The Rise and Fall of Syphon Filter
155,277
Published 2024-05-05
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.
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All Comments (21)
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Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping us make this video possible. If you’d like to support the channel, and help us take it to new heights, please consider becoming a Patreon: www.patreon.com/GVMERS And if you’re looking for a place to discuss any and all things Syphon Filter, be sure to check out Syphon Filter Central’s Discord server: sf-central.com/discord
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Syphon Filter gave us the best taser in gaming.
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Glad to see the channel still going Thank you Patreon supporters I really love this channel
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The running animation will forever be burned into my memory
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We're fucking back. Syphon Filter was a huge part of my childhood. It's one of those games that I played so much, I can replay it frame perfect even years later.
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That Syphon Filter 1 demo damn near blew my mind.. must've played it for over 20hrs before finally getting the game 😂❤
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I still miss the best taser in gaming history to this day.
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I remember getting the OG Syphon Filter for my 12th birthday! And I don't care what anyone says, The Omega Strain was waaaaaaay ahead of its time.
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The fact that they decided to launch the last title on PS1 rather than PS2 to honor the original fans is crazy by today's standards...fast forward a few years and Sony did not care as much considering God of War 2 and 3 launched on different generations, and now such goodwill gesture would be completely unimaginable...things have definitely changed. Great video!
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I love Syphon Filter. I remember playing this masterpiece when I was 13 and in the 7th grade back in 1999. I am turning 38 in June and I still play it. I miss my younger days. But in the end, we all age. What truly matters is how you live.
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Oh shit Siphon Filter 1-3 was one of my favorites back in PS1. Man do I miss this series.
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The Menu Music for Syphon Filter is amazzzzin
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Now thats a name i havent heard in a long time
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Guys, get parts 1-3 on PS4. The PSP ports, however, have glitchy controls. Relive your childhood. The controls and visuals are smoother. This series was well-written, produced and featured fantastic music. Perhaps Gabe can return in a semi-open world format, or a single player campaign with depth and some open-ended scenarios. Precision was the developers' strength. It's not over yet.
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Very nice to see more Syphon Filter coverage! I love this series and have done my best to continue to cover them on my channel as well! Honestly they have aged very well and are still very fun to play! The music is amazing too! Plus the passionate fans that keep it alive are awesome, very nice people :) Thanks for this!
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Days Gone proved that they are more than capable of bringing the series back.
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Bro playing syphon filter on ps1 literally felt like i was in the future. Compared to mgs which felt like playing a movie
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Whenever i see a Syphon Filter video I always appreciate the gameplay, level design and art style, but now i must emphasise how amazing the OSTs are in every single game in this franchise ❤❤❤
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I love Syphon filter so much, it was the first games I got for my PS1, in fact, I bought Syphon Filter 1 before I got my PS1, just so I could have the game and waited for Christmas or my birthday for the console
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Thank you for this great video. It took me to my childhood for a while. :face-red-heart-shape:
