Once again Sam Fisher returns in Tom Clancy’s third
Splinter Cell installment. Taking place in 2007, Ubisoft has once again upped the ante of how a great game should play in the way of stealth movement and spy-oriented action.
Chaos Theory raises the bar in not only the single-player game, but also the multi-player experience.
If you haven’t been cut off from the gaming world civilization, you know that the Splinter Cell games have revolutionized stealth-action gaming. Chaos Theory is no different. While much of the solo game remained in tact (for good reason, mind you), there are a couple of innovations new to the franchise. As with many games out there, the amount of noise created while walking on different surfaces changes. The twist with Chaos Theory, however, is that ambient noise also affects Sam’s stealth. In other words, if you’re walking through an area with loud machinery, you’ll see that the meter on the screen allows our hero be much noisier, and still go undetected.
In addition to the solo missions, you and a friend can work together in the Cooperative mode. This split-screen action is a blast because you not only have to cover each other and quickly heal a dying partner, but you also have the ability to use each other’s bodies. By working together, you’re able to perform two-player-only actions like climbing to new heights, rappelling in otherwise unavailable areas, and launching one another across inaccessible areas. Unfortunately, the PlayStation 2’s solo missions are typically a series of very short sub-missions that get done far too quickly. For those of you who can’t play nicely together, you can head online to once again enjoy Spies vs. Mercenaries multiplayer action.
Some of the greatest features of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory are in that you can use your environment to your advantage. Interacting allows you to perform insane moves to gain position for a kill, or to be able to interact with your enemy in other ways. It’s even possible to interrogate, kill, or knock out your enemies with the quick press of a button.
But with all of the glory that is Chaos Theory, it’s not without its problems. The biggest comes in the form of the night vision goggles. While it’s understandable that looking toward a light source would impair your vision, there are so many “hot spots” within the game that your screen gets completely washed out, making it next to impossible to know where to walk. These bright white areas don’t just come from lights either. There are often areas that wash out the screen, even when not looking directly into the light.
