Free Radical is best known for its Timesplitters series, which is why Second Sight seems a little outside the norm. A third person action adventure game, its primary focus is its well-told story, but the gameplay more than stands on its own. Although there are some annoyances that disrupt the flow of play, this one's definitely worth a look.

In Second Sight you play the role of John Vattic, a doctor who was a member of a special ops assignment gone awry. Captured by the enemy, he wakes up in a lab and quickly discovers that he now has psychic abilities. Able to manipulate the environment in a number of ways, Vattic sets out to take down whoever experimented on his body while at the same time looking for information concerning his past. It's a fabulously told story that's expertly weaved throughout the game using cut scenes as well as flashbacks that actually allow you to play out the events leading up to his capture. In fact, the story is so good that it's the primary reason why you'll want to beat the game. However, it's not the only reason why playing Second Sight is so much fun.

The game's story is great, but Second Sight's gameplay is no slouch either. It's a mix of various styles that for the most part blend together pretty well. At times it's a stealth adventure where you'll need to slink along walls and use your special abilities to make it past guards unseen, while other times you'll find yourself in an all out war against numerous enemies and you'll have to gun them down. Enemy bodies have hit points, so shooting someone's shoulder won't kill them, but a bullet to the head most certainly will. There are several weapons in the game including a pistol, tranquilizer gun, machine guns, and a sniper rifle that features a very innovative perspective, but I'll let you experience it for yourself rather than give it away.

In addition to the guns, Vattic has several psychic abilities that you'll have access to throughout most of the game. You start off being able to employ telekinesis to unlock the door to your room and lift objects, but over time you'll be able to heal yourself, travel outside your body, and become invisible, among other powers. All of them are very cool and come in handy, though they're not easily accessed. Rather than mapping them to the digital pad, Free Radical put in place a system where the game pauses, a strange decision that abruptly cuts off the action and disrupts the game's flow.

Another problem I have with Second Sight is how unbalanced it is. Vattic is supposed to be this psychic superman, but the game often times degenerates into a mindless blast fest where you can get past checkpoints by shooting everyone. Also, in the beginning, Vattic opens a door by focusing his energy on it, but soon after that you need to track down pass keys to access rooms which make absolutely no sense. Lastly, objects in the game environments don't have any weight to them, so it's strange walking into a pile of boxes and having them react like paper cups.

Second Sight is pretty easy, so on the normal setting you can just walk right up to group of enemies, take several shots and shoot them all in the head, which is very frustrating when certain situations appear to call for stealth-based tactics. It is by this flaw that the game's paranormal powers take a back seat. I found myself reusing two powers over and over for the most part while gunning down the opposition.

In most third person games the camera is an annoyance, and Second Sight's is no exception. While you can change it on the fly from being static, movable, and into a first person mode, it occasionally gets stuck around corners.

Targeting is also an issue, but not because it doesn't work. Rather, there are sometimes so many objects Vattic can target that trying to line up the one you want is a chore. There was one particular hallway I was traveling down where I was ambushed, so I popped up from behind a crate to return fire, but the problem was I didn't automatically target the enemy, so I took a few unnecessary hits before finally putting a bullet in his brain.

Getting back to why Second Sight's a fantastic game, its graphics are top notch. It has a very Free Radical look to it, meaning the environments as well as the character models are indicative of the developers' artistic style, so it looks like a third person Timesplitters. Everything is brimming with detail, and the special effects, such as explosions and sparks, are well done. There are some clipping issues (I once had a trash can stuck to my butt) and some frame rate issues (primarily when you make use of the Charm ability), but neither mars the overall experience.

Lastly, the game's voice acting is well done. It's by no means incredible, but all of the characters have distinct personalities (minus the standard enemy soldiers), and over time I felt sorry for John and the mess he was in. As for the music, it fits but isn't memorable for any particular reason. Most times it's very subtle and hardly noticed.

Complaints aside, Second Sight is still a highly enjoyable thriller that has a nice mix of stealth and action. The game's story will make you want to beat it quickly (it'll take between 10 and 20 hours), but you'll have a lot of fun doing so. With most stores selling the game at $19.99, it doesn't take a psychic to know that it's a must buy.