Splinter Cell Double Agent - Xbox version

[chopemon]

this deserves its own thread as the game is radically different to the 360 version

i have played the first two (lengthy) levels and so i am at the start of the story so i'll spoiler what's happened so far though it doesn't give too much away

as the 360 is the lead platform i'm guessing that the story in that is canon and that's important because the story in this is fairly different

->Open Spoiler<-

you start off in iceland in a snow level with Hisham of all people. then you go to prison and bust out and go to New Orleans (not New York) to meet up with the JBA. remember Cole Yager, the chopper pilot you shoot? he ain't a chopper pilot in this, he's a member of the JBA and Dayton also has a totally different name.

the game is also narrated between missions through cutscenes that are based around a phone conversation Fisher has with NSA Assistant Director Williams that takes place after the end of the story. The double agent mission wasn't authorised by the NSA and Lambert and Fisher get in trouble for it. You see Emile in the first level when you are in Iceland looking for the red mercury but it has already been stolen by someone else so Lambert sends Fisher after it

you can tell that the 360 isn't the full finished single player story. look at all the FMV that was released (and shown in the credits) and notice that the 360 version doesn't include the train sequence or the bit where he is lying in the snow and then springs up and cuts some dude's throat. i'm guessing that the xbox version will have those bits in as it uses the other fmv in the 360 version. on that note, the fmv at the end of the 360's first mission is edited and not the full sequence

gameplay wise, the levels are much bigger than the 360's but aren't as fun. they are splinter cell by numbers and can be a bit dull. it plays exactly the same as chaos theory but the levels aren't as interesting and without the 360's set pieces

the single player has you working with hisham and jaime and using coop moves to get through the level. the partner AI works well and i don't get in the way. the stealth meter works like it used to and the sound meter is back.

there's not much else to say for the gameplay, it is exactly like chaos theory

the graphics are sub chaos theory though, they are dirty and grimy and the levels obviously haven't had as much attention. it is a good looking xbox game but isn't as clean as chaos theory

i have yet to play the proper coop that this includes but i'm really looking forward to snapping a few necks with some friends

if the 360 double agent was your first taste of splinter cell and you want another fix, go for either the very first splinter cell or chaos theory. i'd only recommend this for existing splinter cell fans or for people who want to see the story changes

[vanpeebles]

does the online coop have proper missions or the weird 360 thing?

[chopemon]

proper coop like chaos theory as far as i'm aware

i haven't tried it yet though

[vanpeebles]

chop chop chopemon get it played and tell us about it

[chopemon]

I'd gotten that impression already from an older magazine article, and certainly the screenshots from current-gen versions - showing Sam clearly working with a partner on many missions - were intriguing. Gamespot's also calling the story itself better executed than the next-generation offering. This would not surprise me - I'm enjoying the new one a lot, but I'm a "Splinter Cell Fan" in the way that people are "Metal Gear Fans" or were once "Final Fantasy Fans." This said, what happens in prison apparently stays in prison, because the storytelling there is (to put it mildly) "jarring and abrupt." I'm open to a more narrative interpretation of the franchise, as long as they actually narratively interpret some ****.

This might be one to prioritize for Backwards Compatibility, guys, especially with much of the work already done on its predecessor.

The most powerful motivator to grab the title on the older systems is the return of the unbelievably cool co-op missions. I've raved, wild of eye, on Seattle streetcorners about this mode on Chaos Theory and I'm about to do it again here. This is the future of the series, whether they like it or not. The original came with four missions and then delivered another two online, while the new co-op mode actually drops twelve missions right on the disc. There's also another new multiplayer mode that appears to emphasize a type of aggressive spy. But for those who were disappointed by the next-gen's dismissal of the novel cooperative mode, this is your cue to perform a celebratory dance.

i didn't realise there were 12 coop maps. that is the ****ing shiz nit

[MJ]

Has anybody tried the Xbox version of Splinter Cell: Double Agent on the 360? If so, how does it play, particularly the online co-op story mode because Chaos Theory's co-op story 360 to 360 suffers a constantly bad frame rate and you can forget 360 to Xbox?

[Diggler]

Single player works fine (looks waaaay better than running on regular Xbox). The co-op works fine in split screen. On live, it has issues - namely it gets really framey whenever you go outside - but it always remains playable, unlike Chaos Theory. Worth nabbing.

[shuzo]

I finally picked this up today, had a play for about an hour and as soon as I finished the first mission I realised I already liked it far more then the 360 version! Having reached the second or third mission now I have enjoyed it so much more, it seems more like the classic splinter cell style game than it turned out to be on the 360. Also a major buying point for me was the coop and it's been great fun so far. I'd say for splinter cell fans, it's a must buy even if you've already played the 360 version.

[MJ]

Also a major buying point for me was the coop and it's been great fun so far. I'd say for splinter cell fans, it's a must buy even if you've already played the 360 version.

The different story and it's co-op story mode are the reasons I want it. Did you play Live co-op and if so did if suffer any frame rate issues?

[shuzo]

Did you play Live co-op and if so did if suffer any frame rate issues?

I only tried split screen co-op so can't tell you about any issues sorry. I'm hoping to convince a friend to buy it, then I'll be able to try it over Live and see what it's like.

[MJ]

I finally got this today. The video playing during the loading screen suggests this is quite different from the 360 version and the Chaos Theory style co-op campaign is an instant win for me. I also see the split jump is used in this one. I already like and I haven't had a chance to play it yet!

[Diggler]

Up for some co-op? No one seems to be playing it on Live, so add me if so (Diggler26).

In fact, I'm sitting there on the waiting screen right now