Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow is the first PSP demo that I downloaded. I wanted to see a game that could show the power of the PSP and this did a good job of doing it. I can’t remember the storyline offhand so I can’t comment on that. But I did get to play the first level completely so at least I have something to base my review on.
The controls, starting off, are weird. The lack of the second analog stick makes aiming difficult. Movement is fine – because it’s done by the analog stick – but in order to aim you use your four buttons. This can be a pain because you can’t get the preciseness that you normally would off of a second analog controller. But honestly, I was able to get used to it relatively fast and if I bought the game, I’m sure I’d get the hang of it. It’s not going to influence my decision. But other than that, the controls aren’t that bad. You directional pad toggles all your different views (like Splinter Cell) and your shoulder buttons are your attacks.
The graphics do a fine job showing the PSP’s graphical power. You can easily see this game being on a PlayStation 2. It starts off with a full-motion video and then throws you onto a ship. Although technology will continue to get smaller and smaller, seeing a video on a handheld is just a neat experience. However, the downside of the visuals is that there are a lot of things that just seem to blend into the background.
The level, overall, was fun. You never really had a reason to use all of your gadgets, so that’s a shame. And honestly, I can’t remember all aspects of the game because it’s been awhile since I played it. (I should have reviewed it sooner) But, from my experience, I had planned on buying it. And still will when I go to buy my next PlayStation Portable game. So you can take that as my recommendation. If you liked the Syphon Filter or Splinter Cell series, I would purchase this game.
