Syphon Filter "Closed Down"
How many of us have played Syphon Filter - The Omega Strain, online for Playstation 2? Probably a lot of us. Despite all of the reviews that have given this video game a bad rating. There really is nothing bad to say about it with the exception that a lot of the levels could have been used for multi-players. At the start of the game you had the chance to modify a character's looks, uniform and clothing, patches, hats, tattoos and sunglasses which separated you from the rest and gave your character personality.
Once you begin the game there always seemed to be a big use of multi-tasking within the levels sometimes to the point of overkill, But eventually you got the hang of it and got better.
Aside from having to complete a number of tasks that seemed almost impossible, there always seemed to be that inevitable sigh of relief once it was accomplished and then the desire to go on to the next, that is what kept the game interesting. Numerous levels of confusion and action, enemies of all kinds from different backgrounds and experience. Objectives that are added in between game play and to top it off a time limit for each and every level, However the time could run out and and you could still finish the level. There were, though, certain objectives that had in game time frames to complete and sometimes it seemed next to impossible to get everything done in the time given, But still fun.
The online experience was something that was totally different from playing alone. With the help of three other players there were tasks you could finish that could advance you in rank and add weapons to your inventory, Possibly with the addition of ratings and certificates that also helped rank you up with the higher ranked players.
When you first begin the online game play, it seems to be confusing for a moment. Joining a game could be hard at first, since no one knows you or has seen you before. You are not sure of who you are playing with and you are not quite sure of their intentions either. Needless to say it was a great game to play with others once you knew a little bit about them. Having a headset helped greatly. You and the other players could communicate verbally and coordinate a plan of attack for the level you were playing, the other players would assist others at the equipment room, so each character knew exactly what they were going to need for their particular task within the level.
For example, If you were playing on the level "Myanmar"...
Snake would head for the bio case and the flight recorder, while Doc' and Rando placed the explosives, retrieved the laptop, destroyed the satellite dish and killed the leader. Vasbinder would be headed for the crashed airplane to pick up the body. Rando and Doc would then meet up with and provide cover fire for Vasbinder while he carried the body back to the boat. Eventually Snake would meet up with all three and rendezvous with them back to the boat all while providing cover fire for Vasbinder as he carried the body. The level fully completed takes thirteen minutes. In the event that something went wrong, one of the players would inadvertently help another. Now understandably if you were a new player, you would probably see the smallest and most insignificant task until your experience was up to the other players.
The fact that coordination was a big part of the game play, It made it much more exciting and fun to play. Soon after, there became a level of trust between players, Knowing how the other characters played and what their level of experience would bring to the game. Sometimes getting a new player was rough but you always did your best to help them get their ratings and rank where everyone else was. Sometimes making a point to newer players of certain types of collateral incidents within the the game.
Needless to say getting your Ranking from an R1 to a T4 was an extremely long and difficult process, But in the end proved to be worth the time it took.
Occasionally, you had a few loose cannons that would run off and do their own thing within the game but you would try to see past it or send them a message by kicking them out of the game or verbally explaining to them what everyone else was doing. They eventually got the message.
My experience with Syphon Filter - The Omega Strain on a scale of 1 to 10 would have to be a 9, Being there could have been some major improvements by adding a few levels to the multi-player experience than there was.
The online game site for Syphon Filter closed down sometime between March and May of 2008, and from what I understand, not too many people were happy about it. Now granted, the game itself is over four years old and sooner or later it would have eventually closed down. I just have to say I am glad that a lot of the people I played online with got to completely finish the game. And I send out a big "Thanks" to those who helped me. And I hope to see all of you again if and when they unleash Syphon Filter For Playstation 3. Good Luck guys.
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