| |
| |
 |
|
| Game: |
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory |
| Genre: |
Shooters |
| Developer: |
Ubisoft |
| Publisher: |
Ubisoft |
|
| Related Links: |
Coming Soon. |
|
|
|
|
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Preview: |
 |
|
It seems like such a short time ago I attended a Ubisoft event prior to the launch of Splinter Cell 2: Pandora Tomorrow (SC: PT) and now the sequel Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory (SC: CT) has been confirmed for the Xbox and will hit the shop shelves less than a year later. The development of SC: PT was handled by Ubisoft Shanghai, but the latest in the series is back in the hands of the original Splinter Cell team at Ubisoft Montreal who have in fact have been developing the third in the series almost since they completed the original.
Naturally SC: CT sees the return of Sam Fisher along with a host of new features, improved graphics, improved AI, improved sound, non linear progression and also now sees Sam equipped with a knife which will prove to be a stealthy, silent but deadly weapon of choice especially online. Another addition is Sam’s ability to knock down doors maybe not the stealthiest approach but it’s effective especially if a guard happens to be standing in front of it and can therefore be easily rendered unconscious with little or no danger for Sam.
As well as being able to smash down door’s, Sam can also smash through walls, well paper or thin material walls (like those seen in Japanese houses) any way. Sam is now able to approach a paper wall with an enemy on the other side and then lunge through the wall grabbing the mercenary around the neck in his chocking grip. Players are now free to dispose of the enemy any way they wish, whether it be with his new knife or his new spine snapping technique which can now also be utilized from an inverted position, basically now whilst Sam carries out his best impression of a Bat he can reach down and brutally snap the neck of the unsuspecting guard below.
Maybe one of the most significant new key features is the non linear nature of each of the available missions. In previous outings Sam would progress through each mission on a linear and defined route, this is no longer the case as the developers have enabled each of the missions to offer multiple routes and options to the players. Improvements in the enemy AI see each of the guards now actually caring more for their own lives. Each guard now has four stress levels which in turn provoke a different response from each and every guard, for example if you make a small sound this may invoke a who cares casual and lazy response from one guard yet another may be more curious and investigate the origin of the sound more intensely or in an extreme case a guard may call for backup before investigating the origin in numbers and relative safety.
Adding even greater intelligence to each of the guards Ubisoft have also managed to give each guard a memory and equipped with a torch, flare or other light generating device. In previous outings players were able to stumble through make noise and simply hide in the shadows until the guards lost interest and returned to their post, no longer will players be able to do this as guards come equipped ready for the dark and will light you up like a firework in the sky at night. Take the guards on in a gun battle and they will seek cover and call for reinforcements, stealth and careful planning are now more central to a players progression than ever before.
Sound also plays a greater part in Sam’s success or failure with the addition of a new sound meter similar to the visibility meter seen in previous SC titles. Players will now need to take the environment ambient sound into consideration, for example whilst shimmying along a cliff face with waves crashing on to the shore below and wind howling across the cliff top you will be able to make more noise than in the confines of an apartment where the ambient noise will be minimal and players will have to adapt a quieter more stealthy nature in order to progress.
Graphically SP: CT has gone under the surgeon’s knife; all of the 3D rendering has been done from scratch with the addition of per-pixel lighting. Environments are more detailed, shadows are now cast in real time and everything looks more realistic and detailed than before, even the weather effects have been improved and add both graphical splendor and atmosphere to Sam’s experiences in the field. Ubisoft have been keen to show off these improved weather effects, in torrential downpours rocks and walls soon become and appear silky and wet, puddles shimmer in the light and Sam’s black cat suite glisten’s in the moonlight. Not only do the new weather effects look damn good they also have an effect on the guards. When it begins to rain guards will seek shelter, this can either aid or hinder Sam accordingly.
The multiplayer aspects of SC: PT have also been included improved and new additions have been added such as a Co-op mode where players will need to team up, communicate and work together in order to progress and ultimately complete each of the available missions, communication and team work are central to the Co-op mode and ultimately players success or failure.
Splinter cell 3 is looking like the most promising Splinter Cell game to date, both previous titles have been excellent and expanded on the stealth genre, but the third in the series looks to be the greatest yet and not a simple cash in on the popularity of series. If Ubisoft Montreal can deliver on all the promises then this is truly shaping up to be the most realistic and spine tingling stealth em up on any format.
|
|
|
