Possibly the best stealth/action game ever made. A must have for any fan of stealth games.
This game is a huge improvement to the Splinter Cell series with the edition of co-op, new moves, and new equipment.
Gameplay SP:
The gameplay for single player is awesome. You have access to all of your old moves, like the split jump, but you now have a few new ones as well. You can now grab enemies as you hang above them on a pipe and pull them back up with you as well as a new move that allows you to throw enemies over balconies in both Single and Multiplayer.
Your equipment stays the same for the most part. You still can use sticky shockers that knock enemies out and the stick camera that helps you to see around corners and can release gas that knocks out nearby guards. The gun can now use a sniper and a shotgun attachment and the pistol gets a new alternate fire that can shut off electric devices for a limited amount of time. The pistol can be used to shut off just about anything radios, lights, cameras, laser beams, TVs, computers, even soda machines.
By far the best thing that you now have access to is Sam's knife. His elbow hit has now been replaced by an instant kill knife attack that can finish enemies without making a sound but you can still push the alternate fire button to quickly hit the enemy and knock them out. When near an enemy Sam can stab them in the stomach, the back, or can quickly cut their throat. He also puts his knife to their throat when you grab them and can interrogate them. But if you want to take a non-lethal approach to the game you simply pull the other trigger to go back to do an open palm hit, which is a one-hit knock out.
The only problem with the close combat moves is that because of the quick one hit kills/knock downs people usually charge mercenaries instead of using stealth or shooting at them from a distance and for some reason just charging usually works better.
The single player game has 10 missions and has a high replay value because it now includes many ways to go to get to a certain objective, a mission rating, and secondary and bonus objectives which you can choose to complete or not. If you don’t do them in one mission you might have to in another mission.
Gameplay co-op:
Co-op is my favorite part of the game. Teamwork is key to accomplish your missions. The only problem is that it only has four of them, not including a quick training one. In co-op mode you play it just as you would play single player except you have a partner and both of you must survive the mission. You can use co-op moves that include boosting your partner up, throwing them, and using them as a ladder to get up to a higher spot after you boost them up.
A good thing if you have Xbox Live is that there are now two new co-op mission out to download, no charge.
Gameplay Versus:
This mode has not been changed much from Splinter Cell 2. But that does not mean that it is not fun. Versus has two spies trying to complete objectives while two mercenaries try to stop them. Some of the old maps have returned like Bank, Museum, and River City Mall as well as two of my old favorites Warehouse and Defteck Belew. It also contains six new maps for a total of 11 different maps each with their own objectives.
There are a few new moves added to the versus mode. The mercenaries now get a berserk move where they spin around and knock down any spies that are near them as well as the option to chock a spy to death after knocking them on the ground. The spies get the ability to throw the mercenaries off of balconies. Both now get an instant kill when falling on an opponent rather than just knocking them out.
The mercenaries and spies both get some new equipment. The mercenaries have a backpack that can refill their supplies and a camera net that allows them to see through all the cameras at any time. Also the rate of fire for the assault rifle has been slowed down but it still has the sniper scope. The mercenaries now have access to an SMG that has a high rate of fire and can hold more ammo than the other guns and a shotgun that is deadly at close range. The spies have a cameo-suit that allows them to become invisible when they are not moving or are moving slowly. If they draw their gun or run out of power for the suit they become visible and they have to wait for the power to recharge.
There is also a new deathmatch mode where the spies and mercenaries just try to kill each other without completing any objectives.
For Xbox Live users you can download two new multiplayer maps, free of charge.
Graphics:
The graphics in this game can be described with one word: Beautiful. I have never seen a game with such beautiful graphics. The lighting is incredible and the way the shadows look is very realistic. Its amazing the way Sam now stalks enemies, he now slowly positions his body away from them as you move closer to an enemy and slowly reaches for the hilt of his knife. Seeing the detail on the guards’ faces and the looks of horror on their faces just as you grab then and put your knife to their throat is both amazing and humorous.
Music:
The music is great and really sets the mood for the game. The only problem with it is that it usually starts when a guard sees you and it can fool you into thinking that there are more enemies nearby when there might not be or it can make it hard to hear any conversations.
Sound:
The sound is amazing. The way the footsteps sound while running or when trying to be quiet and sneak up on a guard. The sound of a computer booting up or someone typing on the keyboard. The faint sounds of an announcer’s voice over the TV a few rooms down the hall. All if it sounds realistic. The voice acting is just as good as it has always been and the conversations between Sam and his friends or the person that he is interrogating is believable and almost always humorous. In one level a guard you can grab and question thinks that you are a ninja and in another part a soldier believes that it is a training exercise.
Value:
With an amazing single player campaign, co-op, versus, and downloadable content it is worth every penny.
Difficulty:
The Single player game and co-op have different difficulty settings but I found the game in normal to not be too hard or too easy.
Learning Curve:
The controls are very easy to learn. Although your spy might not do exactly what you want him to in multiplayer do to the button configuration.
Tilt:
I'm a big Splinter Cell fan and this game is the best in the series and one of the best games that I have ever played. It does have a few problems here and there though.