Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

It's not often that a series not only improves visually, but adds completely new elements with each instalment. The original Splinter Cell introduced a new stealth action hero in the form of Sam Fisher. The game looked and played great, but what really stood out was the potential for a successful franchise. Pandora Tomorrow broke new ground by creating an online multiplayer stealth-action game, and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory continues the trend with improved controls, graphics, a highly polished adversarial mode, and new online and offline co-op missions. It is amazing to see the range of gameplay elements that have been squeezed into this title. It is even more impressive to experience how well each of them works.

Chaos Theory contains three unique gameplay types, but this doesn't mean the solo mode has been overlooked. The story follows a typical Tom Clancy formula of throwing as much globe trotting and technical jargon in a person's face as possible. While Sam Fisher is a step above the typical meathead video game protagonist, he seems to have a very small emotional investment in his job. There are no Metal Gear love triangles or family disputes; Sam is simply a soldier who is doing his job.

There are ten levels of single player international espionage, and each one contains multiple paths to complete the primary and secondary objectives. The levels are larger and better designed than the other games in the series. While many of the scenarios in Pandora Tomorrow were easy on the eyes, they felt too short and lacked depth. In Chaos Theory, the levels are not only visually impressive, but they are expertly designed to offer a ton of replay value.

In terms of combat, the first two games in the Splinter Cell series contained a slight contradiction. While they emphasized stealth, Sam Fisher was in possession of the equipment and the abilities to kick some serious ass. Pandora introduced incremental alert stages in which enemies would outfit themselves with better equipment as the alarm level increased. This addition, along with some very touchy AI, seemed to force a more restrained type of gameplay. Thankfully, this feature has been removed from the game, and instead Ubisoft has decided to let the gamers decide their style of play.

At the beginning of each level, there is an equipment selection screen that gives players the choice of a stealth or assault package. There is also a third option called "Redding's Recommendation" that usually contains a mixture of items best suited to the level. This doesn't solve the problem of having an overly powerful protagonist, but it does address the issue. Whether players choose stealth or action, Chaos Theory offers an assortment of new moves and improvements.

There are also a number of environment-based kills that allow players to take out the bad guys with style. When a spy is hanging over an enemy he now has the option to grab them from above and either knock them out or snap their neck. When approaching a door there are now four options: open door, open door stealth, bash door, and optic cable. The stealth opening allows players to manually push the door ajar, so as not to disturb whoever is on the other side of it. "Bashing" causes Sam to enter the room with a quick kick, which knocks out any unlucky soul on the receiving end of the swinging door.