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Over Hyped and Dumbed Down!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 12
Date: October 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Like many reviewers I bought my xbox360 with Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon as the main reasons for the purchase. I've played all the previous Splinter Cell games, on the PC and Xbox, several times and love them start to finish. However I found Double Agent to be quite a let down.

Graphically the game is well done, looks very smooth and sharp on a 1080 HDTV. Also excellent is the sound quality of the game, especially when playing on a home theater receiver with surround sound.

New in this version is an ability to crack safes which is very nicely implemented and intuitive. Sam also has several nice new take down moves, but they seem pointless due to changes in the scoring system which penalizes you for any contact with the guards and prefers you just study the movement pattern of the AI Bots and time your movements through them. Sam can now hide in lockers and use the door bash against opponents, again if you're willing to take the scoring penalty. Also new is the use of a decision tree which effect the final outcome of the game depending on the moral delemma choices you make. This feature is well integrated with the overall story. Sam will also have to do several daylight missions over the typically night time sneaking in shadows missions that add a bit of variety.

Many of the aspects of the typical Splinter Cell game play have been changed and/or dumbed down, persumably to make the game available to a wider audience. Scoring in the levels has changed in that you now take penalties for knocking out guards or shooting lights. The security hacking and lock picking are virtually eliminated via an "unlockable" reward which goes beyond explaination. If newbies can't figure these features out add a training level for the newbies over dumbing it down for players that have enjoyed this series from the beginning!

There are several "mini games" in levels that are utterly pointless, for example Sam leaps from an aircraft for a parachute jump and you the player have to figure out how to open his parachute and then cut it away before a cutscene kicks in? Why bother with something so simple when a game like Mission Impossible Operation Surma did a spectacular parachute jump level where you actually have to control the dive as well as your parachute over just pressing a button to release your parachute?

Too many levels are timed and require you to do some busy work mini game, just to kill some of your time allotment, before you go off to real objectives, presumably to add some fake feeling of tension since the objectives are overly simple.

Multiplayer has been changed as well. There is no Chaos Theory style co-op play in Double Agent which came as a huge disappoinment. They return to an updated version of Spy vs Merc similar to what was included in Pandora Tomorrow.

Overall Splinter Cell Double Agent didn't live up to my expectations and is a step down from the previous versions. It's still a worthwhile game but if you're an experienced Splinter Cell junkie like myself you're likely to be disappointed with this installment.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

A tale of 2 Splinter Cells describes Double Agent. I will start with what the game does incredibly well: Visuals, sound, and gameplay. This is clearly a next-generation marvel from UbiSoft, the detail in the environments and characters is pure eye candy. There are scenes in this game that actually cause you to just stop and look around -- such as the aquarium on the cruise ship. If you love Splinter's single player, this is the game for you. I was disappointed that they took a step back from Chaos Theory's fully open-ended gameplay. The "undercover" missions in DA are a throwback to Splinter Cell 1, where you feel compelled to constantly save the game because little slips can cause you to fail the mission, and you are totally without your weapons and headgear all the time. On the other hand, the non undercover missions are stellar and completely worth the price of the game (you'll replay them over and over). Also interesting, Chaos was full of humorous dialog. Sam as well as your enemies were always making entertaining comments that livened up the sneaking around. Not so in DA, the characters are largely dull, uninteresting, serious types. That is an aspect of the game that completely disappeared. If you're all about multiplayer, think about renting first. I think it is a step down from Chaos Theory on that front, and will not be as long-lived.

The real Sneak King

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

GRAPHICS:
Nice. Really, really nice actually. The graphics on the single player mode are fantastic, especially on an HDTV.

SOUND:
Top notch. Can't say anymore than that other than Ubisoft is usually on the money in this department.

GAMEPLAY:
The online multiplayer is a drastic change from Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory but still worth a look. One worthy upgrade is three men to a team as opposed to two per team. The mercs and spies feel a bit more even than they did in the previous two titles in the series. There are also new modes like "spy vs. spy" that are pretty fun as well but it seemed to me that it all got kind of old pretty fast in regards to online play. One thing I have to mention is that this game has probably one of the smartest, if not the smartest, enemy AI setups in any game I've played to date. This can be both exciting and pretty frustrating.

The single player campaign however is easily the best of all four games, including the original. I would go as far as to say that this is the first game I've ever played where I actually felt like I was undercover. Placed in the middle of a domestic terrorist cell, the game gets really suspenseful really quickly. You will be forced to make tough decisions with only a matter of seconds to mull them over, in order to prove your loyalty to the band you've infiltrated. Trust me when I say, the single player game is a worthwhile experience. It's actually the reason I bothered to write this review in the first place.

WORTH PURCHASING?
I'd say yes but with caution because this game isn't really for everyone. The controls can get a bit cumbersome when you're trying to do things in a hurry and the game requires a level of patience like few other games out there. This game is all about hiding in the shadows for a couple of minutes before you make your move and if run and gun is what you're looking for, I'd say look elsewhere. The single player is worth the money alone and adds a good amount of replay value for your buck. If you liked the Sam Fisher adventures of before, try it as you may be surprised.

Easily the weakest Splinter Cell game to date

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of all, half of the reviews on here have to be plants. In reading their descriptions, they had a completely different gaming experience than me. The Splinter Cell franchise is probably my favorite ongoing series, and this game was one of the reasons I bought an XBOX 360 (especially since I've seen predominantly stellar reviews). So I'll differ from the rest and say that, while this game dresses like a SC game, it's more adequately characterized by moderate attempts at renovation which fail from lack of execution.

Let's start with the positives. Obviously, the graphics are UN-BE-EFFING-LIEVABLE throughout most of the game. This is no surprise, though, given the amazing graphics we've come to expect from this series. There are blatant environmental upgrades in Double Agent, regardless of whether or not you're descending along the face of a skyscraper, prowling across rooftops...whatever, that just beg for you to stop and enjoy the scenery for a moment or two. Also, the in-game save feature is a must for all of the Splinter Cell games because we all know that things can get messy in a hurry and the less you have to repace your footsteps the better. Finally, Michael Ironside returns as the voice of Sam Fisher, with a dark, gruff command we know and love.

Which brings me to my first gripe. The storyline here reduces Sam Fisher to a cross between Jack Bauer of "24" and Locke from "Lost," rather than a stone-cold, military hardass who could wipe both of them out without so much as blinking. With regard to story, this is not a Splinter Cell Game--it's an extended episode of "24" that plays out over the course of a few weeks or so. With Sam's daughter being killed at the beginning, I expected Sam Fisher's badassery to augment, not subside, as he's given a love interest and is thrust into a new setting with an underground terrorist group decorated with colorful characters who are also cardboard cutouts of television shows a 'la "24". Give me a break. These games have always been more or less "park your brain at the door" but at least they used to be grounded in the real world. This game is television.

Gripe #2: The controls. Horrendous. Expect to sneak up behind an opposition with the intention of quickly and stealthly knocking them out, only to have the controls become unresponsive because the game is seemingly EXPECTING you to grab them. Or, vice-versa, you will find yourself expecting to grab an opposition, only to have them repeatedly take one step out of your grasp forcing you to frequently bump into them and...well, we all know what happens next. More often than not, though, Sam will merely sneak up behind an opposition and just sit there doing absolutely nothing while you smash buttons hoping the guard in front of you doesn't decide to turn around. All in all, I'd say something similar to this happens about 25% of the time I'm in such a position, which is huge when you estimate that 1 in 4 guards will eventually get to turn around a blast you away just because the buttons were nonresponsive. Really frustrating.

Also, Sam's little ability to step off of a ledge then turn around and grab onto it? You never know when that's going to work here. Based on my experiences from previous SC games, I found myself constantly walking off ledges to wait for an opposition to step close to my stealthy reach, only to find myself committing suicide in mid-mission. Furthermore, sometimes when you are hanging from a ledge, Sam will just let go and plummet to his death without you so much as pressing a button. I thought, for a second "oh wow...Sam must get tired in this one...that's a little more realistic". Nope, it's just bad programming. On one other instance, I left him hanging in the same place for about 20 minutes while I ate dinner and nothing happened.

Finally, the gameplay is just flat-out ridiculous and tedious most of the time. Laughably so, even. Objectives are vague and leave you, primarily in your JBA headquarters, left to wander around aimlessly until you finally put two and two together to figure out what the objectives are actually trying to indicate. In one instance, you're even given about 25 minutes to complete a major objective, only to find out that you're not actually supposed to complete the "major objective". You're supposed to finish the other objectives then let the 10 minutes you have left simply run out so that you see a "cinematic" where Sam completes said objective. How the heck you're supposed to figure that out is completely beyond me.

Anyway, the game has its moments where its the Splinter Cell you love, but for the most part...I'll keep waiting for a next-generation SC title that's worth the pricetag.

"My son loves this game".

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have probably spent thousands of dollars over the years purchasing games for my son to play on one of his systems.

This game was actually far more than the typical shoot everyone, the more people you kill the better player you are mindless bunch that he was used to playing.

This game made my son think and use skills to reach each new level and the skills involved much more than simply the ability to shoot. I know it is just a game but this game calls for patience and thought. Normally he flies through levels but even with the game difficulty level set at "easy" he is really struggling to progress. Finally a game that he cannot just breeze through!!!

Fun...But a lot of the Same

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: January 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is great, but not 5 stars great. A lot of the "difficult morale" choices that you have to make, really aren't that difficult. if you do the "bad" thing, you get better gadgets...and being that it's a video game, I don't really find it that hard to do. This Game feels a lot like Chaos theory, with just enough tweaks to make it still seem fresh and new. I am a big SC fan though, and really think that all the games are good.

Best Tom Clancy Game Yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Bright Side:
-Multiplayer, as always, is effing awesome
-Graphics are stunning
-Solo missions are long and challenging
-Level design is great and creative
-Storyline is very compelling

Dark Side:
-The 2nd Training Level glitch
-Not much in terms of firepower variety

The Verdict:
The Splinter Cell series just keeps improving, now with the ability to work for two separate factions: the NSA and the terrorist group John Brown's Army, or JBA. The gameplay (particulary multiplayer) is as good as it gets, and you will find yourself making some very tough decisions along the way. Highly recommended, and one of the 360's best games.

Splinter Cell Fan Not Too Happy With This Title for Multiplayer

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 12
Date: October 24, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game for the X Box 360. In fact, this game is the only reason I even purchased an X Box 360! This review is strictly for the multiplayer gameplay. I have basically been playing ONLY Splinter Cell multiplayer games since Pandora Tomorrow (Splinter Cell 2), and have not really played any other game because I loved Splinter Cell 2 & 3's online gameplay. I really don't write reviews for products, but I felt compelled to with this title since it was such a let down. I, like, I would imagine, most others, bought these titles for the multiplyer gameplay. Splinter Cell 3 (Chaos Theory) is the best title yet for multiplayer action. Here are the changes from SC3 to SC4: 4 to 6 players, spies can only carry 1 gadget and their tazer was removed, the mercenaries only have grenades and drones (things that you control to fly around the map in limited distances), and...something that was very disappointing to me, who likes to host games...hosting can only be guaranteed in private sessions AND the parameters can NOT be changed, such as time limits, availability of gadgets, different modes (like deathmatch, neutralization, etc.) All the online games consist only of hacking two files from one of four devices located in the maps (neutralization) and then bringing them back to your spawn point (extraction)...period. No choice for deathmatch or other game modes, no customization options. Gameplay from SC2 to SC3 was an improvement, by maintaining the same feel and added many enjoyable options to players. This game radically changed the gameplay and, at the same time, restricted and limited any options or customizations to the game. I gave the game 3 stars because the graphics and sounds are very good, and the game is good...just very different. However, it is nowhere near the caliber of Splinter Cell 3. A couple of good friends of mine...friends who I have actually met years ago from Splinter Cell 2..., who are also large fans of the game, feel the same way. Additionally, most, if not all the people I have played with online who have also owned SC3, are disappointed. I, of course, am disappointed too. If there is a future SC title, I am definitely renting it first and not pre-ordering, as I did with this title. I would recommend that readers of this review rent this before buying also.

Fun game but too short

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: October 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Great game concept but not executed on as well as it could have been. There really wasn't much for divergent storylines as was advertised - you just get different goals from each side and have to decide which ones to do so your trust meter with each group doesn't fall too low so that you get a "Game Over" screen. All that said, it was fun while it lasted, but I beat it in a week and I didn't even play it at all some days during that stretch. If you're at all experienced at playing Splinter Cell games, rent this one because it will be easy enough to beat in a short amount of time.

not very good

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game left me feeling unimpressed because the graphics were disappointing and the missions uninteresting. Let me state that the graphics aren't bad, they just turned out to not be as good as I had heard.

The game is similar to Syphon Filter and Goldeneye, in that you have to sneak around avoiding guards and completing objectives. I'm starting to get sick of this style of gaming, though. This game does nothing to improve on it, either. It's so ordinary it almost hurts. It's time for game makers to find a more creative way to make these games instead of just sneaking around searching for bombs and weapons, getting from point A to point B. We have WAY too many games on the market just like this one.

Regardless of that, it's not that bad of a game. I would recommend you skip this game and go for something with more innovation.

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