Welcome to the first (and long delayed) episode of our Chaos Theory Game Club. Join the regular crew as we discuss chapters one through four, as well as our general impressions of a game from the long, long past of 2005. For the next episode, please play through chapter eight. Enjoy!
Subscribe to Rebel FM!:
Sweet. Thank you for the RebelFM recharge over long commutes.
Haven’t listened yet but I really want to know. How do you control your movement speed on the pc?
For the first level I was stuck in slow speed unless I held forward and left/right which would make him run.
Then on the 2nd level I got stuck in run mode and couldn’t figure out how to slow him down. Are the pc controls fucked?
Wouldn’t you be able to use a 360 controller on the Steam version?
Isn’t it the mouse-wheel? :S could be wrong but I’m pretty sure it’s that
Yup, mousewheel.
And it works surprisingly well, at least for playing the game stealthily.
Won’t run on Windows 7
Trying to find a solution so I can join in
OK it’s not the GAME that is broken in Win7, it’s the COPY PROTECTION. So if you crack your copy of the game, it will work.
Go Ubisoft!
yeppers. It is the copy protection that breaks the game. I am having the same problem. I have had a copy for my PC since the day it came out, and now I cannot even play it (which now I am in love with all those goons sympathizing with Ubisoft for their Assassins Creed 2 and EA with Command & Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight. This is BS that I cannot even play this game years later which I bought for $39.99. Instead I have to buy another copy for my Playstation 2…
Here is the problem. Starforce Pro which will not run on Windows 7.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/hatchbackmustang/SplinterCellCTCopyProtection2010-Ap.png
Gee, I love not owning my own games… >:(
To all game companies involved: THIS IS WHY YOUR SHIT GETS PIRATED!
@koofle
If I remember correctly he mousewheel influences your move speed, at least with the default control configuration.
Whoops, Selby posted the question about the speed, sorry…
I loved the game back when it came out, although that copy protection was really bad (Starforce, right).
HOO FUCKING RAY!!! I thought you guys had given up on this one. This is the first game I’ve been able to play through at the same time as you guys and couldn’t wait for you to post the first episode. Diving in now…
And Carl just buy the Steam version. Worked fine for me on 64-bit Windows 7.
I already bought the game once, thanks. The crack works fine
NO! BAD CARL! BAD!
That is NOT how you play games you bought!
Seriously though, that’s just sad.
Game’s awesome, though!
I have to say the Bank level is my favourite. Its possible to ghost through the level without to taking out anyone and using the ocp only for the safe.Also the one code I will never forget 3490! 3490! 3490! 3490! ” there I said the code!” Poor ole Paco aswell, never gets a break.
Damn, I played waaay to far ahead
Arthur, they definitely call you on the commlink in the Bank level after climbing down the rope to tell you to remotely hack the laser computers.
I had no idea you could OCP the lasers as an alternative. It’s looking like there’s no point in the game where you NEED to remotely hack something. Even the guy’s laptop or whatever: you can miss it, and then you get the information later from a computer.
I think I remember that, but I’m at the second part of Seoul and I have NEVER remote hacked anything.
OCP’ed the lasers, grabbed the guy with the laptop (Grimsdottir even makes fun of Sam for that) and I can remember a few other times where that would have been handy, but I just never got what they meant by this “remote hacking”.
Until the podcast, that is. I guess I’ll be using it for the rest of the game.
Anybody got to listen to the Metal Gear spoofs in the dialogue with guards? Try taking a guard hostage multiple times, they make jokes with loot dropping and stuff. It’s been a while since I played this so I’m not completely sure what is the exact line, but I found it amusing when I played this in 2008.
Not enjoying this game. It’s like I need to figure out how the developers intend me to play rather than do it my way. And my way isn’t working…
I’ll stick with it… not giving up.
The other thing that sticks out to me is the ham-handed CGI cut scenes.
About how long does it take to play through the first 4 chapters. Thanks
Each level takes about 30-60 minutes.
Oh man! Definitely one of my favorite games ever and one of the best stealth games ever, possibly the last great stealth game. Just seeing this makes me want to reinstall it.
Right now though I only have the retail PC version and I’m not sure I wanna buy the Steam version yet. I know there’s gonna be some kind of deal right before Conviction comes out.
Anyway, I haven’t listened to this episode yet, but I hope at least one of you guys is going for a total stealth run.
The last time I beat this game I got 100% completion on hard with minimum combat. Didn’t fire a single shot. Other than the required combat I made it through without killing anyone, knocking out anyone, or ever being identified as an intruder.
If I correctly recall, only the very last guard you encounter in the first mission has to be neutralized for you to make it through. The last four guys you encounter in the ninth mission in the Tokyo bathhouse while defusing the bombs (NOT before) also have to be knocked out. There are also three major characters that have to be killed as part of the story. Other than that, it’s possible to beat Chaos Theory without ever engaging in combat.
Doing so really made me appreciate how open-ended the missions in this game were and taught me how to REALLY play a stealth game. You may think you have to interrogate enemies for certain information, but sometimes eavesdropping on them works the same. The problem is though, after I did that full stealth run I became such a perfectionist at the game that I couldn’t enjoy it anymore.
…Oh, and lastly, all of you guys are playing the PC and Xbox version right? Out of all the Tom Clancy games, Chaos Theory got gimped the worst on PS2 and Gamecube.
Awww man, maybe you should skip this gameclub
listening to Anthony’s hyper-ninja-stealth-mastery might make your head explode with jealousy!
Man, you are so right about the qualaty of this game! Its my all time favorite to! But we have more in common: I’m also TO perfectionistic in this game (and maybe even as a overall gamer), that I hardly can enjoy ths game anymore. It’s funny you experience the same thing.
Just adding this in, but the very last mission is actually the easiest one in which to do a perfect stealth run.
Awesome choice of game guys, one i can actually follow this time round.
In reference to the bank level when you guys couldn’t find the air vent the guards were talking bout, it’s in the glass cage near the boss’s office but you have to jump on a few computers to get there.
hopefully tyler plays some more by the next episode so i can hear his style of play through.
Chaos Theory and Matt in one Podcast, yay!
Chaos Theory is still my favourite Splinter Cell.
But there’s one thing about it I absolutely don’t like and I can’t get used to: The music!
@Bruce
seriously? You think the music is bad? This soundtrack is awesome. And obviously, I’m not the only one who likes it since the torrent of the OST is still alive. Indeed, the music is even played in several TV-episodes of Top Gear.
Whta I think of the game:
I think its one of the best games of its generation. There are many ways to play this game; you can shoot through it, or be that good as a spy that no one even thought there was somebody in their surroundings.
To achive that last thing is a real achievement and is real awesome. It strongly changes the game experience, since you have to treat it like a PUZZLE-game instead of a slow third person shooter.
Questions that were not answered of the four podcasters:
There IS a airshaft in the Bank level. Its right up the room which is surrounded by glass with to guys sitting in it.
Oh, there is a funny fact in this level. In the office next to the above mentioned room is a painting you can remove. Behind it is a golden brick. You can use this to throw at people and kill them with it!
Yes, I’m serious about the music.
Even though I can’t find my copy of the game I’ve played it so much that I’ve got a mental image for every part you guys talked about.
The interrogations are cool and all, but there’s actually only one in the entire game that’s absolutely required. Pretty much every piece of information you get for an objective can be either eavesdropped or hacked from a computer.
The only interrogation you absolutely have to do is the North Korean Colonel at the missile silo for a tertiary objective. For my full stealth run I had to interrogate him without alerting the other guy in the command center, which was a bitch.
I waited until he walked to his desk behind that glass wall. From there within the span of like two seconds I had to fill his room with like three smoke grenades and take out all the lights, then roll behind him and grab him.
Loved the podcast. Need to pick myself up a copy. Downloading on XBL seems like my easiest option.
I think I might be in the minority but Pandora Tomorrow is my favorite Splinter Cell game. It may be because this was around the time when I got back into gaming “full time” or it could be because it was my first Splinter Cell game but I can remember having a lot of fun playing it. I remember enjoying the globe trotting aspect and also the vibrant color pallet which was different to the other stealth action games around at that time. After listening to the first podcast I am really looking forward to playing Chaos Theory even though I didn’t get into Double Agent very much.
Being quite a big Metal Gear Solid fan to the point of playing every one through multiple times and watching the “Metal Gear Saga” DVDs every few months, I have found it hard to enjoy Splinter Cell games in the same way. This shouldn’t really be an issue as both games are very different and each of them have their strengths and weaknesses but for some reason when playing Splinter Cell, I tend to really miss all the things unique to Metal Gear.
I am very optimistic about Splinter Cell Conviction and hope it is the game that can bring the enjoyment I had playing the older Splinter Cell games back.
Pandora Tomorrow was good, the LAX level was fantastic. I think there were alot of exterior levels, which might have rubbed some people the wrong way because of how well the industrial levels seem to work.
From best to worst (with the worst still being damn good for me) Chaos Theory, Double Agent (for the original Xbox, it’s a different game really),Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell, and Double Agent (360). There were some really glitchy parts that ruined my ability to ghost the game.
I’d reccommend people to try and track down the original Xbox version of Splinter Cell Double Agent. I think it was one of the last Xbox games made before the 360 became the main priority for Microsoft, and it has the exact same cover of the 360 version. But, it’s made by the same guys that made the first SC, Chaos Theory and ConViction. The levels are very dark, ala Splinter Cell. And the storytelling is way better. The ending to Double Agent in the past-gen system, is so much more cooler and emotional and sets up ConViction in such a better way than the next-gen version.
Pandorra tomorrow was very good, but more linear than the other splinter cells. The LAX level is indeed magnificant! I can remember very wel to make a choice to kill some woman or not, since the other was so suddenly announced over the intercom just before the elevator doors were closing.
The WORSTT SC must be de DOuble agent for xbox(1). To clear everyones minds: it is NOT the same game as the 360 version!!! It an wide arrange of co-op levels, but is graphicly far more inferior to the other games. I’m curious what RebelFM and its listeners think about this game. I thought it was not special and it didn’t need to be in existence.
Hey Bassie,
I played Double Agent on PC, 360 (The Next-Gen Versions) and on PS2.
I have to say though the PS2 version is far inferior from a technical point, I enjoyed it much more in terms of level design and gameplay.
I can’t comment on any multiplayer aspects since I’ve never tried them.
Graphically…yeah, it’s inferior to Chaos Theory. It’s way more inferior, graphically speaking, to the 360 version as well. I agree the AI CO-OP stuff was a little heavy handed. But, I just think Double Agent for the Xbox 1 was better than the 360 version because of the storytelling, the level design, and the classic Splinter Cell light and dark stealth. I thought the decision making was cooler too.
The ending to the 360′s version of DA was horrible. It just ends, and Enrica turned out to be a toss away character. In the Xbox 1 version, she’s actually a character and is the key reason why Sam goes rouge. What Third Echelon did to her was the final straw for Sam, who then proceeded to shank a Splinter Cell agent and go on the run.
I think if you liked Chaos Theory, then the Xbox 1 version is probably a better bet for enjoyment than the 360 version.
Just so everyone knows, there are tutorial videos that show you how to do virtually all of Sam’s moves (including the obscure and rarely useful ones). I watched all of them before I played a single mission, and they definitely helped me out.
Awesome that you guys are doing a Game Club on one of my favorite games of all times.
Now to my point, I’d like to point out how brilliant the dialogue of the Splinter Cell games are. On the bank level, as you plant the false emails, Lambert chimes in and says “That’s 4 of the forged emails” to which Sam responds “Thanks Lambert, always found it hard to count past 3.” In addition, in the first Splinter Cell, you will overhear a Chinese patrol debating about a war between China and the US, in which one declares: “You may be able to defeat America’s armies on the battlefield; You can annihilate their cities with nuclear weapons, but you will never defeat their hamburger stands!”
IMO the first splinter cell was the best cos you had never seen anything like it before (and if u say MGS is like splinter cell you need to screw your head back on the right way round)but chaos theory made changes that i expected in pandora tomorrow. overall i am having alot of fun with the game, so much fun that i ended up finishing it instead of waiting.
DEUS EX OR MAX PAYNE 2 FOR NEXT GAME CLUB!!!!!!!!!!!
During the episode, it was generally agreed that you couldn’t throw bodies. I would just like to say that the lethal attack when you have a character grabbed can kick the character over railings if you position it right, and if you hit Y (xbox) while holding a body Sam shrugs the body off, resulting in a slight throw, it can’t throw bodies over railings though. Hope that helps someone out.
IMO Chaos Theory is the best Splinter Cell game so far, but it looks like Conviction is gonna take its place at the top of the list though.
Finally, GRAW 2 would make a great game club game
Yeah, I saw quite a few opportunities to do that throw-over-a-railing technique, but always passed them up since I was doing a “no kill” playthrough. Now that I’ve finished the game, I should do another run with a murderous Sam.
Ive owned various Splinter Cell games on various platforms but ive never actually played a lot of them. It took me about a year and a half to complete the first level of Chaos Theory, Ive never been able to play Stealth games very well (and im fairly impatient). I listened to this episode (the first game club for Chaos Theory) and it gave me the urge to play it again and I managed to complete the first level in 20 minutes with a 58% rating (all the objectives bar the cancelled one), I have no idea why I managed to do it so quickly (comparative to my original time) but im glad since its actually a really fun game and im surprised at how well the graphics have held up.
Man I wish I could be playing with you guys, but my Chaos Theory CD says I have no more installs left and I tried calling in before giving up after a half hour.
Man, this DRM stuff is getting me stoked for Conviction. (not)
Did you do a Game Club this week? Or are you taking a week off?
Hmmm, looks like you missed this week. That’s good and gives me time to catch up.
I don’t like stealth games but I thought I should give it a try since I like game club. And I could also beat Anthony’s 4% in one level.
http://img39.yfrog.com/img39/7563/finalrating.jpg
I gotta say the “palm to face” move is a godsend. So easy to lurch out of the shadows and slap guards down without breaking stealth. Also whistling a guard towards a closed door and using thermal vision to perfectly time a door slam is easily the most fun move in the game! (grabbing guards through the paper walls of hokkaido is a close second!)
Listening to the podcasts, I have to admire Anthony’s philosopy of always following through with his mistakes instead of reloading to correct them.
Alas, I can’t break out of the perfectionist mindset of getting every optional objective complete with unbroken stealth.
At the very least i have to avoid the alarms or Lambert will tell me off
If you want to dump an unconcious/dead body somewhere, put them up on your shoulder, then quick draw your pistol, they will ragdoll off your back, with a bit of speed. If you move close to a hole or side of a building, you can easily dump dudes and hide the evidence.
when is episode 2?
Yeah, it’s been almost three weeks. : (
They are too busy playing/reviewing SC:Convinction to record
Speaking of SC: Conviction, my friends and I just put out a parody of the storyline trailer with my buddies. We’re pretty proud of it, especially as none of us has any experience in editing before we tried this. It’d be super cool if anybody checked it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUe4eBOdDME
I’m kind of glad the next Game Club hasn’t been posted yet since I just beat Hokkaido, which may be my favorite level. Grabbing guys through the paper walls was just so badass.
Oh, and I just want to tell Shetland that eerily smoking a cigar in the shadows just screams villian. Dude needs to take a class in “How not to look like the Evil Mastermind.”
Any ideas about the eta of the next episode? This is getting a bit ridiculous.
So did they just quit or did I miss the other episodes?
Alas poor Game Club, I played an listened, Horatio, a podcast of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.
We hope to explain those to you and how the Part D benefits work. ,