Reviewed: November 21, 2006
Reviewed by: Arend Hart

Publisher
Ubisoft

Developer
Ubisoft Montreal

Released: October 24, 2006
Genre: Action
Players: 1-4
ESRB: Mature

9
9
8
9
8.8

Supported Features:

I was about half way through the game when our Editor contacted me, offering a feature review for the PS2 version of the Double Agent. Well, I figured it would be a no-brainer – I already had a head start. I mean, it would be natural to think that the two versions of the game would be virtually identical in content, so I could simply finish up my 360 campaign for the story and gameplay write-ups, and then pop in the PS2 version for the graphics and sound. Lickety-split review, right? Wrong.

You see, the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions of Double Agent might fall under the Ubisoft umbrella, but the two games were developed separately. And although they share the basic storyline framework – and even the same CG movies – the two games are shockingly different in terms of gameplay, mission structure, and yes – visuals.

Needless to say, I had to start all over from square one with the PS2 release of Double Agent I received in the mail. It was a big setback to my foolproof plan. But you know what? I’m glad – because as hard as it is to believe, I actually like the PS2 version better.

She game starts with the standard Sam Fisher mission – in this case, an incredibly long and well-crafted tutorial mission which takes our favorite spy through a series of frozen ice caves and into a steel foundry in Iceland. The mission introduces the game to Sam’s list of acrobatic moves, including the distinctively unique co-op up-and-over moves (thanks to a fellow NSA agent who begins the mission at Sam’s side).

The mission to take down the factory (by strategically placing explosive charges around the facility) is suddenly cut short by Sam’s NSA boss, Lambert, who orders the Agent to abort and evacuate immediately, mentioning something about Sam’s daughter. Sam is airlifted out of the compound, where Lambert announces that Sam’s daughter Sara has been killed. Obviously, Sam doesn’t take the news well, and in a very dramatic scene he tosses his trademark headgear from the chopper and into the rough sea below.

Sam goes on hiatus for a while, until Lambert talks him into returning for one last mission – to infiltrate an elusive group of terrorists called John Brown’s Army (JBA), and destroy them from the inside. In order to do this, though, Sam must first go underground – way underground. The Agency places Sam in prison, and tasks him with befriending and assisting a particularly important JBA member in his escape. In gratitude, the JBA member invites Sam to join the JBA and wallah – we have our Double Agent.

The interesting thing about the game is that this Double Agent stature introduces a new “Trust” system in which Sam has to appear “hard” enough to impress the fellow JBA terrorists – yet not take this hard temperament overboard, and jeopardize his position within the NSA.

With last year’s Chaos Theory, I was impressed with the way that the developers added the human element to the enemies – by having them discuss their families, future plans, etc. – and allowed the gamer to make last minute life-or-death decision to either knock-out, or quickly kill unsuspecting enemies. This new “Trust” system really kicks things up a notch, and Sam is now suddenly looking at things from two very different perspectives. This same decision – which was once merely ethical in nature – can now upset the balance of Sam’s status between the two opposing factions.

The core mechanics of the game are the top-shelf fare we have come to expect from the series, and this time around the gameplay is more fluid than ever. Whereas the previous PS2 ports (Splinter Cell really is an Xbox series at heart) tend to move a bit slower and sketchier than they have on the Xbox, Double Agent is noticeably quicker and more responsive. Sam no longer seems like he is wading through a pool of molasses, and there are far fewer instances of being caught due to technical limitations.

Sam’s signature moves are all present and accounted for – he can scale pipes, shimmy across ledges, ride zip lines, repel down walls, and climb fences. Ad best of all, he still gets to perform his hanging stealth kills from Chaos Theory.

Not much has changed with regard to Sam’s weapons gadgets – he carries the standard SC Pistol and SC-20K assault rifle, as well as the newly added knife from Chaos Theory. The Assault rifle can still be armed with gadgets like the signature sticky cameras and shockers, as well as a number of other non-lethal projectiles, which become a real necessity in the double agent missions. Selecting weapons and gadgets has gotten much easier with every release, and Double Agent allows for quick real-time navigation of the selection menus.

The entire course of the story – about 12 hours in total – is no less convoluted than any of the other Splinter Cell titles, but there are a number of exciting twists and turns that will keep you coming back for more. At a certain point, Sam even finds himself with a bit of a crush on one of the JBA agents, which puts our hero in an interesting moral dilemma.

The developers could have easily cranked out the same old graphics from Chaos Theory and we would have probably been content – but they actually upped the ante from the previous release and have given gamers the very best graphics and visual effects ever seen on the PS2.

Everything about Double Agent screams top-shelf visual quality – the high-resolution visuals, the smooth lines, the fluid animations, the awesome vision modes…everything. For a franchise that was borne on the Xbox, and has always had an overly grainy look to it on the PS2, Double Agent is crisp, clear and appropriately shadowy, and is one of the few PS2 games to really have that distinctive “Xbox sheen” to it.

The fact that the entire game runs at a constant framerate of 30fps without any noticeable droppage or glitching is icing on the cake. The same can’t be said for the 360 version of the game, which is riddled with bizarre visual glitches and synching issues.

From the opening strains of the theme music, the game oozes that familiar Splinter Cell ambiance, and the excitement kicks in. The in-game music is perfectly fitted to the on screen situations, and appropriately grows in intensity as the tension starts to build.

The voiceover work is first rate as always, with Michael Ironside returning for one more round as our favorite undercover Agent – giving another top-notch performance that puts those mullet-headed Metal Gear jokers to shame. Unlike the previously mentioned series, Splinter Cell’s scripted drama seems real, not forced – and the calm, collected way Sam interrogates his captives really proves that he is the coolest of the cool.

Those who do not have broadband connections can play local multiplayer via split screen – most noticeably the amazing two-agent co-op mode made famous by last year’s Chaos Theory.

Online players have the added benefit Splinter Cell’s signature online mode, which runs smoothly (at least once you stumble through the clunky account setup), and has a fairly sizable online community on the Ubisoft network. Sorely missing is any on-line co-op mode for the PS2 – which is especially disappointing considering that the Xbox version of the game has includes 15 standalone co-op missions.

Still there are hours and hours of fun to be had in Double Agent, and with most franchises abandoning the PS2 in lieu of the next-gen (now current-gen) machines it is nice that at least one quality franchise makes its final adieu in time for the holiday season.

If you are one of the millions of gamers stricken with the PS3 blues this holiday season, there is absolutely no better way to forget your gaming woes – get yourself a copy of Splinter Cell Double Agent.