Lost Classics: Syphon Filter 3 (PS1)

Earlier this week, I featured one of the more recent Syphon Filter entries. This week’s Lost Classic features an earlier entry in the series, Syphon Filter 3. SF3 was the last game in the series to be featured on the PS1, and it had to be delayed due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks (the original box art featured protagonists Gabe Logan and Lian Xing jumping from an exploding building). Thankfully it didn’t take too long for the game to be released, and players got another explosive chapter in the popular espionage saga.

Syphon Filter 3 takes place shortly after Syphon Filter 2. Teresa Lipan has been shot dead, and shortly after the funeral, Gabe, Lian, and their allies are forced to take part in a congressional hearing. While they are being forced to testify about their activities, you actually get to play through the flashbacks. The game starts off in Tokyo, but you’ll go back to Afghanistan and learn about how Gabe and Lian first met, you’ll learn about how Lawerence Mujari first encountered the agency, and you’ll head to south America to see what lead up to that opening scene in the original Syphon Filter when that agent was executed by Mara Aramov. You’ll not only play as Gabe and Lian, but you’ll also play as Lawrence, as well as a fourth character whose identity I won’t spoil here.

Like its predecessor, SF3 contains multiplayer vs modes, for which you can unlock weapons, characters, and levels by completing certain tasks in the single player game, for instance, using your long range stun gun to snipe all of the enemies in a building across from you in the Tokyo level. This gives the game a bit of replay value.

SF3 once again does a good job of bring Syphon Filter’s brand of gameplay to the Playstation, and the ending does a nice job of setting up the premise for the sequel. This game, as well as the other two Syphon Filter games are available on the Playstation Network store, so if you haven’t played them, now is a good time to check them out.