Thursday, May 15, 2003 - Sony Computer Entertainment announced that Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain, the latest instalment in the successful Syphon Filter franchise, will launch in Quarter Four 2003 for the Playstation 2.
The game will mark a substantial change into the series, offering the player the chance of playing in single-player or online, together with other three players connected to the Internet. Instead than playing as Gabe Logan, players will be able to create their own character, customise his look, uniform and equipment, and become one of the special agents trained by Gabe Logan’s reformed Agency.
The game will feature 17 single-player missions, playable in single-player and online, plus new areas only available while playing online. A communication system similar to the one of SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals will let players talk with teammates via a USB headset, or using the in-game chat menu. A USB headset specifically designed for the game will be sold separately; at present, we don’t know if the game will be compatible with SOCOM USB headset.

Storyline (from the official press release)
Outbreaks of a fatal, mysterious virus erupt in such different locations as Toronto, Belarus, Uganda, and Brazil. How did it spread? Where did the virus come from? Chechnyan terrorists threaten Moscow with a weapon of mass destruction. Where did they get it? What do they want? The enigmatic Mara Aramov escapes from a high security prison and is seen in locations all over the world. How did she escape? Who is she working for?

Gabe Logan suspects that each of these questions can be answered with another: Who is behind the Syphon Filter conspiracy? Put in charge of a powerful new black-box Agency, Gabe uses all of his resources in a desperate battle against the clock. He and his team track terrorists all over the world including Quebec, Yemen, Belarus, Myanmar and Tokyo, as they struggle to discover who mutated the original virus, and why. But ultimately, Gabe must battle with the dark side of high-stakes espionage: how far will he push his team to solve the mystery behind Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. How far will you go, to help him?

Game Features

• Become a skilled agent in Gabe Logan's reformed Agency and help him fight the evolving threats to world peace.
  
• Customise your agent's look, uniform and equipment with enhanced character customisation features.
  
• Explore and battle through 17 international non-linear worlds with multiple ways to complete each of the deadly missions. Levels are up to three times larger than previous instalments in the franchise.
  
• Battle terrorists and enemies with 4-player co-operative, peer-to-peer online play in all 17 single-player missions with the ability to access new areas of the environments only available while playing online.
  
• Utilise a Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain – compatible headset for PlayStation 2 (sold separately) for voice chat to verbally strategize with fellow agents online. Players also can use the directional pad to strategize with teammates.
  
• Defeat all-new terrorists and enemies, including the most deadly commandos in the world.
  
• Take on terrorists with more than 100 unique, deadly weapons and gadgets. Arsenal will improve as you progress through the levels.
  
• Combat the enemy with deadly artillery or fight hand-to-hand with a knife. Players can only carry four weapons at a time, so strategic play is at a premium.
  
• Keep enemies in target while kneeling, crouching, walking, rolling, climbing, jumping, walking, strafing, throwing and running with the new ability to target and lock on to individual body parts.
  
• Multiple targeting modes provide shooting options for enemies with regular clothing, flak jackets or full body armour.
  
• Access vanity items such as improved weapons, gadgets, equipment and uniforms.
  
• The highly sophisticated enemy AI (Artificial Intelligence) reacts to other agents' actions to hunt, explore, shoot and kill.
  

Also looking at screenshots, is not difficult to understand the amount of work behind the project; we’ll keep you posted about Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. In the meanwhile, take a look at a bunch of screenshots of the game!