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Sandwiched between the 1998 and 2002 releases of Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell, respectively, was the oft-forgotten Syphon Filter that hit the original PlayStation in 1999. Each title contributed building blocks to the stealth-action genre. Metal Gear Solid with its innovative storytelling and mechanics set a perfect cadence. Splinter Cell’s masterful use of shadows and immersive gameplay laid new ground. Syphon Filter left its own mark on so-called sneak ’em ups, leaning heavily towards the genre’s action-oriented qualities while tackling then-contemporary subjects such as bioweapons and shadowy terrorist cells.
Many remember the PlayStation franchise’s first three entries as bonafide classics, yet the fourth release—The Omega Strain—ventured too far from its roots. Dismal reviews and a subpar commercial showing for The Omega Strain brought Syphon Filter’s momentum to a sudden stop. Not even the acclaimed PSP installments could restore the series’ former glory.
The property, consequently, lay dormant for nearly 15 years before a ray of hope shined on future prospects for protagonist Gabe Logan and The Agency under which he conducted covert operations. That hope manifested via Days Gone, an open-world zombie game that deftly tied the former’s outbreak to the programmable virus that PlayStation players tried repressing in years past.
A questionably-managed day one release and reportedly missed sales targets shifted Days Gone to the sidelines, once more calling Syphon Filter’s future into question. Given that key creative forces have since departed developer Bend Studio, it would appear Syphon Filter’s long-standing status as little more than a PlayStation classic won’t be remedied anytime soon.
This is the rise and fall of Syphon Filter.
Thumbnail art by LitoPerezito: https://twitter.com/LitoPerezito
Special thanks to Syphon Filter Central: SF-Central.com/discord
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