Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory – PS2 – Review

Over the past few years there has
been a series that, in many gamer’s opinion, has started to rival Metal Gear
Solid as the top stealth-action game in town. The name of that series is
Splinter Cell and every new incarnation of the game has vastly improved upon its
predecessors. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is no different as it will have you
entertained for hours on end. What new features does Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
offer that makes it better than the pervious ones? Read on to find out the
answer to that very question.

The story for Splinter Cell: Chaos
Theory feels like it was taken directly out of one of Tom Clancy’s novels. It is
the year 2007 and Japan has created the Information Self Defense Force (I-SDF),
and it has been deemed a violation of international law. Since I-SDF’s creation
there has been a rising tension between Japan, China, and North Korea. China and
North Korea have created shipping blockades, which is hurting Japan’s economy.
Japan has, in turn, contacted the United States to help resolve this conflict.
As always there is more to this than meets the eye, and it is up to the Third
Echelon to fix the problem, by any means possible, in order to preserve
international peace.

One thing that I liked about this
game is that before you go out on any given mission you will be presented with
different equipment choices. If you want to go in guns blazing then the assault
collection is for you. If you choose to be sneaky and backstab all the enemies
then you will definitely go with the stealth equipment. There is also a
“recommendation,” which is a collection from both sets.

That’s gotta hurt!

What this means for the players is
that every level has multiple ways to get your mission accomplished. You see a
bridge with a couple of guards on it. Do you run up and shoot them in the head
or do you hang on the edge of the cliff and go around and stab them in the back?
The choice is up to you! This really helps give the game a bigger replay value
because there is so many different ways to clear your objectives, and it appeals
more towards personal preference.

A huge addition to Sam Fisher’s
arsenal is that he now carries a combat knife on his missions. While this
doesn’t seem like much, it truly is as it adds a lot more flavor to this game.
Now Sam will almost always have a weapon at his disposal. Out of bullets and
want to permanently take out a guard, well now you can stab them instead of
knocking them unconscious. If you don’t want to take the time to pick a lock you
can just break it with the knife. This little addition really adds a lot to the
gameplay experience.

One of the biggest things from the
last Splinter Cell game is back and better than ever: Co-op mode. This allows
you to play with your friends through any of the game’s missions. This is a
wonderful addition because co-op games are really hard to find. Some of the best
moments that you will have is coordinating attacks with your friends, which
almost always will surprise an enemy guard. You will have to work together now
in order to get the missions done, which heightens the sense of urgency during a
few of the missions. If one of you decides to go off and do the mission by
themselves, it is a sure way to take a permanent dirt nap.

That looks like fun.

Not only can you play co-op modes,
there are also other multiplayer modes, such as the four-player deathmatch.
Also, the highly popular spies verses mercenaries is back as well. Another great
thing is that you can also play online with people from around the world. So if
you cannot get enough players in your living room to play a great multiplayer
match then all you have to do is log on to get your fix.

The graphics for Splinter Cell:
Chaos Theory are some of the best that you will currently see on the Playstation2.
Everything is highly detailed for your viewing pleasure. The guards and Sam
Fisher’s animations are incredibility lifelike. The lighting in this game really
sets it apart from other games of this nature on this system. The way the
lighting shines in dark hallways, to even candles flicking in the wind, look
really good. Not only do the character models look good, but the levels are
really detailed as well and provide a sense that you are really in the different
places you must go though.

One thing that this series is known
for is its great audio, and Chaos Theory will not disappoint you in any sense.
The voice acting is great, the person who does Sam Fisher’s voice really fits
the whole persona. All of the subtle background noises are ultra realistic, from
hearing the radio, the wind while you are in a cave, to raindrops falling down
on the ground. It is a great thing to hear while you are playing this game.
Along with that the music really fits as well.

He will not know what hit him.

Besides being pleasant to the ears,
the sound also plays a huge role in this series as well. Players will have to be
aware of how much noise they are making throughout the course of a mission. If
players are making a lot of noise a guard might get suspicious and find you, and
then you will have more trouble on your hands. This makes the game even more
realistic, because they will always have to be more aware of their surroundings
if they want to go through a level and make it out alive.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is rated
M for Mature. It supports up to four players offline and four players online,
broadband only.

Gameplay: 8.7
Having the knife added to Sam Fisher’s
arsenal really expands the gameplay a lot as it adds new avenues to get
objectives completed. The co-op mode and multiplayer really adds a lot to the
game, and it is even better as they are easy to comprehend and play.

Graphics: 8.8
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory really pushes the Playstation2 hardware and
remains playable at the same time. This game is really detailed and the best
part is the animations of all of the character looks more realistic. The
lighting is also well done.

Sound: 8.9
With the help of Dolby Digital Pro Logic, this game sounds
extraordinary. Throughout the course of the game you will hear radio chatter,
wind, and even raindrops as you go through many of the levels. Everything sounds
really realistic. The voice acting is also some of the best I have heard in
recent times.

Difficulty: Medium
If you are new to this game than it will be hard for you until you
understand the gameplay mechanics. If you are a veteran of this game, then it
will be easier for you, but it will not be a walk in the park.

Concept: 8.9
You have to love that the developers put in multiple ways to accomplish
any objective. While this might make it harder to program a game, this gives the
players more choices and they will feel that they are in total control of the
character and the path they must take for victory.

Multiplayer: 9.1
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a blast to play online, and the graphics
hold up really well. The co-op is also really good and will suck up a lot of
your time if you are not careful

Overall 8.9
If you are a fan of the Splinter Cell series then getting this
game is a no-brainer for you. For everyone else out there, if you are searching
for a really good stealth-action game then Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is the
game for you.