Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow

Overview

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow is a third-person shooter and the sequel to the PSP title Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. It offers similar single player shooting action and espionage gameplay as before. Logan's Shadow was released on PlayStation 2 after being released on PSP, much like Dark Mirror before it.

A downloadable demo on Playstation Network exists for the PSP version of Logan's Shadow. A demo disc for PSP has also been released.

Gameplay

A number of gameplay mechanics have been added over its predecessor. For instance, Gabe now has the option of shooting blind fire, allowing him to fire at enemies without peeking from behind cover. although with very poor accuracy compared to firing normally.

Underwater gameplay

Logan's Shadow also brings a new element to the series; underwater combat and underwater stages with swimming/diving. The title introduces this by having the first few chapters take place in or around water. (a mission on a US navy vessel, followed by a salvage operaton into a sunken vessel on the ocean floor)

New weapons have been added for the purpose of being used underwater: the Bolt Gun, Bolt pistol, and Spear gun. These weapons are less effective above water. Players will also find that bullets visibly travel slowly when underwater, making it more difficult to hit moving targets.

Other changes

• Regenerating health. Flak jackets can still be found throughout levels and from fallen enemies, but medpacks cannot.
• Gabe can now lob grenades instead of throwing them. To lob a grenade, simply use the grenade while crouching instead of standing up. Furthermore there is no more "grenade cam" meaning you can no longer preview the throwing arc of the grenade.
• You can grapple enemies and use them as as a human shield.
• Weapons no longer have a lock-on function. You must aim manually, even in close quarters.
• Gabe now slashes with the knife. (but context sensitive knife kills are still possible)
• There are now QTE's, players will for instance have to mash a button quickly to do things like push large crates, have their reaction tested in scripted melee sequences, or even press a complex series of button presses in order to hack a computer.

Dart glitch

As though the result of a glitch or faulty programming, the EDT darts, X34 gas darts, and explosive darts are less effective than they were in Syphon Filter Dark Mirror. Firing a dart may result in the dart stopping short of reaching the enemy due to to hitting an invisible wall between you and the enemy, as though enemies have an anti-dart force field. The distance between a fired dart and the enemy may be such where even the gas or explosive effect of the dark may be unable to reach. (but it is still possible for the enemy to walk into the gas cloud or explosion) Curiously, this glitch does not exist in any form in Syphon Filter Dark Mirror, and no other weapon in Logan's Shadow is affected except the darts.

Story

The story opens with Gabe taking on an urgent mission requested of his agency by a US government official named Robert Cordell, who commands Gabe to protect a top secret cargo on board an US navy ammo supply ship, which Somalian pirates have somehow managed to take over. The pirates are being led by Ghassan al Bitar, a former nemesis of Gabe's, for this reason Gabe takes on the mission despite deeming Cordell to be untrustworthy.

Cordell refuses to tell Gabe what the cargo is, and when Gabe gets there, he finds several other things Cordell didn't tell him about, such as US special forces being there (and already defeated), and the fact the pirates knew about the secret cargo, and that the US Navy is preparing to attack the ship while Gabe is still on it. The mission ends in disaster and Gabe barely escapes with his life.

When he returns, he finds his agency is being forcibly shut down by Cordell, the reason being that Gabe's long time partner Lian Xing (who was at the time on leave) has been accused of being a double agent, resulting in the agency being declared compromised.

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow follow Gabe as he aims to track down Lian Xing. Along the way he encounters the Russian terrorist group Spetznav, a Chinese secret service member named Trinidad who is tracking down Lian, and other forces that seem to know something about Lian, her husband (which Gabe himself never knew she had), the secret cargo Cordell was hiding.

Multiplayer (discontinued)

Up to 8 players can participate in online battles with game types like Retrieval (Capture-the-Flag) and Team Deathmatch. Both above and below water maps are included.

The online lobby has since been shut down.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Logan's Shadow (created by Azam Ali and other artists) is available on iTunes. Each track is 0.99 USD although the complete soundtrack can be purchased for 9.99 USD.