The latest installment in the Syphon Filter franchise continues to use the exact same control layout utilized in the first PSOne title. There’s certainly no fault in accommodating those that previously played a Syphon Filter game, but the lack of an alternate control scheme is very surprising. These new to the series are stuck dealing with clunky, unintuitive controls originally designed for a controller that didn’t even have analog sticks. Here we are, a generation later, and strafe is still mapped to L2 and R2. Why this function wasn’t mapped to the right analog stick, much like every other third person shooter out there, is beyond me. This would have made Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (TOS) much easier to pick up and play while rectifying the issues that results from having to stand still while manually aiming. That’s right, if you want to manually aim in TOS, you have to hold still. Thus, you are left utilizing auto-aim most of the time. The problem here is that using auto-aim while running near an enemy often throws the camera into disarray, making navigation nigh impossible. Oh, and forget about switching your weapon in the middle of a fight, as select is your weapon select button. There is absolutely no reason as to why Sony did not include a classic and updated control layout, especially when the control scheme is the lead factor in many of the game’s problems.

Though a bad control layout can certainly hinder a game, it can still be saved if the gameplay stacks up. Unfortunately, TOS fails on this front as well. The missions one embarks upon feature incredibly poor level design. Unlike other games, where one is told exactly how to accomplish a goal, TOS lets you figure it out for yourself. For example, the first mission requires you to acquire some lab equipment in order to take samples in various locations throughout the level. The game offers no guidance whatsoever as to where this equipment is located, rather, you must find it on your own. The flaw here is that enemies keep endlessly respawning in certain areas – if you need to backtrack, be prepared to fight the whole lot of them all over again. Once you find the lab equipment, players must then search out the samples that need to be taken. Unsurprisingly, the next few objectives also require more exploration.

Even though time is not a requirement for most objectives, the game is constantly reminding you that you’re moving too slow or not living up to your potential. The game will always do this, regardless of your performance. There’s an emphasis on running through a mission as quickly as possible, which stands in sharp contrast to the game’s focus on exploration during said missions. Perhaps this is done to encourage players to replay missions until they have everything memorized, but there’s no point in replaying a mission if it isn’t enjoyable to begin with.

Multiplayer, often the saving grace of otherwise poor games, suffers from the same design flaws. Hopping online, you and a team of up to three other members make your way through missions cooperatively. These are the same missions you were playing in single-player, with one or two added team goals. The team goals aren’t necessary to complete the mission, and as these online missions have the exact same primary goals as they do offline, team work isn’t even required to finish the mission - a skilled player can compete the mission by themselves while the rest of the team stands around.

On the flip side, there are some things that TOS does right. The game’s packaging is of exceptional quality, with a dual printed cover that reveals some hints should the player remove it from the game case. Character creation is also handled quite well, with additional elements unlocked as the player progresses through the game. Obviously, the game continues the story established in the prior three Syphon Filter titles, so diehard fans of the series will want to check in and see what happens. Unfortunately, these pros are mostly superficial and pale in comparison to the overwhelming flaws inherent within the game.

Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain easily ranks among the worst titles I have ever played on the PlayStation 2, an astounding feat considering that the game came from Sony themselves. The game suffers from incredibly bad design in almost all aspects, causing one to wonder how it even got past Sony’s internal quality assurance. Those looking for squad-based gameplay and strategic multiplayer should try Rainbow Six 3, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, or SOCOM II. Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, much like the Syphon Filter virus, should be avoided at all costs.