I don't know why people say that the PSP is lacking decent titles. In the space of a year, I've amassed over 30 titles for the system, each and every one I love to bits. Maybe everyone has just set the bar too high in their minds for what to expect from the Playstation 2's younger brother. There's one thing for certain though, when Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was released it pushed the boundaries of what to expect on the handheld. It was neither a port nor a rehash and yet it was one of the best games of 2006. The sequel to this smash hit, Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow, has finally hit stores, so can it raise the bar once again?

In his now sixth adventure, Gabe Logan is back on the job. Naval supply ship, the USS Mt. St. Helens, has been captured by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. With Syrian terrorist leader Ghassan al-Bitar leading the attack and a top secret cargo on board, the solution quickly becomes clear. There's only one man out there who can save the day and its time for Gabe Logan to get down to business. All doesn't go so smoothly when the cargo turns up missing and "pencil neck" bureaucrat Robert Cordell is soon breathing down your neck to retrieve the precious cargo. Gabe becomes stuck in a web of lies as the life that he'd known comes quickly crashing down. Threatened with the prospect that his long-term partner on the job, Lian Xing, may be a double agent, Logan struggles to put his job before his personal interests as the threat of a modern day terrorist attack quickly looms.

If you played 2006's Dark Mirror, you'll know roughly what to expect. A luscious blend of stealth action gameplay with an assortment of hi-tech gadgetry, all presented to the highest standard. Gameplay sits halfway between stealth favourite Splinter Cell and your run of the mill 3rd person shooter. You'll be infiltrating enemy headquarters, uncovering enemy secrets, facing off in boss battles and upping your kill count in tense shoot outs.

Level design once again accommodates for both stealth and action fans alike, presenting abundant opportunities that are just too tempting to resist for both gamers. A pair of enemies may be conversing by a conveniently placed gas canister waiting for your carefully placed bullet, but if you wait a moment, the two will disband, the perfect opportunity to put the stealth approach in to action. There still remain many sections where stealth is a no go, so just don't go in expecting to go all Big Boss on the enemy, you'll also need to pull off a Schwarzenegger if you want to survive. On the whole, level design feels so well thought-out that even gamers who can't stand Sam Fisher will come out feeling satisfied, if not more challenged.

The weight of the world rests on one man's shoulders, but fortunately you're kitted out for the job. There are more weapons than you can poke a stick, with some new inclusions to keep things fresh. There are the stealth favourites like the silenced pistol, knife and the classic taser, not to mention an assortment of hi-tech darts for your sniper rifle. For those who prefer to go guns blazing, you're covered with all manner of rifles, mines, grenades and the newly introduced underwater weaponry. You can customise your arsenal with generous weapon pick-ups around the level. Just like in Alien vs. Predator: Requiem you have a tonne of different vision modes on offer, but unlike that atrocious mess, each vision mode is extremely helpful, nigh essential. You'll often find yourself viewing the levels solely in shades of blue, red and green as you switch endlessly between the different modes of vision. Night vision has the obvious benefit in dark settings, thermal vision is great when you decide to go stealth, so you don't turn a corner right into your enemy's arms and the EDSU goggles are a bit of a cheat vision really, highlighting mission objectives, weapon crates and "Hidden Evidence", - a smart inclusion that means you'll never find yourself resorting to a FAQ.

With so many different options of attack, things can become a little convoluted. Trying to map four vision modes and six weapons slots, each with multiple fire modes, is no easy task but Sony managed to fit it all in admirably. Whilst it hasn't changed from Dark Mirror, this is one area that could have used some slight changes. There are three control set ups to chose from, but none feel perfect off the bat and take a little bit of getting used to if you hadn't already played Dark Mirror. All the buttons are at your disposal, but sometimes can just feel to be in an awkward place when the moment calls. Opting for the standard control set up with the analogue nub for movement and face buttons to aim, it doesn't leave a lot of buttons left. Outside of shooting, the main commands are all mapped to the D-pad. The Up button becomes your versatile action button, so I found myself often using my index finger to press the D-pad buttons. It wasn't any less functional, it just felt different and a little more awkward than how I'd normally play. Better customisation of the controls would have been nice, but overall it certainly feels like it would have simply benefited from the extra buttons of a home console.

Another aspect of the game that's a little less than perfect, for such an impressive title, the enemy A.I. feel stale and dated overall. Once they spot you, they seem to stick to the same pattern of ducking behind cover and then popping out to shoot you, occasionally running straight at you. As far as stealth games go, the enemies aren't a patch on the A.I. of the Metal Gear Solid series. Furthermore, no matter even when you die, enemies still all spawn in the same places, so after a while you just learn the spawn spots and plan your attack from there. The spawn point based gameplay does get somewhat annoying, as you die and die again only to learn the enemy patterns. Once again, it doesn't kill the game, but it could have used an upgrade from Dark Mirror.

Beyond these two factors, there's not a lot really holding the game back from reaching 10 out of 10 territory.

Some may say that the path through the game is all too linear overall, with merely hidden evidence and additional weaponry if you stray off the beaten path, but within the structured levels, multiple paths have been created through the different gameplay styles. Just as Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops understood, shorter levels in a higher quantity are best suited to handheld gaming. Syphon Filter takes this idea and runs with it, presenting you with levels perfect for the bus ride home from work, but plenty of replay value just to try them in different ways.

My main complaint with the game is that whilst the story itself is memorable, the boss battles are easily forgettable. At times it seems the only thing distinguishing a boss from a regular enemy is the extended life bar. It's ultimately the biggest flaw in the game. Still it remains a blast from start to finish and there's enough gameplay to make up

Replaying the game is made extremely rewarding, through the variety of different unlockables based on how you kill your enemies. You will unlock these through normal story mode gameplay, but you are really encouraged to go back and replay missions in a different way to unlock all the new weapons and abilities. Granted these only affect the missions you replay, it really makes it a whole lot more fun to revisit the levels with a new arsenal and new strategies in mind.

Online multiplayer is comprehensive, accommodating and most of all fun. In addition to the traditional deathmatch game modes of Dark Mirror, two new modes have been included called Sabotage and Retrieval. Retrieval's simply capture the flag under a spiffy new name whilst Sabotage sees you seeking out codes to arm your enemy's nuclear warhead in true Syphon Filter fashion. Both new modes are great fun and each is seeing a lot of game play online. It's worth noting that even with eight players the connection speed still holds up quite well under the pressure.

Also be sure to check out the included demo for the upcoming Playstation Network exclusive title Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, for a taste of multiplayer gaming to come from the series.

Graphics are some of the very best you can expect from the PSP, but even amongst the atmospheric lighting and realistic water effects, it is the physics engine that really tips things over. The Havok Physics engine has been tweaked to perfection this time around, producing effects I never quite expected from the handheld. Gas canisters blow up differently every time, so they could either take out an entire squad or roll away, harming no one, leaving you to fend for yourself. Physics engines are nothing new, but it's nice to see this on the handheld. It just adds a level of unpredictability to the gameplay. Baddies may spawn from the same locations, but the same attack pattern mightn't work so well each time.

For those who played through Dark Mirror the biggest question still burning in your mind is what new additions will this sequel bring to the table. As far as new inclusions go, there's not really any one-standout inclusion. Dark Mirror was a fantastic game though, it set a standard that few games on the PSP have met. It wasn't in need of radical changes. Instead Sony has just focused on a few slight tweaks here and there, which feel like the next natural progression for the series. It is no doubt a better game when compared to Dark Mirror. Underwater combat has been added, but fortunately not overused; it is also made interesting due to the realistic physics in combat. Logan now has the ability to blind fire around a corner and to take enemies as human shields, it all just feels like a greater extension of Logan's own abilities and adds to an already winning formula. If you enjoyed Dark Mirror it stands that you'll have a blast in Logan's Shadow.


With such stunning graphics, an impressive atmospheric soundtrack and deep satisfying gameplay, it's really no wonder the last title made the jump to PS2. Through its faults, which are admittedly few and minor, Logan's Shadow is still one of the best experiences available on the handheld format. It may be more of the same, but in the follow up to one of the most well rounded games available on the PSP, that is certainly not a bad thing. Buy it if you skipped over Dark Mirror. Buy it if you loved Dark Mirror. Buy it if you're looking for a good action title. Just don't buy it if you detested the first.

One final note, if you do buy the game, be sure to watch after the credits for what looks to be the biggest shake up to hit the series.