Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent

Sydney Morning Herald

Magnificent on the Xbox 360, this could be a contender for game of the year.

Times Online

The result is sweaty-palmed fun, teaming the adult joys of a well-paced thriller with the childish delight of playing hide-and-seek in the dark.

XboxAddict

It's got to be the most fully featured stealth action game to date, so if you like the idea of high-tech espionage, it's certainly going to have plenty to offer you.

GameBrink

One of the major new additions to the series that really sets Double Agent apart from the rest is the branching storyline. Not only is the story eons better than the past games in both presentation and writing, but you actually get to change the course of what happens for better or worse.

GameZone

The movement and animation are as smooth as ever with only a few hiccups on the framerate. Swimming, running, and sneaking around never felt so natural as you are going through all of the various missions. The computer AI on in this game is much sharper and makes it more challenging for all players.

Play.tm

It's the branching gameplay that catapults Double Agent above its predecessors and marks the series as striding forward into a wealth of possibilities.

Planet Xbox 360

The single-player experience is worth this game by itself but throw in the multi-player mode and you have yourself a candidate for game of the year.

AtomicGamer

The only thing that really irritated me while I played were the swimming controls – they just don’t feel right. Otherwise, this is an excellent game that you should, at the very least, rent and play through once.

Gaming Target

Involving missions, cutting edge graphics and an excellent narrative that, while not always living up to its potential, strives mightily to expand the storytelling and emotional connection while maintaining the right balance of fun and adventure.

TeamXbox

Even though you won't have the staggering number of gadgets and gear at your disposal, you'll likely still have a blast. Even those of us who were huge fans of the multiplayer action in Chaos Theory came around after a few games.

Kombo

The game has always looked amazing, and now they’ve taken it up a notch by giving more detail to each character, especially Sam, and environments.

Game Informer

I came for the single-player, which I liked rather than loved, and stayed for the multiplayer, which I used to like and now adore. I have a feeling many other fans will feel the same way.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

Rupturing quality and oozing tension, this is stealth gaming of the highest calibre, full of imagination and augmented by an excellent two-way Trust system that leaves you pondering every choice you make and then having to deal with the consequences. [Nov 2006, p.8]

Official Xbox Magazine

Just think of Double Agent as the least amazing Splinter Cell yet, rather than the worst game in the series - because it's simply not. It's the gutsiest, and the chances it takes (but doesn't quite nail) give the series room to evolve into something better than could've possibly imagined to iterations ago. [Dec 2006, p.70]

IGN

All sorts of improvements have been made to level design, AI, gameplay mechanics (which are simplified yet still require skill), and a meaningful storyline punctuated with directed moments. While some may argue the point, the new Mercs Vs. Spies mode is good fun and should prove to have legs on Xbox Live.

Eurogamer

By giving players a real incentive to be the stealthy super-spy, it's opening the game up to being what it should have been. And by wrapping it in a memorable narrative and giving Sam Fisher the ability to be evil, you actually start to care not only about your actions, but the characters in the game too.

Cheat Code Central

Although there aren’t many significant changes to the gameplay, the game still feels more exhilarating and more immersive because of the improved visuals, better storyline, lack of darkness, and the moral choices Sam if forced to make.

Deeko

There's just so much to the game that I feel this is probably only the second or third 360 game to ever really be worth the extra money: I mean, it's really two complete games on a single disc.

Game Over Online

The only real disappointing aspect of the game is multiplayer. The exclusion of a cooperative campaign is a step backwards in my opinion. Still, Splinter Cell fans are sure to enjoy one of Sam Fisher’s best assignments yet.

WHAM! Gaming

Double Agent's level design and scenarios will keep you on your toes while blowing your mind at the same time.

Games Radar (in-house)

Veterans of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory may be disappointed with Double Agent's multiplayer. Yet, while some may call this game stripped down, we thought the lack of gadgets streamlined the multiplayer experience and sped up matches online.

My Gamer

The game is very accessible to veterans and newbies alike, and it offers a great single and multiplayer experience.

Game Chronicles

Double Agent is fun, exciting, intense, and definitely a showcase title for the visual elegance of the 360, but if you want a fully fleshed out story, extended levels, more dialogue, and an overall richer Splinter Cell experience, I’d have to recommend the original Xbox version over this.

eToychest

In every sense imaginable, Splinter Cell: Double Agent was meant to exploit the platform on which it was designed, and it excels to an extraordinary degree.

Gamers' Temple

The most unique Sam Fisher adventure since the original Splinter Cell game.

Xbox World Australia

The story is great, the double agent dynamic is unique and engaging, and the set-piece levels and accompanying ‘next-gen' graphics are second-to-none. But with all that said, Double Agent's drift from the stealthy core of Sam Fisher's past travails will no doubt displease many hardcore fans, and this is arguably the simplest and least challenging game in the series.

GameTrailers

If the trial-and-error aesthetic turned you off in the past, not a whole lot has changed in that regard, and the series becomes increasingly less accessible for new players with each entry. But Double Agent is an unforgettably tense experience no stealth fan can afford to miss.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

What we’ve seen here is a more-vulnerable Sam Fisher rather than the near-invincible super ninja of the previous games, which certainly gives Double Agent a distinctive feel.

Gamer 2.0

Splinter Cell Double Agent is a solid game with an excellent multiplayer component. Fans of a gripping storyline which includes intense action and “stealthy stealth” will no doubt enjoy this game.

Games Master UK

Excellent as it is, it fails to match the impossibly high standards set by "Chaos Theory." [Dec 2006, p.96]

PALGN

It's not quite the complete package that "Chaos Theory" was, but it deserves credit for trying something a bit different this time around, even if the changes weren’t entirely successful ones. Few games recreate the sense of tension the way that the Splinter Cell games do, and this latest version does it incredibly well.

Extreme Gamer

Playing as a Double Agent is the perfect plot line for a Splinter Cell game; finally we feel a little closer to this world of international espionage.

GameSpot

Agent Sam Fisher's latest assignment turns out to be a fairly routine stealth action operation, but improvements to Splinter Cell's innovative multiplayer mode more than make up for this.

GamePro

The A.I. has also gotten smarter to the point that if you are caught out in the open, you're as hosed as Brittney's post K-Fed career. Sure, you can try to forgo the use of cover and concealment but bloody wounds and humiliation will be your only reward.

DailyGame

The story is better, the trust meters "work," and the gameplay is still fun. Only problem: the next-gen content snub. Had it included online co-op and Ubisoft done more to integrate the single- and multiplayer modes, it would've scored a [90].

Pelit (Finland)

Offers the same outstanding stealth action than its predecessors, but fails miserably on the story department. Also, the much-advertised choice between good and bad does not really affect anything at all. Could we please get the next one with a decent, engaging story? [Dec 2006, p.82]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Splinter Cell still offers the most unique multiplayer around, and Double Agent will keep me happily entertained for quite some time--probably well past Fisher's retirement party. [Dec. 2006, p.121]

Game Revolution

We love the immersive gameplay and cool visuals, although we’re starting to get tired of constantly saving and reloading because some guard spotted us picking a lock.

GamerNode

It provides plenty of glorious visuals, the audio is top-notch and the missions are pretty damn fun.

Game Almighty

They want their multiplayer and this is where it shines, though hardcore fans of previous installments will most likely not be very pleased with some of the changes.

G4 TV

Checkpoints are far too infrequent, compelling the player break immersion and save their progress every hundred steps. And the game's level relies too frequently on cliches.

Boomtown

With a good ten hours plus of single player game, even on the easiest difficulty, and the multiple endings the choice system provides adding to that, and a great co-op and multiplayer game on top this should provide you with plenty of enjoyment doe your money and keep you sneaking around for a long time to come.

AceGamez

A great game that's certainly worth playing if you enjoyed any previous Splinter Cell titles, but don't expect to see a huge leap in terms of gameplay, or the ingenious level design of years gone by.

Xboxic

At it’s core, Double Agent is a terrific game and I would definitely recommend it to all action and stealth genre fans, but the stifled campaign and clumsy multiplayer presentation hinder it from being the stellar game everyone was hoping for.

X360 Magazine UK

A worthy continuation of a superb series that is unfortunately over way too quickly. When a game is this great you simply don't want it to finish. [Issue 13, p.82]

360 Gamer Magazine UK

A huge variety of settings and missions mean Ubisoft really gets to show off graphically, and we found that the 360’s HD capabilities gave the game a sleek, immersive feel. A few niggles in terms of camera views and accessibility for people new to the series let it down, but overall it’s a must have for Splinter Cell fans.

Total Video Games

The storyline is perhaps one of the most compulsive yet, which is reinforced by the mechanic of working for both the security services and the terrorists at the same time. That said, the Trust mechanic doesn't quite work as well as it should, but it's hard to see how else it could be improved without pushing frustration to the limit.

VideoGamer

The double agent element gives the game a slightly unique feeling, but at times it's hard to shake the thought that you're playing a Chaos Theory expansion pack; albeit a very attractive one.

3DAvenue

Visually the game is stunning however we did have one problem when using lower settings to see how it looked. The game just isn't bright enough, we had to max our TV out with brightness before we could play the game properly.

GameDaily

I'm also a bit disappointed with the AI, which isn't nearly as sophisticated as Ubisoft has claimed. However, the game offers up plenty of intense thrills. This is by far the most diverse collection of missions ever seen in a Splinter Cell title.

Yahoo! Games

For the most part, Double Agent is like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. There aren't really any new gadgets, although some of the old ones have evolved.

1UP

Because the co-op missions are just gussied-up versus matches, and because the versus game doesn't have any variations in objectives (spies simply hack at computer terminals to retrieve files to return to the starting base) or modes, multiplayer may start to wear out more quickly than in previous editions.

GameSpy

While it may lack innovation, it makes up for it with narrative effort. Sam Fisher needed a change, and this will suffice. However, it's tough to look at this game and say, "Being on next-gen has allowed this franchise to take itself to the next level." That's just not true.

Edge Magazine

Though the Clancy series entirely consists of such well-rounded packages, it’s Splinter Cell that shines – a game of equally accomplished halves. [Dec 2006, p.82]

MS Xbox World

Sadly the popular co-op mode from "Chaos Theory" did not make its return in Double Agent, I’m sure there are reasons but I am and no doubt many other fans of "Chaos Theory’s" co-op mode will be disappointed that it did not make its return in the new game.

GamingExcellence

The single player mode felt short, far too easy and not as predominantly based on the stealth aspects that I’d come to love from the series.

games(TM)

Instead of progressing videogame stealth action, it’s a game gone into hiding – cowering behind a shroud of misguided pseudo-innovation and unbelievable difficulty. [Dec 2006, p.106]

Gamestyle

It's a shame that the overall package can't be as satisfying as it is online because, while it still has many things we've always loved about the Splinter Cell series, it's hardly the next generation offering we were hoping for.

NTSC-uk

While single player offers enough to keep things new, the same cannot be said for multiplayer.