GAME STUDIO DESCRIPTION: Sam Fisher is back for more espionage and intrigue in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. All the nail biting about whether to go in “hot” with guns blazing, or to use stealth is back in this new version, plus some amazing improvements. Chaos Theory ups the ante with vastly improved graphics, totally open level design, and coop gameplay.
Fresh from the East Timor operations, Fisher is now put on the front lines of information warfare. The year is 2008 and the world is suffering from citywide blackouts, stock exchange sabotage, and electronic hijacking of national defense systems. The stakes are high and Fisher, as the NSA’s most elite black-ops agent, is inserted in operations to aggressively gather intelligence. A wide range of missions call on a lethal mixture of weapons and close range combat. While Chaos Theory demands the same agility and athleticism required in previous Splinter Cell incarnations, some new weapons, gadgets and moves are available, such as the prototype Land Warrior rifle, and the stealthy, but oh-so-deadly inverted neck break.
In addition to an improved graphics engine, physics are enhanced, too. Enhancements like rag doll physics, particle effects, and realistic interaction with the environment make the Splinter Cell experience more immersive than ever. Just as judging your environment was crucial in past Splinter Cell games, Chaos Theory demands that you understand the delicate balance between light and shadow to stay alive.
Chaos Theory offers great replayability in single player mode, thanks to its vast, open level design. There’s always more than one way to achieve your objectives. At the beginning of each mission you are given your objectives, but you must choose how to go about completing them. Decisions about stealth versus conflict are yours to make, too. Should you enter a mission with non-lethal weaponry, a host of guns and ammo, or a little bit of both? You decide.
The Splinter Cell franchise is known for its tense, stealth-driven multi-player modes, and Chaos Theory is no exception. This version adds unique cooperative modes where you and your teammates must complete infiltration missions. Try to keep each other alive. Try to thrive in the dark and strike when the moment is right.
PLAY: Fisher has been given a knife for this mission. You can get behind an enemy and hold them at knife point yet never slice them. It really makes very little sense that each of these confrontations ends without blood shed. You can kill them but not when in you grab them. Instead you resort to the tried-and-true knockout blow.
Fisher has become more powerful and can take out an enemy quicker which adds to your ability to stay hidden. And of course the fact that you have a knife certainly makes killing quieter which keeps with the program of being stealthy. Fisher is able to sneak up on enemy targets by crawling through air ducts and keep out of sight in different areas.
Another interesting addition is when faced with locked doors you don’t have to search for keys or codes. Instead you can hack the door or use your knife to get in. Sometimes brute force is a necessity.
Most of Chaos Theory is linear even though there is a map to help guide your way. There is a positive and negative to this; you don’t get lost easy however the game doesn’t last very long.
GRAPHICS: Chaos Theory is not as visually appealing as its predecessors. Much of Chaos Theory is played in the dark so there isn’t as much detail. The environments aren’t as visual as those in the past in fact much of the game is mostly average. Even the enemies are nothing more than generic bad guys. Fisher has the usual detail and yet everything else would appear to be rushed.
SOUND: The soundtrack is good and implemented into the action well—not unlike a movie soundtrack. The sound effects and voice acting are decent but nothing really sticks out as being brilliant.
FRANKLY: Each Tom Clancy release has offered strong storylines and plot driven entertainment however Chaos Theory isn’t a continuation of that strength. The plot is weak and the game suffers some because of it. Thankfully Chaos Theory has some new additions that make up for the weak plot for instance you don’t need to hide all of the time to kill or knock them out or even failing because you sound the alarms.
Co-op play is fun and allows two players to perform moves that aren’t available when playing solo. It certainly adds some exciting replay value. The problem is that we finished it in less than twelve hours. That doesn’t seem like much bang for the buck especially when most of the game is subpar when compared to most other Tom Clancy releases.
+ Richie Wright
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