Syphon Filter is an action-packed spy thriller that features an intriguing plot and loads of cleverly designed levels. International terrorist Erich Rhoemer has gathered a group of professional mercenaries for hire to help him realize his terrible plot to kill millions of innocent people. You take the role of Gabriel Logan, a covert operative working for the top secret Agency. It's up to you, with a little help from field communications expert Lian Xing, to unravel the mystery of the Syphon Filter virus and stop Rhoemer from executing his maniacal plan. This game guide will provide you with everything you need to get through the game in one piece, including: · A clear and concise walk-through for each mission · Proven tips and strategies you can use in every level of the game to maximize your effectiveness and increase your chances of staying alive · The lowdown on all the weapons and items, including when and how to use them · Details on the enemies you'll face and how to defeat them Weapons and Items Syphon Filter is packed with enough firearms and gadgets to please any aspiring secret agent. Simply knowing when and how to use the diverse variety of weapons and items plays a very important role in being an effective antiterrorist agent. To excel in this game, you must first become familiar with each weapon's capabilities - it's strengths and weaknesses. Using the right weapon at the right time can literally mean the difference between a mission's success or failure. The following list details all the weapons and items you'll encounter throughout the game, including details on how to get the most bang for your buck. Handguns Taser This standard issue taser unleashes a long wire that zaps enemies with a deadly electric current. It's rather slow, but it'll get the job done. Only use this weapon when you want to take out a single enemy, and you're dangerously low on ammunition. Other than that, consider the taser your last resort. Silenced 9mm Handgun This silent pistol is ideal when medium to close range stealth is required. Although not equipped with a scope, always try to take out enemies with a head shot. Don't use this weapon when attacking more than one or two enemies, or you'll find yourself taking flak. .45 Handgun This small handgun packs a lot of punch. The .45 can take out terrorists at close to medium range with a single, well-placed body shot. Although better suited in circumstances where you're only facing a couple of enemies, this baby should be enough to gun down three or more enemies in a pinch. Rifles and Shotguns Sniper Rifle An excellent long-range stealth weapon, the sniper rifle has an adjustable scope capable of zooming into objects and people at great distances. Use it to take out far away enemies with a single head shot. Just make sure there are no other bad guys nearby when you're lining up your shots because this rifle is not very effective in furious fire fights. Night Vision Rifle Identical to the sniper rifle except that it features a handy night-vision scope, this special scope is ideal for picking out human targets at night or in dimly lit areas. However, it's not very good for general landscape viewing, since it tends to blur all nonhuman objects into a dull greenish color. M-16 Assault Rifle Though not particularly powerful, the M-16 does have a pretty good firing rate. Use it often early on in the game as your standard weapon. It's effective for killing single or multiple enemies at close to medium range. Keep in mind that this weapon is quite noisy, so never use it in situations where stealth would be preferred. K3G4 Assault Rifle Similar to the M-16 with one major difference, it's bullets actually cut through any flak jacket! However, despite this ability, the bullets don't do any more damage to non-jacket-wearing terrorists than regular gunfire. Use the gun when you must take out one or more enemies quickly. PK-102 Assault Rifle Although slightly smaller than the M-16, the PK-102 has virtually the same firing rate and power as it's larger cousin. This weapon works best when used on enemies at close to medium range. As with all assault rifles, it's noisy and should not be used when trying to sneak around. Shotgun Slow and powerful are two words that best describe the shotgun. Use this weapon for close-range combat with only a couple of enemies. Just make sure you keep moving in between shots so you're not a sitting duck while waiting for this gun to reload. Combat Shotgun Basically an enhanced version of the regular shotgun, this formidable weapon is slightly more powerful and has a bit quicker firing rate. Good for taking down a handful of enemies at close range, invoke the same rule of thumb as the shotgun and keep moving during reloads to avoid enemy fire. Machine Guns HK-5 Pistol-Machine Gun A moderately powerful weapon with a decent firing rate, the HK-5 pistol machine gun can be very effective when attacking multiple enemies at close to medium range. There's no need to be extremely accurate while firing this weapon, so keep moving around while you pummel approaching threats. G-18 Pistol-Machine Gun Absolutely the fastest firing machine gun you'll encounter throughout the game. This baby can slice through several enemies is just seconds - which is good because due to the relatively small clip size seconds is all you'll have. Keep a close eye on your ammo and fire in short bursts to extend the life of your clips. BIZ 2 Pistol-Machine Gun This is the ultimate machine gun. It's light, compact, powerful, and has a blazingly fast firing rate. Also, you won't have to worry very much about running out of ammo unexpectedly, since it has a fairly large clip. Whether you must quickly take out a single enemy or mow down an entire battalion of terrorists, this weapon will accommodate. For best results, use it on enemies at medium to close range. Explosives Grenade Although it creates a powerful explosion, the grenade is very slow since it must be lobbed towards a target. Even then, it will only explode several seconds after hitting the ground. Most enemies in the game are fairly intelligent and will often run away if they see you throw a grenade at them. Therefore, you'll rarely find yourself in a situation where the slow-detonating grenade will be useful. If only there were a way to make it explode faster... Gas Grenade This grenade releases a thin layer of nerve gas. Anyone within around five meters of this grenade when it goes off will be rendered unconscious. This is a crucial weapon for stealth missions, where you must take out a group of guards without being seen. M-79 Grenade Launcher This handy little device will turn cumbersome grenades into effective ammunition for devastating explosive attacks! Use it to take out an entire group of enemies with or without flak jackets. The grenade round will explode on impact, so be careful not to fire any shots off while near an enemy or in an enclosed area. If you get caught near an explosion, it can kill you instantly. C4 Plastic Explosive A very powerful plastic explosive, C4 must be carefully placed in specific areas and set to explode within a certain time. Although it's quite effective at blowing open doors and such, you may only use it to accomplish specific objectives. So, you can't use it directly against any enemies. Miscellaneous Items Flak Jacket This standard issue bulletproof vest gives you a decent amount of protection against most bullet-based weapons. The only exception is the flak-jacket-piercing ammunition from the K3G4 assault rifle. Always keep an eye on your armor meter in the upper left corner of the screen. If it gets too low, try to avoid enemies wherever possible until you can find another flak jacket. Security Card Key This small item looks almost like a credit card. Its sole purpose is to let you activate gate control panels, which in turn opens locked gates. These cards are usually held by enemy operatives and can be obtained by killing them. Antigen This Star Trek inspired needle-gun is used to administer the Syphon Filter antidote to patients. It's basically a small gun-shaped device with serum inside. To cure a patient, just point and fire. Viral Scanner This scanner can actually detect the presence of the Syphon Filter virus. While using this device, your field of view will become orange, and you can see infected persons flashing - even through solid boxes. Flashlight One of the great things about video games is that they allow you to sample cool futuristic devices that modern day science has yet to create. The flashlight is a perfect example of such advanced thinking. This magical cylinder releases trillions of photons into the environment allowing the user to actually see objects in the dark! (As if such a fantastic device could ever really exist.) Enemies Syphon Filter pits you against a vast army of international terrorists determined to infect the United States with a deadly virus. Rhoemer's forces include a torrent of enemy operatives, munitions expert Anton Girdeaux, expert assassin Mara Aramov, the Agency's own Edward Benton, and a particularly unfriendly helicopter. Read on to learn how to defeat each threat you encounter during your mission. Enemy Operatives You'll come across a variety of enemy operatives during your mission. While they will look different - some will be traditional black suits, while others might be winter guards - they all pose a similar threat and can be dealt with in a similar fashion. Head shots are always the most effective way to defeat an enemy, especially if he is wearing a flak jacket. Whether you're sniping from a distance or from around a corner, a single shot to the cranium can take a man down instantly. The alternative is an all out assault with your weapon, which unfortunately leaves you vulnerable to attack. Sometimes, it can't be helped, however. When several operatives attack at once, it's best to choose a rapid-fire weapon and pan around until the each agent has been subdued. Girdeaux Anton Girdeaux is a munitions expert recruited into the Black Baton ranks by Mara Aramov. A mercenary for hire, Girdeaux is a sadistic man who derives joy from inflicting pain. When you encounter Girdeaux at the freedom memorial, he will be equipped with a flamethrower. Since he moves around slowly, you can lure him to a pillar, quickly run behind him, and open fire on his backpack. Since most of your body will be behind the pillar, his flames will not harm you. Four or five hits from your shotgun, and Anton will burst into flames. Aramov Mara Aramov will be a persistent thorn in your side. An assassin for hire, Aramov is believed responsible for the contracted killings of at least 14 people. You first encounter Aramov in the main subway line. Run after Mara, while moving laterally from track to track to avoid the opposing trains. Keep in mind that you can use your roll technique to pass underneath the blue beams separating the tracks. Use your M-16 early on to shoot Mara from afar and mow down any other terrorists you bump into. As soon as you get within close range, take out your shotgun and bring Mara to the ground. She's a resilient opponent, however. You will encounter her once more, in the Expo Center Dinorama. This time, you'll sneak up to her and use your sniper rifle to blast the gun from her hand, preventing her from killing Phagan. Benton As the deputy director of the Agency, Edward Benton briefs you on objectives and oversees many of your early missions. Unfortunately, you'll come to discover that he is actually an Agency leak who is working for Rhoemer. When you first reveal this two-faced villain as a traitor, it will be a battle to the death in the Expo Center Reception. He will be located near the middle of the room, while you'll start out behind a side-wall. Benton's weapon of choice is the rapid and powerful G-18 pistol-machine gun, so if you stay in one place to long, he will literally cut you to pieces. Since he's wearing a flak jacket, you should try and sneak around a corner and take him out with a quick shot to the head. If you miss, you must move fast and shoot him with your most powerful weapon until he's defeated. Attack Helicopter The attack helicopter is one nasty airborne nuisance. It's a battle between man and machine as the helicopter flies over heads, firing its deathly machine guns. Use the dish in the middle of the tower for cover and keep firing relentlessly - you're only damaging the helicopter when the target bar is green. Once the helicopter begins to smoke, it will drop off some guards on each additional pass. Take care of the guards and refocus on the helicopter. With some persistence, you'll finally knock it out of the air. Rhoemer Erich Rhoemer is a renown terrorist with megalomaniacal aspirations. He and his skilled team of missionaries are orchestrating a plan to unleash the deadly Syphon Filter virus on the United States. Rhoemer has ties with many terrorist organizations throughout the world and will stop at nothing to bring the US to it knees. When you finally face Rhoemer, you must be quick on your feet. Look for the raised area in the computer room and hop up on the ledge. You'll find some gas grenades. Crouch down to hide; Rhoemer can't see you. Watch your radar closely, and when Rhoemer nears, toss a gas grenade toward him. Alas, the master terrorist is not impervious to the weapons of war. General Tips and Strategies Syphon Filter is a game that requires stealth, cunning, and persistence. Here are some proven tips and strategies you can use in every level of the game to maximize your effectiveness and increase your chances of staying alive. • Whenever possible, steer clear of an enemy's line of sight. Once you're spotted, you will be attacked. Stealth is always the preferable option, as it minimizes your vulnerability. • Head shots are always the most effective way to defeat an enemy, especially if he is wearing a flak jacket. Whether you're sniping from a distance or from around a corner, a single shot to the cranium can take a man down instantly. • The further you are from an enemy, the longer it takes him to lock onto you with his weapon. Always stay as far away from enemies as you can and take them out using your scope. • Make sure you pick up any weapons dropped by fallen opponents. At best, you'll pick up a new weapon, at worst, you'll restock your ammunition. • It's very important to reload your weapon whenever possible (by pressing the triangle button). Reloading a weapon takes some time - and if you're suddenly caught in a fire fight with an enemy, the precious seconds required to reload may cost you your life. • Your radar only picks up enemies you have actually seen. It's very possible that an enemy lies just around the corner, out of sight, so proceed with caution at all times. • The most effective way to dispose of an enemy is a clean shot to the head. Missions that require stealth also require perfect execution. You must tread carefully and use the sniper rifle or silenced handgun to subdue opponents from a distance. If you miss a single shot, the enemy operatives will be alerted to your presence, and your mission will fail. • Your enemies will sometimes make the fatal mistake of standing by unstable barrels. A well-placed shot to the barrel will cause it to explode and knock all nearby enemies to the ground. • Sometimes crouching will allow you to draw a quicker bead on a distant enemy. Mission Walk-throughs Your mission to stop Rhoemer's cruel plan begins on the streets of Washington DC and leads you to a variety of hot spots, including remote military strongholds and underground test facilities. Before you're finished, you'll face Rhoemer himself in a final battle for the fate of the planet. This walk-through takes you step-by-step through all 20 terrorist-infested levels and includes secrets vital to the completion of your mission. Mission 1: Georgia Street Objectives 1. Protect CBDC bomb squad 2. Turn off power to terminal security doors 3. Eliminate Kravitch and destroy communications array 4. Tag bomb in terminal 5. Eliminate Rhoemer As the mission begins, you will hear gun shots all around, and you'll see a burning police car ahead of you. Back up and head down the alley to your right. Stop just before you exit the alley and take out the terrorist on the rooftop in front of you. Now, run behind the nearby police car and shoot the rooftop terrorist on the opposite end of the street. Collect the M-16s from the dead bodies of the fallen terrorists and proceed left to the end of the street. Stop at the left corner and look to your left. You will see a terrorist guarding the entrance to the bank. Kill him from afar and run toward the entrance. By the time you get there, a CBDC agent will have already taken out the other terrorist. If not, shoot the remaining baddie and pick up the ammo left behind. Go into the bank and pick up the flak jacket on the floor to your left. Use your flashlight in this room to find the box of grenades. Lian Xing will contact you and inform you that you must provide cover for a CBDC agent at your location. Acknowledge the new objective and quickly make your way into the main lobby. A CBDC agent at the back of the room will be in the process of diffusing a bomb. Protect this agent at all costs. The first threats will be three terrorists in the main lobby. After you've shot all three, two more will come in through the main entrance. Give them a warm welcome with some hot lead. Stay near the CBDC agents until you hear Lian say, "All clear." Go into the dark room at the other end of the bank's main lobby. Use your flashlight to find a box of grenades inside. Also, pick up the M-16 just outside the room as you leave. Exit the bank lobby and go to the window with the For Lease sign. From there, use your sniper rifle to take out the three terrorists on the rooftops on the opposite side of the street. Leave the bank and go toward the intersection. Take up position behind the One Way sign to your right. From there, aim and use your M-16 to take out the two rooftop terrorists on the left, then hit the two on the right. After that, two more will appear on the left. Kill them and proceed down the street. Head down the alley to the left. When you get back to your mission starting point, go right and head toward the subway entrance to the left. Proceed down the ramp into the subway. Use your flashlight to find a flak jacket in the dark. Now, go over to the locked door, and Lian will inform you that you must turn off power to the terminal security doors. Head back out onto the street and go right to the bar entrance marked The Place. Smash through the glass doors simply by walking through them. Walk to the back of the room and go down the passage to your left. You will come to a room on your left closed off by a few boxes. Aim your weapon into the room and take out the guard inside. Climb over the boxes and go into the room. Shoot the window on the right and climb through to get outside. You can still shoot terrorists while hanging from the pole by using your aimer. Look to your right, and you'll see a metal box just in front of a fence with a No Trespassing sign. To your left, you'll see an alley. First, go down the alley to the left and pick up the flak jacket and bullets for your sniper rifle. Then, go back toward the fence and climb onto the metal box. Use the triangle button while facing the wall to jump and grab the ledge above. Haul yourself up onto the walkway and position yourself beneath the long pole extending over to the other building. Jump, grab the pole, and begin making your way across. When you reach the halfway point, a couple of terrorists will appear below you and start shooting. Stop moving momentarily and use your aimer to pick off your enemies, then continue. Once you reach the other side, drop down onto the platform and walk over to the metal crate. Open it to reveal an M-79 grenade launcher. Now, go back down to the street and walk over to the gate with the padlock on it. Shoot the padlock off using your aimer. This will cause the gate to open. Go through the gate, and directly ahead, you will see an elevator call switch. Flip the switch and the elevator will arrive to your left. Hop onto the elevator and activate it using the triangle button. The elevator will take you down to main power room. Use your flashlight to find the power switch. Flip the switch to bypass subway security. Go back onto the elevator and activate it. When you get to the top, a terrorist will be shooting at you from the walkway on your left. Take him out with your M-16 and head back through the window you broke earlier. Climb over the boxes and follow the left path. This will lead you to Kravitch and the communications array. Kravitch is in the room just behind the hallway with the two tables. Stand behind the second table in the hallway and look into the room. You'll see Kravitch taking refuge directly in front of you behind a bar at the back of the room. Shoot him from your position behind the table. Once Kravitch is out of the picture, proceed into the room. You'll find the communications array in the back left corner - it's the thing that looks like a laptop computer. Destroy it with any weapon and quickly turn around so you can take out the two terrorists who enter the room. Leave the bar and go back out onto the street. Proceed into the subway and go through the open security door. As you run down the next ramp, you'll be contacted by Lian and given instructions to tag the bomb located inside the subway. As soon as you reach the main subway tunnel, you'll be attacked by four terrorists. Use a heavy-duty weapon such as your M-16 to make short work of these villains. As soon as you're clear, make your way across the train tracks on the left and jump onto the side walkway. Run along the walkway, and you'll come to the viral-bomb. Stand near the bomb and press the triangle button to tag it. Continue running down the side walkway. Along the way, you'll encounter a bad-guy with a shotgun. Kill him and pickup the shotgun. Once you reach the end of the upper terminal, cross both sets of tracks and go through the door marked "No Exit." Use your flashlight and activate the elevator call switch to your left. Ride the elevator down to the next room, where Lian will again contact you. She will inform you that Rhoemer is at the end of the lower terminal preparing another bomb. Exit the room via the passage on the left. Take out the terrorist at the end of the passage with your silenced 9mm gun. Now, run down the side walkway until you reach the end of the lower terminal. Turn 90 degrees to your right, and instead of finding Rhoemer, you'll see a terrorist standing beside another bomb. Take out the terrorist and run over to the bomb. When you get to the bomb, a cutscene will kick in, and you'll have completed mission 1. Mission 2: Destroyed Subway Objectives 1. Locate explosives cache 2. Blow open passage to street and protect CBDC agent 3. Eliminate Rhoemer As this mission begins, you'll find yourself facing a wall of fire. Turn 90 degrees to your right and follow the side walkway to a flak jacket. Pick up the jacket and cross the tracks on the left. Now, follow the left path in between the flames and the wall. Halfway down this path, a flaming terrorist will run toward you screaming. Quickly back away, and he will eventually fall to the ground, or, if you're in a merciful mood, end his pain with a shot to the head. Wait for the flames to die down before you attempt to proceed past the smoldering carcass. Follow the path to the right, and you'll encounter a couple of terrorists with M-16s. Since there's no need for stealth in this noisy, burning subway tunnel, use your M-16 to make short work of these foes. Proceed to the back of the nearby train and climb up onto it. Run along the top of the train, and Lian will contact you. Once you've spoken with her, the objective Locate Explosives Cache will be added. Run straight ahead and drop off the left side of the train. Hop onto the side walkway and slowly strafe ahead while facing the center until you can see a terrorist. Open fire on him, and soon another terrorist will appear. Take them both out and continue to strafe along the walkway until you can see a third terrorist a little to the right. Stay against the wall and eliminate him as quickly as you can, since he will be lobbing devastating grenades at you. Once he's no longer a threat, equip your flashlight and search the track to your left for a crate of explosives. Find and pick up the C4 explosives. No sooner do you pick up the explosives, than a terrorist will open fire on you from a platform above. Quickly back up onto the side walkway and, from there, aim and shoot him with your M-16. Notice the ledge he was standing on. This is where you must go to get to the upper terminal level. Use the red box as a stepping stone to get up to this hidden platform. Run over to where you killed the grenade-lobbing terrorist and make your way down the left path. You'll come to an area with a red box. Climb onto the left side of the box and turn 90 degrees to the left. Press the triangle button, and you'll jump up to the ledge from which the terrorist was shooting at you earlier. In an ironic twist of fate, a terrorist will begin shooting at you from the same place you found the explosives. Take him out from atop your perch and walk to the other side of the ledge. Now, turn 90 degrees to your left and hop onto the next ledge. Once you haul yourself up, turn 180 degrees and jump straight up to the next ledge. A pipe is hanging above the center of this ledge. Jump and grab onto the pipe. Move right across the pipe and drop down at the very end. After you've dropped down, however, be sure not to walk forward into the small gap. Instead, walk to the right, around the gap. Run straight ahead, and you'll eventually see the bomb on the tracks to your right. Go past it and continue to the blocked passage ahead (the door beneath the exit sign). Place the C4 explosives on the door and back up to a safe distance. After the door explodes, a CBDC agent will come in and head straight for the bomb. Follow him and provide cover fire. Two terrorists will approach from the right, and one will come from the left. After you've taken out all three and the bomb has been diffused, Lian will say, "All clear." Head back to the exit door and go left. You'll discover that the gas lines have ruptured and a wall of fire is blocking the path to Rhoemer. Backtrack past the spot where the CBDC agent diffused the bomb and take the next right. Cross the train tracks and climb onto the side walkway. Follow the walkway to the left and use your flashlight to find the switch marked Gas Mains. Activate the switch and go back to the previously blocked tunnel. Now that the wall of fire has subsided, proceed into the tunnel. You'll see a train with a box in front of it. Climb onto the box and then go up onto the roof of the train. Walk all the way to the end of the train and drop down. Walk along the next path and a flaming terrorist will jump out and run toward you screaming. Run away in the opposite direction to avoid getting burned. As you run back, a terrorist with an M-16 will begin shooting at you from atop the train you just got down from. Kill him and head back down the path with the flaming man. By now, he'll have fallen, and the flames will have died out. Walk past him, and you'll come to another train with a box in front. Climb onto the box and then onto the train. As you haul yourself up onto the roof, a terrorist will come running toward you with his gun blazing. Take him out as quickly as you can and continue. Drop down at the end of the train and run straight ahead. Gabriel will then see Mara Aramov and begin chasing her right into mission 3. Mission 3: Main Subway Line Objective 1. Eliminate Mara Aramov At the start of this mission, you'll see Mara running down the main subway tunnel. Before you begin chasing her, turn around, and you'll see a metal crate. Walk over to the crate and collect the flak jacket inside. Now, go over to the tunnel entrance and wait for the train to pass before going left in pursuit of Mara. The rest of this mission is very straightforward. Simply run after Mara, while moving laterally from track to track to avoid the opposing trains. Also, keep in mind that you can use your roll technique to pass underneath the blue beams separating the tracks. Use your roll technique to slip beneath the blue beams. Use your M-16 early on to shoot Mara from afar and mow down any other terrorists you bump into. As soon as you get within close range, take out your shotgun to finish Mara off. If you're a particularly steady shot, you might try getting as close to her as possible, stopping, and taking her out with a head shot as she runs away. Once she collapses, your mission is complete. Mission 4: Washington Park Objectives 1. Locate and disarm four viral bombs 2. Rescue CBDC hostages 3. Secure terrorist communications array 4. Eliminate Trigger Man Marcos 5. Reach Freedom Memorial Run straight ahead from your mission start point, and you'll come to a guard. Take him out with your M-16. To your right, you'll see a large brick column with another guard on top of it. Use your aimer to shoot him down and continue along the sidewalk path. In the next section of the park, you will see short brick wall enclosures. The first one to your right contains a metal box with a flak jacket. The first enclosure on the left has a box of shotgun shells. Collect these items and proceed to the second enclosure on the left, where you'll find the first viral bomb. Place the beacon on the bomb and then move into the corner beside the bomb and face the center of the enclosure, so you'll have a clear shot at the terrorists as they enter. After you've gunned down three terrorists, the CBDC agent will have diffused the bomb. Stand in the corner and shoot terrorists as they enter the enclosure. Continue down the main walkway, and you'll come to a statue. The second bomb is located just behind the statue. Place the beacon and climb onto the base of the statue. From here, you can pick off the incoming terrorists with your M-16 without fear of hitting the CBDC agent. Once the bomb is diffused and you've killed six terrorists, Lian will say, "All clear," indicating that you can now proceed to the next bomb.