Splinter Cell: Double Agent

[Mr~Pan]

Veteran agent Sam Fisher is back. But he's never faced an enemy like this before. To stop a devastating terrorist attack, he must infiltrate a vicious terrorist group and destroy it from within. For the first time ever, experience the relentless tension and gut-wrenching dilemmas of life as a double agent. As you infiltrate a terrorist organization in its American headquarters, you must carefully weigh the consequences of your actions. Kill too many criminals and you'll blow your cover. Hesitate too long and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to complete your mission, but get out alive. The fourth game in the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series thrusts players into a new breed of gameplay that promises to innovate and revolutionize the Splinter Cell franchise. Ubisoft takes the saga of Sam Fisher into entirely new territory, expanding the story and depth of his character

Splinter Cell Double Agent Interview
Ubisoft tells all.
by Chris Roper


December 14, 2005 - Today's announcement of Splinter Cell Double Agent officially took the mask off the game formally known simply as Splinter Cell 4. Some details are still a bit hazy, and the press release left us wanting to know a whole lot more than Ubisoft might like us to know at this point... a "need to know basis" sort of thing.

IGN: The double agent aspect sounds like it's more intrinsic to the game's overall design than just the story plotline. Can you talk a bit about this?

Daniel Roy: You're absolutely right! When we came up with the Double Agent concept, we thought long and hard on what it could mean for the gameplay, especially in the context of Splinter Cell. For instance, as a double agent, you will be given dual, sometimes contradictory objectives by terrorists and Third Echelon. For instance, you could be asked to plant a bomb by the terrorists, while at the same time having to sabotage it for the NSA. In some instances, these dual objectives lead to direct contradictions, and this is when you, as Sam Fisher, must make difficult, moral choices.

IGN: It sounds like it's something of a persistent gameplay experience (i.e. kill too many soldiers and your cover is blown). Do your actions carry over from level to level, and if so, how much does it affect the mission and story structure? Is it possible to play as a "good" and "bad" Sam Fisher?

Daniel Roy: The Double Agent concept is indeed persistent throughout the game. That being said, this is not a simple 'black or white' morality scale like you see in RPGs… Depending on your actions and choices, the story structure does change dramatically, to the point that major characters (not to mention thousands of innocents) will live or die. Sam Fisher remains a 'good guy'… But he's faced with a lot of painful choices where there's not always a right and a wrong answer.

IGN: In what ways has the series expanded its stealth-based gameplay?

Daniel Roy: As I mentioned previously, your mission structure is now quite different, and includes dual objectives. Also, as an undercover agent, you won't have the NSA whispering in your ear all the time, so we're taking that guiding hand away for a more immersive game experience. Finally, stealth-based gameplay is expanded quite a lot when Sam has to accomplish missions inside the terrorist HQ. The people he has to sneak by are not automatically enemies, so the stealth-based experience has new layer to it.

IGN: Is Sam still in possession of his trusty knife? This tool made the gameplay extremely aggressive in Chaos Theory. Can we expect more of that?

Daniel Roy: Oh yeah. That knife was way too kick-*** to take it away. He even has a shiv while spending time in jail.

IGN: Are you planning any major changes to the A.I. concerning stealth? There was a significant difference between Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory.

Daniel Roy: One of the major overhauls this time around is the enemy AI in a friendly environment, i.e., the terrorist HQ. Terrorists in the HQ don't automatically pull out a gun and shoot you, now... They interact with Sam in a more complex way. Some of them will even join him on missions in cooperative mode, so that Sam can benefit from a partner on certain missions.
IGN: What new tools of the trade does Sam Fisher have up his sleeve?

Daniel Roy: The answer is 'too many to name them all', but... Expect some new modes of vision such as 'Wave Vision' that allows you to see sounds, and gadgets such as a glass cutter and a grapnel. Moreover, exactly which gadgets you get will depend on your choices and style of play.

IGN: Splinter Cell Double Agent has been created as a collaborative effort between three separate Ubisoft studios (Montreal, Shanghai and Annecy, France). How and why was this done?

Daniel Roy: Entering the production of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, all the aforementioned studios were already deeply familiar with the Splinter Cell series. (Montreal created Splinter Cell and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory; Shanghai created Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow; and Annecy has developed the adversarial mode for both Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory.) We wanted to go 'all out' on the X360 and create a benchmark for the console like Splinter Cell was for the XBOX. At the same time, we simply couldn't disappoint the fans of the series who have been loyal to the license on XBOX and PS2.

As a result, both Montreal and Shanghai started from the same core concept, storyline and design principles, and both studios focused on making the best version possible for their respective platforms. Annecy, for their part, are creating the online adversarial modes for both current-gen and next-gen. This way, whether you own a current-gen console, or you got yourself an X360 and want to see just what your new baby can do, you can get Splinter Cell: Double Agent and expect the best.

IGN: Each platform will contain exclusive content. What can gamers expect to find on each system?

Daniel Roy: Like I mentioned, the current-gen and X360 versions were developed in parallel, so they're different game experiences. The X360 version has two maps that are not found in the PS2 and XBOX versions, and vice-versa.

All of this info can be found at http://xbox.ign.com/objects/736/736170.html

[c0mmand3r]

Thank you c0mmand3r for giving me all the info on SCDA. If it weren't for your goofy puzzle I never would have known. This game is so sexy, and you were right. As usual, c0mm, I owe everything to you.

[Mr~Pan]

I post this in my last post but I had the maximum characters in the post already.

Basicly this game is going to be awsome. It is coming out (as of now) in Sept. of this year. It will be released on all platforms including the XBOX 360 which will obviously have better graphics and more detail. The 360 version is also a tad different as you read from the interview from above but the other consoles will still have great game play.


I can't wait for this game to come out. I was a splinter cell fan before I was a Socom fan. I can't wait to play this game and I might actually play it more than once to find out the different ways you can go in the game. It says there are multiple endings and levels paths example: You can kill a guy or you won't and both actions will have different paths that could have different consequences.

I knew they would come out with a Splinter Cell 4 it was only a matter of time. After reading this article it only makes me want to play it even more.


Edit: Yes I was waiting for you to post something like that.
I have been meaning to search Splinter Cell 4 for a long time but I always forget.

[Mr~Pan]

Just got an email from UBI Soft. This http://splintercell.us.ubi.com/bewar...sher/index.php is a great sneak peak on Splinter Cell 4. Watch the trailor it is pretty sweet I can't wait till it comes out in Sept.

[Negative Creep]

*Already have a copy of the game "reserved" on my Gamefly list*

(For my Xbox 360, of course.)

[Sgt. Knuck]

This game looks cool. I haven't really got into the series, I have only played one of the game's but this one looks outstanding.

[Mr~Pan]

Originally Posted by Sniper_Shooter

This game looks cool. I haven't really got into the series, I have only played one of the game's but this one looks outstanding.

If you like stealthy, snap people's necks type game play you will love splinter cell. It is far from a shooter game. It is all about stealth and the less you use the gun the better. I mainly only use the gun to shoot out lights. With all the cool gadgets to take people down there is no need for bullets. This game by far will be the best yet.

With socom games people mainly agree it is getting worse each time losing its socom feel more and more. Splinter Cell is the complete reverse, it only gets better with every new version.

[Sgt. Knuck]

Originally Posted by Mr~Pan

If you like stealthy, snap people's necks type game play you will love splinter cell. It is far from a shooter game. It is all about stealth and the less you use the gun the better. I mainly only use the gun to shoot out lights. With all the cool gadgets to take people down there is no need for bullets. This game by far will be the best yet.

With socom games people mainly agree it is getting worse each time losing its socom feel more and more. Splinter Cell is the complete reverse, it only gets better with every new version.

Is it a game where like you can be so stealthy that like if you go to dark areas they don't see you?

I remember a game like that, I like that feature.

Sounds cool, thanks for the info Pan.

[Mr~Pan]

Originally Posted by Sniper_Shooter

Is it a game where like you can be so stealthy that like if you go to dark areas they don't see you?

I remember a game like that, I like that feature.

Sounds cool, thanks for the info Pan.

It is exactly like that. The game is made for you to hide in the shadows. There has been many articles and TV shows about the splinter cell series because of the advanced lighting. In the game you have a visibility meter and a sound meter.

The visibility meter shows how visible you are. If it is up high people can see you if it is low you are hidden in the shadows. The game is full of cool things like lighting (from a storm) that with make you visible for a second and if a guy see's you he will go "WHAT WAS THAT?!!" Its all about staying hidden in the shadows.

The sound meter shows how loud you are and how load your surroundings are. So say you are in a machine room the noise is loud so you can basicly run up to a guy and grab him without him hearing you. Or you could be outside in the snow and with every step you here the crunching of the snow beneath you so you have to move wicked slow in order to sneak up on someone.

The game is amazing I have loved every single one of them.

[Sgt. Knuck]

Thanks for the info pan.

It looks amazing, one more question is it online? If it isn't, no biggie, just curious.

That lightning thing sounds cool.

Once again thanks for the info, I gotta pick this game up.