I mean, Sam Fisher is having a very bad day. And, as a result, I'm having a very good time!
What a risk. And, so far, what a payoff. I love this game! I love what they've done to Fisher, making him a rogue, pissing him off, removing his restraints. This is Splinter Cell, the Action Movie. As the opening line indicates, this is as much Jack Bauer as it is Sam Fisher now, and it's really good. So far, the SP has been fantastic. Light and shadow are masterfully represented with color, and black and white. If in the light, the world is shown in all its hues. Go to shadow, and everything grayscales. No wondering if you're in the shadows or not.
The AI is tougher, as well. They will know your last position, so when you're little shadow avatar shows up right where you currently are, it's time to get the hell outta there, because that's right where they think you are. It's a great way to flank and confuse the enemy, and really makes you feel like the badass you are.
The story has been very good thus far, already with a couple of neat twists, even early on. I'm liking what I'm seeing.
The MP has been reduced to 2 man co-op sessions, and 1v1 adversarial. Can't say anything about adversarial at the moment, but Mix and I played the first mission of the co-op story mode, and outside of Mix insisting on using the Battlefield control scheme (don't try it, it doesn't work well!), we had a blast. The controls do take a bit of getting used to, as they are quite different from any other game of this type that I've played, but after a few minutes, it's no longer an issue, at least for me.
There's also a version of 'terrorist hunt' mode from R6V, where the map is littered with randomly placed baddies, which you must dispatch. They are not nearly as stupid as R6's baddies, and they will kill you pretty quickly if you don't play smart. This mode can be done solo or co-op with another player.
So far, I'm very, very pleased with what I've played, and can't wait to throw it in the machine again...
