The lobby system is a bit confusing since it requires gamers to choose their mission first and then look for an open game.
Later on in the game, when more missions are unlocked, this can be a tedious process of going in and out of missions to find people to play with. The fact that the option to see all of the open games on a server is isn't here is frustrating. This can also lead to many players not getting a game going because people hanging out in another mission screen can't see the other games that are ready to go.
If there is a small number of people on a server, the problem gets even worse. Still, once a game does get going, the lobby for each individual game is well-laid out with a spot on the screen for each of the four players. Here, players can talk to each other to set up plans for the mission as well as see what weapons others are bringing. If a couple of people are going with more of an emphasis on sniper rifles, then the other two can pack some machine guns. All of the missions have a variety of objectives in different parts of the map and this lobby is crucial in deciding who is going to take care of what.
While the single-player missions have their own par times, the online par times are even smaller fractions of those. In one mission there are a few different targets that need to be destroyed with C-4 explosives, but there is only one location to pick them up from.
Where doing the mission solo requires a little back and forth action, a coordinated team can make one trip to the stash and split up for the different demolitions. A few of the missions have objectives that can only be done with a group of people.
This can include an area that can only be reached when one team member lifts another up to an out-of-reach location. Other times, there will be a need for coordination and communication to do different things at the same time. The very first mission includes an objective to pick up a laptop that is inside a burning bank.
A hundred feet away from the bank is a water main that can be turned on to activate the sprinkler system, but by the time a single player can run from the water main to the laptop it will be ruined by the water.
The only solution is to have one teammate wait by the burning bank and run in as soon as the water turns on. In this way, the only way to completely finish all of the objectives in The Omega Strain is to get online and work together. In our own experiences with the online gaming, the voices worked out well, but the key to using them is knowing the map and what needs to be done. Otherwise there will be plenty of confusion and miscommunication as players bumble about.
Once again, there's a definite learning curve to figuring out what needs to be done and who needs to be where. To completely rule the online maps with a group and nail the par times will require some serious amounts of practice and preparation. The appeal of the extensive missions in The Omega Strain is to play through a variety of missions both solo and in a group and become a master in the art of headshots and getting everything done nice and quickly.
Unlike Resident Evil: Outbreak where the game quickly goes downhill once players have figured out everything they need to do, that's where The Omega Strain actually begins.
Figuring out the objectives and how to get through them is the first step in beginning to get them all done quickly.
While the overall ideas of the game and the implementation work great, there are still problems with the control and other elements of the game.
One of the strangest and most frustrating aspects here is that enemies will respawn in certain areas. There are a few spots that will constantly pump out a new enemy as soon as the current one in the room gets killed. The excuse that this provides more excitement is pretty meager considering that it makes the game much more annoying. In one underground level, there are sewer pipes running into a large room.
In a few of these pipes, enemies are taking shots at the agents, but if they're killed another one will pop up in a few more seconds. To make things even worse, this is a room that requires an agent to move hand-over-hand across a bar that spans the entire room. Killing everyone is useless since by the time you can move ten or twenty feet, all the enemies have respawned and are taking potshots at you. The main problem with this is that it takes the logic out of clearing an area.
It's nice to know that once a hallway has been cleared out, it can be moved through without a hassle upon returning. To have to fight more enemies just drags out the game and slows the action down at the expense of providing more of it. This also takes away from the feeling of having a singular logical adventure and instead adds some chaos to the game. Another hurdle to get over is the control scheme which can be more than a little confusing. Every button on the controller is used and there's no way to customize them for personal preferences.
One particular gripe is that the Select button is used for changing weapons. Overall, there are a lot more stealth missions, each filtered through SF2's harsh mission parameters read: get caught, start over and over and over and over.
However, there's a cool string of levels in Russia that really bring back the old SF feeling, but it's over all too soon and before you know it, Logan's sneaking around with his Taser again.
A huge disappointment comes in the form of SF2's multiplayer mode. Granted, it's nice being able to unlock characters and levels to use in DM, but what's the point when the actual DM game is so barebones and shallow? Two-player versus always comes down to grabbing the grenade launcher, locking the target and ka-boom, instant frag.
If you're lucky, you'll pull off a non-camper head shot--thanks to how painfully slow it is to aim your gun. We know it was silly of us to expect a real sequel from , but hey The first SF combined the best elements of games like Metal Gear Solid and Tomb Raider , with just the right balance of difficulty between its action and puzzle-oriented levels. The fact that it had a decent plot and gripping interludes only added to my surprise. Unfortunately, it appears the only thing that carried over to SF2 was the story, which picks up tightly where the first one left off.
Even as it resides on two CDs, almost all the levels on disc 1 are a complete letdown. It isn't until the beginning of disc 2 that the game even resembles the SF I fell in love with last year.
Instead of tense and dynamic environments that gave you room to exude your style of play, SF2 requires you to do things exactly as they've planned it Imagine a Metal Gear Solid where the game ends every time you're spotted by a guard-that's how frustrating SF2 is!
Each level is a laborious exercise of trial-and-error, where you constantly learn things the hard way. And to up the difficulty, enemies can now perform head shots with uncanny accuracy, be it in pitch-black fog, or from rooftops against a running target. That's not gameplay, that's frustration. You don't understand how it breaks my heart.
SF2 looks like SF, but it's only a hollow shell of its former self. It's not that Syphon Filter 2 is a bad action game. It's just a bad sequel to the excellent original. Cheap death lurks everywhere. Enemies score headshots on you before you even know they were there. Baddies toss grenades all around your position. Stealth missions screech to a halt every time you're caught. The numerous checkpoints help, since you don't have to cover too much old ground when you mess up, but expect major frustration.
It seems a lot of these gameplay decisions were made to cater to the online portion, but a little more consideration into the single player experience would've helped out considerably, especially for all the gamers out there without a connection to the 'et.
All of the problems that mar the single player game seem lessened in comparison during multiplayer sessions: the overly ambitious level objectives are a lot easier to tackle when there's three others by your side, the constant stream of enemies are much easier to mow down with a few buddies, and the map system makes a lot more sense.
Overall, it's just a much more enjoyable experience online. It isn't exactly a graphical masterpiece howeber, but it works. It's obviously going for a realistic, gritty look, but it uses a limited color palette, giving all of the environments a drab and uninspired look. Character models, however, look nice and the character customization options available are extensive, though much of it will have to be unlocked through the course of the game. The music isn't half bad, but the implementation of some of the voice acting wasn't done too well.
One teammate, a strong and spunky female type, will constantly barrage you with comments that don't fit into the context of the situation, like telling you to hurry up when your objective isn't on the clock.
Sometimes, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain will hit the mark, providing an immensely entertaining experience. At other times however, it just seems way too ambitious for its own good, providing an equally frustrating experience. If you were a fan of the original Syphon Filter games on the PSX, then chances are you'll dig The Omega Strain in spite of its problem - just make sure your network adapter is set firmly in place before you buy it.
In videogames, terrorism is the new kidnapping. Used to be, when game developers needed to whip up an antagonist in a hurry, they just had a couple of beefy thugs sucker-punch the main character's girlfriend and carry her away. These days, they have some militia-like organization try to blow stuff up. Syphon Filter doesn't dress up the cliche--the game is full of bombs to disarm and villains with silly accents to shoot, and that's just fine.
Straightforward run-and-gun action gets the blood pumping. Until you have to stop to check the map, which is all the time. That's a problem, because looking at the map doesn't suspend the action. Bad guys will shoot you dead while you figure out whether your objective is on the second floor or the third.
Poor sportsmanship! As irritating as that is, it's manageable; just be sure you've killed all the enemies in the area before you plan a route to the next goal. But what's with all the busywork?
Every level has at least one painfully repetitive tacked-on objective. Set five C4 charges. Collect six data samples. On one mission you're asked to lock the four entrances of a terrorist-held building so that the local police don't wander inside and get killed. Is that a job for a supersecret agent? The game would have been stronger without so much pointless padding.
Thankfully, once you've accomplished any part of an objective, it stays done even if you die.
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