PS3 Review: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)

As before, Thrasher's looking at Chaos Theory through the lens of the Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD collection. Even though the game looks stunning in HD, this evaluation of the game can nevertheless carry over to its original versions on PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube (except for its co-op and competitive mutliplayer elements, which were not included in the HD collection).

While Chaos Theory doesn't radically alter the Splinter Cell formula, it nevertheless perfects it. Almost all the nagging issues I had with the original and Pandora Tomorrow have been addressed: specifically, the linearity of the missions, the lack of a mission ranking system, the frustratingly inconsistent gunplay, the underdeveloped close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat, the awkward animations. I also found the plot to be just as difficult to follow as its predecessors, especially in its more minute elements, and there are just so many names and dates and places and alliances and double-agents to keep track of. At times I had trouble recalling exactly who did what and to whom and for whom, but I was never in doubt as to the broader consequences of the mission: you know, kill this guy to stop WWIII, for instance. I would've liked some in-game device for recapping the story, especially for those of us who may have played the game slowly and may have forgotten some of the details in the interim. Now, that's not to say that the plot isn't engaging, indeed far from it: the narrative stakes are immense, as tensions between China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan come to military conflict following the capture of weaponized algorithms by a radical separatist group. As I noted in my Pandora Tomorrow review, this series does an amazing job of furthering the plot through gameplay and not through cinematics, so that while I may not have retained every piece of data thrown at me in a mission I played two weeks prior, the briefings and in-game chatter between Sam and Lambert et al. made the goal of any specific operation sufficiently clear. Episodically, each mission works on its own quite nicely, something which keeps any of them from becoming pedestrian affairs.

As mentioned above, Chaos Theory addresses many of the bugaboos I had with the two earlier games in the series. First, the missions, while certainly not open-ended by any means, have been opened up considerably. There are often several ways to overcome an obstacle, much less obvious and guided this time around, and seldom do the choices offered seem hierarchical: in other words, this route rarely appears strategically preferable over this other route. Second, Chaos Theory has a mission rating system that evaluates your performance immediately after extraction, based on accuracy, shots fired, number of alarms raised, bodies found, that kind of thing. It's something that adds a wealth of replay value to the game, especially for those perfectionist spies out there dead set on being 100% invisible and nonlethal. It also helps that you can finally pick the equipment you bring into the field via the mission outfitting screen. Third, though shooting has been improved somewhat, there still remains some frustrating moments of inaccuracy. It's maddening to plug an adversary with few choice shots to the chest or legs only to see him sprint to cover unharmed, or to wait patiently for that perfect shot to align itself, from a crouched position with a motionless target, only to watch the bullet innocently bounce off his head. Fourth, hand-to-hand combat has improved tremendously with the addition of a knife. It seems like a simple addition, but it adds a new wrinkle to the way you approach your enemies: should you give him a knife in the gut or K.O. that sucker with a palm thrust to the jaw? Each has strategic implications unfortunately absent from the two earlier games in the series. Finally, the new physics engine gives the animations of Sam and his opponents their proper physical dimensions. Gone (for the most part, anyway) are those instances in which Sam would slide to door handles, for instance, and gone are the bodies that would get stuck between walls, which often resulted in those bodies being spotted on camera. I think Chaos Theory, like every successive entry in the Splinter Cell series, improved upon its predecessors without making them obsolete. Even in light of Double Agent or Conviction, Chaos Theory can stand on its own, and that's the mark of a great series.

Highlights from E3: Splinter Cell: Blacklist

So there's the trailer, here is a gameplay demonstration:


As you can see, it's very similar to Conviction, and continues to take the series into a more action, less stealth-oriented direction. Needless to say, this leaves a lot of fans displeased. But perhaps even more displeasing is the replacement of Michael Ironside as the voice of Sam Fisher. You can see a video of the new actor (as well as Ironside) here. What I'm wondering is what purpose Ironside is serving, since he appears to be working with Ubisoft in the link's video. A highly-rated YouTube comment from Lightning Spartan caught the sentiment of much of the fanbase:

What ever happened to, "They'd always wanted someone a little older, more professional, more experience, you know. Not some young goof ball that you see in your typical shooter". What they do to you Sam ? 

Also of concern (to me at least) is the premise of the story:

The United States has a military presence in two thirds of countries around the world. A group of 12 have had enough and initiate a terror ultimatum called the Blacklist - a deadly countdown of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Sam Fisher is the leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon unit: a clandestine unit that answers solely to the President of the United States. Sam and his team must hunt down these terrorists by any means necessary, and stop the Blacklist countdown before it reaches zero. 

What I really liked about Conviction was how Sam was the rogue agent taking down Third Echelon and its new leadership, which essentially was partnered with the military-industrial complex and wanted to get the U.S. government involved in more foreign conflicts so that the artillery manufacturers, plane makers, ship builders, etc. would stand to profit from increased military spending. It was Sam against the Man. Inevitably, the U.S.'s overseas military involvement leaves many less than copacetic, as the story in Blacklist acknowledges. Now, Sam seems to be joining the Man and protecting the interests of the military-industrial complex. Again, a huge letdown.

Hopefully these problems can be addressed before the Spring 2013 release date (remember the redesign and long delay Conviction had because of it?). It actually looks like a fun game to play, just not Splinter Cell. I won't be so quick to say the series is dead, but many of the games' fans seem to think so.

For Your Viewing Pleasure, Chickenman's Top Ten (Part 8)

Aforementioned Top Ten Games:

The Sims (PC)

Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2)

Hitman: Blood Money (PS2)

Everything or Nothing (PS2)

Rise to Honor (PS2)

Batman: Arkham Asylum (XBox360)

TimeSplitters 2 (PS2)

The original Splinter Cell required a larger learning curve than any other game I have chosen to become proficient in playing. For many young'ns, I imagine, it is not easy to resist pulling a piece out and shooting the first enemy he sees. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell punished acting upon this inclination. Therefore this game cannot be called a shooter. Within it, a firearm is a tool such as any other. The real weapon is your mind and your ability to innovate.

I am unable to select a single game from the series and tout it as the best of the bunch. The addition of online play in Pandora Tomorrow, as well as the added feature of co-op in Chaos Theory (which I believe was a nominee for the Co-Op Award) showed that the developer wasn't simply putting out expansion packs, but credible games that could stand on their own feet. Obviously Conviction stands out as the blackest sheep of the bunch for its more action-oriented approach, but I cannot say that it is superior or inferior to the greater orientation towards stealth of the previous games. They are simply different, and both have their place in the series.

I feel that I need not say much about these games, because it's likely you've played them and know what I am talking about. If you have not, I would advise you that I consider your gaming experience incomplete for not having done so. Simply, the entire Splinter Cell series belongs on everyone's video game bucket list.

Xbox 360 Review: Splinter Cell: Conviction (2010)

You know, I really like Splinter Cell. The fact that Conviction is exclusive to the Xbox 360 had a major influence on which next-gen platform I chose to buy. Beefs with Microsoft aside, I was not disappointed with the game. As you know, it was a serious break from previous entries in the series, with a much faster pace and being more action oriented. This will be a very good thing for some people, as the learning curves for the previous games could be quite large. For the SC veteran, I think he or she will welcome the change and see it as a refreshing take on the original tagline of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: “Stealth Action Redefined.”

Unlike previous games, where gunfights were rare (in the first two games you would be forced into them occasionally, in the latter two it was possible to complete the entire games without firing a shot), they are now quite common. However, as they were once quite uncomfortable, the more action-inclined Conviction allows for quick guerilla attacks that would have been a poor option previously. But this is not without its serious trade-offs. One of the major appeals for me in Chaos Theory was the fact that after completing a mission you would be given a success rating that was heavily based on your stealth abilities. Being seen, setting off alarms, leaving bodies where they can be found, and even lethal attacks would lower the rating. Avoiding these things, as well as completing all objectives, would result in a 100% rating (which aids in the fulfillment of the Curse of Completionism). This emphasis on stealth was continued in Double Agent: there was an unlockable difficulty level that barred the use of guns. Being able to go through the whole game with just goggles, a knife, and the OCP (an EMP device that temporarily disabled lights instead of breaking them and something I wish Conviction included) was downright sexy.

In contrast, Conviction does not seem to have such clear distinctions of superior stealth ability. Many firefights are simply unavoidable and the lack of ability to specifically choose a non-lethal hand-to-hand attack was a drawback as killing indiscriminately sometimes makes one feel like an arbitrary sociopath instead of a precise ninja. Another shortcoming, at least in my book, was the limited vocabulary of Sam Fisher’s enemies, whose mouths are dirtier than any I’ve heard in a game. If you’ve played it, you know what I’m talking about: shoot out lights and you can get them to swear on command.

Fortunately, the superior features of the game dwarf those that may have been better about the old games. There is now a selection of weapons (though I am experiencing glitches obtaining some of them) instead of just the Five-seveN and FN 2000, alternative single player options besides the story mode, specific accomplishments (such as disabling 3 enemies with one flashbang), and other additions that make Conviction a more engaging and lasting experience. It also includes those certain subtle things that really seem to make a gaming experience more fun. Simple things like displaying your objectives on walls, having flashbacks project on those walls, or Sam commenting on how well you handled a group of bad guys. [Another Tom Clancy example would include the instance in Rainbow Six: Vegas how if you reload a gun that is not empty, it will have one more bullet than a clip has after reload, accounting for the bullet that is already loaded in the chamber. This is how real guns work, and a simple thing like that gives the experience a Clancy-esque attention to detail.] The legendary co-op returns, though I haven’t yet immersed myself enough to give a detailed evaluation (though it is promising). As you may know, I do not subscribe to Xbox Live and therefore cannot comment on the quality of the multiplayer. However, some have said that the online multiplayer has “made” the series of Splinter Cell. Obviously, I disagree.

I give Splinter Cell: Conviction one of my highest recommendations. The developers have kept the series fresh and have offered a compelling follow-up story to Double Agent. The gameplay will offer a challenge to anyone, and he or she will feel just plain B.A. in the experience. If you own a 360 and have not played Conviction, you are missing out.