Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Review

Added April 5th, 2005 by Talk Xbox

Introduction:

Splinter Cell. What can I say? It’s been Ubisoft’s number one franchise. Three installments, three spectacular games. It’s been a long road for the series. When it first debuted in mid-November of 2002, people were skeptical of what it was all about. Some people thought it was a direct rip-off of Metal Gear Solid, saying ‘’I don’t want something that has already been done, I want something new.’’ Well, that’s exactly what they got. The original Splinter Cell was a masterpiece, showcasing the power of Microsoft’s new system. The game received many Game of the Year Awards and all around excellent reviews.

So, with a game as innovative as the original Splinter Cell, how do you surpass that? With Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow they added very unique online modes and absolutely remarkable graphics, never before seen on a home console. Now, you’re probably thinking, how do you top that? How about by adding all new online multiplayer options, a compelling story, extremely well done graphics, and wonderful voice acting? Yeah, that’s what I thought. All this was added along with so much more, and quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier.

Gameplay:

The gameplay works like this. Start level, go from point A to point B to pick up the bomb that was hidden at point C. That might sound like a bad thing, but this is actually why this game is better than previous installments. Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow were more complicated so to speak. Too many objectives, too many things to kill, and so forth. In Chaos Theory things aren’t exactly simple, but the game makes it very clear as to what you need to do. No, this isn’t a dumb downed version of Pandora Tomorrow; it’s just a finished product. One of the reasons why it’s so easy to know what to do is because the level design is amazing. It’s definitely a step up from Pandora Tomorrow. The levels are much bigger, and well detailed. Some people might think they’re even too big. In a way, they might be correct. The levels are huge. Since the environments are so vast, it will take a few hours to complete each level. This can either be a good thing, or a bad thing; depending on what type of gamer you are. If you’re the kind of person who likes to explore a level to discover every little detail possible, then you will like this. If you’re the type of person who likes to hurry up and run through a level and kill everything in your path, then you might not be satisfied with Chaos Theory's premise. Don’t get me wrong though, no matter what type of gamer you are, Chaos Theory has something for you. Whether it be in co-op mode or online, Chaos Theory will please.

The online features of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory are second to none. The game offers a wide variety of game modes. If you’re a death-match kind of guy, then Chaos Theory has got your back. You will either play as the Mercenaries or Spies. Each has their advantages. The Spies have night and thermal vision goggles. The Mercenaries have motion censor goggles. The motion censor goggles will obviously detect motion. Once you spot some sort of motion, a whole other window per se’ will narrow down the motion making it easy to see what’s moving. I think the real question though is, who has the greater advantage? Well, it really matters on the player. If you’re the kind of player who can wait in a shadow until someone comes around that you can brutally kill, then you should be a Spy. However, if you’re still used to Halo, then you should definitely go the Mercenaries way. Don’t be fooled by the first-person view though. You still have to use strategy. Without it, be prepared to have your neck broken. This isn’t Halo, that’s for sure. This is a stealth strategy game. Running and gunning will not work. You need to plant bombs, hide behind boxes, and sneak up behind an opponent and then press A to do an exploding attack that will knock them out. Yes, strategy is key when playing online. One thing that really makes the online play so great is the lack of lag. At least I didn’t encounter any.

Chaos Theory is more violent than both the original and Pandora Tomorrow. In the first level, you will see a man covered in blood lying in a bathtub. You can murder people with rocks, bottles, and some other ‘’nature’’ or ‘’household’’ weapons. You can grab an enemy by the neck and proceed to slit his throat with a knife. Yes, Chaos Theory definitely deserves its M rating. It’s nice to see that they didn’t hold back in this game. All of the different ways you can kill people really adds to the gameplay. They didn’t just do it for some chuckles.

The story in Chaos Theory is like any spy movie/game except it’s presented extremely well. Cut-scenes are shown after every mission you complete. These well-produced cinemas unfold the story unlike any other game. U.S. and their allies Japan are here to seek and destroy critical information that China and North Korea have obtained. Sam is at it again. He must sneak his way into their hideouts and get the job done. The information China and North Korea somehow seemed to have stolen does indeed pose a global threat. You (obviously) play as Sam Fisher; a spy for the Third Echelon Team -- a team dedicated to stopping terrorism by using any means necessary. Basically, if the government won’t allow something, the Third Echelon Team will execute it anyway. He must act like a cell in order to tiptoe his way through armed forces. Sam’s on a mission, a mission to kick some terrorist behind.

Graphics:

When playing Chaos Theory you will think you’re playing a PC game on a hi-end rig. The graphics are amazing. Truthfully, I can’t think of one flaw this game has when it comes to graphics. The smooth textures in this game are mind boggling to gaze at. Sam has never looked so good. Truthfully, this game doesn’t belong on the Xbox. It looks like an Xbox 2 launch title. You will want to pinch yourself to see if this game is for real when you witness the rain effects. What matters the most when it comes to graphics though is the animations. The animations in Chaos Theory are some of the best I have ever seen in a video game. Bar none. Of course, what would a stealth game be without amazing lighting effects? Nothing, and Chaos Theory wholeheartedly delivers. The shadows are your best friend. You must use them to your advantage or you will be killed. It’s never been so easy to accomplish this because you know exactly where a shadow is and where it ends due to the amazing graphics engine.

Everything from the objects on the ground to the knife in your hand is greatly detailed. I have never seen a broken bottle of bourbon look so good. Everything just looks top-notch. By far, the best looking game to be found on the Xbox. Many thought this moment would never come. What moment? The moment of the Xbox being completely maxed out. I don’t know how they did it, but I’m sure as hell glad they did.

As already mentioned, Chaos Theory is a lot more violent than previous installments of the series. When you stick a bottle into someone’s stomach, blood will squirt. Sick, but once again, looks astonishing. When using your night vision goggles, everything will look green and be a little bit fuzzy. The fuzziness definitely adds to the realism of the game. Here’s a tip. Put your night vision goggles on while it’s raining. Be prepared to be amazed by the textures. In short, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is the best looking game the Xbox will ever see.

Audio:

Oh boy. Where do I start? The music in Chaos Theory is beyond great. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is one of the few games that wouldn’t be a complete waste of money to buy the soundtrack. Amon Tobin is a genius when it comes to this kind of stuff. Every level has the appropriate music. This game has movie quality production values. Seriously, go get the soundtrack. As a famous spy once said, ‘’It’s smashing, baby!’’

The sound effects have to be good in a game such as Chaos Theory. Once again, Chaos Theory delivers. Wait a minute, what was that? Was that another one of those darn Mercenaries? *takes out knife* The sound effects are the best you will ever hear in a video game. I can’t think of a thing wrong with the audio in Chaos Theory. Everything is absolutely stunning; from the way a silent gun shot sounds, to a footstep, to a drop a rain hitting the ground, it’s all just done so well.

Michael Ironside does a magnificent job playing the role of Sam Fisher. If you’ve played Splinter Cell and Pandora Tomorrow, you’ll know that Sam makes jokes that aren’t exactly ''funny.'' This is why it’s so good. His non sense of humor is hilarious. This game is in no way funny though. In Chaos Theory, they are dealing with serious issues. A joke or two can never hurt though. The cut-scenes are extremely well done, and as I said before, this game has movie quality production values. Ubisoft really went all out when they hired their voice acting crew. Overall, the audio in Chaos Theory is unsurpassed.

Controls:

In stealth games control functionality can either mean life or death. Luckily, Chaos Theory controls better than any other stealth game I have played, and trust me, I’ve played them all. Chaos Theory really takes advantage of the Xbox's control pad, using almost every button. You will need to use the analog sticks and the d-pad if you wish to survive. The d-pad basically turns your different kind of goggles on and off. Obviously, the left analog stick will move your character while the right stick is used to maneuver the camera.

Sneaking up on someone to kill him is made easy in Chaos Theory. All you have to do is get right behind your opponent and press A. This is simplistic because a little menu comes up and asks you what to do: ‘’return to game” or “grab character.’’ After you grab someone you can either knock him out by pulling the L trigger, or Sam will perform a lethal attack if you pull the R trigger. The controls are as responsive as ever. Everything just feels right.

Replay:

With a single-player experience that could easily consume 20 hours of your time, online multiplayer, and on and offline co-op, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory can last you awhile. The single-player experience is so good that you will want to play through it at least twice. Maybe one time through doing things extremely stealthy, and another time trying to go as fast as possible. Not to mention if you want to play it through using different difficulty settings.

There are bountiful amounts of game modes when playing online. There’s story mode, which is just like any other game mode except you and your partner (optional) will complete random objectives. There’s a death-match mode where you will either play as a Spy or a Mercenary, whoever has the most kills when the time is up wins. There are many other great modes as well. As far as replay value goes, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory will last you for a very long time, especially if you have Xbox Live.

Summary:

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a blockbuster. If you don’t buy this game you don’t deserve to own an Xbox; it’s that good. Everything about this game is top-notch, from the gameplay, to the graphics, to the sound; it’s all tremendously well done. This might very well be one of the Xbox’s last AAA titles, and by far the best. So, run out to your nearest retailer and pick this one up; you better hurry though, it’s going to go fast. Fan of the series? Pick up the Collector's Edition. It includes a ‘’Making Of’’ and some other cool goodies such as music from the Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Soundtrack, Penny Arcade Comics, and a whole lot more! This is the Xbox’s first Game of the Year contender to be released so far in 2005. Buy it, you know you want to.