Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

I'm looking at my reviews of the previous Splinter Cell games. I've loved the series from the moment I first tried it, but I had a few issues with things here and there. "Offender number one: the save system," I complained. "Levels are laid out in a pretty linear fashion," I grumbled. "I wish you had some kind of meter for the amount of noise you're making," I griped.

Now, I can't make those gripes any more. Fans asked, Ubisoft Montreal delivered. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a huge improvement on the previous two games, preserving what worked, turfing what didn't, and adding new stuff that works even better. They turned a great game into a brilliant game at last.

Why is it so brilliant? Many will rightly point to the multiplayer. Chaos Theory has the competitive play again, refined and expanded with new modes. In Disk Hunt, spies attempt to find and hold on to disks scattered throughout the levels, while mercenaries attempt to eliminate the spies. There's even a deathmatch mode, just for laughs.

The original Neutralization mode itself is back, with new sub-modes. Extraction requires spies to steal hard drives and deliver them to extraction points. Mercs attempt to stop them. Bombing is like Counter-Strike, with spies attempting to deliver a bomb, and the mercs running interference. There are new and old maps to rumble on, and plenty of them.

There is yet another new form of multiplayer: the fascinating Co-op mode, in which two spies attempt to complete missions together. These missions, like those of the single player campaign, have complete narratives and are just too much fun. Co-op gets unique levels of its own (four in all) and special team moves that can't be done solo. The first spy gets into position and presses the black button, and initiates the two-person move. The second spy gets into position and presses the black button, and completes the move. It's a simple way of doing some pretty amazing things. Boost your pal up higher, drop a rope so that they can climb up, hack two terminals simultaneously, scale up the other player's body as they dangle from a ledge, and more. There's even a team knockout move, where one spy slingshots the other into a foe.

Co-op can be played both through Splitscreen and Xbox Live. Finally, stealth-loving friends can work together. There's nothing quite like the thrill of counting down to deliver two simultaneous sniper-shots to your enemies' heads. A pity there are only four levels--more of this has to make it into Splinter Cell 4.

Be it multiplayer or single player, gameplay mechanics are vastly improved all around. Finally, single player levels are not as linear. There are usually different paths you can take, and more choices for Sam to make. Do you approach the room by hallway, or crawl down a vent from the other direction? There's even a level where you can get captured... or not, if you're good. For the record, I didn't get caught. After a reload or two.

Problems have different solutions, too. For example, if there's a retinal scanner protecting a door, but you�ve knocked out or whacked all the guards, no problem. You can hack it electronically. You have a choice of three different load-outs for your mission: the Recommended equipment; an Assault package with more lethal weapons for those who like to shoot 'em all and let the number crunchers sort 'em out; and a Stealth package with more spy gear for those who don�t like to leave a mess, or a trace.

Speaking of equipment, Sam Fisher has some sweet new toys. Your pistol has a device called the OCP (Optically Channelled Potentiator) that can disrupt electronic gadgets. It will turn lights off and disable cameras temporarily, allowing you to sneak by, or perhaps lure someone into ambush position as they investigate the disturbance. It's a lot stealthier than shooting out lights. You also have a knife, which can be used to cut material like tarps so you can create a new path for yourself, and press it against the throats of enemies to get them to cooperate. Personally, I love ripping through fabric and yanking enemies through.

You also have the Electronically Enhanced Vision mode, which will scan objects to determine what they are. This means no more peering into the dark and wondering what that black square thing is. The device will also let you know if what you're scanning is susceptible to the OCP, or if it can be hacked from a distance. Yep, you can actually hack a computer from across the room using the EEV, even if a guard is sitting there using that same computer. Very cool, and very consistent with the high-tech nature of the game.

And still there's more. Sam has more moves, both lethal and non-lethal. The left trigger initiates a non-lethal attack, the right a fatal one. There are a variety of situations in which they can be used. The one everyone talks about is the neck grab you can do when suspended from a pipe. That is very satisfying. I also have a fondness for a lethal attack that requires a railing bordering a fatal drop. Drag somebody near it, and then pull the right trigger. Sam will toss them over. You've got the guard out of the picture and the body hidden all in one go.

Now comes the part where I dig deep to try to find something to criticize about the game. There's only one thing of any real note, and that's the fact that the tutorial is no longer interactive, but a series of movies instead. Veterans of the series won't need a tutorial, but n00bs probably could use one. The Co-op missions have an interactive tutorial, though. And again, we could use a few more Co-op missions. Hopefully they'll offer more through Xbox Live downloads.

That's about all I can say that�s negative. Okay, maybe I would have liked to have seen more opportunities to do the cool new hanging neck grab attack, but now I nitpick. Even things I would normally complain about are gone. For example, you can now save anywhere, any time. This is such a relief and makes the game a whole lot less frustrating. Another thing: you have a sound meter that indicates how much noise you're making, and how much ambient noise is present in the environment. This means that in rooms with lots of machines running, you can be a little less discreet running around.

AI also received major improvements. The guards exhibit more kinds of behaviours, making them more believable as people. They communicate more, and grow more suspicious as things happen around them (like their mates disappearing). They search rooms in believable ways. They have more alertness stages, so now if you get careless and get spotted, it doesn't instantly mean that alarms start roaring and machine guns start blazing. Guards tend to search first, then start panicking, giving you a chance to bushwhack them. So sometimes making a little noise is a good thing.

As expected, Chaos Theory is one fine-looking game. The lighting and shadow effects are better than ever, and I love looking at thin sheets of water covering a grimy floor. Animation is excellent. Watch Sam as he changes postures depending on what he's doing... and how close the enemy is. See terrified expressions on the faces of guards when you grab them and put a knife to their throat. And the dialogue you'll get when you do this is very entertaining. Though there are lots of ways of neutralizing people without actually grabbing them, I found myself catching people just to hear what they had to say. Sam has some pretty witty threats, and the some of the prisoner dialogue is pretty hilarious. "Security is pretty tight down here." "Not tight enough, apparently."

Playing Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is like tearing open your presents Christmas morning and discovering to your shock that you got everything you asked for. No pairs of socks. A cologne set of a brand you actually like. It's early in the year for Xbox games, but we�re already thinking "Best of." Yes, it's that good.

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