Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Review

Well, the spies are back in their third game, courtesy of Tom Clancy.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a great game... for patient people. It uses a very complicated control layout that makes in incredibly hard to pick up and play. You have to press (or hold) a certain button, then press another. It's good that you have camera control, but it is quite hard to get the camera in a semi-perfect position. If you have a free week to master the majority of the controls, you'll be fine. However, if you don't, prepare to get mad at this game a lot.

You're a spy, and in co-op (my personal favorite), you sneak around and knock out or kill opposing forces to move on to the objectives. The game is very demanding; kill a guy you're not supposed to, and it's mission over. Expect that frequently, and get ready to get killed a lot. The good thing is that in Solo, you can save a game anytime. It does take about one minute to save. Make sure you don't mistake this for a shooter; you have a gun, but aren't supposed to use it unless things get deadly. You are really easy to kill, especially since most of the enemies have machine guns. That makes you want to kill, because you're not really supposed to kill them but they shoot away at you. The enemies are pretty stupid, quit easy to sneak by. If the see you and you run away, they'll blast whatever you're hiding behind until they get tired of shooting. It's fairly easy to pull off the games perfect-spot moves, such as hanging from a ceiling beam and choking below enemies. However, one wrong move and it's mission failed. Especially in later levels, the enemies tend to see you a lot more often, and there are a lot less hiding spots. In co-op, you can revive your friend, as long as you don't get killed doing so. You pull off a bunch of cooperative moves, boosting each other to high spots, climbing up each other, throwing one another across platforms. It is a little complicated to get in the right position to do one, and it doesn't always work.

You also have a couple useful gadgets that work well for knocking enemies out. However, the Sticky Cam is most plentiful, and is the only gadget you'll see in Co-op mode.

In Splinter Cell, you have to be patient with not only the controls, but the game itself. Running out and stabbing a guy will alert all other guards to your position. Darkness is your friend in Chaos Theory. You almost always must stay in the shadows, walk slowly while crouching, put your back against walls, etc. You really need to be patient with this; I can't say that enough.

Audio in Splinter Cell is defined by the voices. Between the funny Chinese guys and your demanding bosses, the voices are great. I can't play this game once without laughing a couple dozen times.

In the end, Chaos Theory is great for patient people, and those who like to toy with enemies and use many gadgets. I give it 8 / 10.

This review was added on 14th November 2005 by Joey Cusimano.