Second Sight

Second Sight tells the story of  John Vattic who wakes up in a military hospital with both amnesia and the ability to use telekenesis.

Second Sight is billed as a psychological thriller and tells the story of  John Vattic who wakes up to find himself in a military hospital with both amnesia and the ability to use telekenesis. Which is ironic, you soon discover, as John starts to have flashbacks and remembers that he was himself a scientist who once debunked such freaks.

This twist is a small example of what forms a compelling story, but not only as a background. You get to play John not only in the present with his new found powers, but also in the past before all this came to pass. As John remembers, cut-scenes unravel more of John's mysterious past, which then segue directly into gameplay.

The first flashback takes you back six months to a military base where John must be complete an assault course before joining a crack team of cliche' tough dudes on a mission to stop a madman. The course is a nice way of introducing you to the the mechanincs of the engine, and specifically on how to use walls to advantage -- much of the gameplay focuses less on brute force and more on using stealth and tactics to win your battles. Watching the pattern of guard movements for example and avoiding their path, or using walls as cover in a firefight.

John is, like Freeman before him, a scientist with an uncanny knack for weapons, and you will find and enjoy everything from pistols and SMGs through to sniper rifles. But the real fun is John's mental powers when you're playing him in the present -- telekensis to move objects (and later people), psi attacks to mash minds, an ability to render yourself near invisible, and even the posession of other people.

The engine uses the familiar 3rd person perspective with automated camera positioning. This is tricky to get right in a game, and it either works wonderfully and enhances gameplay, or it hinders it. Unfortunately, Second Sight falls into the latter and attempting to control John in a fire fight near room and corrider edges is an excercise in 'What the f*ck were they thinking?' Additionally, a bizzarre auto-targeting feature for weapons  often has John swinging to target what the game thinks is the best choice, when it's not. As a game designed for all of the Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube it's clear the focus was on a console control system, and this lets the PC version down.

If you can push past this, though, the attention to detail and story in Second Sight is enveloping. The cut-scenes are cinematic with superb model and facial animation and reasonable voice acting. Making full use of dynamic lightning, shadow and particle systems, and handling indoor and outdoor environments with finesse, it's a joy to run around in while smashing people against walls.

If you're bored of the FPS deluge of late and in the mood for a more cerebal gaming experience -- though still with enough action to keep you entertained -- Second Sight will satisfy.