[Commando]

Splinter Cell Double Agent Interview
Ubisoft tells all.
by Chris Roper
December 14, 2005 - Today's announcement of Splinter Cell Double Agent officially took the mask off the game formally known simply as Splinter Cell 4. Some details are still a bit hazy, and the press release left us wanting to know a whole lot more than Ubisoft might like us to know at this point... a "need to know basis" sort of thing.



So, we fired off a slew of questions to Daniel Roy, associate producer on the Xbox 360 version of Double Agent. Though he works specifically on the 360 version, his comments apply to all versions of the game. We touched on everything from how the Double Agent aspect works in the long run to Sam's trusty knife.

IGN: The double agent aspect sounds like it's more intrinsic to the game's overall design than just the story plotline. Can you talk a bit about this?

Daniel Roy: You're absolutely right! When we came up with the Double Agent concept, we thought long and hard on what it could mean for the gameplay, especially in the context of Splinter Cell. For instance, as a double agent, you will be given dual, sometimes contradictory objectives by terrorists and Third Echelon. For instance, you could be asked to plant a bomb by the terrorists, while at the same time having to sabotage it for the NSA. In some instances, these dual objectives lead to direct contradictions, and this is when you, as Sam Fisher, must make difficult, moral choices.


IGN: It sounds like it's something of a persistent gameplay experience (i.e. kill too many soldiers and your cover is blown). Do your actions carry over from level to level, and if so, how much does it affect the mission and story structure? Is it possible to play as a "good" and "bad" Sam Fisher?

Daniel Roy: The Double Agent concept is indeed persistent throughout the game. That being said, this is not a simple 'black or white' morality scale like you see in RPGs… Depending on your actions and choices, the story structure does change dramatically, to the point that major characters (not to mention thousands of innocents) will live or die. Sam Fisher remains a 'good guy'… But he's faced with a lot of painful choices where there's not always a right and a wrong answer.

IGN: In what ways has the series expanded its stealth-based gameplay?

Daniel Roy: As I mentioned previously, your mission structure is now quite different, and includes dual objectives. Also, as an undercover agent, you won't have the NSA whispering in your ear all the time, so we're taking that guiding hand away for a more immersive game experience. Finally, stealth-based gameplay is expanded quite a lot when Sam has to accomplish missions inside the terrorist HQ. The people he has to sneak by are not automatically enemies, so the stealth-based experience has new layer to it.

IGN: Is Sam still in possession of his trusty knife? This tool made the gameplay extremely aggressive in Chaos Theory. Can we expect more of that?

Daniel Roy: Oh yeah. That knife was way too kick-ass to take it away. He even has a shiv while spending time in jail.

IGN: Are you planning any major changes to the A.I. concerning stealth? There was a significant difference between Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory.

Daniel Roy: One of the major overhauls this time around is the enemy AI in a friendly environment, i.e., the terrorist HQ. Terrorists in the HQ don't automatically pull out a gun and shoot you, now... They interact with Sam in a more complex way. Some of them will even join him on missions in cooperative mode, so that Sam can benefit from a partner on certain missions.

www.ign.com
Х-Box 360
Видео: http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/7...74/vids_1.html
Скрины: http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/7...74/imgs_1.html
PC
Видео:http://media.pc.ign.com/media/736/736172/vids_1.html
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