The 90’s were a magical time for video games: At the beginning of the decade, we had 16 bit consoles and ended the decade with the PlayStation and CD’s. It was a transition from 2D sprites to 3D worlds, and with that transition came many franchises that stuck with the kids and teenagers who, in a way, grew up with them.

For me, the franchise that stuck with me the most wasn’t Super Mario, Metal Gear Solid, or Resident Evil, but Syphon Filter, a third-person action adventure series that followed secret agent Gabe Logan as he traveled around the world in a race against time to stop a deadly virus that, if released by its terrorist creator, Eric Rhomer, could kill millions. For my teenage self, it had everything: An awesome protagonist with a badass voice, a gripping story, great gameplay, cool guns, incredibly catchy music, and some highly creative and unique scenarios that the player encounters when going through the levels.

I’ve been meaning to revisit the Syphon Filter series for a while now to take a look at it from a writer’s perspective. But instead of your typical retrospective that would focus on the story, the characters, and the gameplay, I figured I’d try something different. As much as I enjoy the story, it is a standard secret-agent, espionage story with evil agencies, double-crossings, conspiracies, and the like. Therefore, instead of doing my usual analysis of what works and doesn’t work in each game, I’d like to go through the games and look at their levels instead and see what unique moments, hooks, and ideas they have. Today, we’ll start off with the first game in the series, 1999’s, Syphon Filter. And to mix things up a little more, we’ll go through the levels in order of how I enjoy them, from least to best.

20. Stronghold Catacombs

Syphon Filter’s least enjoyable level has you start off sneaking after some killer monks to save elderly, morally bankrupt CEO Phagan from being murdered, then doing a dreaded escort mission for said CEO through endless identical, ugly tunnels, and then do another escort mission to save Lian Xing, your partner you thought was dead. Though it’s nice helping her bust out of prison, the level’s size, ugly visuals, length, and having two escort missions makes this the game’s least enjoyable level.

Best story element: Learning that a partner who you thought was dead is actually alive and rescuing her (and unlike the morally bankrupt CEO, she actually has a gun and can defend herself, making your job easier).

19. Pharcom Elite Guards

This is pretty much a repeat of the Warehouses level (see the next entry), but harder. Plus, it’s much more of a maze this time around, and the Pharcom guards are now focused on you rather than Rhomer’s men, meaning you’re under fire constantly throughout the mission, and all of them wear flak jackets, meaning they require a headshot, leg-shot, or explosives to take out. Plus, finding some of the dead bodies you’re supposed to tag is a pain in the butt.

Best story element: The revelation that the silo you’re heading to holds a massive missile that was supposedly retired decades ago. When combined with all of Pharcom’s stuff being shipped here, it becomes clear that there’s something much bigger and more dangerous going on than you initially thought.

18. Pharcom Warehouses

The race to the finale of the game begins here, with Gabe having to fight his way through an enormous warehouse district to reach a well-hidden missile silo, all the while having two factions of enemy mooks (Pharcom guards and Rhomer’s men) fighting each other to death while ignoring you (unless you get too close). The level works at nailing the feel of an urban warzone, but the bland colors, ugly warehouses, and having to find multiple dead bodies doesn’t make this much fun to go through.

Best story element: Being involved in a three-way race to reach something important (the missile silo) while two of the three factions are more focused on fighting each other than you, all while having lost contact with the outside world.

17. Silo Access Tunnels

While en-route to Rhomer’s missile silo, you have to make your way through some abandoned mining tunnels that are swarming with his elite soldiers. The best thing about this mission is the spooky ambience of going through abandoned mining tunnels while being outnumbered by well-armed and armored soldiers.

Best story element: Making your way through a dark and creepy underground hideout with highly-skilled mercenaries trying to kill you, and being completely cut off from outside help.

16. Stronghold Lower Level

As a continuation of the previous level (see entry number 14), not much is different here: the atmosphere of a massive, abandoned cathedral is suitably gothic, saving the lives of innocent people infected by the Syphon Filter virus is still satisfying, and leaping through a massive, stained-glass window is cool (though how Gabe does it without being sliced to ribbons or breaking his legs on impact is never explained), but the level’s enormous size does start to wear down on the player after a while.

Best story element: Leaping through a large, ornate, stained-glass window to escape a cathedral is a great visual.

15. Base Bunker

A classic example of ‘continue your mission despite everyone knowing where you are,’ this level has Gabe trying to get through a dark tunnels to find and catalogue some missiles, all while being hunted by a constant stream of guards and death lasers without having any idea of where he’s going. What works well here is the fear of not knowing what’s around the next corner: it could be a set of lasers or a set of guards, but you have to keep pushing through, no matter what.

Best story element: Having to accomplish your mission in an area you know nothing about while constantly being hunted, and an entire base knowing where you are.

14. Rhomer’s Stronghold

Previous levels in the game featured a modern city, a museum, and a military base, which makes going to an abandoned cathedral a surprising change of scenery. The Gothic atmosphere, enormous layout, and appropriately moody music sets the stage well, and saving innocent test patients is a welcome break from gunning down hundreds of terrorists. Plus, there’s the humor of taking on monks armed with machine guns and shotguns. The downside is that this is a huge level with a lot of stuff to do, and it’s frustrating to reach the end, only to have to backtrack to find the one sick patient you missed.

Best story element: the novelty of going through a massive, abandoned cathedral that’s been turned into a stronghold by a terrorist, complete with monks with machine guns. But the best part about this level is revisiting it after a surprising plot twist later in the game (see number 2 on this list).

13. Rhomer’s Base

Every spy thriller has to include the infiltration of an enemy base at one point (it’s like a law, or something), and this level makes good use of all the tropes: a lone agent has to infiltrate a military base at night in a snowstorm, plant explosives at key locations, assassinate the base’s commander, turn off the power to the base’s bunker, and sneak inside said bunker without being seen. While the mission will continue if he is, it will become a lot harder, as many frustrated teens from the 90’s joining Gabe in yelling, “Damnit!” can attest.

Best story element: Having to sneak through a military base unseen; if you can pull it off all the way to the end, it’s an awesome feeling.

12. Expo Center Reception

Aside from having one of the game’s catchiest themes, the Pharcom Expo Center Reception is a good level that takes advantage of its museum theme to present a variety of themed locations to go through, from Stonehenge, to Egypt, to the Aztecs, and even outer space. But the best part of this mission takes place early on, when you learn that your commanding officer, Benton, is secretly a traitor working to get his hands on the Syphon Filter virus, leading to a duel between you and him in the Egyptian wing.

Best story element: Taking on your former boss, and (if you’re a quick enough shot), shooting him in the head before he can do anything, making for a hilariously one-sided boss fight.

11. Expo Center Dinorama

This level offers more of the same as its predecessor, but adds in two great moments: falling through a massive glass ceiling (and once again, not explaining how Gabe can survive a fall that would otherwise kill you in any other part of the game), and a truly great dilemma at the end: Gabe finally catches up to Mara and Phagan, both of whom he needs alive to interrogate. The problem is, Mara will kill Phagan, and Gabe has to figure out how to stop her when he can’t kill her. The solution? Shoot the gun out of her hand; while Phagan escapes, Mara is stopped, allowing Gabe to capture her. (You could also tase her, but it’s nowhere near as cool.)

Best story element: Having to stop one character from killing another, but without killing them in the process.

10. Base Tower

A short but intense level, the Base Tower has Gabe face his most dangerous opponent yet: an attack helicopter that he has to bring down using assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols (or, if the player uses cheat codes, a grenade launcher). It’s a challenge to be sure (and one that many have noted bears a very strong similarity to a similar boss fight from Metal Gear Solid), but the level has the first big twist of the game: hearing your partner, Lian, be killed over the radio at the beginning of the stage, and then hearing Rhomer himself mocking you before sending his helicopter after you.

Best story element: An operative hears one of his/her allies be killed over the radio, with him/her being unable to do anything but listen, and then having to fight for his/her life before any grieving can take place.

9. Base Escape

If the entry into Rhomer’s base was a slow, methodical sneaking mission, this level is the opposite: Gabe has just three minutes to escape before all the bombs he planted detonate, turning the base into a crater a mile wide. And to make things more difficult, the helicopter you destroyed has blocked the quickest route out, forcing you to take the long route. It’s a great escape level, where the emphasis is on running over fighting, and any fighting you do has to be quick, lest you run out of time.

Best story element: I’ve always loved that one guard at the base’s gate, the last man standing between you and freedom. And how does this guard intend to stop you? By standing in place and chucking grenades, which you can effortlessly avoid by just running past him. And as the screen fades to black, you can easily imagine the guard realizing that maybe his choice of weaponry was kinda dumb.

8. Freedom Memorial

The ending of the Washington DC levels has Gabe taking on terrorist Anton Girdeux, who is wearing impenetrable body armor, wields a flamethrower, and terrorizes friend and foe alike with his silly french accent. In order to save Washington, you have to kill Girdeux, but his armor is immune to conventional weapons, and using any explosives of any kind will detonate the last viral bomb, making this a test of wits and quick-thinking… which is resolved by shooting Anton’s backpack three times. Do it quickly enough, and you’ll win the fight in less time than it takes to pour a bowl of cereal. Despite it’s rather easy difficulty, it’s a memorable fight.

Best story element: A military operative taking on a powerful enemy with one of the most terrifying weapons ever invented, and with body armor that none of his regular weapons will hurt, forcing him or her to use their wits to win the battle.

7. Tunnel Blackout

While Syphon Filter is an action adventure game, this level is a swerve into horror territory: there are no supernatural monsters or otherwordly happenings, but it starts off creepily enough with Gabe in the flaming ruins of the generator room, complete with twisted metal, beams, and fire. And since you’re deep underground, you can’t just escape back to the surface. The only way out is to drop down a shaft into the pitch-blackness of the mining tunnels. From there, you have to slowly make your way to the level exit while methodically sniping Rhomer’s elite guards using a night-vision equipped sniper rifle. If you take your time, you’ll make it, but even a single missed shot will make things more difficult. (And Heaven help you if you somehow miss the rifle…)

Best story element: An operative has to make his way through a pitch-black location while being hunted with only a single, night-vision equipped weapon and stealth to help him succeed.

6. Washington Park

A massive, sprawling level with an hour-long timer counting down the whole time, this level is a technical marvel considering the PS1’s technological limitations. There’s a real sense of forthcoming danger, and coupled with the enormous size of the park, you’re moving quickly to find the bombs and cover the CDC agents responsible for disarming them, on top of taking out more of Rhomer’s operatives, and even dealing with a hostage situation. I like the sense of teamwork in this level, in that you’re working with the CDC to disarm the bombs instead of doing it yourself, adding to the feeling that you’re working with other people determined to stop Rhomer as much as you, rather than being a Rambo-Superman who can do everything yourself.

Best story element: Someone racing against the clock in a dark and spooky location at night in a rainstorm to help the good guys stop a city-sized catastrophe from taking place.

5. Main Subway Line

This short but intense level is the most unique boss fight in the game: Mara Aramov – one of Rhomer’s allies – has escaped into the Washington DC subway tunnels and must be captured. Problem is, the trains running through the tunnels aren’t going to stop for you, forcing Gabe to chase Mara without getting crushed into paste. Worse still, you can’t use explosives to stop her, as that will cause the cars to derail and make an already bad situation even worse. Though shot, this is an intense and thrilling level that establishes the Syphon Filter’s franchise affinity for unique and interesting boss encounters… and Mara’s incredibly thick skull that allows her to survive being shot in the head time and time again.

Best story element: A chase/duel between two operatives in an active subway tunnel with trains constantly going back and forth, where one mistake will lead to instant death, and using explosives to win is not an option.

4. Georgia Street

Making a good first impression is always important, doubly so in video games, where having a great first level can mean the difference between a player being eager to continue on, or rethink whether they want to spend their limited free time on the game. Thankfully, Syphon Filter does a stellar job with it’s first level, which sees you running through a Washington DC suburb fighting terrorists with goofy eyes and laughably bad aim while helping the CDC disarm viral bombs set to go off and kill everyone within a hundred miles. You go through the streets, through a bar, a bank, and finally a subway, all while learning the game’s mechanics. It’s a solid introduction to the game, and the series as a whole.

Best story element: Fighting terrorists in a variety of urban locations while trying to track down and stop explosives from going off.

3. Destroyed Subway

Aside from establishing the series-wide trademark of Gabe somehow surviving situations where he’d be blown up or die from falling from impossible-to-survive heights, the destroyed subway is probably Syphon Filter’s most visually impressive level: having survived a bomb explosion, Gabe now has to escape from a collapsed subway station that’s engulfed in flames. Not only will you have to take on a few more of Rhomer’s men while doing so, but you also have to help the CDC break in and disarm a viral bomb from the previous level that they never got to. Although still limited by the Playstation 1’s technology, this is still a visually awesome, moody level that’s harrowing and tense and exciting to play through.

Best story element: Still having to disarm an unexploded bomb in an destroyed subway.

2. Warehouse 76

After slugging his way through what feels like the world’s biggest warehouse district, Gabe arrives at the hidden entrance to the missile silo, where he’ll find an elevator that will take him to said silo. The only problem is that the warehouse is on fire and burning to the ground, and with no other way down to the silo, Gabe has no choice but to fight his way through the warehouse. And unlike the subway in Washington, the warehouse will inevitably collapse, killing Gabe if he can’t make it out in time.

While this level is similar to the collapsed DC subway, it has a more urgent and frantic tone, as there’s now a countdown timer to deal with in addition to having to find your way through the warehouse and fight the fools who insist on trying to kill you instead of, you know, escaping the warehouse that’s burning to the ground around them. It’s a tense thrill ride, and one of the best levels in the game.

Best story element: while the trope of a military operative purposefully running into a burning, collapsing building to reach his only way to get to his objective is cool, it’s a revelation in the opening briefing that hits the hardest: remember all those infected people you were saving back in Rhomer’s Stronghold? It turns out the vaccine you were given was actually poison. All of them are now dead because you unknowingly killed them on the orders of your boss, who you had no reason to suspect was anyone but an ally. Yikes.

1. Missile Silo

It’s good to begin well, but better to end well, and Syphon Filter’s final level is my favorite: you’ve made it to Rhomer’s missile silo, but stopping the missile is going to be anything but easy: the missile is about to launch and is impossible to abort, giving Gabe less than a minute to climb onto said missile to retrieve the codes that can detonate it in mid-flight, and then he has only seconds to get to safety to avoid being burnt to a crisp when the missile launches, and then he has less than three minutes to reach the silo’s computer controls to detonate the missile mid-flight, or World War 3 will begin, and THEN Gabe has to face Rhomer, who has impenetrable body armor that not even grenades can penetrate (despite his head and face being completely unprotected), forcing Gabe to find another way to stop him, which ends up being gas grenades.

Though a short level, ‘Missile Silo’ is an exciting finale where all of your skills are put to the test, but in a fun way: you’ve mastered doing headshots, combat rolls, and the K3G4. You’re ready, and finally taking out Rhomer and saving the world is a great feeling, and a great end to a great game.

Best story element: While most scenarios involving world-ending missiles are about stopping them before they launch, Syphon Filter’s revolves around stopping a missile after it’s launched, making the race to stop it even more urgent than usual.

That’s it for the first game, but there are still two more to go: Come back next time, where we’ll take a look at what is commonly regarded as the best entry in the franchise, Syphon Filter 2.