What if I were to tell you there was a guy, just one man, save for his gun and a comlink, dropped in and forced to battle the bad guys, to do whatever he must, in the name of freedom? You'd probably tell me that 24 is on Monday night on Fox. To this, I might just snap your neck like a twig, but instead, I'll let Sam Fisher do it, the Jack Bauer of video games. Except for Jack Bauer in the 24 video game. I suppose he'd be the Jack Bauer of video games. That would make more sense. Hmm. Watch this!

Hi. Welcome back. Where were we? Ah, yes. Sam Fisher.

There have been a number of Splinter CellM games, all thoroughly enjoyable. Splinter Cell: Double Agent, doesn't disappoint, as Sam, supposedly cast from his agency, must go undercover, sort of.See, he's still working with his friends, as they supply him, keep him informed, and drop him in behind enemy lines. This time, Sam must infiltrate domestic terrorists to find out their various and nefarious plots to cause destruction and general chaos around the globe. SC:DA involves a number of singularly cool scenes and ideas, although for me, the story never fully coagulates into a saga, like previous Splinter Cell games.

With that in mind, it's safe to say that, like past Splinter Cell's, the rest of the game's bits and pieces are nefariously cool. As always, Splinter Cell's graphics are top-notch, extremely detailed and realistic. They always seem to get better on the 360 (obviously), but Splinter Cell always just looks better.

By the way, I was fibbing when I said that Sam Fisher was dropped in with just a gun and comlink. In reality, that is, video game reality, one of Splinter Cell's brightest spots was the multitude of obscure, realistic, and (often nonlethal) weapons. To date, I'm not sure there have been any games with such a collection of shockers, cameras that explode and emit gas, flashbangs, and other assorted weapons that might only be described as, nefarious.

Double Agent's levels are built for Splinter Cell's open-ended style of gameplay. Goals can be accomplished in a number of ways, and enemy soldiers can be subdued or terminated (God bless those euphemisms). Surprisingly, despite this game's high playability, I found that I had very little interest in playing once I was finished. I'm not sure why, but once was enough for me. Hmm, mefarious.

Still, anyone who seeks a game with a bevy of guns but a shortage of mindless killing and high casualty rates, anyone who seeks a more refined, sophisticated action shooter where one relies on skill, surprise, and patience, Splinter Cell: Double Agent continues the legacy of intelligent shooters that the very first Splinter Cell began.

RANKING: 8 OUT OF 10