Splinter Cell has really differentiated itself from the other games on the Tom Clancy label by being designed for and excelling the most at delivering a truly console-oriented experience. While people can and likely will continue debate the merits of console shooters as opposed to their PC cousins, it's hard to strictly deny their heritage. Splinter Cell, by way of comparison, has always been a game that's felt like it was designed to be played with a controller in hand. It's done well enough on the PC since its inception, but it never gained nearly the response it did when it first appeared as a marquee title on the Xbox.

Double Agent is a departure in some ways for the Splinter Cell series, though less so than it may have originally appeared. The basic premise of the story is that Sam' daughter, his only tie to the "real world" of civilian life, is killed in a tragic accident. Torn apart by his grief, Fisher turns self-destructive and signs himself up for a mission that most would consider suicidal. He turns to a life of crime with the intent of falling into a group of terrorists called the JBA while in prison. While he is supposed to remain loyal to the NSA, he has to juggle the conflicting demands of the two organizations, or risk being cut out altogether.

What this translates into in gameplay terms is separate objectives in each mission you undertake. Your standing with both respective organizations is measured in terms of a "trust meter." If you fail to accomplish objectives or do things that raise the ire of the brass on either side, the trust meter falls. The NSA isn't particularly fond of killing people, while the JBA takes particularly strong offense to your poking around their headquarters where you don't belong. It's a neat dynamic that they've added to the game, but I think in practice you'll find it matters far less than you'd hope it would. You have to really not be paying attention to have it affect your game at all.

Perhaps it's simply that there isn't enough chances to make the moral choices that underline this sort of trust issue. There are a handful of dramatic moments, sure, but not enough that it feels like a big part of the game. This underscores another issue, which is that there simply aren't enough missions in the game. The sheer number of them is padded by the fact that you return to the JBA headquarters between the real missions and have to accomplish a number of objectives there. It's really cheap filler though, and I wish Ubi had spent more time making exotic locales. What levels the game does have are absolutely spectacular, and will positively burst off your screen in HD. One kind of wishes for an expansion pack of some sort…

Filling out the rest of the content on the disc is the multiplayer component, which Ubi has really taken to the next level this time around. It's the same basic Spies versus Mercs gameplay that most are accustomed to, but it's been stripped down to its core. The Spies are practically naked this time around, but they've become much more nimble and acrobatic, able not only to sneak around the various maps, but also to run about not totally unlike urban ninjas - crashing through windows, doing diving somersaults across rooftops. It's a lot of fun and quite intuitive. The Mercs have had most of their gadgets and toys removed, but their sensors are now much more effective at pinpointing ne'er-do-well Spies. The new tweaks make for a visceral, usually extremely tense battle of wits as the Spies try to download pieces of the files without getting head-butted in the face. It's an extremely fun move for the series, and actually feels like something you'd buy full-price, instead of a lazy multiplayer add-on.

It only seems appropriate that, having helped the Xbox make a name for itself half a decade ago, Splinter Cell would return to make an appearance as one of the most hotly anticipated games in the Xbox 360's freshman year. In every sense imaginable, Splinter Cell: Double Agent was meant to exploit the platform on which it was designed, and it excels to an extraordinary degree. Some may lose it in the shuffle caused by Gears of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Viva Piñata, and others, but it's still a fantastic game just waiting to be snatched up by eager players. Put it on your Christmas list, you won't regret it.

Score: 90%

Dec 5, 2006 | 2 comments
Chris Chester