Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

PSP review by Bart Robson - Saturday 4th November 2006

I would like to meet the makers of Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. I would like to sit down with them and ask why they are the only people who have managed to cram a decent action game onto the PSP. I would congratulate them on crafting such a brilliant control scheme that is much more fluid than any other game on Sony's handheld. I'd remark on the attractive graphics engine, and the excellent presentation, and the stylish music. And then, after all of this, I would ask them why, oh why didn't they wrap all of this around a decent story?



Dark Mirror is a summer blockbuster in video game form. It crams everything you'd expect from a megahit popcorn flick- secret agents, explosions, bad guys gunning for world supremacy, more explosions- into a game that's just as entertaining and testosterone-fueled as any Mission Impossible sequel. It's just a pity that the story is also just as rubbish as those from the flicks: A hard-boiled secret agent is sent to investigate a terrorist assault on a foundry in Alaska, and finds out that they are not actually terrorists but a group of gunslingers hellbent on harnessing Dark Mirror, which is a doohickey that could be used to attain WORLD DOMINATION! Said secret agent must now go on an exciting adventure around the world to discover what exactly Dark Mirror is (shouldn't you do that after stopping the bad guys?) who wants it and why (padding!) and will also run into an old flame of his who may know more than she will tell! (yawn.) Basically it boils down to you sneaking past or blowing up generic enemies around the world. The latter, by the way, is much more fun, but I'll get to that in a bit.

The game is divided into seven chapters, each chapter containing a few levels. It's a fairly long game, and you can also go back to specific levels to improve your score or just for fun. The levels are pretty big, but usually last only about 20 or so minutes. This is perfectly fine, since the game is designed for “on the go” play. All in all, you'll squeeze a decent amount of time out of the single-player, especially if you want to unlock all of the extra goodies. However, if you do get bored of the story mode, you can always try out the excellent multiplayer mode, which is extremely deep considering the hardware it's running on. You can have up to 8 players online or via Ad-Hoc, with your standard deathmatch mode or a cool objective mode where one team has to complete a task while the other team trys to foil them. It's good stuff, but it won't replace Halo 2 or anything, so don't go in expecting a revolution.



The gameplay in Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is very versatile, which is impressive for a game on a system with so few control inputs. Basically, the analog nub controls movement, while the four face buttons move the camera and aim. The R button fires, and the L button locks onto targets that are close to you. To access your inventory, you hold down right on the D-pad, and to access your goggles (thermal, night vision, electronic waves) you hold down the left. The game lets you play the way you want; which really means you can either be a Terminator or a Batman. Do you want to run through the level and mow down everything that moves and a few things that don't? Go for it. Or do you prefer sneaking silently through each area, with minimal contact with your opponents? Either way, the game is fluid, and gives you lots of options you'll probably never touch, depending on your style of play. However, taking the cloak and dagger route yields the most points anyway so you'll probably end up taking the slow road through at least some of the levels. Stealth involves crouching while walking, pressing up against walls, shimmying around legdes, popping out from around corners to deliver a nonlethal electric dart, etc, while running around involves... well, running around. Still, the game never really forces either style, so it's really up to the player. There are lots of fake weapons to choose from, again giving you the power of choice, and they are all the appropriate Hollywood fare of believable and fantastic loadouts. To be honest, the explosive mega-laser is a bit silly. A bit really silly.

As I mentioned before, Dark Mirror is very attractive. The PSP has been virtually untapped, with only a few games showing truly spectacular visual work. Dark Mirror raises the bar, delivering high-resolution textures, plenty of polygons, amazing lighting, and a smooth framerate. As well as being technically great, the game has a very distinct style to it. Mission Impossible, the newer James Bonds, and a whole line of other spy movies have definitely influenced this game's presentation. The music is appropriately bombastic and melodramatic, and the voice work has a nice 80's blasé feel to it. “I'll see you in hell!” “NOT IF I SEE YOU FIRST!” Classic. Overall, it has all the trimmings of a triple-A box office smash, bunk writing included.



Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is a great showpiece for the PSP. It has action, impressive visuals, a solid muliplayer component, and above all, a workable set of controls. It's definitely the kind of game Sony wants to point at during debates over the lagging popularity of their portable, saying “if we do more stuff like this...” and it really all comes down to effort. Unlike many titles available, Dark Mirror was built for the system, instead of being ported over from another console with little care. And, for better or worse, it owes everything to the summer smash movie: Great direction, great special effects and music, and a generic, trashy story. Still, like those movies, you can sit back and enjoy it- let the script buzz over your head and just take in the action. Just don't try and eat popcorn and play the PSP at the same time.

Thunderbolt score: eight out of ten

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