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Gabe Logan is back, and he’s angry. Really, he’s always angry, killing people, and skulking around in dark places. Who does this guy think he is, Sam Fisher? Ironically, for all the acclaim and notoriety that the Tom Clancy games get, Sony has rather quietly been making top notch SOCOM and Syphon Filter games that can easily compete with any other military-themed shooter out there, especially for the PSP.

Shadowy Filter

Case in point is Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow. The second Syphon Filter game to hit the PSP follows hot on the heels of Dark Mirror. This game continues where the last left off and refines the gameplay a bit. This time, Logan is sent to the Indian Ocean to covertly board the USS Mt. St. Helens, which has been overrun by terrorists led by a man named Bitar. These goons are after a specific piece of cargo on the vessel, and Gabe soon finds himself in over his head, thanks to a complete lack of intel. The story is dramatic and at times surprising. Betrayal, murder, action, and intrigue all mix smoothly throughout the narrative. Logan might not be a particularly original character, but he is likeably hardnosed.

The gameplay is a familiar and engaging mix of sneaking and shooting. While many attempts at first and third person shooters have failed on the PSP, thanks to the lack of a second analog stick, Syphon Filter is remarkably successful. Though it uses the face buttons as the turning and looking controls, the rest of the game, and controls, are designed to compensate for the shortcomings of this system.

Target Practice

The targeting system is intuitive without making the action too easy, and the pacing and level design enunciate stealth and cover. This means that unlike most first person shooters, you won’t be running and gunning, which would have made the controls far less workable. For example, bump Gabe against a wall or obstacle, and he’ll automatically take cover. From cover you can easily target enemies, either manually or automatically. Taking the time to hone in on a headshot makes life easier. Fallen enemies drop their guns and ammo, enabling Gabe to easily switch guns. Crates contain goodies like bulletproof vests.

New to Logan’s Shadow is a focus on water missions. There are whole missions that take place underwater, as Gabe fights off Russian mercenary divers. The controls still manage to be excellent, even while swimming. Other than that, there’s not a lot of gameplay variety—this is at heart an action game. The objectives involve getting through a horde of bad guys, finding intel, shooting more bad guys, and then getting out alive. Original or not, the action is surprisingly intense and involving.

Spy Games

The great presentation goes a long way to increasing the tension. Looking every bit as good as a full-on PS2 game, Logan’s Shadow offers large, good looking levels, impressive lighting and fluid effects, and well-rendered character models. The audio is just as good. In addition to a really well done and dramatic score, the voice acting is exceptional, and the sound effects are effective.

Rounding the whole game out is the inclusion of multiplayer support that allows you to play either locally or over the Internet. Since so few games support Internet play on the PSP, this alone makes Logan’s Shadow worthwhile. Aside from team and free-for-all deathmatches, you can battle other spies in three other game styles—sabotage, rogue agent, and retrieval. The game offers up about 35 missions, spanning all five game types, and can support up to eight players.

Come into the Light

The original Syphon Filter helped kick start the stealth genre on the PSOne, and the series is better than ever on the PSP. Dark Mirror was a great game, and Logan’s Shadow, while not that different, is even better. Mixing a great single player game with excellent multiplayer options, this superb game deserves to be in any action lover’s collection.