• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Splinter Cell Double Agent Xbox/PS2 version is superior

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I am the biggest fan of the Splinter Cell series and would (like most) consider Chaos Theory to be the best.

However, in close second would be the Xbox/PS2 version of Double Agent. Followed by Blacklist

What some of you may not know is that Double Agent on 360/PC/PS3 and Xbox/PS2/Wii are essentially two completely different games. They share mildly similar plot points, but everything about the game from the level design, to story, to setting is different. I was actually quite disappointed that Ubisoft didn't include that version of the game in the Splinter Cell trilogy that was re-released on PS3 which would have been a tetralogy.

Unlike the 360/PS3 version, the Xbox/PS2 version plays very similar to Chaos Theory and I would strongly recommend people track it down if you loved Chaos Theory. The gameplay still holds up very well today. In DA, the Sea of Okhotsk level IMO is the best level in the series easily up there with the bank level in Chaos Theory.

Bottom line: If you own a 360 and miss old school Splinter Cell try and track down the Xbox version of Splinter Cell Double Agent, I can safely say you won't be disappointed.
 
I was always confused about the hate for Double Agent. Then I found out the PS2 version was completely different to the 360 version.

It's like some straight up SNES/Mega Drive shit.
 
Well it was made by the Splinter Cell team in Montréal, unlike the then-next-gen versions that had been made in China.
 

jimi_dini

Member
What some of you may not know is that Double Agent on 360/PC/PS3 and Xbox/PS2/Wii are essentially two completely different games.

So Prince Of Persia: Forgotten Sands wasn't the only game, where they did this? Interesting. Will try to find a Wii copy.

Forgotten Sands on Wii is >>>>>>>> Forgotten Sands on PS3/360

EDIT: it got coop? Online coop? Or couch coop? EDIT2: Looked it up, couch coop. Nice.
 
Yep. Very few people know it, but the OG Xbox version of Double Agent is completely different to the 360 version, and a far superior game. I actually consider it the best instalment in the series, but only a smidgen above Chaos Theory.
 

PowderedToast

Junior Member
I prefered the 360 version, as short and undercooked as it was it had some great ideas and some of the most hardcore stealth sections in the series

this version felt like chaos theory with all of the fun and humour sucked right out of it, the grimy artstyle, ugly environments and awful writing (although 360 has this problem aswell). it deserves credit for having a lot of content but otherwise I think it's the driest of any splinter cell

if 360 had a proper development time I think it could've been something special. you can see what they were going for.
 
Unlike the 360/PS3 version, the Xbox/PS2 version plays very similar to Chaos Theory and I would strongly recommend people track it down if you loved Chaos Theory. The gameplay still holds up very well today. In DA, the Sea of Okhotsk level IMO is the best level in the series easily up there with the bank level in Chaos Theory.

Yes. That's because the same talented dev team that made Chaos Theory made the PS2, Xbox, GC versions of Double Agent while the 360/PS3/PC versions were made by others.

I should also note that the PS3/PC versions are particularly poor.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Agreed.

Having played both PS2 and 360 version (360 very recently).

The compound sections in 360 version were crap.
 

BibiMaghoo

Member
Will this run on PC emulated if I track down a PS2 copy? I only played the PS3 version of Double Agent, and it was a bit pants.
 
When Double Agent released on 360, I was mildly disappointed, but I still enjoyed it. Little did I know it would be the last good (in my opinion) Splinter Cell title. I remember thinking, "well, in 2007 I will have a new Montreal made Splinter Cell game and it has to be amazing".

So wrong.
 
Though the ps2 version, like all SC games, is vastly technically inferior to the XB version.

I could never comprehend why Ubi gave the next gen version to the hacks at Ubi shanghai. PT is the worst entry in the series.
 

shanafan

Member
I own Double Agent for Gamecube, but haven't played it yet. I wonder if the Gamecube version is on par with the Xbox and PS2?
 
I loved Double Agent on the 360, never had the oppertunity to play xbox/ps2 version. The campaign was great and I had a lot of fun with the multiplayer as well. It's probably just because I eat up stealth games almost as much as I do sports franchises. I also don't judge games very harshly, I either enjoy it or don't.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I own Double Agent for Gamecube, but haven't played it yet. I wonder if the Gamecube version is on par with the Xbox and PS2?

Considering that the Gamecube is technically superior to the PS2, you should expect it to be at least on par with that version (but not Xbox)
 

Alienous

Member
I really miss things like this happening.

I love nothing more than to see two different developers trying to tackle the same concept.
 

Omni

Member
Double Agent was the first game I bought on 360. Absolutely loved it

Didn't realise there was a better version floating about... But then again I wasn't disappointed in the game anyway so no big deal
 

Pooya

Member
It has the closest thing this franchise has had to a good boss fight, last level is really good. There are several approaches you can take, if you're good enough you can capture every one of them and interrogate them for that one last word too. When comparing Metal Gear series and SC, where SC always fall short is the lack of little details like these, they were getting pretty close with CT and DA Xbox.

Blacklist was ok, I liked it but I think they should take a good look at Ground Zeroes and MGSV, it's what the franchise should have evolved into, they were on track well before MGS itself but ditched everything instead. I'm not sure we get another game anytime soon if ever with how it bombed :\
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
It has the closest thing this franchise has had to a good boss fight, last level is really good. There are several approaches you can take, if you're good enough you can capture every one of them and interrogate them for that one last word too. When comparing Metal Gear series and SC, where SC always fall short is the lack of little details like these, they were getting pretty close with CT and DA Xbox.

Blacklist was ok, I liked it but I think they should take a good look at Ground Zeroes and MGSV, it's what the franchise should have evolved into, they were on track well before MGS itself but ditched everything instead. I'm not sure we get another game anytime soon if ever with how it bombed :\

Yeah, I loved interrogating each of the members on the Xbox version. It was pretty tricky to do, but gave some nice banter.
 

Alienous

Member
It has the closest thing this franchise has had to a good boss fight, last level is really good. There are several approaches you can take, if you're good enough you can capture every one of them and interrogate them for that one last word too. When comparing Metal Gear series and SC, where SC always fall short is the lack of little details like these, they were getting pretty close with CT and DA Xbox.

Blacklist was ok, I liked it but I think they should take a good look at Ground Zeroes and MGSV, it's what the franchise should have evolved into, they were on track well before MGS itself but ditched everything instead. I'm not sure we get another game anytime soon if ever with how it bombed :\

Yeah. They abandoned traditional Splinter Cell gameplay, and Ground Zeroes embraces it fully (light/dark stealth), so much so that the intro to Ground Zeroes purposefully alludes to Sam Fisher.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I do feel the Blacklist was a step in the right direction.

Despite the fact that Ironside was no longer voicing Fisher.
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
I prefered the 360 version, as short and undercooked as it was it had some great ideas and some of the most hardcore stealth sections in the series

this version felt like chaos theory with all of the fun and humour sucked right out of it, the grimy artstyle, ugly environments and awful writing (although 360 has this problem aswell). it deserves credit for having a lot of content but otherwise I think it's the driest of any splinter cell

if 360 had a proper development time I think it could've been something special. you can see what they were going for.

I agree with this. DA 360 was flawed but enjoyableand had its own identity, this just felt like diet coke Chaos Theory.
 

Megasoum

Banned
I actually can't decide which one I like more between Chaos Theory and Blacklist.

I knew about that PS2/XB version of DA since some of my friends worked on it but I never actually played it.

Now I have to decide if I want to play it on my PS3 with a terrible controller or plug my old white 360 that shakes the whole building when I boot it up to play with a great controller...hmmm
 

swnny

Member
Was waiting forever for someone to post this thread!

Absolutely agree that the PS2/OXbox version is miles better then the PS3/360 version. I will even step it up a notch and say its better then Chaos Theory. It features the very same light&shadow gameplay that made Chaos Theory that good, but it was enhanced with cool little things, like more moves, coop, interactions and interrogations. On top of that it features a way better story and characters then any of the games before that (lets be honest, SC never had amazing stories).

I'm so sad that the superior version didn't get the reorganization it deserves... :(

P.S. I own every single Splinter Cell game for every platform they were released (even platforms I do not own), plus the novels based on the series. You are free to call me crazy fanboy. :D
 

sephiroth7x

Member
I never knew this!!

Thanks OP... will make sure to check it out as I have been a little underwhelmed by the latest entries and enjoyed Chaos Theory in the HD collection!
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I never knew this!!

Thanks OP... will make sure to check it out as I have been a little underwhelmed by the latest entries and enjoyed Chaos Theory in the HD collection!

I just checked on Ebay and Xbox/PS2 versions of this game are going for under $5.

I actually thought it might be going for quite a bit more since it is OOP and I figured it would be rare, too.
 
Will this run on PC emulated if I track down a PS2 copy? I only played the PS3 version of Double Agent, and it was a bit pants.

I beat the PS2 version on an emulator, and it didn't run perfectly but it was playable. This was a couple of years ago on a different rig and earlier emulator version.
 
It has the closest thing this franchise has had to a good boss fight, last level is really good. There are several approaches you can take, if you're good enough you can capture every one of them and interrogate them for that one last word too. When comparing Metal Gear series and SC, where SC always fall short is the lack of little details like these, they were getting pretty close with CT and DA Xbox.

Blacklist was ok, I liked it but I think they should take a good look at Ground Zeroes and MGSV, it's what the franchise should have evolved into, they were on track well before MGS itself but ditched everything instead. I'm not sure we get another game anytime soon if ever with how it bombed :\
Since it bombed, they need to go back to the gameplay of the pre-Conviction games and make it a $50 digital only title and then they can gauge the popularity of a return to form for the series.
 
I remember being all excited waiting for DA on my new 360. After playing it I was left kind of sour. It felt like half the game was missing and rushed. My buddy told me about the OG Xbox version and holy shit, there was my splinter cell! Hiding in the previous generation.

Never played the PS2 version. Was it the same?
 
I like both versions but I do agree that the Xbox/PS2 version had some better design choices. Since it was essentially Chaos Theory 2 it retains the proper slow-paced gameplay and more puzzle-like level structure. I personally prefer some of the levels in the 360/PS3 version more than the way they're presented in the previous gen though, especially the JBA headquarters exploration/infiltration missions, but the old version is very interesting.

If only the multiplayer on the 360/PS3 version didn't amazingly suck.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
I remember being all excited waiting for DA on my new 360. After playing it I was left kind of sour. It felt like half the game was missing and rushed. My buddy told me about the OG Xbox version and holy shit, there was my splinter cell! Hiding in the previous generation.

Never played the PS2 version. Was it the same?

The Xbox and PS2 version are the same, but the PS2 version had exclusive levels.
 
Thanks for reminding me, yet another game in my backlog... But, as a huge Splinter Cell fan, I have to play this!

Can't believe I haven't done this yet.

Oh, and Blacklist bombed? Really? Too bad, I thought it was a fantastic balance between Chaos Theory and Conviction.
 

MacNille

Banned
I remember that I didn't liked Double Agent that much when it came out (played the PC version) but looking back, it was pretty good. The choices in the game is among the best that I have seen.
 

Denton

Member
I would love to see oldgen on PC, because the PC version made in China was really terrible, apart from one or two missions. And so buggy, it remains to this day the only single game that crashed on me during credits.
 
Top Bottom