User Reviews (21 - 31 of 33)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Fail.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Ok, i rented omega stream because i was a syphon filter fan of 1-3, this one just disappointed me, The graphics almost compare with the first game,Gameplay is crap, Online just wont cut it, Mindless Shot em up game. If you are a playstaion gamer,I Recomend the older ones to this, 1.Save money 2.save time insted of wasting it on this.

Overall, Sucked.

Catering to the tenacious types...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The key to truly enjoying Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (SF:TOS)is dedication. The whole game carries with it a progression of learning and skill-building that will turn off the casual crowds. SF:TOS begins by letting you customize your own agent (which gets very detailed and extensive as you go along). It then throws you into a mission where you are a rookie in the agency. You will have no idea what you are doing, where you are going, etc. but the game gently guides you. By gently I mean it points you in the right direction but never tells you outright how to accomplish a task. This lets you get creative and learn through doing. This is indicative of the entire game from start to finish: learn, get better and be rewarded every step of the way.

You will never finish all mission objectives on the the first playthru. Some of the most difficult objectives must be completed once you've progressed further in the game and have acquired new skills and gear you didn't have access to before. When you do complete these more advanced goals and show to the agency that you have indeed become more skilled, you will again be rewarded. Rewards come in the form of new weaponry, new abilities, new customization options (and there are oodles), new ranks, unlocked levels, etc.

The missions have a nice pace to them and the scenery almost never repeats itself. You will see arctic climates, deep tropical jungle, urban sprawl, rural trainyards, oil platforms and more. Some situations during a mission require stealth in order to execute them properly. Unlike most games, breaking stealth does not end your mission (unless it is one of the 4 bonus levels). It simply makes things much much more difficult for you and you will need to run the mission again later to meet that objective. You can complete objectives in seperate runs of the missions, which is great because you can learn from your mistakes. Death too is a learnign experience. You won't be forced to restart the level but instead are placed at the last checkpoint you hit (which are all logical and well spaced out).

The story can be a little complex but is very interesting and laid out via mission files you can read for youself, including memos, photos, personnel files, newspaper articles, etc.

The controls allow you to move and fire and interact with great ease, although the setup cannot be changed and does take some getting used to. Never have I wanted to do something and not had the game/controls respond to my whims immediately. The control is tight. Firefights have a beautiful variety to them as well, mixing close-quarters with long-range, controlled with reactionary. Objectives are varied as well. You are given a lot of freedom with how you go about completing a mission. Some routes and tactics make things easier but you are never punished for doing things the hard way. You simply learn from your mistakes and get better.

The whole game gets better as you dedicate more time to actually learning and growing in skill. In that regard, it's akin to a fighting game. Few titles cater to this kind of persistant gaming style, but I absolutely love it. The gratification you get from TOS (aside from the never-dull firefights) is rarely immediate, but from a job well-done. There is always at least one direction to branch out in... and at the end is always a reward.

Rent the game first

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 6
Date: May 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is really hard. I haven't even gotten past the second level. You cant save during a mission which makes it hard to have fun when you need to play for 40 minutes to finish a mission. But if you can somehow reach the par times, then I guess it would be ok. The first mission's par time was 11 minutes. The first mission took me 45 minutes. I would rent it first, and decide if you like it. I really liked Syphon filter 1 and 2 but this is to hard. Maybe when you get further along and unlock more weapons, it gets more fun.

I HAVE THE DEMO....IT SUCKS!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 23
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

NO WONDER THEY KEEP DELAYING THIS PIECE OF CRAP,I LOVED ALL THE OTHER GAMES SO I AM DISAPPOINTED BIG TIME!!ITS SO BAD I DIDN'T EVEN TRY TO FINISH OUT THE LEVEL WHICH IS RARE? WANT A ROCKING GAME? TRY "XIII" I LOVED IT!!!

a very disappointed fan :(

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: May 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I'm one of Syphon Filter's biggest fans--I even love Syphon Filter 3, which was generally panned by critics. But SF: Omega Strain is a total letdown. I'm glad I only rented it instead of buying it. The game just doesn't play like a real Syphon Filter. It plays like a Syphon Filter knock-off.

I knew something was wrong when the release date kept getting pushed back (it was supposed come out in Summer 2003, then October 2003, then February 2004 and finally May 2004---almost a year late). But still, I gave Omega Strain the benefit of the doubt---that is until I actually played it. I rented the Strain for five days, but I took it back after only two. I tried hard to like it, believe me I did. But its sh##. Step wide around this one, folks, and hold your nose.

STOP COMPARING IT TO SOCOM!!!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 9
Date: May 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I AM TIRED OF ALL THE STUPID PEOPLE THAT COMPARE IT TO SOCOM. IT IS NOT THE SAME KIND OF GAME. THE ONLINE DOES NOT SUCK. IF YOU WANT A DEATHMATCH GAME THEN GET SOCOM. THE ONLY SIMULARITY IS THE 3RD PERSON VIEW. AT LEAST THEY ARE RELEASING A GAME THAT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER BORING DEATHMATCH GAME. I LIKE STORY GAMES AND IT MAKES IT EVEN COOLER YOU CAN GO THROUGH IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. SO SHUT UP YOU MORONS THAT DON'T LIKE TO HAVE ANY VARIETY TO YOUR GAMES!

This isn't a true sf

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 6
Date: June 30, 2004
Author: Amazon User

U don't get to be gabe at the begining of this game u r just some guy/girl u create. unlike sf 1,2 and 3 where u r gabe logan ( the main character in sf). u have to get far into the game to be gabe and gabe is the only reason i play sf because he is tyte and this game u r not gabe ( which realy suks )

A great PS2 game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Syphon Filter was a great PS1 game. I think there was 3 of them. I was real excited to hear they made one for PS2. My friend had this game a couple years ago and he was addicted to it for a while. I got to play it and ever since it was a game I planned to get and just never picked up. I was looking on amazon for a new game to pass the time (and also on the cheap side) and I saw this game for around $9. Pick up this game!

The game that ended it all...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 22, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game has below-standard graphics for a PS2 engine. However, its not complete junk. The game forces you to play online, which is not a good thing since not everyone has internet or an internet adaptor for the PS2 (unlesss you have the slim model). The controls are adaptable, but for the casual gamer, this title will prove troublesome time and time again... However its an excellent online experience, not like SOCOM but very cool nonetheless...Be warned, this game is only good for Syphon Filter fans (like myself) who want to finish their collection. Its not recommended for the up-and-coming gamer.

a let down

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I just finished wasting too many hours on this first - FIRST! - mission of this game, and I have to say that I'm quite disppointed so far. First, the storyline is all but incomprehensible. Second, why is this game even called Syphon Filter? It's nearly identical to Splinter Cell, just with less fluid controls.

EDIT: This game is even worse than I originally thought. I think the dumbest thing they did was make the enemies respawn. I didn't bother to play past the second level.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 Next 

Actions