As if the idea of terrorists attacking American soil with a weapon of mass destruction weren't grim enough, Splinter Cell: Double Agent starts with a flashback of Sam Fisher's daughter dying in a car accident. It's kinda ironic that a special agent well versed in close quarters combat, infiltration and hacking didn't bother to train his kid to look both ways before crossing the street. Anyway, Fisher's mission this time is to stop yet another group of terrorists, but to do this he's actually got to join the group and work side by side with the jerks. This new angle on story introduces a new wrinkle, expanding the Splinter Cell experience beyond sneak and strangle stealth.

At Home With the Terrorists

Don't get your rappelling harness in a bunch. There's still plenty of shadow lurking to be done in Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Only now these missions are bookended by scenes that take place in the headquarters of John Brown's Army. Their leader is a bald dude named Emil who speaks in an outrageous New Orleans accent making him sound like Doc Hopper from The Muppet Movie. Only Emil isn't after tasty frog legs, he wants to take down our corrupt government by bathing American soil in fire. Apparently the guy never heard of voting. While in the JBA headquarters Sam has to perform simple tasks for the terrorists and take every opportunity he can to sneak away and gather intelligence to help stop their plot from the inside. These moments are quite different from the rest of the game. You can't kill or even restrain anyone, because that would blow Sam's cover. Though a left turn, these tasks are more than a little fun. They re-create the thrill of rummaging through your host's medicine cabinet at a dinner party. Only here you'll get a 9mm in your skull if they bust you.

Close Quarters Combat in One Easy Step

Doing the business of sneaking and killing in Splinter Cell: Double Agent feels streamlined when compared to Metal Gear Solid. It's fairly easy to get Fisher to do what you want in most circumstances. This simplification may annoy hardcore stealth fans, but works nicely for those who want to feel the tension and thrill of this kind of game without wrestling with a complicated control scheme. And it's in these nail biting moments when the game really excels. The game's soundtrack swells as tension mounts and then, pow, Sam chops the dude in the neck then pulls him into a headlock. There are few experiences in gaming as satisfying. Also cool are the several pivotal moments in the game where choices that Fisher makes changes the plot. And we're not just talking about forks in the road. We're talking about one bullet in the chamber, who are you going to kill kind of decisions. Pretty heavy, no?

Snapping Necks With Friends

Fans of the online action delivered by previous incarnations of the Splinter Cell series might be a little disappointed by the this game's streamlined head-to-head matches. The new goal-oriented three-on-three missions are slightly less involved, but they're not so simplified that you'll be blazing through corridors like Master Chief. Multi-player is still about patience. Mercs must sweep areas thoroughly, work together and be willing to stand guard. Spies, as much as ever, need to bide their time. Co-op matches are another story. These bouts are essentially multi-player maps played against bots. Pretty lame when what we really want is to be able to play through in-game campaigns with a buddy.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent feels like a concerted move to mainstream stealth action for the masses. The game meets these goals, but  leaves some optional missions unaccomplished. Checkpoints are far too infrequent, compelling the player break immersion and save their progress every hundred steps. And the game's level relies too frequently on cliches. When the fate of the world depends on a series of conveniently placed, well secured drain pipes for Sam Fisher to climb, you know you've got a national security problem. And why does Sam Fisher go undercover with his real name? Or doesn't the Fifth Freedom grant the right to make up pseudonyms?  The fact that we can make these nitpicks is a good sign that Splinter Cell: Double Agent is on strong footing. Whether the game can manage the balancing act between welcoming new players and satisfying a hardcore online audience is another question. Sometimes these kinds of choices have unexpected consequences.

Article by: Gus Mastrapa
Video produced by: Michael Benson