Official "Splinter Cell: Double Agent" Thread

[nick_b]

*SPOILERS* do not read this post if you have finished playing the game




i just finished playing this game on my PC and i absolutely loved this game. My favorite parts of this game have to be the undercover missions, they add a whole new experience to this game by allowing you thirty minutes to explore the JBA base and inform the NSA about the JBA members. i have not played any other splinter cell games except for the first mission of chaos theory. once i put this game in i could not stop playing it i was having such a good time. i have played the rainbow six series with my friend and we laughed so much at the enemies in those games because some of the things they say are hilarious like or main inside joke we have is "i think we got company" i have no idea why but they seemed to say that a lot during our play through of rainbow six. i think Tom Clancy uses some of the same voice actors in this game for some of the enemies and that cracked me up just remembering the funny times during rainbow six.

back on the topic of the game itself, i was sneaking around the JBA base and when i was hiding next to a book case one of the members was literally a foot away from me and it was such a tense moment hoping he didn't turn 2 degrees to the right or else he would have seen me. one thing i was not expecting in this game was you having the choice to kill your boss Lambert or let him live (i killed him). another thing i was happy with was when i was in a room in the JBA base and i had no idea it was Enrica's room so when i opened the door she caught me in a restricted area and i was like OH SHIT but then it went to a cut scene where Sam seduces her which was satisfying .

my favorite mission in this game has to be the one where you have to place the bomb on the boat i got 100% stealth rating on this one first try.

[arrow91]

nick_b, good to hear that i'm not alone.

a lot of reviews point out that those parts of the game are the most boring parts, because you're basically repeating the same location, although you get a broader area to explore as you progress through the game.

you must be the next sam fisher if you can pull off a 100% on that level. that level is known to be the hardest. play it on high graphics settings, and that level itself is an art masterpiece.

[Xeronic]

I'm always excited over a new splinter cell game. Since playing Thief back on my early PC gaming days, i was always interested in stealth games.

Each splinter cell i play seems to be better than the last. I can say that about Double agent, but in some aspects, i can not. One of the biggest gripes for me in the game was in the JBA warehouse place, i was honestly bored. walking around (walking..ugh) doing the same stuff. Being a completionist (sp?) i found these parts of the game the most annoying. Coming late into getting a 360, SC:DA was one of the first games i played on the console, and seeing the achievements, of course i tried to get them all.

Download this, Get all medical files of JBA members, plant this bug, do training course. For me, this was boring and really felt like "filler" for the game. I love the idea and actual sneaking around and stuff, but i could not bring myself to like this. I could not wait to get into the field again. =(

Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa.... this level pissed me off. I played the game on hard, and i can't tell you how many times i had to restart to last save. I thought the choke points in this level were some complete bullshit and really was an annoyance just to get past some of the enemies. 100% sneak? -_- Fuck that.

This game did improve on the sneaking around and gameplay though. I loved the whole Boat level and it's interesting ways of getting around. Pool lawn chairs for cover ftw. Nice new gadgets and of course, the only true weapon for me in the game, the knife. The way the knife is used in this game should be used to a greater degree in other games. Please.

Although cool and ninja like, the interesting kills you can do from pipes and underwater are pretty damn useless to an actual game. You can't do them at any time to every enemy, so i don't really bother and just use my knife. It's faster and easier 85% of the time.


I know they were trying something different with the series, and i don't mind that, but i didn't like choosing between two sides. I don't think choosing sides like this really fits the splinter cell series with Sam Fisher. Another agent? Sure, but after whooping so much ass in the first 3 games, it was hard for me to be a bad guy in Double agent.

Multiple endings also... wtf?

I loved the game, and hope they continue the series, i just hope not like this.


Multiplayer on the other hand, is a total different game and quite awesome with the right people. Nobody i know liked being a merc, but a spy? NINJA!

ninja vanishing on mercs and fucking both the guys up over and over is very very satisfying. =D

[Thoraxe]

I just beat this game recently and lemme tell ya'....It's great. You guys will probably have to go back and play the first three when you are done with this one though. I remember asking for this game to be played not too long ago also. But anyway, I enjoyed the game and I hope you guys like it also.

[arrow91]

I've always tried going 100% on each level.

Problem is the damn tanker. They make me intentionally confront the enemies (from behind, which doesn't always work).

The Kinshasa level is also a bitch and a half. The outdoors part just never worked for me, even with the radar on.

[puppet4hire]

I just finished up the game a few moments ago. It was my first Splinter Cell and I had such an amazing time playing through it. It's my favorite stealth game behind Hitman: Blood Money.

The last few levels really put me in awe. The cruise ship was beautiful outdoors and playing through Kinshasa was just awesome. In fact, Kinshasa was probably my favorite level. I thought it was great sneaking (in my case, sprinting) around while explosions and firefights broke out between rebels and soldiers with civilians fleeing. It was another moment where I felt the world was actually alive and I was just moving through it.

Now I'll have to play through it on Hard.

[Xeronic]

another thing, is when you caught by a guard, the whole place gets alerted. It's like the Tenchu games. I understand this, but come on...

[j]

I've yet to play Splinter Cell but the fact I live in poverty without a PS3 or 360. XD

[school]

Just as a note: I played the 360 version. This is focusing on the single player aspect of the game. I will update it if I ever get the chance to play the multiplayer. Also this forum doesn't allow indentation, so I added a line between paragraphs. It is spoiler free (but does tell some of the locations in the game, if that bothers you), so feel free to read if you are interested in the game.

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Splinter Cell: Double Agent casts you, as the name implies, in the role of a double agent: acting as a spy for one organization while in fact acting on behalf of the enemy. Working for both sides, the JBA and NSA, must be done stealthily like in past Splinter Cell titles. Being a double agent is a compelling concept that could lead to many tough choices and scenarios. Unfortunately, Double Agent does not capitalize.

Double Agent has all the great stealth gameplay the series is known for with plenty of tools to assist you. The levels you sneak through are generally well designed and allow for multiple pathways. There is plenty of variance in the levels which take place all around the world from a frigid Iceland to a war-torn West Africa to a New Year celebrating Shanghai and even a jail cell. Sometimes the transition from level to level is somewhat disconnected but returning to JBA headquarters between traveling to each location eases this.

The aforementioned tools and levels provide many options in how to play, which is something too few games do. You can take out foes one-by-one, in groups, with traps or a combination of styles. You can also be non-confrontational and just sneak past. The options allow the situation to be played as you see fit, requiring brainstorming for the best tactic. Newcomers to the series might have trouble executing on such tactics due to the poor tutorial, which only tells you which buttons do what actions and not how such actions could be done in the field. But once you learn how to sneak properly it can feel very rewarding. Occasionally the game will take away your freedom in tactics. For example, Ice Tanker stage, where you are required to take out a certain number of enemies or you can't be extracted.

In addition to the stealth gameplay, there are two main categories of mini-games: reoccurring (lock picking, cracking safes, hacking computers) and one-off (assembling bombs, decrypting emails). The one-off mini-games usually linger on for far too long; they are overcomplicated and lack proper explanation. But the reoccurring mini-games are fitting additions due to comparatively quick and simple nature. The reoccurring mini-games are performed in real time, usually with foes nearby, adding a layer of tension as you perform them.

This layer of tension is sometimes added artificially. For example, one optional objective is to get personal information on the JBA members. When snooping around in Moss's room he will appear instantly just outside of the door like a mage summoning a bear. Even if you look at the map beforehand and see he is not anywhere near his room this scripted event will still happen. Along with the issue of scripted events is the poor artificial intelligence. Many times the enemy will go on alert for no apparent reason. During this alert phase they go off their usual patrol routes but have pathfinding issues to get back on it. This can be seen as enemies continuously walking into and getting stuck on objects in the environment, such as a table. In some cases this error can make areas impossible to get through and requires reloading a save. But the save system is incredibly slow, often taking from thirty seconds to a minute to load or save. Also, there were four separate occasions where the game would refuse to recognize my save data requiring me to restart the mission from the beginning.

Double Agent is very bland narratively. Nearly every objective where trust is effected has no actual weight or it weighs in very minutely. You will come across many life or death decisions where you decide the fate of a character but almost every character that is put into this situation is either underdeveloped, or in some cases not developed at all. The only way the outcome of your choices is relayed to the player is via a bar graph. The bar graph tells a percentage of how much each agency trusts you. It makes your choices completely disconnected from the gameplay and removes the allure of the double agent theme. Only towards the end of the game there is a choice that makes a substantial difference and affects gameplay.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent is a double agent. It works for everything you love: deep and satisfying gameplay. And for everything you hate: meaningless choices and throwaway narrative. But neither the narrative side nor gameplay side outweighs the other, resulting in a very lackluster experience.

[shikacaah]

Well I managed to finish this game on my brother's profile so no achievements for me lol. Eh that's not important anyways.

Well thing about the splinter cell formula is that every game it changes a little, add a little detail here and there and bam, new splinter cell game. I appreciate the changes brought to the scope in the rifle and the addition of the meter in the pistol that tells you when you can and cannot use the damper (?) to shut off lights. However the beautiful thing about this formula is that it works very well, multiple pathways, lots of tools, and a variety of levels can make for much immersion in this stealth experience.

I don't want to create a wall of text here however though the narrative is often mentioned to be bland it does have some redeeming qualities such as trying to gain favor between two different factions, and the option of multiple endings.

I suppose that's my two cents. Hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I did.

[britru]

CONTAINS SPOILERS.
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Well I'm kinda glad that the podcast was pushed back as it gave me more time to finish the game. I'll leave some of my thoughts and feelings for the game. I played it for the 360.

This was my first Splinter Cell game I've played but I love the Metal Gear Solid series so the stealthy gameplay wasn't new to me. The game itself was though, so I decided to play it on easy after playing the training.

Controls: This part of the game was luke warm to me. At times I would get really frustrated while trying to pull off some maneuvers. Maybe because I haven't had any previous Splinter Cell experience. I guess I was mostly surprised by just how "technical" the controls try to be with all the options the game gives you.

Story: I found the story to be rather throw away. I knew the premise but playing this game did not get me interested in the Splinter Cell universe.
After the first mission when Sam Fisher's family or daughter dies, I was interested. I thought this would be a personal objective for Sam. But never again did they bring up the family or Sam's feelings. Sam just felt like a lifeless puppet that did as was told. I couldn't even remember his name because of how boring he was.

Sound: The music in the game was decent. It did it's job I suppose to set the tone and add to the atmosphere. But I won't be jumping to get the soundtrack. Definitley no MGS "epicness" in the soundtrack's music.
The sound effects however were pretty cool. All the gun sounds were satisfying and whenever you used CQC, the sound effects were great.
I have to give props to the voice acting though. While I didn't pay much attention to the story, I paid attention to the characters. Simply because I enjoyed listening to the voice actors.

Graphics: I only noticed that this game used the Unreal 2 engine in the credits but it immediatley clicked when I thought about how there were so many "beefy" characters in this. They really emphasized the sweatiness and muscle tone in the characters. By todays standards the graphics are decent. But I'm sure when the game came out, it was really good.
The lighting was really good, but one should only hope, as that was a large part of the gameplay. I found the textures to be subpar on some characters and environments. But overall, pretty decent.

Gameplay: I was only interested in playing the single player because I don't really have anyone to play multi with.

I thought the length for the game was just about right. The levels were nice and I enjoyed playing each one of them. The objectives in them were fun enough so you didn't mind doing them for the most part. I only really did the ones with the rewards tied to them though because I felt the other ones were just a waste of time.
I must say that with the objectives though, there was a tremendous amount of trial and error. Sometimes this was really frustrating because you didn't know you could interact with certain things in the environment or where to go. I found that learning enemy patterns was a big part of the game as well. Luckily, the save system in the game allowed a lot room for error because you could save whenever you wanted.

I didn't think I would be ranting this long. Wow. Anyways I think I'll stop there. Thanks to anyone who bothered to read this.