Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (N-Gage)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.6 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Avery Score
• Reviewed on: 03/28/2005
• Released on: 03/23/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (N-Gage) Review

Most developers for the N-Gage, and for mobile at large, will tell you that it's rarely a good idea to try to re-create a console experience on a phone. The controls and technical specs of modern handsets are simply inadequate. A third-person stealth action game like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, which is heavily reliant on advanced lighting effects and intricate, context-sensitive controls, would be an example of a poor candidate for porting. That's why it's so surprising that Gameloft has managed to deliver a product with almost all the refinements of its console counterpart. Most of Sam's moves are intact, as is Chaos Theory's cooperative multiplayer mode, which works seamlessly over Bluetooth. The game's graphics engine looks fabulous in all three of Sam's visor settings and makes this latest Splinter Cell all the more immersive. Chaos Theory is one of the N-Gage's standout games, and it belongs in the hands of anyone still sticking by the embattled platform.

It's ironic that Tom Clancy, a master of counterterrorist intrigue, includes such forgettable plots in his video games. Chaos Theory's lackluster storyline, told through cinematic cutscenes, is no exception. Many of these involve banter between Fisher and his inveterate dispatcher, Irving Lambert. Unfortunately, Michael Ironside hasn't lent his basso profundo to the N-Gage version of Chaos Theory, so you'll have to content yourself with scrolling written dialogue. Chaos Theory makes the common mistake of letterboxing the N-Gage's vertical screen for these sequences, which restricts them to a paltry number of pixels.

Where Chaos Theory shines is in its gameplay. For the first time on a handheld, Sam has a near-complete move set at his disposal. A training mission (that's nearly the length of the entire Pandora Tomorrow 3D mobile game) explains each of Sam's maneuvers in detail, including his wall-jumps and swat-turns. Chaos Theory features a full complement of weapons as well, which can be used much more freely than in previous Splinter Cell games.

In fact, you'll be employing the "Fifth Freedom" much more often this time around, which tips Chaos theory slightly more to the "action" side of stealth action. You're still encouraged to avoid direct confrontations with the enemy; you can just choose to flout the conventional wisdom on that point.

The N-Gage isn't exactly known for its specular lighting effects, and that's why it's so surprising that Sam's protective chiaroscuro works so well here. Fortunately, terrorists continue to operate in intermittently lit factories, and it's easy to see what nooks and crannies the electricians have neglected. The game looks absolutely gorgeous with any of Sam's three visor filters and runs at a very playable frame rate, both in the single-player campaign and over Bluetooth multiplayer.

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