Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Video games that are based off of Tom Clancy's novels have always been quite popular. This especially pertains to the Splinter Cell series. The newest in these series, Splinter Cell: Double Agent is proving to be the best of the series yet!

In this game you take on the role of Sam Fisher. Sam works as a top agent for the NSA (National Security Agency). Recently, Sam lost his daughter in a car accident and one of his hirelings in Iceland. This causes Sam to go a tad downhill and ends him up in prison. His prison sentence turns out to be a front so he can get involved with an American terrorist group called the JBA (John Brown's Army). Now Sam must act as agents for both organizations.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent involves all of the same aspects as previous versions of the game. You will use a lot of stealth to accomplish your many missions. While sneaking around you will do a variety of things: hang from ceilings while trying not to be detected, sneak past guards, rappel off of buildings, skydive, swim, blow things up, access computers, break necks, stab people, shoot people, and more! The only change is that you now work for both sides!

Working for both sides can cause problems for Sam. At many points in the game, Sam is put in terrible situations where moral may get in the way. He may have to kill an innocent person so the he doesn't get the JBA suspicious of him. Or, he may choose to spare someone and keep the NSA happy, while causing problems with the JBA. In the game, this is all calculated with a Trust meter. You will constantly gain or lose trust with both of your organizations based on decisions you make. If either of the meters falls to zero, the game is over.

The different decisions you make during the game can lead to a variety of endings. This encourages replay so that you can see all of the multiple endings. At the end of each mission, there is a tally based on kills, times spotted, bodies found, etc. The better you do, the more bonuses you get. This also encourages replay.

There are a couple of noticeable changes that were not in the previous games. One is that the enemy AI are smarter. Another is that there are no longer health packs to replenish health. Your health regains itself if you go some time without getting hurt. Lastly, there are special timed levels at the JBA headquarters. These levels require you to obtain multiple objectives within a timeframe.

The graphics of this game are of a high quality that you would expect from a game of this genre. The soundtrack fits the mood of the game quite nicely. Lastly, the controls are easy to figure out.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent is available for Playstation 2, XBOX, XBOX 360, Gamecube, PC, Playstation 3, and the Wii. It has an ESRB rating of M for mature. This is because the game features violence, blood, and language. For those of you who need a bit of help, a strategy guide is available.