Silent Scope

"A good recreation of an arcade game!"

Silent Scope was originally an arcade game with a laser gun & scope, but has been masterfully recreated for the PlayStation2. I personally have never played the arcade version but have heard a little about it. Well, here goes:

Graphics: 7/10

The graphics are average arcade-style, nothing too special, yet enough to not turn off inexperienced players. They serve their purpose, but it would be nice if they were a little more detailed with the long-range graphics, as it is very difficult or impossible to see some of the guys far away without the enemy markers turned on. But overall, pretty good.

Sound: 5/10

The background music on the title screen if left on long enough can start to get really annoying pretty fast, but if you're concentrating on the game, it generally adds to the feel and mood of the game, and doesn't get annoying. Just remember to turn the sound off if you have to leave but want to leave your game on for some reason! The sound is pretty good, but could easily have been better.

Story: 7/10

Okay, I'll avoid any spoilers here. The basic theme is, you're a sniper for the police, helping to stop a group of terrorists who have kidnapped the President and his family. Kind of lacks original thought, but hey, most arcade games do! Good for its category.

Replay Value: 8/10

Hey, it's always fun to pull out your sniper rifle and shoot some people, isn't it? This game will keep you hooked for quite a while, and it's always nice to come back to once in a while too.

Controls: 9/10

There are two controller settings, one for beginners and one for advanced players. The beginners setting doesn't quite have all the functions of the advanced one, namely customizable zoom. However, it is simple to get used to and there aren't many things to confuse you. Once you get good, you can switch to the other setup, which is basically an extension to the original as it adds more complicated features but doesn't really move everything around. The controls are fairly sensitive, and pretty nice to use!

Modes of Play: 9/10

There are several different ways of playing Silent Scope. There's of course the made Story Mode, which is the meat of the game, but there's also a practice mode including a shooting range with everything from stationary ring targets to watermelons, to moving human-shape cardboard cutouts. There are also outdoor shooting modes where you have to shoot certain people, etc. It is very challenging and will provide a solid challenge to even the best of players. You'll never run out of ways to play!

Difficulty: 10/10

This game is HARD! To finish the story mode is very difficult in itself, especially on the high difficulty levels! Then there's the other shooting games, which are even more difficult! This has got to be one of the most difficult games I've ever played!

Secrets: 7/10

There are many levels to unlock, by completing preceding levels. In the story mode, there's always the girls to look for, for bonuses! And there's more too - but that's a secret!

Customizability: 9/10

There are many different ways to customize this game. The options menu has a massive amount of settings, everywhere from control setup to blood color to whether you can find hidden continues. Very customizable. Plus there's lots of codes to make the game act in even more different ways, lots of fun!

Other Specs:

Players: Single Player (1)
Saving: PS2 Memory Card (81KB)
ESRB Rating: Mature (18+)
-Animated Blood
-Animated Violence
Analog Support: Yes
Rumble Support: Yes
Required Peripherals: None

Overall: 8/10

Silent Scope is a very good game, and I recommend it to any fan of shooters or arcade games, or just anyone who wants a good challenge!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/01, Updated 01/28/01