Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Games

Sony

PS3 | PSP | PS2 | PS One

Microsoft

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

Other Platforms

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

Second Sight

EMAILPRINTps2

Second Sight
76
7.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 48 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 9 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Codemasters

Developer: Free Radical Design

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: September 21, 2004

Summary

Combining an atmospheric, psychological thriller narrative with stealthy exploration and intense shooter action, Second Sight gives players control of a character endowed with incredible psychic abilities. The game offers multiple approaches to completing levels either via stealth, dramatic gunplay, psychic powers or a combination of all three. The ability to psychically influence characters and remotely manipulate objects and individuals provides for a totally fresh gameplay dynamic. Second Sight opens with John Vattic, the player-controlled lead character, as he awakens from a coma in a U.S. medical facility where he has been subjected to traumatic surgery and experimentation. He doesn't know his name, he can't remember his past, all he knows is that his only hope for survival is to escape and unravel the mystery that has led to his imprisonment. Haunted by flashbacks, which are experienced as fully playable episodes within the game, and shocked by the discovery of his own psychic powers, the player takes Vattic on a search for his past and uncovers a fatal chain of events leading to a sinister conspiracy. As Vattic explores his present and past, the game weaves between these two different time periods, which run through the game as a dual-narrative. The player-controlled actions of the past Vattic have consequences in the present -- allowing a unique interaction between the player and the narrative of the game as Vattic's destiny is changed. [Codemasters]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91

Play Magazine

Fantastic little touches abound, adding up to a firmly cohesive, engagingly structured, marvelously imagined setting to explore. [Oct 2004, p.67]

90

AceGamez

It's like going to your favourite band's concert, seeing them live and coming out gob-smacked - you know that you've enjoyed it and you loved every minute of it but you're stuck for words on how to convey the experience.

Read Full Review >
90

Loaded Inc

The different styles employed within the game: stealth, shooting, psychic abilities means this will be enjoyed by many different gamers, whether they love their Timesplitters, their Tomb Raiders or their Metal Gear Solids.

Read Full Review >
87

GameBiz

Some parts of the game have you on the edge of your seat with your heart racing as you can really feel for Vattic when attempting to be stealthy and sneak through an area.

Read Full Review >
86

GameZone

The game has a lot of cutscenes and load times interrupt the flow, but the story is intriguing enough to pull players through those moments.

Read Full Review >
85

Warcry

It's just fun, in an admittedly creepy way, to telepathically grab guys by the throat and slam them into walls and ceilings!

Read Full Review >
85

TotalPlayStation

Forced stealth quibbles and slightly iffy physics aside, Second Sight's offering of a decently complex story (or as complex as you're going to get for an 8-10 hour action game) with a couple of twists and a silky smooth, high-budget presentation is one of the best Free Radical has pulled off to date.

Read Full Review >
85

Game Informer

Even with some unpolished technical aspects, the way the story unfolds is innovative and engaging, and the number of ways around every problem is impressive. [Sept 2004, p.106]

Read Full Review >
84

IC-Games

My biggest gripe with the game is that the 17 levels aren’t very long. You can whip through them pretty quickly and even though you can move between them once completed, trying to better your comprehensive stats, who really wants to once you know the story?...[But] very much worth your attention.

Read Full Review >
84

Next Level Gaming

The storyline is everything you'd expect from a game by Free Radical, as is the look. The gameplay is also very solid, although one of these days someone is going to have to learn how to make some really good enemy AI.

Read Full Review >
84

RealGamer

No game, however has managed to bond together two completely different games into one storyline and actually make it work. Second Sight is an exception.

Read Full Review >
83

Game Over Online

While its engine handles combat well enough, the targeting crosshair was not made for human eyes. It'll lock onto somebody's chest effectively enough, but it's got a sense of humor. You'll often aim at a crate or barrel when you really want to be aiming at the chest of the guy who just stormed into the room.

Read Full Review >
82

PGNx Media

While the game does many things well, it doesn’t do anything particularly remarkable.

Read Full Review >
81

GamingTrend

A little more polish and gameplay balance could have made Second Sight a classic gaming experience. This really is too bad since it contains a story that puts Psi-Ops to shame.

Read Full Review >
81

Armchair Empire

Despite some unpolished spots, Second Sight is easily one of the best balances of stealth and action, combined with a nifty gimmick and an excellent plot.

Read Full Review >
80

PSM Magazine

In short, this is a surprising little gem. [Nov 2004, p.90]

80

Adrenaline Vault

The combination of a fantastic story, clever puzzles, strong (albeit psi-lite) combat overcome any gameplay nitpicks or deficiencies.

Read Full Review >
80

Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK

Slick thriller touched with psychic powers from the 'Splitters boys. [Jan 2007, p.106]

80

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

If you're looking for a finely crafted, thought-provoking story to go with your psychic phenomena, look no further than Second Sight. [Nov 2004, p.128]

80

GameSpy

Though it's a bit rough around the edges, Second Sight packs a huge core of ideas into what could have been a standard shooter. Powerful psionics, extensive gun combat, and a great story are all just part of the plan.

Read Full Review >
80

Gamer's Hell

The controls are smooth and well implemented, with nearly every button on the controller used. Unfortunately, the default control scheme is the only option but considerable thought went into it and it shouldn’t offer most gamers any trouble.

Read Full Review >
80

Sydney Morning Herald

Our hero is usually equipped with a sniper rifle, complete with a brilliant targeting scope.

Read Full Review >
80

RewiredMind

An example of narrative dictating game, uncovering a decent mix of game styles along the way. The developers should be commended - they've listened to their fans, grown as a team and created a game that stealth action fans will lap up.

Read Full Review >
80

3DAvenue

An excellent way to chew up some time with a rewarding feel each time a puzzle is solved.

Read Full Review >
80

Gamer.tv

Second Sight's absorbing plot and high-quality cinematic presentation are backed up with tight and entertaining gameplay.

Read Full Review >
80

Total Video Games

The fact that you are left trying to finish off each level just to see what happens next as the conspiracy unravels is a testament to the game’s producers.

Read Full Review >
79

IGN

Perhaps the biggest problem in Second Sight is the game's over reliance on ho-hum pistols and machine guns. Seriously folks, the game gives you the ability to choke people in mid-air. That's serious Darth Vader sh_t.

Read Full Review >
78

Play.tm

A very solid, if slightly unspectacular title. It's not amazingly long, but unlike some of its contemporaries it hangs together well.

Read Full Review >
75

Gaming Age

I personally like "Psi Ops" better as it was faster paced, had a more realistic look, and easier to control. Some gamers may like Second Sight for its open ended-ness and better-written dialog.

Read Full Review >
75

Game Power Australia

Midway's "Psi-Ops" does do a better job of implementing psychic powers and building gameplay around them, but Second Sight's characters and story make it worth your time.

Read Full Review >
75

GameSpot

It's got some flaws and it's not very long or replayable--you'll probably finish it in 12 to 15 hours, without much incentive to go back to the beginning--but it's fun while it lasts.

Read Full Review >
75

eToychest

Though quirky and enjoyable, slight hiccups in the game's challenge, physics and firearms system let this title down somewhat, although a varied raft of psychic powers and an accomplished narrative go some way towards compensating.

Read Full Review >
74

Inside Gamer Online

Sadly, the often cumbersome controls and sometimes lackluster execution of its psychic abilities means the excellent narrative has to carry the bulk of the title’s weight.

Read Full Review >
70

Stuff

There is never a break in the action, and even with the obvious emphasis on ESP, the bullets never stop flying.

Read Full Review >
70

Yahoo! Games

The story is solid, the looming sense of the unknown is engaging, and the sheer, mind-bullying fun of building up "psi-ence fictional" powers make Second Sight a rewarding game.

Read Full Review >
70

Gamestyle

Both parts of the game are excellent, highly addictive and original, and if you’re looking for a different kind of game (albeit a slightly annoying one at times) or you just want an entertaining, well-constructed experience, Second Sight demands your attention.

Read Full Review >
70

Edge Magazine

Crisp of cut-scene, blessed with a refreshingly light touch and low-key compared to the po-faced chest-beating of its peers, Second Sight could well be a high water mark in storytelling through games (as opposed to storytelling around them). [Oct 2004, p.104]

Read Full Review >
70

GamerArchive

If "Metal Gear Solid" and Second Sight were at school with eachother, Second Sight would dress the same way, dress the same way, and wear the same clothes, which is a great shame.

Read Full Review >
70

PSX Nation

The story is cool, the voice-acting & music superb and the action sequences intense. The visuals are merely serviceable though, and emphasizing firepower over psychic abilities lessens the impact of the latter.

Read Full Review >
70

GMR Magazine

The experience could have been even edgier if the enemy A.I. was fully up to snuff. [Nov 2004, p.136]

70

Boomtown

Despite appearances it’s mostly a methodical stealth game, and a sniper’s bullet is often more effective than the powers of the mind.

Read Full Review >
70

DarkStation

Unless you are craving another telekinesis type action game this one will be best as just a rental.

Read Full Review >
65

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Technologically well crafted, with good controls, graphics, and story - but without the freedom of superior mentalist "Psi-Ops." [Nov 2004, p.130]

65

TotalGames.net

Vattic's tale is a compelling emotional journey, and his psychic powers can really clock up a decent amount of player satisfaction. In spite of this, Second Sight is flawed, but perhaps more importantly, it's nothing special.

Read Full Review >
60

games(TM)

Second Sight’s fair share of nice touches (such as weapons handling and level design) demonstrate terrific attention to detail. It’s a shame, then, that these minor good points seem to be offset by the game’s failings in several more important areas. [Oct 2004, p.110]

60

Australian GamePro

It looses out to "Psi-Ops" in the battle for 2004's greatest psychokinesis-3rd-person-action-adventure in a big way, taking a solid idea and inventive story-telling then butchering it with wayward controls, lame combat and weak as piss gameplay.

Read Full Review >
60

1UP

Here's the problem: both the action-packed style and the stealth style show promise, but neither is fully polished.

Read Full Review >
50

Game Revolution

It’s almost unfortunate that the first couple hours of Second Sight are really good. You won’t care that the action is too easy or that the A.I. is dumber than Teddy Ruxpin because the plot is good and the characters are interesting. But by hour six or so, the plot loses its mystery and the gameplay holes become increasingly frustrating.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 9 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Trevor O. gave it a10:
One word : OUTSTANDING! Best game I played last year by far! Good graphics, great gameplay and, stone me, what a story!

Jeff S. gave it a9:
I deducted one point for outdated graphics. This game puts others to shame in terms of story and gameplay. There are a few minor bugs with the game, but nothing you can't work around easily. As a developer, I play a lot of games, and after returning armloads of games after a day's play, it's refreshing to run across one that was actually fun to play.

Keith L. gave it a1:
Worst game I ever played. Really bad. The game controls really bad. If you want a good game with psychic powers get PSI-OPS: Mindgate Conspiracy. That a good game.

M. Black gave it a9:
I've bought about 20 games (give or take) in the past year; Second Sight is one of the best among them.

The Right Honorable Sir Graham Kristopher Miles gave it a 10:
WooooHOOOO! Holy ****! A GrEaT story, complete with enough blood and guts to satisfy, enough mindless gun-slinging, and best of all, psychic @$$-whooping! Only thing is, the graphics are a teensey bit dated. Who cares? NOT ME! Like I said Before, WoooHOOOO!

Leanne H. gave it a 7:
The guards are too unrelentless sometimes. if i used the right word there. It is also easy to get lost without a good map.

Popular on CBS sites: SEC Football | NFL | Video Game Cheats | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | Notebooks | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use