One of the few games that has continually been able to survive in the dying arcade industry is Konami's Silent Scope series. Featuring a life-size sniper rifle replica in the arcade machines, the Silent Scope arcade games have always provided ample gaming experiences for arcade goers. When the PlayStation 2 launched, Konami tried to transfer that unique arcade game experience to home consoles with the PS2 version of Silent Scope 2. Unfortunately, the game's short length and the absence of a sniper rifle controller, like the one in the arcades, made the game only worthy of a weekend rental, as opposed to a full-fledged purchase. Now Konami has released Silent Scope 3 for the PS2. Unluckily for us though, Silent Scope 3 suffers from many of the same problems the previous versions have had.

Silent Scope 3 features two modes of play - Silent Scope 3 and Silent Scope EX. Silent Scope EX features no real plot other than "there's some bad guys, kill them." There are some other plot bits described through typo-heavy text, but those tidbits of plot are boring and feel more like a nuisance than anything else.

The Silent Scope 3 mode, on the other hand, does try to have somewhat of a story, dealing with cloning and genocide plots by a stereotypical evil dictator. Unfortunately, the combination of unnatural cutscenes, laughable voice acting, and writing that looks like it was done by the same people who penned the scripts for the Tomb Raider movies, makes the plot seem stupid and out of place amongst the arcade gameplay.

The sniping gameplay is good in both modes, featuring some fast-paced mass killing of terrorists along with some boss battles that provide somewhat of a change of space. The game also mixes things up by putting you in different sniping perches, such as on top of a moving helicopter, on the side of a boat, and atop a building. Despite these attempts to add some variety to the gameplay, Silent Scope 3 still proves to be repetitive.

The game's graphics are decent, providing visuals that rarely stutter no matter how fast-paced the action gets. However, the graphics are quite grainy and the enemy character models aren't very detailed. The game's music is fitting, adding tension to the gameplay, although it's nothing original. Sound effects are average. The game provides some decent gun shot noises and screams of pain when targets get hit, but that's about it. As mentioned earlier, the voice acting is nothing short of downright dumb, as Konami picked voice actors that sound stiffer than a teenage boy at a girls pool party.

When it all comes down to it, Silent Scope 3 just isn't a satisfying game experience. The plot and graphics are weak, and the gameplay, while fun for a little while, quickly becomes dull because of the absence of a sniper rifle-style light gun. Plus, the game just isn't that long; most gamers will be able to beat it within 15 hours. If you want a decent game rental, check Silent Scope 3 out, but for your own sake (and your wallet's), avoid paying the full price tag.