Sam Fisher is a modern super spy, and as with any self-respecting super spy
he carries an assortment of handy, high-tech gadgets. Most favorites such as the
snake cam used to sneak a peek at the room behind a closed door make a return in
Chaos Theory and you’ll also have a few new toys to play with. The OCP can be
fired from your pistol and will disable electrical devices in the vicinity. A
new goggle attachment makes it easier to locate vulnerable devices by detecting
the magnetic fields emitted by electronics. Cool stuff!
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| They don't even know you're there. |
The gameplay is not the only thing that went under a transition in Chaos
Theory – the enemy AI has been reworked as well. It used to be that you could
often shoot out a light, wait for a guard to wander into the darkness to
investigate, and then get him from behind as he stood gaping at the broken
light. Now the guards are smarter and more suspicious. Shoot out a light in
Chaos Theory and the guard will cautiously approach, ready for an ambush. Or he
may go and get some back-up. Or he may even wisely grab a flashlight before
investigating. The reactions are more varied and more realistic, making things
more challenging and interesting for you.
Overall the changes are very much for the positive, making Chaos Theory the
best stealth-based game available for the PS2. The single player campaign’s
gameplay will suck you in and you’ll almost feel like you actually are Sam
Fisher. His arsenal of acrobatic and deadly moves is fantastic and there is a
wonderful feeling of satisfaction each time you use a new move to take out a
completely unsuspecting enemy. The freedom to decide your own style of play in
the missions is a welcome addition to the Splinter Cell series, and if you did
not enjoy the restrictive and linear nature of the previous games it is worth
your time to revisit the Splinter Cell games with Chaos Theory.
In addition to the single player campaign, Chaos Theory provides two other
modes of play. The first is a co-op mode in which you and a friend work together
to complete specially designed co-op missions. As an added bonus you’ll be able
to work together to pull off new moves not available in the single player
campaign, although these moves are only useful in certain situations such as
when helping each other over a high wall. The experience in the co-op game can
be quite different than that of the single player game depending on how you
approach it. You can both stay in the shadows, take turns as the bait to lure
guards into an ambush, or try to push your way through the level with guns
blazing. Co-op mode is a great addition to the game and provides for some
enjoyable gameplay.
The other mode is online multiplayer, and this mode is at once good and bad.
The game supports four players at a time, two of who play spies and the other
two mercenaries. Basically the spies try to complete a series of objectives
while the mercenaries try to prevent them from doing so. Get four players
together who know the maps and know each other well and this mode is a lot of
fun to play. However, if you hop online without know what you’re doing you’ll be
a serious liability to your teammate. Or just as bad you can be paired up with a
lone wolf who doesn’t realize that working together is the key to winning. So in
short, choose your fellow players wisely and you’ll have a great time, otherwise
prepare for some frustrating games. The online mode is not something for the
casual player, but if you take the time to learn to play the game right and to
study the layout of the maps it can be an exciting experience.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
95%. Ubisoft has taken a great game and made it even better.
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