19. June 2023, 11:53:56

#0

JDoranQuote

[Mods, can you move this to the Free Games forum, please?]

I found out a while back that the PC version of Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy was released as freeware by it's publisher, Midway. It's a really good third person shooter, released in 2004, for the PC, original XBox, and the Playstation 2.

Image: https://xboxaddict.com/images/screenshots/12764.jpg

The game is set in the modern day/near future, and a few people have psychic powers, such as telekinesis (being able to move things using only your mind), mind control (take over other people using your mind, and control their movement and actions), and remote viewing (see things that are behind obstacles or in a different area from you), etc, though the general public probably has no idea about this. We're shown two organisations that know about and develop these abilities, the government department that you work for, and the criminal organisation you are sent to infiltrate.

At the start of the game, your memory has been wiped by your own side (the government department that deals  with psychic incidents), so that the enemy can't read your mind and know that you are a potential threat. So you start the game using conventional bullet based weapons, but your memories return as you play through the game, which is the in-game universe's explanation as to why you suddenly develop new powers as you play through the game.

The game is really good, and is one of the few games where the boss fights are (mostly) very enjoyable. It does have one huge flaw though, and that is that the enjoyment level falls off a cliff near the end of the game. I don't want to spoil things, so I will just say that the point where you remember/acquire your last psychic power is where I always stop playing it, as beyond that point it just becomes tedious and unenjoyable. The same as in the original Half-Life, where when you go to Xen (the point at which I always stop playing HL) the game stops being fun. And, also like Half-Life, Psi Ops ends on a cliff-hanger, though since we'll likely never see a sequel to Psi Ops (tragically), we'll never know how the story would have continued.

Image: https://assets2.rockpapershotgun.com/psiops.jpg/BROK/thumbnail/1600x900/quality/100/psiops.jpg

Other than that, though, Psi Ops is a brilliant game, which is why I still occasionally play though it (minus the last part). So far, I've always played the XBox version, so I don't know how the PC version plays, but hopefully the PC version has no changes or new problems.

Thanks to Midway for their kindness in releasing this classic for everyone to enjoy. I wish other companies would be this altruistic. I also wish the game had been moddable, as fans could have made some amazing mods and campaigns for this game.

Get the game from:

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/psi_ops_the_mindgate_conspiracy.html

(apparently the game had some draconian DRM originally, but this version has had that removed, thankfully).

Obligatory comments about Second Sight. One subject that comes up frequently when discussing Psi Ops is the game Second Sight (or vice versa). Second Sight is a different third person shooter with psychic powers, and is also a really great game. It plays a little differently, being more stealth based than action based, and it's story is better than Psi Ops' story (and it's a good game right to the end, unlike Psi Ops), but Psi Ops is longer, and more replayable, I think. Second Sight and Psi Ops came out within a month or so of each other, which is what sort of cemented a link between them in peoples' minds, though the games' stories and settings have no connection to the other games'.

Both are really good games though, and if you like one then you should play the other as well.

Second Sight is available from:

https://www.gog.com/en/game/second_sight


Second Sight:

Image: https://www.popoptiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/113142-second-sight-windows-screenshot-using-telekinesis-on-one-of.jpg.webp

03. August 2023, 09:19:07

#1

📱 icemannQuote

Second Sight I had heard of, and intended to play at some point. Was unaware of the PC ports for both games.

So many good games on the ps2.

Ghost Hunter is one I recommend. Another good 3rd person action game that has super powers (later on).

03. August 2023, 15:36:54

#2

JDoranQuote

I've just looked at the game on Youtube, and it does look interesting. I will try to track it down, thanks.

And yes, no matter how many PS2 games I buy, there always seems to be more games that I would be interested in. The PS2 has maybe the best native library of games of any console.

04. August 2023, 02:58:51

#3

sarge945Quote

The PS2 came out in that magical era in the early 2000s where games were taken seriously enough to get proper AAA funding and development, but the industry was still young enough that developers were not quite set in their ways and simply recreating the same standard forgettable experiences over and over again and grubbing as much money as possible.

Acknowledged by: icemann

09. August 2023, 06:32:31

#4

📱 icemannQuote

Agreed 110% there.

It's easily my favourite console of all time, after the Super Nintendo. The Sony PSP has some legendary games as well.

Even RPGs wise there is a heap of unusual but quite good games on the system like .hack (think of a singleplayer simulation of World of Warcraft where if you die in the game, you go into a coma in real life), or Ephermeral Fantasia (JRPG set within a 7 day loop).

Back on topic though, PS2 action games wise: "Extermination" is interesting. Third person action, though no super powers. It's more Resident Evil with space bug aliens.

Nothing else springs to mind immediately.