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Syphon Filter

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Syphon Filter is the name of a video game series published by Sony and developed by Sony Bend (formerly Eidetic), that has appeared on the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable game systems. In the series, Syphon Filter is the name given to the mysterious viral weapon.

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Syphon Filter (1999)

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Gabriel Logan and Lian Xing were on the trail of wanted international terrorist Erich Rhoemer (who holds German citizenship, but is actually Chechen). Special agent Ellis (a less experienced Agency operative) attempted to infiltrate Rhoemer's operation in Costa Rica, but he was discovered and executed by ex-KGB agent Mara Aramov on Rhoemer's orders. Rhoemer then orders his other lieutenant Anton Girdeux, a French terrorist, to burn down the Costa Rican plantation to hide the evidence of their Syphon Filter research.

The scene then shifts back to Washington, D.C. where Edward Benton,the head of the agency, is giving a report on Logan's mission to Agency Director Thomas Markinson and a shadowy, unnamed figure who says of Logan, "We will wait and see what he can discover." Gabe and Lian then investigate a mysterious viral outbreak in the Himalayas. When the game begins, Erich Rhoemer and his gang have launched an all-out terrorist assault on Washington, D.C., unleashing murder and mayhem on the streets and in the subways of the national capital. Gabe defeats Pavel Kravitch, Rhoemer's communications expert, and temporarily wounds and captures Mara Aramov, but she later escapes. Gabe also kills Rhoemer's bomb triggerman Jorge Marcos. After a formidable duel with Anton Girdeux, who wields a flamethrower and wears bulletproof armor, Gabe emerges victorious. Anton burns in his flames as his flamethrower explodes.

Lab results show that Syphon Filter is a deadly next-generation bio-weapon, capable of actually targeting specific ethnic groups while leaving others unharmed. This virus is so powerful it can be programmed to target any species on the planet. The next scene concerns mysterious pharmaceutical mega-corporation PHARCOM and its CEO and founder, Jonathan Phagan. Behind the scenes at a black tie gala at Phagan's new EXPO Center Museum, Phagan is taken captive by Aramov. Gabe frees him, and he flees, but Aramov once again eventually escapes Agency custody. Also, Edward Benton is revealed to be a double-agent and is eliminated by Gabe. Phagan is quickly recaptured by Rhoemer's forces.

Gabe next goes on a reconnaissance/demolition mission to Rhoemer's secret base in Rozovka, Kazakhstan. Gabe succeeds in his mission, but his partner, Lian, is taken captive by Rhoemer. Gabe kills Rhoemer's commander Vladislav Gabrek and destroys Rhoemer's attacking Apache helicopter. Gabe next infiltrates Rhoemer's stronghold in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, which is a Gothic cathedral of Western European design. Gabe rescues Lian from Rhoemer's clutches and they escape. They also find Phagan, who is later shot in the head by Aramov. Mara decides to help Gabe and Lian, since she has nowhere else to go. Gabe then infiltrates the PHARCOM warehouses in remote Almaty, Kazakhstan. Time is running out and Gabe learns that Markinson has been secretly negotiating with Rhoemer to obtain the Syphon Filter weapon for the Agency, while Rhoemer reveals he has captured an old Soviet era ICBM and loaded it with a Syphon Filter viral bomb ready to launch. Rhoemer kills Markinson and sets the launch sequence for the missile. Gabe cannot prevent it from launching, so his only hope is to initiate its self-destruct sequence once it is already in the upper atmosphere. Gabe successfully destroys the missile over Kazakhstan airspace. Rhoemer, furious at Logan's meddling, engages him in a final showdown. Despite Rhoemer's special kevlar armor, Gabe is able to kill Erich Rhoemer and avert World War III.

After the credits finish, a scene plays showing the shadowy figure (from the beginning of the game that had been talking to Markinson) holding a sample of Syphon Filter inside of the Agency's headquarters with Aramov, and laughing.

Game bosses:

  • Mara Aramov
  • Anton Girdeux
  • Russian helicopter KI-33
  • Erich Rhoemer

Syphon Filter 2 (2000)

Main article: Syphon Filter 2

Syphon Filter 2 was released in 2000 and it is a sequel to the first Syphon Filter. It picked up where it left, with Gabe leaving Kazakhstan with his CBDC partners on his way to US. The game is about getting the encryption codes and discs.

Levels:

  • Colorado Mountains - in the Western Colorado
  • McKenzie Airbase Interior - in Denver, CO, inside the airbase
  • Colorado Interstate 70 - Colorado's Interstate 70 (Western Colorado)
  • I-70 Mountain Bridge - Interstate 70 Bridge
  • McKenzie Airbase Exterior - outside the airbase
  • Colorado Train Ride
  • Colorado Train Race
  • C-130 Wreck Site - the crash site and a boss level
  • Pharcom Expo Center - in New York City
  • Morgan - the boss level
  • Moscow Club 32 - in a club of Downtown Moscow
  • Moscow Streets
  • Volkov Park - a park
  • Gregorov - another boss level
  • Aljir Prison Break-In - Siberia setting
  • Aljir Prison Escape
  • Agency Bio-Lab - in New York City
  • Agency Bio-Lab Escape
  • New York Slums
  • New York Sewer
  • Finale - the final boss level: Chance is the boss

Syphon Filter 3 (2001)

Main article: Syphon Filter 3

Syphon Filter 3 was the third of the series and is a sequel to Syphon Filter 2 (above). It was released in 2001, and it was one of the games that was released in PS1, instead of PS2, which became more common this year. This game is mostly about the Syphon Filter and the main operatives' history and stopping the Syphon Filter virus (not completely).

Levels:

  • Hotel Fukushima - in Tokyo, Japan (the player must assassinate Shi Hao)
  • Costa Rican Plantation - in Costa Rica
  • C-5 Galaxy Transport - still in Costa Rica (aboard on airplane)
  • Pugari Gold Mine - in South Africa
  • Pugari Complex
  • Kabul, Afghanistan - on Kabul, Afghanistan
  • S.S. Lorelei - near or at Dublin, Ireland (ship)
  • Aztec Ruins - back in Costa Rica
  • Waterfront - back in Dublin, Ireland (on the docks)
  • Docks final assault
  • Convoy - in the outskirts of Kabul, Afganistan
  • The Beast - in Kabul
  • Australian Outback - in Tanami Desert
  • St. George Australia - in Yuendumu village
  • Paradise Ridge - near Paradise, MT (Montana) (in the taiga forest)
  • Militia Compound - same as above but in a compound
  • Underground bunker - in the bunker of compound
  • Senate Building - in Washington D.C. (in Haddon's building)
  • DC Subway - the boss here is Mara Aramov (near the end of the level)

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (2004)

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Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain is the first installment of the Syphon Filter series to be released on PS2. Instead of playing as Gabe Logan, the exiled agent from the top secret Agency, players will create their own character, which is a new recruit for the Agency. Once again, in pursuit of the Syphon Filter virus, and working against time, gamers must get to the bottom of a deadly plot. The game features the same edge-of-your-seat action and thrills the series is known for, plus more deadly enemies and the most lethal arsenal yet. There are also intense, international environments such as Michigan, Belarus, Brazil and Uganda with numerous levels. The biggest change in this game from the previous games in the series is the addition of online gameplay. Players can complete the entire game solo or they can team up with up to three friends for cooperative play.

Plot

The game opens in Zurich, Switzerland. Mara Aramov is talking with Mihai Nicelescu. Mihai is talking about Mikahs Ivankov. He says that Ivankov's decided to go into business for himself and wants Mara to look into it. Mara says that she will deal with him if she can find him Mihai comments "it shouldn't be too difficult, the new strain of the virus appears to be rather unstable, it shouldn't be too hard to track him". The screen cuts to Berlin, Germany, to the reformed Agency now called the International Presidential Consulting Agency (IPCA) named by the president. Gabe Logan, leader of the IPCA, is standing at the head of the room, saying that each of the members of the IPCA knows what they have to do and were all handpicked to join this team. Teresa Lipan stands near him, saying that they all need to stay in contact with IPCA headquarters. Gary Stoneman heartily agrees, his pilot Alima Haddad says she'll keep track of him.

The first three missions are set in Carthage, when Imani Gray, and four I.P.C.A. recruits are sent in to locate Lawrence Mujari, and eliminate the French Anarchiste Liberation Army (ALA) threat. The ALA were planning on dropping the Syphon Filter virus into the water systems, and it was up to the I.P.C.A. agents to prevent it from happening. The recruits were also tasked to save all Carthage Health Authority agents and S.W.A.T. team members in the area, while killing Jean Fournier, Proust, and the main leader Masson. They were also ordered to take water samples as well as tissue samples from the corpses gathered by the C.H.A. Mujari was recovered and under medical care. Imani is somewhat impressed with the recruits and gives a rare compliment to them.

If the player agent completed their single-player par times, there is a bonus mission in which Stone tells about his assassination mission in Italy while the agents were in Carthage. He was tasked to kill an Italian mob member named Dimitri who apparently had access to the Syphon Filter virus. Stone's assassination mission prevented a lowly mafia family from gaining access to Syphon Filter.

The next two missions has the recruits working under the command of Stone in Belarus. The recruits were investigating Krivorozhstal Mill only to be under fire by Chechen military forces. The Chechen forces were killing off all the workers for transporting cattle contaminated with the Syphon Filter virus. The recruits were ordered to bring the workers to safety in an underground bomb shelter, while preventing the escape of a commanding officer named Zhidkov and saving the mill from destruction. The recruits took tissue samples from the contaminated cattle for further research.

Upon evacuation, the helicopter was eventually shot down by Chechen forces in Mazyr, Belarus at Belaya Vezha. The recruits were separated by Stone and their pilot Alima Haddad. The recruits took a sample from a nearby water source and had to rescue Stone. The recruits succeeded, but Alima was missing and presumed dead. Stone blames himself for losing Alima after being evacuated by IPCA pilot William Crusher.

If the player has completed all of the par requirements in Belarus, Lian Xing becomes a playable character explaining her mission in Kyrgystan, which involved gathering intel, preventing an arms dealing with a bio-weapon container, and killing Samaev, poisoning Arms dealer Saydahmat, and killing a North Korean agent named Sok-ju Yang.

The next two missions has the recruits in Yemen working under the command of a Middle Eastern Mossad agent named Ehud Ben Zohar, someone Gabe Logan reluctantly trusted due to an unexplained fiasco in the Afghanistan operation. In order to get more information about the people behind the shipments of the Syphon Filter virus, Zohar has a lone recruit sabotage an arms bazaar while eliminating Chechen forces headed by Yuschenko, and gathering all types of evidence of terrorist activity. Zohar and the recruits grab the uniforms off of the dead soldiers in order to infiltrate the Taherir Palace. The recruits work on gathering their gear and killing the security guards while Zohar assassinates Al-Hasan and looks for documents containing information about arms shipments. The recruits are then stuck providing cover fire for Zohar. Crusher and Stone eventually evacuate the group, with Stone giving the information of the arms shipments in exchange for the viral container recovered by Zohar.

The next mission places a recruit on a return trip to Belarus, at Minsk university. The recruit is alone being provided support by MI-6 agent Maggie Powers and Crusher. The recruit is supposed to retrieve mission gear from a designated safehouse, deploy viral sniffers around the university campus, download MetaGlobal's records, deploy a beacon inside the refrigerated truck to track the shipment, bug all MetaGlobal containers, enter the underground lab, plant Agency surveillance gear, acquire Omega Strain serum, and extract. The mission went well, but not without a hitch as an alert is raised after placing the surveillance equipment in the lab.

If the player completed the par objectives in Yemen and the Minsk University mission, Lawrence Mujari is playable in Chechnya at Ivankov's home. Mujari was taking photographic evidence of mass genocide while stunning all S.V.R. forces. Unfortunately, with great reluctance, Uri Gregorov was at the scene responsible for the massacre. Mujari takes a discreet photo of Gregorov for future use by Gabe Logan. Mujari also picks up hidden clues at Ivankov's home, as well as tissue samples from the corpses.

The next mission has a lone recruit working with Mujari at a salvage rig covering the wreckage of the S.S. Loreilei. The recruit is supposed to plant four nuclear explosives at the lower level of the rig in order to prevent any future extractions of the Syphon Filter virus from happening. The recruit also collected the original Syphon Filter virus sample as well, and attempted to cure Dr. Jandran. Apparently, Jandran died from the serum. Lawrence Mujari issues an evacuation order on the P.A. system to prevent any unwanted casualties. William Crusher is killed in action by an airborne threat.

The next two missions has the team of recruits working under Lian Xing. The first mission is in Tokyo, at the Murakawa Tower. The recruits are ordered to eliminate Yakuza officers, eliminate HNT leader Matsua, infiltrate Murakawa Tower, eliminate head of security: Ryusaki, search building for surveillance tape, breach security without triggering alarms, upload computer data, plant C-4 charges on lab floor, and obtain virus samples. The mission did not go without a hitch as a rocket hit the helicopter transporting them. Lian Xing and Gina Hunter were with the helicopter while the recruits were busy with the infiltration, and Lian suffered from a leg injury in the process

The next mission was an extraction mission when an airliner Imani Gray was on was shot down at Irawaddy Basin in Myanmar. Out of personal guilt, Lian takes the team of recruits with her to the mission area, securing the extraction zone for the recruits. The recruits were responsible for recovering Imani's body, recovering radio evidence that it was a terrorist attack, eliminating a MetaGlobal terrorist and Than Muang, and recovering Yong-jun Kim's belongings.

At this point, Gabe was frustrated with the recent losses of Alima, Crusher, and Imani up to the point that he felt helpless. He was given an order by the Secretary of State Birchim to *NOT* go to Zurich. At this point, Gabe started to not care about his orders and takes a lone recruit with him to Switzerland to investigate Mihai Niculescu at the Niculescu Towers. While Gabe investigates the main office, the recruit is tasked to plant camera transceivers, insert data transmitters, access the main frame computer, power up emergency elevators, obtain security chief's handprint and bypass security system, search vaults on the third floor, sarch the vault on the fourth floor, and rendezvous with Gabe at the last vault on level 4. The recruit finds the financial records for the A.L.A. and a file incriminating that Birchim was complicit in the Syphon Filter conspiracy. Gabe orders the recruit to return to base while Gabe has Teresa trace the source of the paintings.

If the player completed the single-player par times for Tokyo, Myanmar, and Zurich, Gabe Logan is a playable character. The source of the paintings came from Budva, Montenegro at Niculescu's Villa Estate. While Mara Aramov and Niculescu were meeting, Niculescu tells Mara that he was going to have Ivankov nuke Russia. Aramov felt compelled to warn Russia, but passed out from a drugged drink. Gabe was tasked to infiltrate the estate and look for any evidence. All of his efforts were somewhat for naught as he only found some papers on Aramov, and had to save her. Aramov tells Gabe that his attempts at Niculescu will be in vain, and tells Gabe where Ivankov's base is.

The last mission is in Kiev, Ukraine at Ivankov's base. Gabe, Stone, and Lian are out on the field with the recruits. The recruits had to eliminate Ivankov's top four lieutenants, disable helicopter flight controls for a helicopter, and find the Omega Strain DNA code. It is later found out that Alima Haddad is alive, and Stone knows the location of Alima's cell. The recruits provided cover fire for Stone and helped facilitate Alima's extraction. All that was left to do was to help Gabe prevent the missiles from launching. Ivankov's fate is not revealed but he is not seen or mentioned in Syphon Filter Dark Mirror so he had to have been killed in the explosion of the base.

A series of events take place in this order:

- The World Health Organization confirms that the Syphon Filter virus is no longer a threat as the vaccines are working.

- The President Of The United States congratulates the I.P.C.A. for a job well done

- Birchim is arrested by Secret Service Agents under the Homeland Security Act after Gabe shows the president the evidence of bribery.

- Stone carts off a wheel-chaired Alima.

- Dr. Weisenger is reported missing from a meeting with the W.H.O. No one has a clue of where she went.

- Mihai Niculescu is killed (not seen but confirmed in Syphon Filter Dark Mirror) by two anonymous criminal gunmen as a result of the IPCA recruit's plantation of a computer virus wiping out the bank's records.

- Elsa Weisenger gives a written confession that she had the recruit kill Dr. Jandran. Elsa is changed and somewhat mentally disturbed as a result, wanting to change the world by making and breaking chaos with her medical knowledge.

- Gabe sends a written note to Mara Aramov. As Aramov reads the note, a rifle with a cracked scope appears, which reveals that Stone is sent to assassinate Aramov.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (2006)

Released on March 14th(U.S) 6th October(Europe), 2006 for the PlayStation Portable, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror takes advantage of a number of the systems capabilities, including game sharing and online multiplayer. Dark Mirror is currently amongst the highest rated PSP games available due largely to its success in adapting a complex game to a handheld system. The game is considered by Gamespy to be, "possibly the best game on the PSP yet" - Gamespy Review.

poop= smelly

Speculation

Singularity's last words, along with Gabe's unknown future will most likely yield a new Syphon Filter saga in the near future for the PSP, or even the Playstation 3.

Trivia

  • While the first three games were popular with fans and critics alike, during the development of the third game, the creators were criticized for continuing the series on the PlayStation, which was already slowly on its way to being phased out. The series later debuted on the PlayStation 2 with The Omega Strain.
  • In Syphon Filter 3, a bomb was supposed to go off in the Senate instead of Mara wasting an entire magazine of a fully-automatic pistol at Vince Hadden. The plan to bomb the Senate was scrapped when 9/11 occurred.
  • Gabe Logan's (and several others) voices changed with Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. Many critics hated this change. The only voice that did not change was Shannon Tilton as Teresa Lipan.
  • In the European versions, Stephane Cornicard has interpreted the French Gabe Logan since the launch of the game.
  • Until Dark Mirror, Mara Aramov was the only character in the series who had a different voice actress for every game she appeared in:
  • Gregorov appears in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain in a newspaper clipping. In Omega Strain, he has gone missing and then resurfaces and stops a war between two nations. His appearance in the clipping shows his picture from the Syphon Filter 2 instruction booklet.
  • All three of the first Syphon Filter games end with Aramov laughing. In the first, she is standing in Vincent Hadden's office with him. In the second, she is standing next to Hadden who doesn't want to kill Gabe at that moment. And in the third, she is supposedly in the submarine that picks up the container from the S.S. Lorelei. The fourth game ends with Gary Stoneman about to take a shot at Mara as she sits at her apartment reading a letter from Gabe Logan. The final words uttered in the game are "Goodnight, sweetheart." In Dark Mirror, a bonus level has the player as Gary Stoneman and he must kill Mara and her lover Elsa Weissenger.
  • The first three missions in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain were supposed to take place in Toronto, Canada and having Quebecan terrorists as opposed to the Paris-based A.L.A. in the final product. However, due to real-life events, the idea had to get scrapped since a similar situation had already happened. Instead, the mission got moved to Carthage, Michigan, with the A.L.A. being the terrorists of those missions.
  • Nigel Cumming's (of the Syphon Filter 3) double crossing tactics is reminiscent to that to Chance's.
  • When the enemy is hit by an air taser, the enemy seems to be "dancing".
  • In the final scene between Logan and Singularity, when being pushed before the train, Singularity's body will occasionally either be on the track, or be gone. This is due to the ragdoll effect the game detailers put in Dark Mirror. Same applies for Touchstone's death. His body will flail several different directions as he falls to his death.
  • In the training Mission in Dark Mirror the player is required to find the password to open the door using the EDSU Goggles the code is "989" a reference to the original name of the studio (989 Studios) who developed the Syphon Filter series before they where integrated into the Sony Studios.

External links

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