For me, the best Splinter Cell game alongside the first one.
Absolute CLASSIC, still have the og PS2 copy of it I played a bunch back in the day. And I bought it on steam too and played it a couple of times. Amazing game!
Everything about this game is amazing other than the difficulty and (at times) level design. Failing should be due to the player's skill level, but it's impossible to complete Chaos Theory without dying unless you follow a written/visual walkthrough. I also get lost a few too many times through no fault of my own - the game just expects you to know where to go.
Classic. I have not had a better stealth game experience since this game.
Best asymmetrical multiplayer of all time
O jogo é bom, mas facil demais, mesmo utilizando a maioria das mecanicas do jogo de forma desnecessaria (só pra jogar bonito) eu ainda conseguia jogar passar com facilidade e rapidez. o jogo tem poucas missões mas não é curto, algumas das missões são meio chatas e são basicamente um corredor onde você matava os inimigos até o final da fase e depois fazia o trajeto dnv. o fato de não ter checkpoint automatico é muito irritante, e por conta dele eu tive que refazer duas missões inteiras (vcs devem imaginar que eu não fiquei muito contente com isso) e antes que mencionem o fato do jogo ter quick save, eu não utilizava pq isso deixaria o jogo mais facil do que ele ja é. o jogo é bom, divertido para quem gosta do genero mas tem jogos melhores e mais desafiadores
Easily one of the best stealth games of all time in terms of gameplay mechanics. Story is typical Tom Clancy fare, which I don't think many people feel too strongly about i.e. easy to like hard to love, but it is presented really well in this game. The same definitely cant be said about the previous two SC games where plot points tend to get rushed over and presented in ways that feel a bit clunky.
Back to the gameplay though because that really is the reason to play this game. Sam Fisher's moveset is expanded upon greatly in this game, giving the player even more infiltration methods to implement. The maps are also far more open ended than in the previous two games which is a very welcome change. In SC 1 and 2 it often felt like there was only one very specific way to progress through a evel. Much of the gameplay loop in those titles ended up being using trial and error to figure out exactly what the game wanted you to do. The gameplay in Chaos Theory is far more creative and gives the player room to react and adapt to changing situations on the fly. Detection in this game also feels much more balanced. I didn't experience any instances where I was spotted in a way that didn't make sense or that felt like a mistake on the game's part. This happened quite a lot in SC 1 and 2.My only major criticism of this game is sections where combat is heavily incentivized over stealth. While the gunplay in this game is serviceable it really pales in comparison to the stealth mechanics. There are parts where the game seemingly requires the player to engage in open combat, which can be a bit frustrating at times. These moments, however, are few and far between and don't do much to bring down an otherwise excellent game.
The concept for the Splinter Cell games is honestly pretty genius - down to earth and slow paced stealth games where the player feels capable but always vulnerable. This whole concept does such a good job at creating tension and making progression feel truly earned. There really aren't any stealth games quite like it. The first two Splinter Cell games are weighed down quite a lot by jank and various design choices that don't lend themselves to this overall concept. Playing them could sometimes be a frustrating experience because it really felt like they weren't living up to their potential. Chaos Theory does live up to that potential. It's a a near perfect execution of the Splinter Cell concept and stands as a testament to how brilliant that concept has always been.
Back to the gameplay though because that really is the reason to play this game. Sam Fisher's moveset is expanded upon greatly in this game, giving the player even more infiltration methods to implement. The maps are also far more open ended than in the previous two games which is a very welcome change. In SC 1 and 2 it often felt like there was only one very specific way to progress through a evel. Much of the gameplay loop in those titles ended up being using trial and error to figure out exactly what the game wanted you to do. The gameplay in Chaos Theory is far more creative and gives the player room to react and adapt to changing situations on the fly. Detection in this game also feels much more balanced. I didn't experience any instances where I was spotted in a way that didn't make sense or that felt like a mistake on the game's part. This happened quite a lot in SC 1 and 2.My only major criticism of this game is sections where combat is heavily incentivized over stealth. While the gunplay in this game is serviceable it really pales in comparison to the stealth mechanics. There are parts where the game seemingly requires the player to engage in open combat, which can be a bit frustrating at times. These moments, however, are few and far between and don't do much to bring down an otherwise excellent game.
The concept for the Splinter Cell games is honestly pretty genius - down to earth and slow paced stealth games where the player feels capable but always vulnerable. This whole concept does such a good job at creating tension and making progression feel truly earned. There really aren't any stealth games quite like it. The first two Splinter Cell games are weighed down quite a lot by jank and various design choices that don't lend themselves to this overall concept. Playing them could sometimes be a frustrating experience because it really felt like they weren't living up to their potential. Chaos Theory does live up to that potential. It's a a near perfect execution of the Splinter Cell concept and stands as a testament to how brilliant that concept has always been.
They don't make em like they used to
The mount Rushmore of Stealth Games, MGS2, Chaos Theory, MGS4, MGSV
I think if I played this when I was a kid I would have joined the military
edit: okay so I've replayed this a few times and even though I will admit that some of these missions are kind of rough around the edges (Battery is bad and there's specifically 1 room in bathhouse that can go to hell) I'm kind of blown away by how genuinely phenomenal this feels to play. Fisher controls like butter, and using the scroll wheel to control your walk speed works beautifully. You have such a tight control over your speed and movement, and every other interaction (taking out your gun, switching attachments, tapping phones, picking locks) feels as if it happens fast enough that the player can maintain a high tempo through each level, but takes just long enough that when the enemy is searching for you things become incredibly tense. This is complemented by the fucking phenomenal score. This is what makes the game to me- I'm pretty sure Penthouse is my favorite level entirely because of the song that plays in it. Chaos Theory's soundtrack conveys a ton of tension and momentum, and does an incredible job of encouraging you to do quick thinking to evade guards and de-escalate even as things get louder and more frantic. I get that stealth games as a whole tend to usually have some form of reactive music, but the composition and tone conveyed by Amon Tobin's work here is just so perfectly in tune with how the game looks, feels and plays. Wish there were more good crazy-budget stealth games
edit: okay so I've replayed this a few times and even though I will admit that some of these missions are kind of rough around the edges (Battery is bad and there's specifically 1 room in bathhouse that can go to hell) I'm kind of blown away by how genuinely phenomenal this feels to play. Fisher controls like butter, and using the scroll wheel to control your walk speed works beautifully. You have such a tight control over your speed and movement, and every other interaction (taking out your gun, switching attachments, tapping phones, picking locks) feels as if it happens fast enough that the player can maintain a high tempo through each level, but takes just long enough that when the enemy is searching for you things become incredibly tense. This is complemented by the fucking phenomenal score. This is what makes the game to me- I'm pretty sure Penthouse is my favorite level entirely because of the song that plays in it. Chaos Theory's soundtrack conveys a ton of tension and momentum, and does an incredible job of encouraging you to do quick thinking to evade guards and de-escalate even as things get louder and more frantic. I get that stealth games as a whole tend to usually have some form of reactive music, but the composition and tone conveyed by Amon Tobin's work here is just so perfectly in tune with how the game looks, feels and plays. Wish there were more good crazy-budget stealth games
Man I thought I would enjoy this more. The splinter cell series is one of my favorites. When I was younger I replayed the original trilogy, especially 1 and pandora tommorow, so many times. A lot of the time when I do go back to revisit games that I loved during my childhood I still enjoy the game, even if it's purely based off nostalgia. This introduction probably makes you think I didn't enjoy the game which is not true at all, and also why my score is high. However, revisiting this game was not as fun as I thought it would be.
To get into my complaints, I have to say that some of the issues I had were technical issues, which honestly except the stupid tank controls, I don't mind, especially as this is a game from 2005. However, there were some issues with it, even comparing it to something like pandora's tommorow, which hindered my experiance. First of all the levels. They ranged from genuinly amazing, to terrible. The 2 missions before the last mission especially are very, very bad. I played this on expert and did a 100% ghost playthrough which took a lot of patience, but honestly wasn't too hard except for the ending of bathhouse, which was TERRRIBLE. You're forced into an action sequence, with enemies one-shotting you and apparently gaining night vision? You're never sure when they're shooting at you or the other faction until it's too late, and shooting enemies reduces your score, so apparently the game wants you to stay quiet. Other complaints are it not being clear at all where you can shoot a light, and the thing is, not only do you waste ammo when you miss, you automatically get put into combat, even if there are no enemies near you. Lots of bugs, but again I won't complain about those because it's a 2005 game. However I think my main problem from the game stems from it's repetitiveness. You go into a room, shoot out the light, take out the guard, and repeat 20 times. The game sometimes throws some cool new ideas and mechanics like the bombs that auto explode if you get near them, but they don't do enough with them where it legitimately changes your experience. I wouldn't necessarily count this as a complaint, but I think this game, and a lot of other games, could benefit from a fear system. Mark of the ninja did this very well, and the arkham games had it and it was cool there(although the gameplay in that game is not fleshed out at all). Would be a very interesting concept to have the guards be more alert and trigger happy as they start noticing things like the lights going out, or their friends disappearing. This could raise the difficulty, which I think can help cause I found this game way too easy at times.
Despite all this I did enjoy myself. This is a really good game, and very influential. There's nothing like putting your night vision goggles on, hearing that sound and then knocking out an enemy. The light mechanic is amazing, and still hasn't been topped to this day. The dialogue is something that stood out to me on this replay, especially as I didn't really understand it as a kid. It was so fun to hear Sam interrogate and use stupid jokes on the guards, or hear the guards talking about prince of persia or something. The story is goofy but that's fine. The levels which are good, are GOOD. The bank, the security office thing, all levels that are expertly crafted.
Overall while I did feel disappointed in my replay to realise the game wasn't as good as I remember it being and all the internet says it is, it's still a fucking blast and some of the most innovative stealth games of all time. I wish we got another entry or even a remaster of this, ironing out the issues I pointed out earlier.
To get into my complaints, I have to say that some of the issues I had were technical issues, which honestly except the stupid tank controls, I don't mind, especially as this is a game from 2005. However, there were some issues with it, even comparing it to something like pandora's tommorow, which hindered my experiance. First of all the levels. They ranged from genuinly amazing, to terrible. The 2 missions before the last mission especially are very, very bad. I played this on expert and did a 100% ghost playthrough which took a lot of patience, but honestly wasn't too hard except for the ending of bathhouse, which was TERRRIBLE. You're forced into an action sequence, with enemies one-shotting you and apparently gaining night vision? You're never sure when they're shooting at you or the other faction until it's too late, and shooting enemies reduces your score, so apparently the game wants you to stay quiet. Other complaints are it not being clear at all where you can shoot a light, and the thing is, not only do you waste ammo when you miss, you automatically get put into combat, even if there are no enemies near you. Lots of bugs, but again I won't complain about those because it's a 2005 game. However I think my main problem from the game stems from it's repetitiveness. You go into a room, shoot out the light, take out the guard, and repeat 20 times. The game sometimes throws some cool new ideas and mechanics like the bombs that auto explode if you get near them, but they don't do enough with them where it legitimately changes your experience. I wouldn't necessarily count this as a complaint, but I think this game, and a lot of other games, could benefit from a fear system. Mark of the ninja did this very well, and the arkham games had it and it was cool there(although the gameplay in that game is not fleshed out at all). Would be a very interesting concept to have the guards be more alert and trigger happy as they start noticing things like the lights going out, or their friends disappearing. This could raise the difficulty, which I think can help cause I found this game way too easy at times.
Despite all this I did enjoy myself. This is a really good game, and very influential. There's nothing like putting your night vision goggles on, hearing that sound and then knocking out an enemy. The light mechanic is amazing, and still hasn't been topped to this day. The dialogue is something that stood out to me on this replay, especially as I didn't really understand it as a kid. It was so fun to hear Sam interrogate and use stupid jokes on the guards, or hear the guards talking about prince of persia or something. The story is goofy but that's fine. The levels which are good, are GOOD. The bank, the security office thing, all levels that are expertly crafted.
Overall while I did feel disappointed in my replay to realise the game wasn't as good as I remember it being and all the internet says it is, it's still a fucking blast and some of the most innovative stealth games of all time. I wish we got another entry or even a remaster of this, ironing out the issues I pointed out earlier.
You see the fluid animations that blends in with the game mechanics that is also tied to graphical elements such as shadows combined with dialouges that makes Tarantino bite the pillow in his house? That's called having soul.
Gotta give credit to Amon Tobin for making one of the best video game soundtracks of all time.
Gotta give credit to Amon Tobin for making one of the best video game soundtracks of all time.
This has the same problem as every other game so far that there are 2 levels which are absolutely bullshit and sour the rest of the experience. It would be a better game if they cut those two levels.
On yet another replay, I found myself enjoying some levels that I used to absolutely despise. I am definitely a bit nostalgia blinded as this was one of my favourite games growing up, but I believe every level except for the ending of bathhouse are all enjoyable. Love the soundtrack.
Not only the greatest stealth game by a country mile but one of the greatest video games of all time. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING FISHER?"
Fun game. Even if I didn't 100% feel for it I still had a lot of fun with this and it's definitely made me more interested in looking at the rest of the series. It deserves its spot as a top-tier stealth game.
My biggest issue if anything is that the game doesn't exactly teach you the ropes the best way. It really expects you to have played the previous games already, and if you haven't all you have in its place are these overly long "how to play" videos that overload you with information and just leave you more confused. In turn the first few missions, while I WAS able to pass fine, I didn't do as well in mission percentages as I probably could've had I understood how to play sooner. If you do wanna start here, fine, but I would recommend at least trying whatever the first game's tutorial is first.
Only other issue I'd say is that I kinda didn't feel super engaged in the plot? Not that it was bad, it was serviceable, but the overall plot kinda didn't make me feel anything. Again, makes me wish I played the other games prior so I would feel more engaged. I do love the characters, though. Fisher has this old-man vibe yet is still able to crack a few jokes during a tight situation or when interrogating a suspect which made me laugh a few times. The whole crew has this feel of lifetime friends which I love.
In general this game feels like such a giant time-capsule of the mid 2000's with it's product placement and random namedropping of other then-modern things which I can't help but love. It's corny but in a great way. Definite recommend if you haven't played it already and like stealth games.
My biggest issue if anything is that the game doesn't exactly teach you the ropes the best way. It really expects you to have played the previous games already, and if you haven't all you have in its place are these overly long "how to play" videos that overload you with information and just leave you more confused. In turn the first few missions, while I WAS able to pass fine, I didn't do as well in mission percentages as I probably could've had I understood how to play sooner. If you do wanna start here, fine, but I would recommend at least trying whatever the first game's tutorial is first.
Only other issue I'd say is that I kinda didn't feel super engaged in the plot? Not that it was bad, it was serviceable, but the overall plot kinda didn't make me feel anything. Again, makes me wish I played the other games prior so I would feel more engaged. I do love the characters, though. Fisher has this old-man vibe yet is still able to crack a few jokes during a tight situation or when interrogating a suspect which made me laugh a few times. The whole crew has this feel of lifetime friends which I love.
In general this game feels like such a giant time-capsule of the mid 2000's with it's product placement and random namedropping of other then-modern things which I can't help but love. It's corny but in a great way. Definite recommend if you haven't played it already and like stealth games.
CLASSIC
Nunca salió el maestro splinter unu
pretty good
Perfect
Another excellent Splinter Cell game.
first person at ubisoft to bring me the head of whoever designed the bathhouse mission gets to live
Impeccable, supreme, delicate, moody, stylish, atmoshperic, god it's so good. The plot is whatever, it's more of a backdrop for interesting levels, though Seoul sucks. Everything else mitigates that.
Crazy how Ubisoft could make stealth this fun.
I feel weird after using "Ubisoft" and "fun" in the same sentence.
I feel weird after using "Ubisoft" and "fun" in the same sentence.
best in the trilogy for sure. makes some good changes from the previous two, but the enemy AI is still the same and still feels as trial and error as ever. I don't really agree that it's the pinnacle of stealth but it's a perfectly fine game as is.
Masterpiece. Michael Ironside is immaculate as Fisher, one of the best soundtracks in the entirety of the medium (thanks Amon Tobin!), incredible levels (for the most part), really fun gadgets and movement, fantastic lighting for the time, and gosh fuckin damn if that co-op and multiplayer ain't the best damn times I ever had on Xbox Live barring Halo 2/3. Rules hard on every level except for the max level jingo plot, but man it knows when to shut the fuck up and just let you crawl around to some delicious tunes. Sexiest lockpicking ever in a game
Stands with Snake Eater as the best stealth game ever made.
Really enjoy the new mechanics and more open ended level design, however I found myself lost and confused far more often in this entry. Skill issue? Yeah, maybe.
Seoul and Bathhouse fucking suck, but the rest is pure perfection. Sam Fisher is on peak and the soundtrack by Amon Tobin is one the greatest OSTs that has ever graced my ears.
too slow and keyboard controls suck ASS