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Copyright 2004

Second Sight

Reviewed By: Brian Standish-Parkin and Jennifer Walford

      The stealth psychological thriller Second Sight has radically transformed the gaming world. The latest release from the burgeoning British game developer Free Radical Design has ushered in a new era in game development, where the story is the driving force behind game play!

      Second Sight opens as Dr. John Vattic awakens from a comma in a military research facility. He does not know his name, he cannot remember his past, he only knows he has obtained surreal psionic powers. Dazed and confused Vattic's instinct is to escape and unravel the mystery.

      Second Sight provides gamers with the incredible opportunity to experience Vattic's erratic adventure with a rich dual time narrative. The dual play mode allows the player to explore Vattic's past and present. However, be forewarned, every action taken in the past will effect the future!

Game Play

      Second Sight requires a massive amount of a quick thinking and strategy to beat this game, very much like Metal Gear Solid (which is no coincidence since several members of Second Sight's production team developed Metal Gear). From mind-blowing psionic powers like Psychic-Blast, Telekinesis and Astral Projection to hand guns and tranquilizers. Mastery of Vattic's mental and physical assortment of arms acquired throughout game play is essential.

      Haphazardly entering a room may lead to an enemy encounter that results in a loss of life up to 75 percent, due to the high-end Artificial Intelligence of the non-playable characters. Allies possess equal ability and are able to assist in battles and heal themselves. Enemies are precise and react accordingly to attacks, for instance when Vattic's mental powers are exhausted do not bother punching the enemies they will just shoot and kill you. Simply get the hell out of the way! Also if you find yourself stuck in a level go back to each room and check from floor to ceiling for game objects.

      Free Radical's meticulous game development carried over into actual game play, as Vattic has to comb levels thoroughly for necessary mission object. This feature almost requires the player to expend as much mental energy as Vattic almost to a fault. While such intricate game play is welcomed considering the price, having to stop playing a game because of headache is hardly attractive-especially after only 30 minutes of game play!

Graphics and Animation

      Second Sight's overall design is well above not only games in its genre, but most titles on the market. Locales, from the forested North Eastern United States to Russia's Siberia region, were meticulously recreated. The careful attention to cinematography perfectly complimented the games' conspiracy theory theme: darkness with only a few patches of light symbolically portraying Vattic's mindset.

      Characters fluidly moved in their environments with no awkwardness. And when characters communicated their mouths and dialogue matched perfectly, a welcomed production feature that solidified the value Second Sight.

Tips, Tricks, and Extras

      Overall Second Sight is a MUST HAVE game! Playing this game is like being a movie, you actually feel like you are part of the action and can easily become immersed in this game's world!

      On behalf of those who are not sure whether or not Second Sight is right for you check out Codemasters Video Previews which show how Vattic's various mental and physical weaponry work.

      For those who have already begun to conquer Second Sight and are dying for a deeper entrance into Vattic's world visit Codemasters website where you will find Screensavers and Wallpaper for your computer. Also, check out the Second Sight E-Toy, which is a mini game that allows you to use some of Vattic's powers on some bad guys. What is fantastic about the E-Toy is that it is a completely different mini-game that was developed just to provide junkies a little spin on their favorite games. The Second Sight E-Toy can be played online or downloaded for play offline!

     Send your comments and or questions about this article to JenniferJ@ybfree.com.