Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent

There’s no doubt that had this game been released when originally planned, it would be getting one more mark. A harsh way to open the review perhaps, but fair. After a slow start, the 360 now has a wealth of quality titles, some of which do similar things to Double Agent and do them better. Stealth however, is something that only Sam Fisher can do well and Splinter Cell is one game where ‘stealth-based elements’ are wholeheartedly welcome. We’d even suggest that a certain Solid Snake isn’t as crafty or sneaky as our Sam, but we better not say any more or we’ll start getting Anthrax-laced letters.

As the countless previews over the last few months have probably informed you already, this is Splinter Cell but not as we know it. Fisher has acquired a raft of new skills since we last saw him, but sadly, he’s lost a daughter. This loss, which the superspy blames on himself, causes Fisher to throw himself into his work even more than he did previously, leading him to the offer of a high-risk undercover job to infiltrate the terrorist organisation known as the JBA. The JBA is planning to blow up a number of targets on US soil – and it’s down to Fisher to destroy the organisation from the inside to prevent this from happening.

To do this, a cover story is created that winds up with Fisher being incarcerated in a prison where a known member of the terrorist organisation is being held. This forms the basis of the second mission, which is unlike any Splinter Cell mission you will have ever played before. Gone is the comforting knowledge that if things get a little murky you can slide on your night vision and everything will once again become clear. There’s also no back-up in the form of a trusty sidearm should things all go a bit Pete Tong. Instead you must use all the stealth skills available to you rather than simply rely on technology.

Those of you beginning to worry that Splinter Cell has taken a wildly different direction need not fear, as the majority of the missions will give you most of the gadgets you’re used to. In fact, the very first mission could also be lifted straight out of one of the previous games – were it not for the presence of another NSA agent in similar stealth get-up.

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