17 October 2006
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Unlike previous games in the series, scoring Splinter Cell Double Agent isn’t a difficult task. On the basis of the solo mode alone it’s worth a nine, not just because it’s by far the best game in series to date, but because it’s finally delivering on the rich potential that’s been apparent since the beginning. By giving players a real incentive to be the stealthy super-spy, it’s opening the game up to being what it should have been. And by wrapping it in a memorable narrative and giving Sam Fisher the ability to be evil, you actually start to care not only about your actions, but the characters in the game too. Throw in a hugely entertaining and evolving multiplayer component, and it’s got the makings of a game you’ll be playing for months to come. It’s not so much a question of trust anymore, but question of whether you trust stealth gaming to entertain you. If you’re not sure, then maybe this is the place to start.
(Eurogamer, 9/10)
All sorts of improvements have been made to level design, AI, gameplay mechanics (which are simplified yet still require skill), and a meaningful storyline punctuated with directed moments. While some may argue the point, the new Mercs Vs. Spies mode is good fun and should prove to have legs on Xbox Live. The game still loads slowly and it slips below 30 FPS in both single and multiplayer (in fact there is already an auto-update patch to eliminate the MP lag). But overall, Double Agent is a major leap forward for the series and, at least in my opinion, gets better and better the more I play it. (IGN, 9.0)
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