by Ron Williamson - May 7, 2005

Sam Fisher is back again. Yet another installment of the critically-acclaimed Splinter Cell series on the N-Gage, only this time we are in 3D. That�s right, now you can navigate Sam Fisher through some of the trickiest missions in a true 3D world. You are going to be pleased with the long, varied levels, and the exciting story line. The second installment of Tom Clancy�s Splinter Cell on the N-Gage and the improvements are countless. Get ready for the best hand held espionage game on the market.

Being a Spy Can be Confusing

Anyone who is familiar with the Splinter Cell series will not be surprised by anything with this title. Splinter Cell originally brought us espionage as no one had seen it before. The graphics were great, the story well thought out, and the game play was like none other. The series has continued to be innovative with all successive iterations. Most of these features have translated quite well into this N-Gage title. One of the first and most noticeable things about this game is the fact that whole game is done in 3D. You guide Sam Fisher through each level in the third person. The one thing that most defines game play is the control scheme. The controls are laid out in a very intuitive manner; each button has a purpose and every important action is easily accessible. You maneuver Sam Fisher through the level with the directional pad and you use the number pad to look around, raise your weapon, switch weapons and toggle night/thermal vision. There are, however, a few flaws with the control system. The first is not really that much of an issue once you get used to it, but pressing in a button to control the camera is a little foreign to anyone used to playing modern consoles where you have complete control over the view at all times. Here you must press one button for each direction you want the camera to move. This isn�t usually that much of a problem, but it does take some getting used to and does interfere a little with game play. While walking around a level the control scheme is great, but as soon as your weapon in drawn things get a little tricky. Once your weapon is drawn you now control the view with the directional pad and movement with the number pad. This can get confusing, especially if you�ve just been spotted and you are in a rush to shoot your enemy. Sneaking up on an enemy and shooting them from behind is fine, but if you are spotted and they begin attacking you it becomes very difficult to kill them before they kill you. It takes time to line up a head shot and if you don�t shoot them in the head they will have time to alert other people and then your number is up. This kind of control for a 3D game is a little difficult to use, but if you play it enough you do get the hang of it, which will hopefully keep these assaults to a minimum. Sneaking up on and grabbing people is an obvious solution to this problem, or at least it would be if you could creep a little more slowly. There are really only two speeds you can travel since you move by pressing a button, not a joystick. While crouching you will move more slowly and the guards will not spot you as easily, but it still can be hard to grab them if you are not quick. As soon as you are close enough to grab them they will notice you, so you have to be very quick with your button pressing. Getting the hang of it doesn�t take long, and it is a great aspect of the game.

All of the control issues become resolved as you play through the game and you begin to get used to it. Once you get the hang of the control you can begin to appreciate the cool features of the game. Gameloft actually did a great job bringing most of the traditional Splinter Cell elements to life in this mobile title. Not only do get a good variety of weaponry, but you have access to many of the high tech gadgets such as the sticky camera and the air foil. There is, of course, the light meter which determines how visible you are, but you are capable of interrogating guards, using the optic cable, picking locks, and even throwing debris to distract the guards. An impressive feature of the game is that you are also capable of climbing poles in the game and hanging from them on the ceiling to drop down on unsuspecting watchmen. You also have complete control over night vision and thermal vision. Another plus is the level design. The levels are quite varied and are fairly detailed, though they do feel a bit linear at times. You always need to be aware that you are in three dimensions and you might be stuck in an area for a while only to realize you could have progressed had you only thought to look up. Most of the best Splinter Cell elements are used here and most of them are done quite well. The game doesn�t bring a lot in the way of innovation, but it is a lot of fun for any one who enjoys a good espionage game.

Back in Black, and in 3D

Splinter Cell is known for its ground breaking graphical realism. Unfortunately this title does not continue in its predecessors footsteps. This is mainly due to the fact that the platform is actually a cell phone and you can not cram Xbox graphics into a handheld. The graphics are great given the platform. The most major graphics downfall of the game is probably the frame rate. The game isn�t nearly as smooth as you would like it, but it is certainly impressive. The frame rate doesn�t drop enough to really hinder game play but it is noticeable and something that the developers need to work on. The next worst thing is the textures. Many of the textures, like the ones on your character model are actually alright, but some of the environment textures (flooring, walls, etc) are pretty awful. Almost everything in the game meshes well enough that you don�t notice most of the time and most of the game looks really good, but when it gets choppy and the textures are bad it saddens you a little. One thing that you won�t notice too much, but is also disappointing, is the lack of shadows. You are either in shadow or you are not; there are no partial shadows on your character model. There are also no real shadows in this title, which may be a disappointment to fans of the series. You will notice when your character is �in shadow� but nothing casts a shadow which detracts a little from the overall experience. This title does do a number of things right though, mainly the thermal vision and the optic cable. The night vision is decent but it is often too grainy and you can usually see more in normal mode than in night vision. Since you can�t shoot the lights out there are few times that it is actually dark enough that you would actually need it anyway. The thermal vision, on the other hand, is great. It does only have a limited range and unless you are pretty close to a target it won�t really make a difference, but it looks really good and is very convincing. The optic cable is also very impressive. It does a great job of curving the environment on the other side of the door making it really look as if you are using the optic cable. You should use it on every door just in case, but the effect is so cool that you really won�t mind doing it.

Quiet isn�t always the way to go

Stealth games needn�t have a lot of music since you are trying to sneak around and not get caught. This game doesn�t have very much music but the music that is in it is great. It all has a good beat and is very catchy. The sound effects though fall a little short. There are a few sounds that sound pretty good, like the keyboard sound when you hack a computer, but most effects, including the gun shots, are simply mediocre. A nice touch is when you alert and enemy of your presence they actually speak. It would be nice if there were more actual dialogue in the game, but it�s nice while it�s there. Everything in the game, including the lesser sound effects, would be much better if they had fixed the leveling. Even with the sound turned completely up, it is difficult to hear much of the game. Unless you are completely alone, or you have headphones, you aren�t really going to experience many of the sounds in this title.

Living the Spy Life

Splinter Cell has become a successful series since it has made great strides in keeping the games interesting, complex, and engaging. There isn�t a thing this game is missing. Sneaking around, hacking computers, breaking necks, and picking locks is fun for anyone. If you like stealth games, third-person shooters, first-person shooters, or even platformers you will enjoy this title. There are a few graphical, sound, and control flaws, but they don�t really detract from game play. The story is great and you will find this is not a title to play every now and then. Make sure you have a few minutes to sit down and actually enjoy the experience or you will find yourself wanting more. Take the time to get used to the controls and get into the story and you�ll find it hard to put it down. Just try not to miss any important calls.

Mission: Recover the Stolen Plasma

Splinter Cell fans and N-Gage owners are bound to be happy with this title. The graphics are adequate, the story is great, and it is a lot of fun. This game is probably a breath of fresh air after the previous 2D Splinter Cell title for the N-gage. If you own an N-Gage this is one of those must own titles. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not picking it up. The game does suffer a little graphically, but for a 3D handheld there are some pretty impressive graphics in the title and it is a lot of fun to play. Usually with handhelds the game play experience tends to be more important than graphics anyway, so there is no reason not to at least give Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory a shot.

Mission Complete

The N-Gage has come a long way since its launch and this title exemplifies that. The graphics need a little polish but are still fairly impressive, the music is good when it�s available, and the game play speaks for itself. If you have an N-gage and you haven�t purchased this title yet you are certainly missing out. It is going to be a necessity for anyone who wants to be proud of their game collection. If the progress from the first N-Gage Splinter Cell to this one is indicative of the kind of progress we will be seeing then we should all be looking forward to the next title.