Wow, they royally messed up Splinter Cell: Double Agent

[fuzzybabybunny]

So I'm playing Double Agent, and all I can do is shake my head. I've been a huge Splinter Cell fan for a long time, having played each game at least two times through. Now UBISOFT Shanghai goes and releases this...

1. No sound meter. Huh?!?!?!

2. Intro movies that you can't skip, both when starting the game and when starting a mission.

3. Sam just doesn't feel as fluid anymore. The controls are not as responsive, and neither are his movements. He's a lot less graceful (and silent) than in the previous games.

4. The chase camera view is much too close to Sam. Makes seeing your surroundings too difficult.

5. Graphics are unspectacular, especially considering the system specs it requires.

6. Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs.

7. Enemies are strange. Too often when you're sneaking up behind them they suddenly and randomly just spin around and start shooting you.

8. The light meter is messed up. Green and you're hidden. Yellow and you're not. That's it. No finer graduations. And sometimes when you're green the enemy still sees you because of bugs.

 

[AFurryReptile]

Did you just get the game? I was dissapointed at first, too. You just have to give it a chance.

For me, the absence of the traditional light meter is a nice feature, because you need to learn to rely on yourself to find good shadow, instead of some meter. However, I do miss the sound meter, as it is hard to tell what the game might consider ambient noise.

I don't know how you can complain about the controls, they are almost identical to Chaos Theory. I believe it is even the same engine.

The graphics and bugs, I totally agree. It can be very laggy sometimes, even though it doesn't look much different from the XBOX versian, to the point where it is sometimes impossible to aim a gun. And if by bugs you mean frequent crashes during a loading screen, then yes I agree.

The enemies only turn on you like that if they are already on an increased alert.

Have you tried multiplayer? It's almost like a completely different game, and it's very fun.

 

[flashbacck]

just FYI: I read that the Xbox360 and the Xbox versions are completely different. The Xbox version is supposedly better.

 

[jiwq]

Other things that annoy me are that the scopes are virtually useless. Since you're mostly sneaking around in broad daylight, there is no need for night vision or thermal.
They changed the game from a shadow sneaking game to a cover-to-cover hide and seek game. It does change up the gameplay a little, but I prefer the old hide-in-the-shadows game.

Also, they got rid of the splits jump!!! (not that I ever used it)

 

[LanceM]

Eh, I think it's pretty good. I think Sam needed a break from the traditional "shadows" sort of gameplay.

And FYI, the splits jump is still in the game. I even did it by accident once.

 

[VIAN]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
So I'm playing Double Agent, and all I can do is shake my head. I've been a huge Splinter Cell fan for a long time, having played each game at least two times through. Now UBISOFT Shanghai goes and releases this...

1. No sound meter. Huh?!?!?!

2. Intro movies that you can't skip, both when starting the game and when starting a mission.

3. Sam just doesn't feel as fluid anymore. The controls are not as responsive, and neither are his movements. He's a lot less graceful (and silent) than in the previous games.

4. The chase camera view is much too close to Sam. Makes seeing your surroundings too difficult.

5. Graphics are unspectacular, especially considering the system specs it requires.

6. Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs.

7. Enemies are strange. Too often when you're sneaking up behind them they suddenly and randomly just spin around and start shooting you.

8. The light meter is messed up. Green and you're hidden. Yellow and you're not. That's it. No finer graduations. And sometimes when you're green the enemy still sees you because of bugs.

The sound meter was cool, but it's not to big a loss. The light meter is easier to use this time round. I guess the reason both these were changed was to streamline things. It's nice on the 360 since you have an analog stick, you can just walk slower to make less sound.

What bothers me the most are points 4 &7 and some of 8. The camera is way too damn close. Close enough to mess with gameplay a lot.

Enemies seem strange and you have to get insanely close to grab them, which if you're not careful, they'll turn around and shoot you. And this can get very freakin annoying if you don't have any weapons. You're now so close to guy that running is fruitless, so all you could do is stand there and get shot. Goddammit Ubisoft where are my melee attacks?! I'm only in the second level and already it's very punishing in this way.

And finally I was hidden and then all of a sudden I wasn't. It went from green to red. A bug that ruins the game. After all that work, it goes down the toilet because of a bug. And since this is a stealth game redoing that section become tedious really fast.

Originally posted by: jiwq
Also, they got rid of the splits jump!!! (not that I ever used it)

I don't think so, it's in the manual.

 

[Kromis]

What the? There was a sound meter? The only Splinter Cell I have played is Pandora Tomorrow but I don't recall a sound meter in that one...

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: Kromis
What the? There was a sound meter? The only Splinter Cell I have played is Pandora Tomorrow but I don't recall a sound meter in that one...

yes there was a sound meter

undefined

right below the light meter i think

 

[Modular]

I have PT I think for PC...Starforce ruined that one quickly for me...

 

[CP5670]

I think the biggest problem with this game (at least the PC version) is the performance of the engine. It looks similar to CT but runs like garbage on almost everything. I have been a big fan of the series but am going to wait on DA until it falls to bargain bin prices.

I have PT I think for PC...Starforce ruined that one quickly for me...

PT doesn't have Starforce; CT is the one with it. (figures, as it's the best game of the series otherwise )

 

[Qwest]

wasn't there a patch released for this game on 360? supposed to fix some of the bugginess and lockups

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy

Originally posted by: Kromis
What the? There was a sound meter? The only Splinter Cell I have played is Pandora Tomorrow but I don't recall a sound meter in that one...

yes there was a sound meter

undefined

right below the light meter i think

That was introduced in CT. Since he only played PT he never saw it

 

[VIAN]

Sometimes the grab option doesn't appear on NPCs. So instead, I alert the NPC to my position and get my ass kicked since I didn't have a weapon.

So far it's getting to be too much work to play this game. Stealth requires precision, how can you be precise if the game doesn't even follow it's own rules.

As far as the patch. I'm not connected to the internet. Release the game properly the first time is what I'll tell them. Assholes.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: VIAN
Sometimes the grab option doesn't appear on NPCs. So instead, I alert the NPC to my position and get my ass kicked since I didn't have a weapon.

So far it's getting to be too much work to play this game. Stealth requires precision, how can you be precise if the game doesn't even follow it's own rules.

As far as the patch. I'm not connected to the internet. Release the game properly the first time is what I'll tell them. Assholes.

huh?

 

[Slick5150]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: VIAN
Sometimes the grab option doesn't appear on NPCs. So instead, I alert the NPC to my position and get my ass kicked since I didn't have a weapon.

So far it's getting to be too much work to play this game. Stealth requires precision, how can you be precise if the game doesn't even follow it's own rules.

As far as the patch. I'm not connected to the internet. Release the game properly the first time is what I'll tell them. Assholes.

huh?

He posts by telepathy, but lacks the bandwidth to download a patch that way

 

[VIAN]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: VIAN
Sometimes the grab option doesn't appear on NPCs. So instead, I alert the NPC to my position and get my ass kicked since I didn't have a weapon.

So far it's getting to be too much work to play this game. Stealth requires precision, how can you be precise if the game doesn't even follow it's own rules.

As far as the patch. I'm not connected to the internet.... with my 360 Release the game properly the first time is what I'll tell them. Assholes.

huh?

There, it's fixed.