Silent Scope Review

For PlayStation 2

Rating: Average
   What else is there to say about the ridiculously out of touch light-gun 
genre?  The basic gameplay formula hasn't been changed since Duck Hunt.  
Even if you can't get enough of the genre, why would you want to pay $50 for
the PS2 version of Silent Scope when you could finish the superior arcade 
version with less than $5?
   In a nutshell, you move an adjustable cursor around the screen until you 
have an enemy in your sights, and then you shoot them.  You then repeat this
process dozens of times until you beat the game or your brain explodes, 
whichever comes first.  The gameplay is about as shallow and repetitive as 
it gets.
   Konami made every bad design decision that they could have possibly made.
The logic of the "dark" missions is still baffling after all these years 
("Let's make it so that the player can't see where he's going!").  Moving 
the cursor with the PS2 controller is a pain in the ass because the control 
is overly sensitive.  A slight nudge on the analog or digital pad with 
sometimes cause the cursor to go flying right past the intended target.
   In some levels (like the stadium), the camera shifts at the worst 
possible moments when you're just about to shoot an enemy in the head.  
Speaking of shooting enemies in the head, it's a very satisfying feeling at 
first, but it doesn't take long to get old.  No matter how much fun it is 
to perform head-shots, the fact remains that shooting an enemy causes 
instant death whether you shoot them in the head or the foot.
   The unimpressive graphics feature minimal gore that really makes you 
wonder why the game is rated Mature (well, other than the fact it "trains 
kids to be ruthless snipers").  Shooting an enemy results in a tiny and 
unrealistic burst of blood that only lasts for about one second.  Either
Konami is a really conservative company, or the efforts of people like 
Senator Joe Lieberman are rearing their ugly head.  
   The entire game can easily be finished in under an hour, and once you 
beat it, there is absolutely no motivation to back and play it again.  The 
so-called training modes are just the same damn thing as the main game, only
they take place on static screens rather than moving through different 
environments.
   I understand why Konami couldn't bring the arcade version's sniper rifle 
to the home market, but they could have at least included support for a 
light-gun of some kind.  Again, the efforts of people like Joe Lieberman are
evident.  Trying to play a gun game with a controller is like trying to play
a racing game with a gun: It just doesn't make sense.
   Light-gun shooters have been one of the most stale genres in all of video
games for almost a decade.  The only thing that separated Silent Scope from 
the pack in the arcade was its innovative sniper rifle.  With this gone from
the PS2 version, the remaining shell of a game isn't worth playing.

Send your thoughts on this review to ivan@mastergamer.com

    
 Back To Reviews