Second Sight

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 131 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Second Sight Game Cover
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"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.

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Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews
story31 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • Second Sight features a unique and engaging story with a compelling plot twist that keeps players invested.
  • The game offers a variety of psychic abilities that enhance gameplay, allowing for creative approaches to challenges.
  • Despite its age, the game retains a nostalgic charm and is enjoyable for fans of classic action-adventure 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 experience frustrating gameplay due to the awkward camera mechanics and auto-lock aiming system, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The game feels dated, with graphics and gameplay mechanics that have not aged well, making it difficult for new players to appreciate.
  • story76 mentions

    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, who suffers from amnesia and possesses psychic powers. However, some reviewers express disappointment in the predictability and execution of the story, feeling it could have explored deeper psychological themes. Overall, while the game is recognized for its unique storytelling and memorable atmosphere, it also faces criticism for its dated presentation and occasional narrative flaws.

    • “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.”
  • gameplay39 mentions

    The gameplay is a blend of stealth, shooting, and psychic powers, offering a unique experience that is both engaging and occasionally clunky due to dated controls. While the mechanics provide variety and interesting moments, many players find the execution lacking, with issues like awkward camera angles and a half-baked stealth system. Overall, the game is praised for its intriguing story and atmosphere, but it struggles with technical limitations that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “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, tutorial, and everything about it to simply be too archaic to enjoy.”
  • graphics29 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally viewed as dated and primitive by modern standards, with many reviewers noting a cartoonish and console-like aesthetic that, while charming, lacks the polish of contemporary titles. Despite this, the character design and art style evoke nostalgia and are appreciated for their timeless quality, fitting well with the game's themes and mechanics. Overall, while the visuals may not meet today's expectations, they still hold a certain appeal and contribute positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “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.”
    • “I love this Xbox art style of boxy characters that try to mix realism with a sort of cartoonish, shaded look, which inadvertently made the graphics timeless.”
    • “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.”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric quality and strong soundtrack that enhances immersion, while others find it somewhat subdued and not particularly memorable. Overall, the sound design is considered decent, with good voice acting and some minor volume balancing issues, leading to an average rating of around 7/10.

    • “I keep going back to this game; the voice acting is good, the story is even better, and the music warms my soul.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting poor performance, camera issues, 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 is clear that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance the user experience.

    • “The somewhat cartoonish appearance of the characters and the environment allows for some cutbacks on the graphical side that probably helped the game run smoothly on PS2.”
    • “The story is still good and it is a nice, quick game to play to enjoy a good performance.”
    • “Awful port, the camera is bobbling like crazy (you can't fix that, 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.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive details, including a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the engaging storyline and well-developed characters contribute to a memorable and thrilling ambiance, making it a standout title despite its age.

    • “The amount of details that work towards immersion are tremendous: the 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 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.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with some users reporting it as "super buggy," while others note a lack of glitches, leading to a high rating of 10/10 from a nostalgic perspective. However, when compared to modern gaming standards, the stability rating drops to around 9.1/10.

    • “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.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any glitches, making for a stable gaming experience. I would rate it a solid 10/10.”
    • “I appreciate the stability of this game; it has no glitches, which enhances the overall experience. I would give it a 10/10.”
    • “It's super buggy.”
    • “Super buggy.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is generally well-received, with effective dialogue delivery and some unintentionally funny moments, particularly during animations like walking down stairs. Players find the telekinesis mechanic, especially when throwing guards, to be a hilarious highlight, contributing to an overall fun experience.

    • “Dialogue delivery is mostly fine, but sometimes there were a few unintentionally funny moments.”
    • “The animation looks 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”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some exciting moments overshadowed by tedious stretches, particularly during the asylum segments. While the gameplay has its highs, the repetitive nature of certain sections can detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The grinding in this game feels excessively tedious, often overshadowing the more enjoyable moments.”
    • “While there are some amazing experiences, the middle sections drag on and become a chore to get through.”
    • “The gameplay has its highs, but the repetitive grinding makes it hard to stay engaged.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy is heavily criticized, with many users viewing it as a lazy cash grab focused on in-game purchases rather than delivering a quality experience.

    • “It's a shame that nowadays everything only refers to in-game purchases and live service.”
    • “Lazy cash grab of a port.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in "Second Sight" is noted for its familiar and comforting design, reminiscent of Free Radical's previous work in "TimeSplitters." While some reviewers feel it lacks the same level of creativity, the animations and visuals still evoke a sense of nostalgia.

    • “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.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express disappointment in the emotional impact of the game, feeling that it relies on predictable storytelling rather than delivering a compelling or engaging narrative experience.

    • “I felt like the emotional moments were forced and lacked genuine impact.”
    • “The story tried to evoke feelings, but it ended up feeling flat and uninspired.”
    • “I was hoping for a deep emotional experience, but instead, I found it to be predictable and dull.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The replayability of the game is considered low, primarily due to its focus on singleplayer content, which limits the incentive for players to revisit the experience.

    • “As a pure single-player game, the replay value is rather minimal.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
    • “The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel redundant.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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