Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Sam Fisher has become one of the most recognizable video game characters of the 21st century since his 2002 debut in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. The gravelly-voiced spy with the trifocal goggles is back in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and this time he's brought his conscience with him.

Moral conflict lies at the heart of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and gamers are presented with the most humanized version of Fisher to date. Double Agent is again endorsed by bestselling author Tom Clancy, a name that carries with it certain narrative expectations. There will be political intrigue involved. There will be real-world weapons, locations, and infiltration tactics. There will be a MacGuffin device that threatens the safety of the world at large, with only Fisher being able to neutralize the threat. What makes Double Agent different is that although Fisher is no stranger to the spy game, his strictly-professional attitude has been diminished by some extraordinary personal circumstances.

There were memorable moments in 2005's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory where Fisher could disobey certain orders from his commanding officer, Colonel Irving Lambert. Though players were never prompted in these scenarios, and their outcomes had no effect on the game, it was nonetheless entertaining to hear Fisher and Lambert debate the merits of his actions. Double Agent has expands on this mechanic by placing Fisher in deep cover within a terrorist organization called John Brown's Army (JBA). Players will have to keep the trust of both Colonel Lambert and his commanding government agency, and the members of the terrorist organization.

Fisher manages his allegiance to Lambert and the JBA in various ways throughout the game. Players will be presented with objectives from each organization at the start of each mission. Completing primary objectives for one organization might lead players to complete several secondary objectives for the other in an effort to keep everybody happy. Players also have the option to play more aligned toward one side or the other, but doing something too extreme either way will blow your cover and end your mission.

Players also have the option to dispatch any foes they encounter through either lethal or non-lethal means. While this leads to some diversity in combat, rarely is combat a smart tactic. Splinter Cell is, as always, primarily a stealth game. Staying out of sight and close to the shadows while infiltrating enemy territory is often your only means of survival.

How easy is it to stay hidden using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk? Most of Fisher's movements translate surprisingly well to the Wii control scheme. His vision modes, inventory, and weapon select are mapped to the D-pad, which makes for a very easy reach when holding the Wii Remote. Fisher moves with the Nunchuk control stick, and many of his actions are controlled with the Nunchuk as well. Flicking it upward will cause Fisher to jump. Flicking it left or right will put his back against a wall, or change the shoulder on which his weapon is mounted if it is drawn. Hitting the Nunchuk's C button will cause Fisher to crouch. Most of his other actions are controlled via a context sensitive menu which relies on the control stick to highlight a selection and the A button to confirm it. As a very nice final touch, non-lethal disposal of enemies is mapped to the Nunchuk's Z button, while lethal blows are delivered with the B trigger on the Wii Remote. Here Ubisoft has literally put life or death in each of your hands.

Knock him out or break his neck.

One aspect of the control that doesn't translate well to Wii is the game's camera. Pointing the Wii Remote at the screen without a weapon drawn will move the camera, while pointing the Wii Remote with a weapon drawn controls the gun's targeting reticle. Alas, since most of the game is best played with your weapon holstered, pointing the Wii Remote at the screen will do nothing but cause the camera to move. While most Wii gamers will be accustomed to pointing their controllers at the screen, doing so in Double Agent will often lead to frustration as the moving camera removes a necessary sightline - making it impossible to see what threat is lurking around the next corner.

Ultimately, users will need to learn to play this game with their Nunchuk in one hand pointing toward the screen (so as to preserve proper on-screen orientation) while turning their other hand to point the Wii Remote sideways. Pointing the controller away from the screen at all times when one's weapon is holstered is the only way to ensure stability from the camera.

Technically, this guy is playing Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, but he's got the ideal hand positioning for Double Agent. Power stance optional.

Visually, there is more variety to the environments that Fisher will be sneaking through than in any other game in the series, with more emphasis placed on daytime, outdoor missions than ever before. The textures are generally of low resolution, but those after eye candy will be treated to several nice dynamic lighting and shadowing effects. The game's audio is very well done, with the sounds of footsteps and noises in the distance very clear and appropriate. Michael Ironside returns to lend his voice to Fisher, and those in search of his dark humor will be treated to another fine performance.

If you can tame the wild camera, Splinter Cell: Double Agent makes a favorable first impression. Stay tuned for Stage 2, where we will delve into the nuances of the single player campaign, and into the game's multiplayer mode.