Second Sight

About

"Second Sight" is a stealth-action thriller that combines psychic abilities with intense shooter action. As the protagonist, John Vattic, you must escape a mysterious US medical facility, regain your memories, and uncover the truth behind your experimentation. Utilize psychic powers to manipulate objects, control characters, and approach levels through stealth, gunplay, or a mix of both. The game offers a unique and immersive storyline with a dual-timeline narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+13

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 265 reviews

story62 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

Second Sight features a unique blend of psychic powers and gunplay, providing a diverse gameplay experience that keeps players engaged.
The story is compelling with unexpected plot twists, making it a memorable narrative that resonates with players.
The game has a nostalgic charm and is considered a classic, appealing to fans of the original PS2 version and those who enjoy older titles.

The PC port suffers from numerous technical issues, including poor frame rates, lack of modern resolution support, and clunky controls that do not translate well from the original console version.
Many players report frustrating gameplay experiences due to unresponsive controls, camera issues, and a lack of proper controller support.
The game feels dated, with graphics and mechanics that have not aged well, leading to a less enjoyable experience for new players unfamiliar with its original context.

story
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
49%
11%
The story of "Second Sight" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its engaging narrative and unexpected plot twists, particularly the intriguing premise of playing as Dr. John Vattic, a character with amnesia and psychic powers. However, some reviewers found the story predictable and felt it could have explored deeper psychological themes, leading to disappointment with its execution. Overall, while the storytelling has its flaws, it remains a compelling aspect of the game that resonates with fans of narrative-driven experiences.
- “Despite these shortcomings, Second Sight has a fantastic story with an incredible plot twist.”
- “The storyline of Second Sight was really unique in those years, playing as Dr. John Vattic, a man with no memory of his past, where you embark on a journey filled with mystery, intrigue, and dark secrets.”
- “The story grabs your attention and holds it through the whole game, delivering one of the best plot twists I've seen.”
- “Story-wise, I felt even more disappointed.”
- “After the first 2 hours, I started doubting everything, thinking that this was such a good way of showing psychosis symptoms and delusions, but no; it turned out it was all real and it was just another bland, fairly naive story.”
- “Unfortunately, the writing and voice acting is not quite on par with the story the whole time.”
gameplay
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
46%
5%
The gameplay is a blend of stealth, third-person shooting, and psychic powers, offering a unique experience that is both engaging and varied. However, many players note that the controls feel clunky and dated, reflecting its 2004 origins, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these mechanical issues, the game features intriguing mechanics and a captivating story that keeps players invested, though some find the execution lacking in certain areas.
- “It combines stealth, guns, and psi powers for a unique gameplay experience.”
- “The introduction of psychic abilities elevates the gameplay to an entirely new level.”
- “Great gameplay, engaging storyline if you like sci-fi spy thrillers and for once a good plot involving time-travel!”
- “Most of the gameplay is awkward, but fascinating.”
- “The gameplay is quite clunky, and you can really tell it's a 2004 console third-person action game.”
- “I tried playing this for an hour using keyboard and mouse and found the gameplay and tutorial to simply be too archaic to enjoy.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally viewed as dated and primitive by modern standards, with many reviewers noting a lack of optimization for contemporary systems. However, the unique art style, reminiscent of classic titles like Timesplitters, is appreciated for its charm and timelessness, blending cartoonish elements with a more serious aesthetic. While some technical issues and awkward controls detract from the experience, the overall visual presentation is still considered stylish and fitting for its time.
- “I'm a big fan of the character design Free Radical does; although it is definitely not as creative in Second Sight as in Timesplitters, it still gave me a nice comfy feeling seeing very familiar animations and visuals.”
- “The premise of a guy with telekinetic powers appealed to me, and for its time, the graphics were incredible. Back then, Steam wasn't really a thing; we used to download our games through a service called GameTap.”
- “Instead of going for a more realistic approach to its graphics, Codemasters decided to use their own art aesthetic present in their Timesplitters trilogy, with highly expressive facial expressions in the cutscenes and very engrossing level design and details.”
- “Compared to today's standards, the graphics appear primitive and a little janky.”
- “- no effort made to modernize whatsoever (mostly referencing resolution support, while you can edit the files, it can create graphical anomalies and for me didn't work at all with some in-game resolution options not working either)”
- “The graphics, screen resolution, and gameplay have not been optimized for modern machines.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
21%
21%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with some standout tracks and a strong atmospheric presence that enhances immersion. While it may not be groundbreaking, it effectively complements the overall experience, earning a mixed but positive reception from players. Voice acting and sound design also contribute to the game's appeal, despite some minor volume balancing issues.
- “I keep going back to this game; the voice acting is good, the story is even better, and the music touches my soul.”
- “The amount of details that work towards immersion are tremendous: the music adds a layer of atmosphere that draws you deeper into the experience.”
- “Great soundtrack, decent-to-amusing voice acting, and some volume balancing issues on the sound side of things.”
- “Some of the tracks were pretty good; Graeme Norgate is one of my favorite video game soundtrack producers, but even so, it is kind of more in the background in this one.”
- “The amount of details that work towards immersion are tremendous: music adds a layer of atmosphere that draws you deeper into the experience.”
- “Music and sound design is pretty okay too.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with users reporting poor performance, a problematic camera, and inadequate support for gamepads and mouse controls. Despite its low resolution, the game struggles to run smoothly on modern machines, leading to significant slowdowns. Overall, it requires substantial optimization to enhance the gaming experience.
- “The story is still good and it is a nice, quick game to play to enjoy a good performance.”
- “The somewhat cartoonish appearance of the characters and the environment allows for some cutbacks on the graphical side that probably helped the game to run smoothly on PS2.”
- “Awful port, the camera is bobbling like crazy (you can't fix that no matter what; it makes me nauseous). The mouse is just emulating a gamepad (you can't fix that), there is no official gamepad support, and performance is wonky; it makes my entire PC slow down even while writing.”
- “Needs controller optimization badly.”
- “The graphics, screen resolution, and gameplay have not been optimized for modern machines.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive details, including a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the engaging storyline, well-developed characters, and fitting gameplay mechanics that contribute to a memorable and thrilling presentation, making it a standout title in their collections.
- “The amount of details that work towards immersion are tremendous: music adds a layer of atmosphere that draws you deeper into the experience.”
- “Coupled with an enthralling atmosphere and some seriously foreboding tunes, Second Sight definitely demonstrates one hell of a thriller presentation despite its dated nature!”
- “The story is interesting with a lot of layers to it; the characters are enjoyable; and the game mechanics are fitting for the overall atmosphere of the game.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
38%
50%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting it as "super buggy," while others claim there are no glitches at all. Overall, opinions vary significantly, with some players rating it highly based on nostalgia, while others express frustration with its current performance.
- “There are no glitches in this game, which is impressive. As a PS2 gamer, I would give it a 10/10, but considering the video games of today, I would rate it a 9.1/10.”
- “It's super buggy.”
- “Super buggy.”
- “There are no glitches in this game and some do have those glitches now, so I would give this a 10/10 by my view as a PS2 gamer, but now with the video games of today, I would give it a 9.1/10.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of intentional and unintentional comedic moments, particularly in the dialogue delivery and amusing animations, such as characters walking down stairs. Players find joy in the absurdity of gameplay mechanics, like using telekinesis to throw guards, which adds to the overall fun and hilarity of the experience.
- “But apart from that and the animation looking really funny when walking down stairs, I don't see any serious points to complain about.”
- “It was fun as hell throwing the guards around with telekinesis; it was hilarious! :D”
- “Dialogue delivery is mostly fine, but sometimes there were a few unintentionally funny deliveries.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some exciting moments overshadowed by periods of tedium, particularly during the asylum sections. While the game has standout highlights, the repetitive nature of certain segments can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “Some really cool moments, but also some really tedious moments.”
- “The middle of the game can be a bit tedious, especially when you're stuck in the insane asylum.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a lazy cash grab, heavily relying on in-game purchases and live service elements, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “It's a shame that nowadays everything only refers to in-game purchases and live service.”
- “Lazy cash grab of a port.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in "Second Sight" is noted for its familiar and comforting design, reminiscent of Free Radical's previous work in "Timesplitters." However, reviewers feel that it lacks the same level of creativity and innovation seen in earlier titles.
- “I'm a big fan of the character design Free Radical does. Although it is definitely not as creative in 'Second Sight' as in 'TimeSplitters', it still gave me a nice comfy feeling seeing very familiar animations and visuals.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of the game is largely viewed as disappointing, with players feeling let down by a predictable and unengaging storyline that fails to evoke strong feelings.
- “I was left very disappointed when it turned out to be just an obvious and rather boring story.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The replayability of the game is considered minimal, primarily due to its focus on singleplayer content, which limits the incentive for players to revisit the experience.
- “As a pure singleplayer game, the replay value is rather minimal.”