|
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
With the content of next-generation
consoles heating up, it's time for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double
Agent to arrive on the PS3 with new content and that same good old
fashioned gameplay. In comparison to the XBox 360 version, this current
incarnation almost has the same level of graphics, although the loading
times on the PS3 are slightly lengthier, however the control system
seems more precise than the XBox 360.
Unlike the previous incarnations of
Splinter Cell, our hero must now infiltrate a terrorist organization,
although there are quite a few consequences to this. To quote Ubisoft "Veteran
agent Sam Fisher is back. But he's never faced an enemy like this
before. To stop a devastating terrorist attack, he must infiltrate a
vicious terrorist group and destroy it from within. For the first time
ever, experience the relentless tension and gut-wrenching dilemmas of
life as a double agent. As you infiltrate a terrorist organization in
its American headquarters, you must carefully weigh the consequences of
your actions. Kill too many criminals and you'll blow your cover.
Hesitate too long and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to
complete your mission, but get out alive.'
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
once again transforms players into the role of Sam Fisher who faces one
of his most difficult missions to date in blurring the boundaries
between good versus evil. Unlike other versions of the Splinter Cell
series, the gamer must now assist the villains in order to ensure that
his cover isn't blown while trying to protect democracy of the free
world. However to make things even more interesting or dastardly
frustrating, you also need to ensure that you keep the trust of the NSA.
This new addition to the game makes for more challenging games play as
the player must now monitor two trust metres on the bottom left of the
game. The tricky part of this premise is that if you fail a mission for
the NSA, it will reduce their trust but increase the trust for your
terrorist organisation. Both extremely frustrating and entertaining at
the same devilish time!
The game also contains a variety of
mini-games such as safe-cracking and lock-picking to give that real
feeling of "danger" and "adventure" that have been made so popular by
the James Bond series. However, for those that wish an easy way out,
there are also upgrades available that can assist the more novice player
bypass this aspect.
There are also a variety of diverse
missions in the game such as collecting voice samples, finger prints,
mainframe server cracking and of course our traditional "assassination"
type missions. The developers have also ensured that the missions take
place from around the world that include places such as Iceland and even
West Africa, each with their own unique feel and experience. However
when it comes down to the crunch, Double Agent is a first class first
person shooter!
In terms of your stealth, Sam moves just as
well as he has in most of the previous outings. There have been motion
controls added to the game but they can be turned on and off as you
wish. Tilting the control up and down while swimming will allow Sam to
surface and dive deeper and puzzles such as the safe cracking and lock
picking are controlled by motions as well. They don’t feel out of place
and to an extent, are well implemented. However, at times they can be a
tad sensitive and force feedback is missed (particularly with regards to
lock-picking).
Double Agent also features a highly entertaining multiplayer option that
has the gamer choosing their own sides, each with their pros and cons.
Whether you're playing the spies trying to steal technological
advancements or the mercenaries with their extraordinary firepower, it
makes for some great fun and excitement. The control of the spies is
extremely quick and graceful, whereas the mercenaries are more
encumbered but as mentioned before, it all balances out perfectly. A
great side project once you have completed the main game.
Graphically, the game is easily one of the
better titles on the PS3 and when you first witness the panoramic view
over Shanghai and the Chinese New Year celebrations, it's easy to get
lost in this highly detailed world. Character models are simply
incredible and feature high resolution texture details that move with a
human-like grace. Match that with a variety of Hollywood style
explosions, realistic lighting & shadows and you have a first class
title. It's pure eye candy!
Although the state-of-art graphics has one
drawback, the extremely long load and save times that unfortunately
makes the gamer wait and this does become a tad excruciating, especially
when you continue to keep failing a mission that you're stuck on.
The soundtrack of the game features the traditional Tom Clancy style of
music that suits the genre perfectly and would not look out of place on
a Hollywood blockbuster spy movie, match that with a wide gamut of
realistic sound effects and professional voice acting and once again
Besot delivers where other companies have failed.
In conclusion, Splinter Cell Double Agent is a very impressive game from
start to finish that features extraordinary graphics, a highly sturdy
game engine and definitely one of the most frustrating games on the
market, especially for those that wish to rush into battle. However, if
you're looking for a thinking man's adventure/shooter, then this is the
game for you. |
