"An extremely underrated game."

I had heard a few good things about this game, and since it is now only $20, I decided to pick it up. I hadn't even heard of this game until someone mentioned it on the boards. But this is a great example of that hype dosen't make the game.

Story: 9/10
The protagonist you play as wakes up from a coma in a hosptial ward, not remembering anything about his past or himself. He dosen't even remember his own name(which he soon discovers is John Vattic). He also discovers that he now has powerful psychic abilities. As you play though the game, flashbacks to his past reveal his true identity, what was done to him, and how he ended up in a hosptial for the insane. The story is absorbing and interesting, and keeps you waiting for the next tidbit the game reveals.

Graphics: 7/10
If you have played TimeSplitters2, you will instantly notice the definitive character models and environments from Free Radical. Nothing that will blow you away, but also nothing to make your eyes bleed either. Framerate is fairly steady, but it dips down when the next part of the level is loading(a small disc icon appears onscreen when this is happening, but gameplay is not interrupted).

Sound/Music: 9/10
The music fits the theme of the game perfectly. The sound effects are good, and the only thing keeping this from being a 10 is the generic gun sounds. Virtually every gun sounds the same, with only very variations between models.

Gameplay: 8/10
Time for the meat of the game, but Second Sight keeps on delivering. As mentioned before, you control John Vattic, a man with psychic abilities and no memory. You are on a hunt for information about your past.

This game is played out mainly in a 3rd person perspective, but it can be switched to 1st person if you choose. The camera can be switched between a locked position, or a free position where you use the C stick to move it about.

The game has a great variety in how you can play it, which is rare these days. You can choose a stealthy way throughout the game. You can run-and-gun through the game. You can psi your way through the game. It's totally up to you.

The psychic powers are a great addition to the game. They add a new element of gameplay. However, the powers might just be a little too powerful. You can use telekinesis and charm(invisibility) for almost 20 seconds, which lets you run right through rooms and past guards, eliminating the need for stealth.

The thing that drags this down from a 10 is the weird AI. Sometimes, they will be pretty wise in their attempt to kill you. Most of the time they are idiotic. You can often walk directly in front of them and they won't see you. If the alarm is raised, they will spawn continiously out of thin air until you hide or leave the room, and then they totally forget about you.

Value(Replayability): 4/10
This game has no multiplayer mode, just the single-player story mode. The game has 2 difficulty settings(Normal and Challenging), but they can only be set when starting a new game. Normal mode is maybe a tad on the easy side.
The only replay you might get is playing through the game again on the harder difficulty.

Buy/Rent/Don't Bother: Buy.
Since this is a budget priced game at $20, it's a steal. I would have payed $50 for a game this good. If you are really unsure, then rent it. But a rent is $6, and a purchase is $20. This is one game not to pass up.

Bottom Line:
This is a must-have game. And at $20, it is even more must-have.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/04