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1[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Syphon-Filter-Breaches-PSPs-Perimeter-Defenses-2.jpg]]
2
3''Syphon Filter'' is a ThirdPersonShooter and StealthBasedGame series that started in 1999 and was developed by Eidetic (later known as Creator/SonyBend) focusing on the adventures of Gabriel "Gabe" Logan, who begins the story as an agency operative, until turning rogue, and eventually after exposing the misdeeds of said agency, forms his own, known as the International Presidential Consulting Agency (IPCA). Syphon Filter itself is a fatal virus, akin to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid FOXDIE]], which can be made to [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain target specific ethnicities]]. Throughout the first four games, the objective is trying to stop its distribution.
4
5There are six games in the series:
6
7* ''Syphon Filter'' (1999) - The Agency is tracking the terrorist Erich Rhoemer, who is in possession of a dangerous bio weapon known as Syphon Filter. They don't need to look far because Rhoemer just launched a massive attack on the nation's capital!
8* ''Syphon Filter 2'' (2000) - Gabe and Lian stopped Rhoemer's evil plan, but their troubles aren't over. The Agency kidnapped Lian and Gabe is in hot pursuit, but his chase hits a snag when his plane is shot down over the Rockies.
9* ''Syphon Filter 3'' (2001) - Gabe and his allies are interrogated by a closed Congressional hearing about their past exploits and the truth about Syphon Filter.
10* ''Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain'' (2004) - Gabe and his allies have cleared their names and reform The Agency into The IPCA. However, a new strain of Syphon Filter surfaces.
11* ''Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror'' (2006) - The IPCA is dealing with a new threat, whilst Gabe is facing his old problems.
12* ''Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow'' (2007) - Lian Xing is missing, and the IPCA tries to make do without her, until the moment when Lian is framed for terrorism and the IPCA have to clear her name.
13
14In all of the above games, sans ''The Omega Strain'', Gabe is usually the {{player character}}.
15
16----
17[[foldercontrol]]
18
19[[folder:Syphon Filter Franchise]]
20
21* AKA47: Most of the guns in the first two games.
22* AdaptationDyeJob: Mara Aramov changed from a redhead to a blonde in ''2'' (as well as changing her hairstyle), and she kept her blonde hair in the flashbacks in ''3''.
23* AirVentPassageway: Starting in ''2'', you could traverse these. Bizarrely enough, you moved ''faster'' in them.
24* AllThereInTheManual: Subverted. The game's cutscenes and briefings tells the player everything they need to know to finish the game, but a lot of additional details about the background plot, such as how Rhoemer could afford to buy a missile silo area from Kazakh's government, why Rhoemer picked Washington Park as his main viral bombing target, and how Earl Oakton became the founder of the FIST militia group in Montana are only told in PlayerVersusPlayer stage briefings.
25* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Earning ranks in ''The Omega Strain'' gives you new pants, shirts, hats, vests, and shoes to wear.
26* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
27** The PS1 trilogy has a Danger bar which shows how close the protagonist is from getting damaged by the enemies. When the Danger bar appears, the player can choose to either strike back or run. As the player progresses further in the game, the enemies become more skillful and the Danger bar fills quicker than in early levels. This is a slight issue, however, in "Base Tower" boss level in which Gabe has to shoot down Rhoemer's chopper, because the Danger bar immediately fills up even when Gabe hides himself out of the chopper's line of fire.
28** Starting from ''2'', enemies can aim for head shots, and if they are successful, it means instant death. Fortunately, the game provides three warnings when someone is currently aiming for your head; a cross-hair note saying "head shot" near your character's head, the Danger bar fills up automatically, and the radar blinking in red.
29** The game usually will l let the player pick up items from a crate only once. If the crate has been opened, the item inside would be obtained and the crate would be emptied. In the "Finale" boss fight.of ''2'', one of two crates contains UAS-12 shotgun that can always be obtained even after it was opened for the first time, because [[spoiler:according to the game's script, the final boss can only be killed with UAS-12]].
30* AnyoneCanDie:
31** [[spoiler:Happened to Teresa Lipan in ''2'', but she got better.]]
32** In ''Logan's Shadow'', [[spoiler: Alima Haddad, Lawrence Mujari, Teresa and Gabe.]]
33* ArtifactTitle: [[spoiler:''Syphon Filter'' itself as the virus was dealt with in ''The Omega Strain''. ''Dark Mirror'' and ''Logan's Shadow'' deal with new threats.]]
34* ArtisticLicenseGeography:
35** In Pugari levels from ''3'' which takes place in the "Mpumalanga Province, South Africa," in 1984, this region was actually called ''"Eastern Transvaal"'', and was '''renamed into "Mpumalanga" in 1995''' after the fall of apartheid causing the restructuring of South Africa's provinces.
36** "Convoy" level from ''3'' which takes place in 1987 during Soviet-Afghan war shows Gabe raiding an Afghan rebel fortress that has the green-white-black tricolor Afghan flag with the gold Shahadah logo hanging on a wall. This flag was not adopted until 1992, when the communist regime collapsed.
37** The initial cutscene of the first game and its playable WholeEpisodeFlashback in the third game take place in Guacimo, Costa Rica. The latter then continues on the ruins of an Aztec temple repurposed by the BigBad as a laboratory. The problem? Aztec civilization settled in central Mexico, not in Costa Rica. Probably a mistake by the developers conflating [[{{Mayincatec}} different Mesoamerican cultures]] into a single entity.
38* ArtisticLicenseLinguistics:
39** If Mara Aramov is really a Russian, her last name should actually be '''"Aramova"''', because Russian surnames have both masculine and feminine forms.
40** This series treats Lian Xing's name as similar to common Western name--Lian being her given name and Xing being her surname--starting from '1' to ''Dark Mirror''. Gabe even refers to her as "Xing" in his Afghanistan level in ''3'' and only starts calling her "Lian" when the two get closer. However, a former assassin trainer named Trinidad in ''Logan's Shadows'' reveals that Lian Xing is her maiden name--Lian being her maiden surname and Xing being her given name. Since she has married a scientist named Shen Rei and their marriage is legally still intact, she should be called Shen Xing.
41* AwesomeButImpractical: The Air Taser can fire as far as the render distance lets you, and kill virtually anyone not armored (unless you get a headshot on unprotected noggins) with a couple seconds of electrocution (or [[ManOnFire set them ablaze if done longer]]), making it an ammo-free way of wiping enemies off the grid. It also completely leaves you exposed and vulnerable while using it, and might clip into a wall and cut itself short before a target's down; in any situation that doesn't grant a clear shot on only one foe, it's almost invariably going to get you killed or waste your time.
42* BadassNormal: Gabe, Mara, Lian, Teresa and Mujari in his prime.
43* BareMidriffsAreFeminine:
44** Lian wear a midriff top in the intro of the original''Syphon Filter'' and in some levels in ''3''.
45** Mara Aramov wears midriff-revealing outfits on several occasions too.
46** Cobra, the player character of ''The Omega Strain'', can wear midriff tops if they are female.
47* BeatingADeadPlayer: Whenever you drop dead, enemies will continue to make mincemeat out of your corpse with their bullets. If they run out of ammo, they'll even pause to reload before ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill continuing to shoot you]]''.
48* BerserkButton: If Gabe's friends or innocent people are hurt or killed in his presence, he will end the person that did it.
49* {{BFG}}: Anton Girdeux and Red Jack's flamethrower, which are enormous backpack-powered things. Much like in real life.
50* BigBadEnsemble: The [[ArmsDealer arms consortium]] and GovernmentConspiracy of the first four games that was known as "The Consortium". Its members consisted of [[Fiction500 Mihai Niculescu]], [[CorruptPolitician Vince Hadden]], Thomas Markinson, Jonathan Phagan and Erich Rhoemer, with known operatives including [[TheDragon Mara Aramov]],Edward Benton, Commander Silvers, [[spoiler:Jason Chance]] and [[spoiler:Alex Birchim]]. Assets that were under their control included the [[CovertGroup Agency]], Pharcom Industries, Murakawa Industries and Black Baton, while General Shi-Hao's rebel faction, the Provisional IRA and the Chechen Democratic Partizans were known allies and clients.
51* BigBadWannabe: Vince Hadden (US Secretary of State) was a legitimate threat for Gabriel Logan, until Logan managed to overturn his accusations and brought federal agents to have him arrested for being involved in [[ArmsDealer The Arms Consortium]]. [[spoiler:He was killed by Mara Aramov.]]
52* BittersweetEnding:
53** Part 1: Gabe kills Rhoemer and saves the world, but Lian is infected with Syphon Filter and both are left out in the cold.
54** In ''2'', the Agency's leaders are dead and their conspiracy is exposed, but there are others who still want to possess Syphon Filter. [[spoiler:Also, Teresa "dies"]].
55** ''Logan's Shadow'': [[spoiler:Gabe foils al-Jamil's plot, only to be killed by Trinidad.]]
56* BlatantLies: From ''3'':
57-->'''Hadden:''' Have you ever assassinated a world leader?
58-->'''Gabe:''' No. Never.
59--> ''(a flashback is shown of Gabe getting ready to assassinate Shi-Hao, who is the leader of a rebel movement, [[ExactWords not a world leader]])''
60* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Found armor essentially acts as a second health meter.
61* BoomHeadshot: A {{one hit kill}} that also applies to the player character in ''2'' and ''3''.
62* BoringButPractical:
63** The 9mm handgun. It has moderate power, decent fire rate and magazine size for a semi-automatic and often comes equipped with a [[HollywoodSilencer silencer]] for stealth missions.
64* [[{{Bowdlerise}} Bowdlerization]]:
65** In the European release of ''3'', "IRA" was changed into "ARM" [[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles for obvious reasons]].
66** The EU version of ''Dark Mirror'' is [[https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4033 heavily censored]], and this was carried over to all versions of the [=PS2=] port. All blood splatter and several scenes of executions are removed, enemies can no longer be set on fire, and several environmental kills were removed to eliminate VideoGameCrueltyPotential. Furthermore, the child character Blake can no longer be killed and all scenes of her in danger are removed, such as her being left to drown and taken hostage, ironically making the censored version easier since the player no longer need to rescue her within a time limit. The final boss fight against Singularity was also made easier since there are less trains to [[RailroadTracksOfDoom run the player over]], and the ending cutscene was changed [[spoiler:so that Singularity dies via a [[DuelToTheDeath gun duel]], rather than Gabe [[PayEvilUntoEvil kicking him into the way of a passing train]]]].
67* BreakThemByTalking: Singularity delivers this to Gabe during their final battle in ''Dark Mirror''.
68* BulletproofVest: Your flak jacket is the only armour in the game, and it is a huge life saver.
69* ChaseScene: Several. The first game had a simple one mission chase involving Aramov. The sequel ups the ante and has a four-mission long chase culminating in a boss fight.
70* ChekhovsGun:
71** The giant glass ceiling display at the Pharcom Expo Center in the first game is displayed prominently. Gabe has to fall into the thing in dramatic action star fashion at the next mission.
72** Morgan's helicopter which is stolen by Lian and used for the remainder of part 2 as Team Logan's primary mode of transport. [[spoiler:It is also used by Gabe to kill Chance.]]
73* ClearMyName: The third game is more or less everyone who was associated with Gabe testifying on his behalf.
74* ConspiracyRedemption: From the Agency to the IPCA.
75* CriticalExistenceFailure: You can get shot several times without it slowing your character down appreciably, although it does deplete your armor, and your "health" stat is very, very low. All that aside, if you get somewhere near an open flame in any way at any time, you're going up like a Roman candle.
76* CrosshairAware: The games will notify you when snipers have you lined up for a headshot.
77* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Logan's Shadow'', which is the darkest game in the series. In it, the ICPA is shut down by {{corrupt corporate executive}} Robert Cordell, the {{big bad}} of the game, Ghassan Al Bitar, [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror is a Middle Eastern terrorist formally affiliated with al-Qaeda]], Gabe is sent on a botched mission by Cordell, Lian is accused of treason by Cordell, and [[spoiler:Gabe and Teresa may have died at the end.]] Ironically, this game has a Teen rating.
78* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Gabe and Lian are part of a covert government agency known as the Agency.
79* DepletedPhlebotinumShells: Crossed with AbnormalAmmo. In ''3'', Lian, during a flashback to Chinese operations in the Soviet-Afghan War, is given a rifle that uses unique gas to penetrate walls - stone, steel, you name it. In the present, Gabe uses it to [[spoiler:take out Mara, who is using a hostage as a shield - he climbs on top of the subway car they're in and puts a bullet in her.]]
80* DistractedByTheSexy: In the second bonus mission, Lian disguises herself as a concubine to fool Yang and the outdoor guards, then dons a bikini to distract the guards at Saydahmat's suite.
81* TheDragon: Mara was this for many bad guys.
82* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Shen Rei does this in order to avoid being captured by the Chinese CSS agent, Trinidad.]]
83* ElaborateUndergroundBase: Rhoemer's missile silo beneath a warehouse district in part 1 and the Agency Bio-Lab beneath a New York Slum district in part 2.
84* EliteMooks:
85** The aptly named Pharcom Elite Guards.
86** Archer's Retrieval and Elimination Team Spooks who only go for head shots if the game is played on Hard.
87* EscortMission: Many times.
88* EveryCarIsAPinto: Cars always explode spectacularly when they crash, and even a few shots to a parked car makes it go boom.
89* EverybodysDeadDave: [[spoiler:In the ending of ''Logan's Shadow'', almost all of the main characters are either dead or dying.]]
90* EveryoneCanSeeIt: See ObliviousToLove.
91* EvilLaugh: The first three games ended with Mara laughing.
92* FakingTheDead:
93** [[spoiler:Teresa]] in ''2''.
94** [[spoiler:Addison Hargrove]] in ''Dark Mirror''.
95* FinalBoss:
96** Rhoemer in the first game.
97** [[spoiler:Chance]] in the second game.
98** Mara in the third game.
99** Singularity in ''Dark Mirror''.
100** Ghassan al-Bitar in ''Logan's Shadow''.
101* FiveTokenBand: From the [=PS1=] trilogy:
102** Gabriel Logan (Caucasian American).
103** Lian Xing (Asian - Chinese).
104** Lawrence mujari (South African).
105** Teresa Lipan (Native American).
106** Maggie Powers (British - English).
107* {{Foreshadowing}}:
108** In ''2'', if [[spoiler:Chance]] is fighting by your side and you die, he and the Agency mooks will stop shooting at each other.
109** In ''The Omega Strain'', [[spoiler:Imani Gray tells you to pick up a body and move it around during the training mission, saying that you may have to do it out in the field. Guess who's body you'll be lugging around later on?]]
110* FrenchJerk:
111** Anton Girdeux in ''1''.
112** Masson and the ALA (Anachiste Libertaire Armee) in ''The Omega Strain''.
113* GameplayAndStorySegregation: ''Syphon Filter 2, Mission 9'': You're not allowed to kill U.S. Army regulars because they are innocent bystanders. BUT the area to the left of the Aztec Exhibit where you plant a ''C4 Explosive'' to create a diversion has two Army regulars there that you have to incapacitate. Since you can't move their bodies to a safer area, it's assumed in the cutscene for Mission 10 that they weren't killed. Either because "no one was there" or "they're impervious to explosions".
114** In the third mission of the first game, Gabe has to stop Mara Aramov. Unlike the sequels, the first game lacks any kind of non-lethal weaponry, so using regular guns is necessary. Canonically she survives with JustAFleshWound, even if you shot her in the head during the actual game.
115* GasMaskMooks: Encountered by Lian in ''3'''s Australia missions. They're essentially CBDC agents [[PaletteSwap who wear blue.]]
116* GovernmentAgencyOfFiction: The Agency, and its {{conspiracy redemption}} successor, the IPCA, are of the first type. Also, [=MI6=], SVR, MSS, and various other {{real life}} agencies are portrayed as the second type.
117* GunPorn: There are over ''60'' weapons to use and unlock in ''The Omega Strain''.
118* HarderThanHard: The original [=PlayStation=] trilogy has "Hard difficulty" via a set of inputs. They change the behavior of the enemies in each game. As if the game wasn't hard enough, this difficulty will seriously test your patience and knowledge of the levels:
119** In the first game, enemies in the first few levels are very poor shooters, they take awhile to fill up your danger meter. These {{mooks}} get harder each set of levels. "Hard difficulty" makes it so even the first level mooks are as accurate as the enemies in the last few levels.
120** The second game ups the ante with changes in specific maps, first person-aiming mode is always a few pixels off where it's supposed to be, no headshot indicator and shorter patrol routes in stealth missions. The most apparent ones listed are:
121*** In the first level, mooks parachute down faster and spawn more often.
122*** On the second part of the train ride mission, you have much less time to make it to the end of the level.
123*** On the level to [[spoiler:retrieve the data discs]], every single enemy will aim for your head.
124** Third game doesn't change much aside from enemies acquiring you much quicker in earlier levels.
125* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor:
126** [[spoiler:Mara, sort of, in the first couple games. In one mission, you're chasing her through a subway tunnel. Later, she's helping to air drop you into {{the very definitely final dungeon}}.]]
127** [[spoiler:In ''3'', she was shot in the head by Gabe since she was part of the {{evil plan}} instigators. However, in the ending, it is revealed that she survived. She would appear in ''The Omega Strain''.]] In ''The Omega Strain'', [[spoiler: it is implied that she was killed by Gary "Stone" Stoneman. This was confirmed in ''Dark Mirror''.]]
128** [[spoiler:Dr. Elsa Weissinger]], who starts as antagonist in ''2'', while a flashback in ''3'' shows her as an ally. ''The Omega Strain'' had her as an ally, before she swaps back to the antagonist side. A part of ''The Omega Strain''[='=]s ending has her [[spoiler: state via note that she enjoys destroying anything she creates]], so this could be justified.
129* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:Gabe is mortally wounded by Trinidad at the end of ''Logan's Shadow''. Lian tries to resuscitate him, but the game ends before we can see if she succeeded.]]
130* HeroicMime: Aside from grunts of pain, the player character doesn't speak a single word in ''The Omega Strain''.
131* HowWeGotHere: ''3'' begins like this.
132* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The enemies you encounter in the first level of the original game are ''terrible'' shots, incapable of hitting you even when you're standing ''two feet away'', often for several seconds. This is averted as the game goes on, however, as enemies become better shots.
133* InMediasRes: The series began in this way, with no thorough explanations of any character or event preceding Gabe's pursuit of Rhoemer until the events of "3".
134* InfiniteFlashlight: Although the in-game description in ''Syphon Filter'' states it's rated for 300 hours of use, the game takes an average of twenty to thirty hours to complete.
135* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight: Washington Park in Part 1 and New York Slums in part 2.
136* JokeCharacter: Characters in the 2 player vs. mode in ''2'' and ''3'' include a corpse, a Syphon Filter victim, and random civilians.
137* KillHimAlready:
138** Mara in the first three games. [[spoiler:This is finally averted in ''Dark Mirror'', where the player, as Stone, kills her and Dr. Weissinger ''after witnessing a lesbian make out session in their private villa''.]]
139** [[spoiler: Chance]] had his helmet off in the cutscene before the final battle in ''2'' (and he wasn't shown putting it back on either).
140** Rhoemer in ''3''. Granted, Gabe was trying to aim for his head.
141* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In the Senate Building level of ''3'', you can hear two mooks talking about a "spy game" coming out the year after.
142* LukeIAmYourFather: It's revealed in the ending of ''Dark Mirror'' that [[spoiler:Gabe is indeed the father of Addison's daughter, Blake.]]
143* MadScientist: Dr. Elsa Weissinger.
144* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:The Agency was controlled by a shadowy consortium. You never really know who or what is leading them, except for fighting a few in Ireland and Australia.]]
145* {{Melodrama}}: Elements of this start creeping in as Gabe and Lian's backstories in ''Dark Mirror'' and ''Logan's Shadow'' are revealed.
146* TheMenInBlack: The Pharcom security in part 1 and Agency operatives in part 2.
147* TheMole:
148** Edward Benton in ''1'' should count, but then again, [[spoiler:the whole Agency is evil]].
149** [[spoiler:Chance in ''2''.]]
150** Nigel Cummings in ''3''.
151* MutualKill: [[spoiler:In the final cutscene of ''Logan's Shadow'', Gabe and Trinidad's final confrontation ends with both of them dying.]]
152* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: The series loves to take some jabs at the U.S. government. There are many examples, but the most blatant ones are the Montana based levels in the third game.
153* NeckSnap: Stone can use it in his bonus mission in ''The Omega Strain'', and the player character can as well after the mission's completion.
154* NewOldFlame:
155** Addison for Gabe in ''Dark Mirror''.
156** Shen for Lian in ''Logan's Shadow''.
157* NighInvulnerability:
158** Girdeux is wearing full body armor and can only be defeated by attacking the tank for his flamethrower.
159** Rhoemer is supposedly wearing invulnerable armor and can only be killed [[spoiler:with a gas grenade]], even though he is obviously not wearing a helmet.
160** [[spoiler: The final boss, Chance of part 2, wears explosive resistant armor.]] And it doesn't seem to weigh them down.
161* NintendoHard:
162** Most of the games are fairly tough, but ''2'' in particular is brutal.
163** In the first three games, there is a code that will unlock the Hard difficulty.
164** In ''The Omega Strain'', every level can be nightmarishly difficult: to unlock the best guns, abilities, and ranks, the player has to complete all the objectives on every mission while on a time limit. To do this requires memorizing when and where everything happens, and praying that they don't get screwed by [[RespawningEnemies soldiers who magically appear out of thin air]], [[MadeofPlasticine extremely weak people you have to escort]], or a completely random glitch. With very little margin for error, players should expect to replay almost every level several times, or in some of the tougher ones, ''dozens'' of times.
165* NoEscapeButDown: Many times.
166* NoGearLevel:
167** In ''2'', The [=McKenzie=] Airbase Interior and the Agency Bio-Labs levels. The latter one is probably one of the most difficult levels of the game.
168** The Senate Building in part 3 has Gabe only having a pistol but no body armor while everybody else have armor and carry uzis.
169* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished:
170** The New York Slums level in ''2'' has Gabe helping a SWAT officer rescue her partner. Once that's done, she apologizes to Gabe by telling him that she's still under orders to arrest him so he runs away. If you run back to her, she'll shoot you on sight.
171** The New York Sewers of the same game, if Gabe tries to let Stevens speak his mind instead of killing him outright, it will result in Stevens killing Teresa Lipan (and of course, mission failure).
172** In Paradise Ridge, [[spoiler:Teresa]] will see two "FBI" operatives escorting two captured militia members. These "FBI" men will warn [[spoiler:Teresa]] to leave the area as they will "interrogate" their captives. If [[spoiler:Teresa]] refuses to leave and decides to make sure the interrogation process ''"does not violate the law"'', the "FBI" operatives will execute the captives and immediately [[BoomHeadshot kill her]].
173** Other than Paradise Ridge, ''3'' managed to avert this:
174*** In Hotel Fukushima, if Gabe saves the JRA member who had been tortured by Shi Hao's goon, that person will give Gabe an [[StuffBlowingUp MIL-15]], arguably the most powerful weapon in the original trilogy. Reckless usage of this weapon can cause accidental deaths and mission failure, though.
175*** In Costa Rican Plantation, if Gabe saves two slaves from physical abuse and kills the abuser, it will unlock ''Rhoemer's Labs'' for PlayerVersusPlayer mode.
176*** In C-5 Galaxy Transport'', if Gabe refrains from killing both the pilot ''and'' the co-pilot, it will unlock Rhoemer's Computer Center for PlayerVersusPlayer mode. Depending on luck factor, Gabe may or may not take some damage in his attempt of opening the exit door without killing anyone in the cockpit.
177*** In Pugari Complex, if Mujari refrains from killing Jones (an unarmed foreman who chose to surrender) after interrogating him, it will unlock ''Colorado Bridge'' for the Mini Game missions.
178*** In S.S. ''Lorelei'', if Gabe finishes the mission without harming the ship engineer and the cook, it will unlock S.S. ''Lorelei'' for PlayerVersusPlayer mode.
179*** In Militia Compound, if [[spoiler:Teresa]] saves as many militia members as she can, it will unlock Ismailivo Park for PlayerVersusPlayer mode.
180* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Gabe survived falling off high places and explosions without any explanation.
181* ObliviousToLove: In ''Logan's Shadow'', [[spoiler:Teresa reveals to Gabe that Lian is in love with him. She also reveals that he was the only one who didn't notice.]]
182* OnceAnEpisode: Every game from the original trilogy ended with Mara's laugh.
183* OneBookAuthor: John Chacon voiced Gabe in the first three games. By all accounts, he hasn't done any acting projects since then.
184* OneManArmy: All the characters. This is emphasized in the intro of part 2 where Gabe mows through dozens of mooks without breaking stride.
185* OurHeroIsDead: [[spoiler:Possibly implied in ''Logan's Shadow''[='=]s epilogue.]]
186* ThePlague: Stopping the pandemic is the [[SideQuest ultimate optional goal]] in ''The Omega Strain'', involving the collection of a number of {{plot coupon}}s which provide characters insight into the Syphon Filter virus.
187* PrettyLittleHeadshots: Played straight during gameplay. Averted in the second game's New York Slums level where Gabe has to assist a SWAT officer whose partner was shot in the head by a sniper.
188* RedShirtArmy: The CBDC agents in ''1'', the [=GIs=] in ''2'', the [=MI6=] agents and FIST militia members (if you manage to gain their trust) in ''3''.
189* RegionalRiff: In ''The Omega Strain'', each region uses a certain ethnic style of music, such as mandolins in Italy, Arabic instruments and vocals in Yemen, Mongolian-type music in Kyrgyzstan, and traditional Japanese instruments in Tokyo.
190* RespawningEnemies: Known to the fans as "Magic Guards".
191* {{Retcon}}: [[spoiler:Teresa]] was obviously {{killed off for real}} at the end of ''2'', complete with a funeral. However, in ''3'', possibly due to fan outcry, they changed the story so that she only [[FakingTheDead faked her death]].
192* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: Averted. [[spoiler:Teresa recounts how she, as an ATF sniper, came to assist FBI agents against a militia. It turned out that the FBI agents were actually rogue NSA agents. They were killing everybody (militia or otherwise) in order to get their hands on a satellite data that was in the militia's compound. This incident is where she first met Gabe.]]
193* SequelHook:
194** ''1'': [[spoiler: Mara is revealed to be working for the Agency.]]
195** ''2'': [[spoiler: Mara and Hadden were watching Teresa's "funeral" and decide to have Gabe and friends testify before Congress.]]
196** ''3'': [[spoiler: Mara recovers a single shipment of Syphon Filter from the wreckage of the SS ''Lorelei''.]]
197** ''The Omega Strain'': [[spoiler: Stone was sent to kill Mara. This event appears as a bonus mission in ''Dark Mirror'']].
198* ShoutOut:
199** The base level is quite clearly a Shout Out to ''Metal Gear Solid'''s Shadow Moses Island. The enemies even dress alike.
200** After Gabe saves the hostage in the first mission of ''3'', he says [[Film/TheTerminator "Come with me if you want to live"]].
201** One of the Military Police's taunts in ''2'' PlayerVsPlayer mode is "You fought the law, and the law won!", a reference to a Bobby Fuller's song made famous by [[Music/TheClash The Clash]].
202* ShownTheirWork:
203** Aljir Prison from ''Syphon Filter 2'' is based on a real life place named [=ALZhIR=], the Akmolinsk Camp of Wives of Traitors to the Motherland (Russian: Акмолинский лагерь жён изменников Родины (А. Л. Ж. И. Р.)), a "women's gulag" which imprisoned approximately 8000 people including the wives of statesmen, politicians and public figures in the then Soviet Union.
204** The survivalist militia from ''Syphon Filter 3'' is based on the real life organization Militia of Montana. Likewise, the Paradise Ridge Incident is based on real life events such as The Ruby Ridge Standoff and The Waco Siege.
205* SinisterShades: Part of the Agency operatives uniform. In the first game, Markinson is never seen without them.
206* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism:
207** This series was never idealistic to begin with, but definitely got DarkerAndEdgier as the series progressed. The storyline combines the plots of ''Literature/TheBourneSeries'' with ''Film/MissionImpossible'' with betrayal and being [[YouAreTooLate too late]] to save the day combined.
208** Gabe was more or less an idealist when he was still in the US Army Rangers and managed to keep much of his idealistic attitude when he first joined the Agency. [[TookALevelInCynic Slowly, his idealistic attitude crumbled after realizing that]] [[EvilAllAlong his organization was in cahoots with a terrorist ring]]. The whole Colorado incident was the final straw, Gabe stopped being a "loyal agent" and admitted that he was turning into a "tired, angry fugitive whose partner[[note]]Lian Xing[[/note]] is dying". He managed to regain some of his idealistic views of the world after he founded IPCA with his comrades, but his deep cynical scars remained [[spoiler:until the day he died]].
209* SplitScreen: Mostly in ''The Omega Strain'', also in PlayerVersusPlayer mode for ''2'' and ''3''.
210* TheStinger: Every game ends with this.
211* SyntheticPlague: The titular Syphon Filter, a bioweapon capable of being "programmed" to only infect specific groups of people.
212* TankGoodness: The T-62 in ''3''.
213* TauntButton: In PlayerVersusPlayer mode of ''2'' and ''3'', [[SubvertedTrope except there is NO taunt button]]. The taunts often come out at random moments, less than half of the playable characters can do it, and that character must be played in Controller One.
214* TemptingFate: In the "Convoy" level from ''3'', Edward Benton, who drives the munitions truck, tells Gabe and Ellis via radio communication that the valley in front of them is "too quiet". A few seconds later, multiple rebel gunmen appear [[GeoEffects above the slope]] and start firing at Gabe and Ellis.
215* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: In the first three games, if the player character is killed, enemies will continue to shoot at the body.
216* UnexpectedShmupLevel: The final battle of ''Logan's Shadow'' plays like a RailShooter. There, you fight Bitar in an attempt to destroy his {{doomsday device}} on a hydraulic lift.
217* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Averted. The roll is very necessary and even allows you to dodge ''some'' bullets.
218* UnwinnableByDesign: While it's certainly possible to finish ''The Omega Strain'', if you want to get all the weapons, all the ranks, and get the best ending, you need to play the game both off-line, and online to complete certain objectives and criteria (such as completing team-based objectives you can't get in single-player mode). However, with the online servers now shut down, it's impossible to fully complete the game and unlock all the goodies unless you download a fully-completed save online.
219* VideoGameCrueltyPotential:
220** The air taser in the first game delivers fairly horrific deaths to those unfortunate enough to be struck with it. And they ''scream'' the whole time. And burst into flames. Also, you have this weapon from the start, it never runs out of charge, and it's considered a silent weapon, making it one of the most useful things you carry.
221** There's the M-90 Grenade Launcher, which for some bizarre reason, still informs you of when you line up a headshot in first-person aiming mode. Not that you need it since it's {{exactly what it says on the tin}}.
222** Tired of lugging [[spoiler:Imani]]'s corpse around? At the end of the level, just dump it in the filthy jungle river, and leave it to rot!
223** In the uncensored US version of ''Dark Mirror'', the player can kill enemies in several creative ways such as [[SquashedFlat squishing them]] via a centrifuge. The censored EU version simply removed the enemies in that part of the level.
224* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment:
225** Killing Jones, a foreman who has no weapon and surrenders himself immediately after Mujari is done interrogating him, in Pugari Complex will result in a truck mysteriously trying to ram Mujari shortly afterwards. If Mujari manages to survive that, many guards who are alerted by the explosion will surround the place, making an unnecessary gunfight inevitable. Also, there will be no new level unlocked.
226** Shooting the friendly [[HazmatSuit CBDC]] agents in the first level of the first game results in either them angrily telling you to check your fire or a [[GameOver Mission parameter failed]] if you kill them. However, if you're not the one who killed them but still [[WhatTheHellHero shoot]] [[DesecratingTheDead their dead body]], the rest of the CBDC agents will fire at you on sight for the rest of the level.
227** The child character Blake can be killed by the player in the uncensored US version ''Dark Mirror'', which results in mission failure, but she is simply invincible in the EU version.
228* WeCanRuleTogether: In ''3'', [[spoiler:Mara]] tries to tempt Gabe into joining [[spoiler:her]] side after being cornered despite still holding a hostage:
229-->"Logan, put the gun down and let's work together. I will make you rich!"
230* WesternTerrorists: The [=PS1=] trilogy, which mostly focused on a German terrorist and his Eastern European allies trying to spread the Syphon Filter virus, and [[spoiler:it turned out that the Agency was in on it.]] Averted in the later games.
231* WhamLine:
232** The first game turns upside-down the moment that Lian says "There is no universal vaccine".
233** At the Agency Bio-Lab Escape in part 2, Stevens says "I want that chopper". [[spoiler:Chance was the last person that Gabe told about a chopper. He's a traitor and he told Stevens.]]
234* WhatMeasureIsAMook:
235** Before the final boss fight in ''2'', Gabe and [[spoiler:Chance]] will engage in a {{circling monologue}} in which [[spoiler:Chance]] [[WhatTheHellHero calls Gabe out]] for killing hundreds of agents who were just doing their job.
236** In Paradise Ridge, a militia member armed with a shotgun tries to flank two "FBI" operatives all by himself to save his friends Billy and Randy who are taken captive by the said "FBI". Likewise, some of the "FBI" operatives try their hardest to kill [[spoiler:Teresa]] for killing "Agent Benny". Their status as expendable enemies doesn't change the fact that they are human beings with friends and families who truly care for each other.
237** This is invoked by Gary "Stone" Stoneman after the first bonus mission in ''The Omega Strain''.
238* WhereItAllBegan: The [=PS1=] trilogy begins and ends in Washington, D.C.
239* WithThisHerring: For a secret government agency engaged in counter-terrorism, the weapons you start out with are kinda shitty. The exception is the air taser.
240* {{Yakuza}}: Present in the third game's first level and ''The Omega Strain''.
241* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness:
242** Phagan is the walking, talking example of this trope. He is eventually killed by Aramov once he gives the information she needs. In part 2, Phagan is kept on life support by the Agency. They pull the plug once his plasma is extracted.
243** One of the pilots who shot down Logan's plane is killed by Morgan for this reason.
244** Gershon the lab tech from the Agency Bio Lab mission is doomed no matter what. The player can kill him once he gets him inside the computer lab (he gets killed ''automatically'' on Hard Mode). If his life is spared, he will be killed by agents who storm the lab.
245* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle:
246** Gabe's mission from the beginning of the game is to eliminate Rhoemer. However, Rhoemer has a lot of expendable mooks to stall Gabe and he is rather good at covering his tracks. Gabe would not encounter Rhoemer until the last level of the game.
247** The data discs are the main [=MacGuffin=] from the second game. Retrieving them is the objective of the first disc. When they are retrieved, their data is incomplete which causes Gabe and friends to search for more.
248[[/folder]]
249
250[[folder:Syphon Filter]]
251* BlastingItOutOfTheirHands: You are at one point required to do this [[spoiler:to save Phagan from Aramov at the museum]].
252* BreatherEpisode: After the intense firefights of the previous missions, the Tunnel Blackout mission lets Gabe shoot a bunch of clueless mooks who are standing around the dark before the final level.
253* CorridorCubbyholeRun: Gabe had to pursue and capture Mara through D.C.'s subway tunnels while avoiding the occasional train.
254* EnemyCivilWar: Pharcom Elite vs. Rhoemer's goons in the Pharcom Warehouses mission.
255* EvenEvilHasStandards: Why Mara turned against Rhoemer.
256* TheGhost: Agent Jenkins is mentioned a lot in the DC missions. He is killed by Girdeux but it means little since he is never seen.
257* SeriesFauxnale: The ending implies that things have gotten so crazy that the true extent of the Agency's agenda will never be known, until the sequel.
258* ShaggyDogStory: The first Rhoemer's Base mission is easier if done with stealth but the next mission says Gabe tripped the silent alarm.
259* SlowDoors: The last level has one. Now, if you're quick enough, you ''can'' make it under before it's halfway closed and you need to use the {{unnecessary combat roll}} button, but let's be honest, [[RuleOfFun you're not going to do that, are you]]?
260* SuperWindowJump: Gabe jumps through a glass ceiling in the Expo Center mission and in Rhoemer's Stronghold.
261* TimeBomb: The terrorists love using them. The first level is a race to disarm one. It ends badly, and you have to fight out of the wrecked subway.
262* UnflinchingWalk: Gabe does this after letting Girdeaux catch fire.
263* UnwittingPawn: Gabe is tricked into killing a bunch of infected people by Markinson.
264* WhatNowEnding:
265-->'''Lian''': What now?
266-->'''Gabe''': First, we get the lab guys started on this disc and then your vaccine.
267-->'''Lian''': No. I mean all of this. What's happened here; Markinson's involvement with Phagan? Rhoemer? Their plans? The virus?
268-->'''Gabe''': What's it all mean? I don't know. With Markinson dead I don't know if we'll ever know.
269[[/folder]]
270
271[[folder:Syphon Filter 2]]
272* BigNo: Lian lets out one when she sees a group of political prisoners being gunned down by guards in one of the Aljir Prison levels.
273* BottomlessMagazines: Aljir Prison Escape has a section where a couple of maddened prisoners are blocking the path. They are shooting up the place without running out of ammo.
274* DancePartyEnding: Unlockable.
275* DistressedDude: Lian infiltrates the Aljir Prison in Siberia [[spoiler:to rescue Gregorov before his execution]].
276* DwindlingParty: The GI's in the Colorado missions and the SWAT team in the New York Slums are all killed by the Agency one by one.
277* HeavilyArmoredMook: The Agency's Emergency Defense Squad, which wears full body armor suits that can only be penetrated by grenades.
278* HellholePrison: Aljir Prison is a women's only gulag reserved for the female relations of political enemies. Officially the place does not exist. Just hearing about Aljir is enough to make Lian slump in despair.
279* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Aljir Prison is located in a Siberian town whose name translated to English means [[SnowMeansDeath "white tomb"]].
280* ImmediateSequel: Syphon Filter 2 picks up immediately from 1's ending.
281* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Lian thanks to the virus.
282* IndyPloy: This will happen if you were supposed to land in the Arizona desert and wind up getting shot down over the Colorado Rockies.
283-->'''Teresa:''' Gabe, once you find the crash site and get the data discs, how're you going to get out of there alive?
284-->'''Gabe:''' Not sure. I'm making this up as I go.
285* IrrelevantImportance: Lian must escape from a heavily guarded airbase. There is a secondary objective is to procure a silenced weapon to improve your odds of doing this. It is possible to sneak around the guards and escape without killing anyone, at which point the game shows the protagonist being flown off to safety before displaying a 'Mission Failed' message due to the player not completing the secondary objective.
286* ItsPersonal: Lian finds out that the RebelLeader Shi Hao wants to use Syphon Filter but doing so will cause a war between China and Russia. She goes in to rescue Gregorov to save her people.
287* NostalgiaLevel: The Freedom Memorial level in ''1'' reappears in ''2'' (via a cheat code) as a secret level where you can watch the game's cutscenes.
288* RememberTheNewGuy:
289** Teresa Lipan is introduced without fanfare as Gabe and Lian's outside helper.
290** The [=PharCom=] Expo Center mission has Gabe infiltrate the same building but the climax occurs in the previously unheard or unseen Ancient China exhibit.
291* RemixedLevel: Pharcom Expo Center from part 1 reappears in part 2. Most of the passages have been blocked so Gabe has to use air vents to get around. It even has the same music from part 1.
292* VanInBlack: The Agency's vans.
293[[/folder]]

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