Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent (page 2 of 4)
- October 18, 2006 15:37 PM PST
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Double-Dipped Agent
Now that I've covered the controls, let's move on to the story. A series of ill-fated events has left Sam Fisher with nothing left to live for. So, he takes out his sorrow on his work, pinning himself in prison, eventually busting out to work undercover in an organization called John Brown's Army (JSA). But complicating matters is the fact that, even as he's working to earn the trust of the JSA, he must also work to gather intel and please his bosses at the National Security Agency (NSA).
PROTIP: Constantly be on your toes: what you think is a cinematic can quickly turn into actual gameplay.
Which is where the Double Agent part comes in. The game is a juggling act in which Sam must dole out equal doses of trust and deception. You must also make decisions based on whether you'll gain or lose the trust of each agency. On any particular mission there will be JBA and NSA objectives, as well as "choice" objectives that can alter the specific path of the game. Unlike primary and secondary JBA and NSA objectives, choice objectives force you to side with a specific agency; you can't satisfy both parties all the time.
For example, at the beginning of the game, you are told to shoot a news helicopter pilot inside the JBA headquarters. Performing this ruthless act will gain you trust within JBA, but will simultaneously lose you some trust with the NSA (the menu shows how much trust you will gain/lose for each objective). The opposite holds true should you choose to spare the pilot. Trust is handled via the meter that we mentioned earlier and the ramifications of each action are clearly displayed for you.
As the game progress, you'll find yourself in situations where you'll have to make a decision: do you risk damaging the fragile trust you've built up with the JBA or do you risk angering your superiors? Do you do the right thing and spare an innocent's life or do you pull the trigger so maintain your cover? Decisions like these keep the single-player mission compelling and exciting, with just the right amount of tension.
This beats flying coach any day of the week. Who needs an in-flight beverage service?
Final Debriefing
In the Splinter Cell hierarchy, Double Agent sits at the topnext to Chaos Theoryas one of the most immersive games in the series. It's as challenging as all the other Splinter Cell games, and really makes you focus intently on each mission. It's not a game you can rush through, and to appreciate it properly, you really wouldn't want to. It's also the most visually impressive, an obvious statement given that it's on the powerful Xbox 360. I was impressed from the beginning, as bump and normal mapping highlight environmental effects like water, ice, and shadows, as well as facial textures are all up to the already high bar set by past 360 titles. And as usual, the lighting effects are awesome. With multiple difficulty levels, and a host of multiplayer options, it's a great addition to the Splinter Cell canon.
PROTIP: As in past Splinter Cell titles, crouching is the key to stealthy ninja tactics so stay low to the ground, even if it is a pain in the knees.
