Interesting Puzzles
Even though the puzzles consist mostly of “take item A to point B”, Second Sight does a few other things that make the game more interesting. Information is the whole key behind the game, and when you read a memo or discover a password you needed, Vattic automatically uses the information in the appropriate place when you get there so you don’t have to worry about remembering everything. This makes the game flow a lot more realistically than other titles that force you to memorize a dozen passwords or find a bunch of keys or something. Another aspect I really enjoyed is how computers are used. You can interact with pretty much any computer and they all use a graphical interface similar to Windows that you can play around with. You can search through files and even play some simple games on the computers. This attention to detail and the extra steps taken to make the world feel just that little bit more realistic really make Second Sight stand out.Graphics
Graphically, Second Sight could have been better. The character designs and a lot of the backgrounds are borrowed from TimeSplitters 2. If you aren’t a fan of the slightly deformed look and stark environments, Second Sight isn’t going to change your mind. The game looks sharp and smooth, but I just wish it didn’t look so similar to TimeSplitters. What sets Second Sight apart is that it is animated surprisingly well. Facial animations in particular look great and really let you know just what a character is going through at any given moment. The rest of the animation is very smooth and well done as well. The environments are varied and look good, but they aren’t exactly filled with detail.
Sound
The sound is also fairly well done, but like the graphics, way too much of TimeSplitters 2 has been recycled here. The sound effects for combat have basically been lifted directly from TS2. Your psychic powers make some pretty cool noises that sound new, though. The music also sounds extremely similar to TS2. It isn’t bad by any means and is actually quite good, but some fresh tunes would have been appreciated. All of the dialogue is spoken and the voice actors do a good job across the board. The game doesn’t look or sound bad, but it is way too familiar if you have played TS or TS2.Bottom Line
Overall, Second Sight is a fun gameplay experience, but it is solid rental material. It will only take you 12 hours or so and there isn’t anything spectacular that will compel you to play through it again, but it is worth playing through once. The game looks and sounds nice, but it is hard to shake the feeling that you have seen and heard all of it before. Second Sight is a really fun, well put together game, but it doesn’t offer much replay value and can only really be considered for a rental.
