(Note: I'm not a big fan of Splinter Cell or SC: Pandora Tomorrow. I was going to use the credit to get a pre-order on Wrestlemania XXI, but when I saw the LE on the shelf, I couldn't resist. I'm a sucker for the case. I can't remember if the EMP-like feature on the Pistol was in SC: PT or not, so i'm going to pretend it wasn't.)
Sam Fisher is back! This time around, however, he brought along a few improvements..
The first thing you'll notice is the graphics overhaul. Everything in Chaos Theory looks insanely beautiful, from the ocean down to the rocks. Everything just feels alive. It's a shame, however, that they spent so much time on the graphics. You won't see a majority of the game's beauty just because you have to shoot out the lights to avoid detection. Your pistol now comes equipped with an EMP like feature. Point it at an object, hit the left trigger, and voila.. instant electricity failure. This comes in handy at a lot of points and works on things other than lights such as computers, TV's, video cameras, etc. You will find yourself saving the game just so you can go back and knock out different things just to see reactions. You will also delay on killing guards just to hear their conversations. For instance, I overheard a guy that was paranoid and mentioned ninjas. The other guard called him crazy and agreed to switch posts. When I grabbed the non-ninja believing guard, he was extremely excited, and Sam didn't know what the hell was going on. "You're a ninja! You must be! If you kill me, can you do it with the blowgun?"
Also receiving an overhaul is the physics engine.. it's fun to pick up and drop guards bodies just to see how they land. The knife is being pimped out in most reviews, but in reality, it's quite useless. You cannot equip the knife. You cannot randomly cut objects. That's all fine and well, but after the beginning level or two, I can't remember the option to cut anything. The only time you can use the knife is when you're standing in front of a guard, and if you're in front of a guard, he's already aware of your presence.
There's a new co-op mode with a focus on teamwork. This, in my opinion, is the best part of the game. There's four levels designed specifically for teamwork.. you must climb over each other, give each other boosts, and tons more. Each level, both co-op and single player, takes a little over an hour to complete. That puts the game time at around fifteen hours.
However, like any other game, this game does have a few faults (though the list is very small). One big thing that bothers me is how the game keeps track of noise. I think this feature is great, and the ability to whistle or call to draw guards attention is beautiful, however, when you're holding a guard hostage and interrogating him, the voices do not alert the other guards. I had a situation tonight where guards were searching for me. I grabbed the guy, interrogated, and the other guard was a little under a foot and a half away, the voices of Sam and the guard were loud, yet the other guard did not hear. Maybe it's different in the higher difficulty levels, but this takes away a huge amount of the realism.
When it's all said and done, however, this game shines highly above the rest. The co-op mode is beautiful, the single player mode is unbelievably open ended, the controls are spot on, the graphics are amazing.. Chaos Theory is, without a doubt, the best title not only in the Splinter Cell line, but I can personally guarentee that when 2005 is said and done, Chaos Theory will be in the top five.
This, ladies and gentlemen, Scorch could justify spending the $49.99 in cash to pick up. It's well worth every penny.
Sam Fisher is back! This time around, however, he brought along a few improvements..
The first thing you'll notice is the graphics overhaul. Everything in Chaos Theory looks insanely beautiful, from the ocean down to the rocks. Everything just feels alive. It's a shame, however, that they spent so much time on the graphics. You won't see a majority of the game's beauty just because you have to shoot out the lights to avoid detection. Your pistol now comes equipped with an EMP like feature. Point it at an object, hit the left trigger, and voila.. instant electricity failure. This comes in handy at a lot of points and works on things other than lights such as computers, TV's, video cameras, etc. You will find yourself saving the game just so you can go back and knock out different things just to see reactions. You will also delay on killing guards just to hear their conversations. For instance, I overheard a guy that was paranoid and mentioned ninjas. The other guard called him crazy and agreed to switch posts. When I grabbed the non-ninja believing guard, he was extremely excited, and Sam didn't know what the hell was going on. "You're a ninja! You must be! If you kill me, can you do it with the blowgun?"
Also receiving an overhaul is the physics engine.. it's fun to pick up and drop guards bodies just to see how they land. The knife is being pimped out in most reviews, but in reality, it's quite useless. You cannot equip the knife. You cannot randomly cut objects. That's all fine and well, but after the beginning level or two, I can't remember the option to cut anything. The only time you can use the knife is when you're standing in front of a guard, and if you're in front of a guard, he's already aware of your presence.
There's a new co-op mode with a focus on teamwork. This, in my opinion, is the best part of the game. There's four levels designed specifically for teamwork.. you must climb over each other, give each other boosts, and tons more. Each level, both co-op and single player, takes a little over an hour to complete. That puts the game time at around fifteen hours.
However, like any other game, this game does have a few faults (though the list is very small). One big thing that bothers me is how the game keeps track of noise. I think this feature is great, and the ability to whistle or call to draw guards attention is beautiful, however, when you're holding a guard hostage and interrogating him, the voices do not alert the other guards. I had a situation tonight where guards were searching for me. I grabbed the guy, interrogated, and the other guard was a little under a foot and a half away, the voices of Sam and the guard were loud, yet the other guard did not hear. Maybe it's different in the higher difficulty levels, but this takes away a huge amount of the realism.
When it's all said and done, however, this game shines highly above the rest. The co-op mode is beautiful, the single player mode is unbelievably open ended, the controls are spot on, the graphics are amazing.. Chaos Theory is, without a doubt, the best title not only in the Splinter Cell line, but I can personally guarentee that when 2005 is said and done, Chaos Theory will be in the top five.
This, ladies and gentlemen, Scorch could justify spending the $49.99 in cash to pick up. It's well worth every penny.
I'm also co-oping with my cousin.. fun times.
