 It was back in 2002 when we first met Sam Fisher, a jaded but extremely talented secret agent who was sent all around the world to take care of the most sensitive, covert operations conducted by the United States. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell became one of the defining franchises of the original Xbox, thanks to its incredibly lifelike graphics and sophisticated stealth action gameplay, and the PC translations of this series have been comparably as good if not better. Earlier this fall, Splinter Cell hit the Xbox 360 for the first time, and the transition to a more powerful new platform naturally created even higher expectations. Yet despite a compelling new premise that forces Fisher to make some tough moral choices to infiltrate a terrorist group, Splinter Cell Double Agent's campaign could best be described as Splinter Cell with a fresh coat of paint. Now this experience is available on the PC in a version that's nearly identical to what can be found on the Xbox 360, notwithstanding some technical issues you might run into. The single-player portion of the game possesses all of the strengths and weaknesses that fans of the series have come to expect. On the other hand, the multiplayer component, which is like a whole separate game, has seen a variety of interesting changes since the last game, making it probably the better half package.
Sam Fisher's got an unusual assignment in Splinter Cell Double Agent, and there's an impressive multiplayer mode waiting for you as well.
Those familiar with the Xbox 360 version of Double Agent will find roughly the same experience in this version, which feels like it was ported from the console. Of course, the default controls are different, though Splinter Cell has always played about as well using a mouse and keyboard as with a gamepad, and this year's game is no different. Visually, the PC version looks nearly as good as the graphically impressive Xbox 360 version, if you have a powerful PC. However, even on the highest settings, it appears that the PC version is missing some of the bells and whistles of the 360 version, and you might still see some odd fluctuations in the game's frame rate, as well as noticeably long loading times. On the plus side, the PC game retails for less, though it naturally lacks the Xbox 360 version's unlockable achievements, which help add replay value to both the solo campaign and the online modes. Players posting on the game's message boards also complain about compatibility issues with particular hardware and various crash bugs; though, after automatically downloading a required patch, the main issue we encountered on our test system was an occasional inability to connect to multiplayer matches. There's also a bug that seems to prevent you from using the extra gadgets you unlock by completing optional missions. So if you have the choice, the Xbox 360 version is the safer bet. At any rate, if you've seen the Xbox 360 version of the game already, then you know what to expect.
Even though the Splinter Cell games bear the name of a famous author, they have never been particularly good at telling stories, despite the fact that Sam Fisher has always stood out as a great character. Double Agent gives the impression that it might buck this trend. Early on in the game, Fisher loses his cool and winds up in prison after he's given some very bad news. Unfortunately there's no real follow-through on this plot point because Fisher's incarceration turns out to be a setup for him to get in good with an upstart terrorist group oddly called John Brown's Army (JBA). The JBA tentatively accepts Fisher as one of its own...but he's still working for the National Security Agency (NSA), which orders him to play nice and learn what makes these terrorists tick. The terrorist leaders have some personality, but they've got a pretty conventional blow-stuff-up plan. The game's whole premise wears thin as Fisher keeps getting crucial assignments from the bad guys, who inexplicably supply him with the experimental government-issue assault rifle he's always used. Eventually you'll wonder why Sam can't just kill them all and be done with it. But your patience will be rewarded, as there's an action-packed finale and multiple endings to look forward to based on the choices you make along the way. |
