans of the shadowy evil do’ers.
You are not alone in your quest to protect life and liberty though. Throughout the elaborate and sometimes perplexing storyline, you will swap between Gabe and Lian as you play out their parts of the sensitive mission. Regular Joes such as some of the oil workers will assist you as well although some of them need protecting when the heat is on.
Gabe has the customary spy gadgets and tactics to help him foil the terrorists. He’s got zip lines and the ability to shoot at enemies while sliding along them which is even cooler, silenced weapons, different kinds of rounds and the ability to sneak around and take cover quickly.
Gabe’s thingamabob of choice though is his super-duper specialized goggles. They have night vision and thermal imaging capabilities that are perfect for spotting enemy thugs in low-lit areas or as they conceal themselves. The third function termed as ‘EDSU’ is the most crucial. Bathing everything in a strange orange glow, the EDSU utility reveals hidden or interactive items like switches, any possible dangers like trip mines and concealed or hidden objectives.
The amount of detail and range of colours in the graphics and the ease at which the cinematics flow are a testament to the PSP’s superiority in the handheld market when it comes to visuals. The graphics are so exceptional they surpass even those you might see in a big-scale console release. No foolin’, folks.
At this point, you are probably thinking to yourself that ‘Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror’ doesn’t sound any different than something like ‘Splinter Cell’, for example. While that may be the case when it comes to the game’s spy genre elements, it is the way they are mixed into the game that puts ‘Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror’ on a pedestal as far as PSP shooters go. A perfect merging of sneaking and shooting missions, Dark Mirror’s gameplay flows rapidly from scenario to scenario. The little inventive touches here and there, such as when you use your thermal imaging goggles to spot and shoot thugs hiding in ventilation shafts above you in a computer server room, make ‘Dark Mirror’ the best shooter to hit the PSP yet.
WHAM! Rating: |
9 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
M (Mature) |
Official Web Site: |
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