Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is the third in the growingly popular Splinter Cell series from Ubisoft. The publisher first launched the series with Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, as a timed exclusive on Microsoft home console, the Xbox, back in 2002. The exclusive release starred Sam Fisher, one of the U.S. Government’s secret, “invisible” splinter cells, a group of agents that are deployed to handle growing threats that might materialize into real threats for the United States or the word in general.

Splinter Cell took on the stealth genre from the third-person, employing objective-based mission design that required players make it from point A to point B to uncover detailed information and or eliminate specified targets, as well as carry out many other objectives. Ubisoft pulled this off with an at-the-time-amazing graphics engine that utilized groundbreaking shadow and lighting effects that were enough to make graphics zealots around the world giddy. Of course, the title also featured a storyline in the style of the popular Tom Clancy novels, mixing techno-thriller elements with conspiracy theories and near-future events. The formula was a success, and Ubisoft released a sequel within a year and a half, called Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

Once again, the series, with Pandora Tomorrow, delivered more deep gameplay with more satisfying challenge. However, Ubisoft simultaneously pioneered the industry’s first online multiplayer stealth game with the release of it. The title put two spies against two mercenaries, making use of Xbox Live for Xbox gamers. Spies played from third-person, just like in the single-player mode, while mercenaries played in first-person. The mode attracted competitive gamers as well as casual online players with its fresh, rewarding and challenging gameplay mechanics.

Now there is Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, developed by the original Splinter Cell team (Pandora Tomorrow was developed by another Ubisoft development house). With Chaos Theory, Ubisoft has addressed just about every concern of fans and critics alike – complaints that even date back to the original Splinter Cell release. For instance, all level design is a lot less linear, allowing gamers to tackle situations from two, three or sometimes even four different angles. Similarly, the very intense trial-and-error gameplay that was very present in the past games has pretty much been eliminated thanks to a save-any-time system the game makes use of.

Along with the traditional single-player campaign, Ubisoft has also resurrected the popular online versus mode, though it’s only available in the Xbox, PS2 and PC builds of the game. There are a handful of brand new maps and a selection of maps returning from Pandora Tomorrow for gamers to master. And on top of the versus mode, the developer has innovated with a brand new cooperative mode, allowing two gamers to play through five specially designed coop missions via split-screen on GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and online on Xbox and PS2.

The point is players are in for a real treat with Chaos Theory. However, readers that must know exactly what about the game rocks, and what about it – well – doesn’t, should keep reading.

The Facts of Life

• Ubisoft is back with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, perhaps the best in the series
  
• Play through 10 non-linear single-player levels that take players through a Japan bathing house; a cold, rainy island; high-tech corporate offices and much more
  
• Play through five cooperative missions exclusively designed for two players in split screen on GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and online in PS2 and Xbox
  
• Play the online versus mode in the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game
  
• A high-tech list of weaponry and gadgetry for Sam Fisher to equip and utilize
  
• Rated M for Mature
  
• Dolby Digital support (Xbox)
  
• Dolby Pro Logic II (GameCube, PS2)

A New Age of Stealth
It’s the year 2008 and information warfare threatens the future of the world as we know it. The U.S. Government has suspicions of several countries as well as certain individuals, thus it decides to employ one of its most trusted and capable splinter cell agents – some of the most stealthy, secretive and successful spies ever trained – to uncover some facts, and if needed, eliminate some targets. Their man? Sam Fisher.

This is Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory’s storyline. Fans of Tom Clancy novels will no doubt recognize some Clancy-like elements throughout the game’s 10-plus hour campaign mode. At its heart, the title’s plot is much more sophisticated than most games today, even those focusing on similar themes. Everything in it is authentic, and gamers will be immersed in the realism Ubisoft has created. Sadly, there are never any huge revelations as the story unfolds, though there are some expected surprises here and there. It’s just as disappointing to say the storyline just isn’t as gripping as some other game’s in the genre, such as Konami’s Metal Gear Solid franchise. Overall, the storyline just isn’t Chaos Theory’s best element. In all actuality, in fact, it’s the game’s weakest facet.

Fisher’s assignment takes him to many different locations all around the world. Altogether, players will enjoy ten different campaign missions, each taking about an hour-plus to complete. One mission takes place on a cold, damp island in the middle of the night. Another takes Fisher to a Japanese bathing house. Meanwhile, others take him both to high-tech corporate offices and to a distant-future New York in the midst of a blackout. The mission variety comes together nicely and will keep gamers glued to their TVs.



Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
But the thing that will keep players addicted is the core gameplay design. At its most simple level, Chaos Theory is very similar – if not downright identical at times – to its predecessors. The game employs an objective-based mission system that asks players to complete specified objectives to complete their mission. These objectives themselves are never truly innovative, most the time relying on simple objectives such as eavesdropping on a conversation, recovering data or assassinating a certain someone, but they’re believable and fit into the Splinter Cell universe.