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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 17.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Morality key to latest in adult stealth series.

Why We Rated This not for kids

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Missions require you to balance your moral choices -- but you can always decide to go bad.
  • Violence:

    You can complete the game with minimal killing, but you can also slit throats and shoot people in the head.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Occasional salty dialogue.
  • Consumerism:

    A few obvious in-game advertisements.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent was written by Aaron Lazenby

Parents need to know that this game is the latest entry in a franchise featuring surly NSA agent Sam Fisher. The series is notable for its use of stealth, lethal, and non-lethal attacks -- the players choose how violent their agent will act (the violent extremes are throat-cutting, sniper tactics, and throwing enemies to their death). Another moral aspect is a trust meter, which measures how your actions improve or undermine your relationships with the NSA and the terrorist John Brown's army.

Families Can Talk About

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  • Families can talk about the impact of including explicit moral choices in gameplay. Do you like contemplating the results of your actions and the way they affect your character? Or is this a distraction from the shoot-'em-up fantasy and catharsis expected from video games? How does reflecting on the moral fiber of a video game protagonist change the way you feel about characters you control in other games?
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More on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent

What’s the Story?

NSA agent Sam Fisher returns with TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: DOUBLE AGENT, another excellent entry into the long-running spy series that perfected the stealth genre. Players control Fisher, a veteran spy for the NSA's counter-terrorism unit. Fisher has a reputation for being able to put a stop to the most nefarious terrorist plots, but is prematurely recalled from a mission when his superiors learn his daughter has been killed. Bereft and self-destructive in the wake of this tragedy, Fisher takes on his most dangerous mission yet -- to infiltrate the ranks of the domestic terror organization called John Brown's Army. Close

Is It Any Good?

Fisher's double agent assignment gives this Splinter Cell entry ample opportunity to push the boundaries between upstanding law enforcement and excessive force. During one mission, players must choose between killing innocent bystanders and building trust with the terrorist leadership. Each choice changes the game a little bit -- and colors Fisher's methods as either reserved and upright or aggressive and extreme.

Some of Fisher's workaday tools may raise some parental eyebrows as well. While he uses a full arsenal of non-lethal weapons (tasers, rubber bullets, and choke holds to name a few), Fisher can always resort to throat-cutting, sniper tactics, and throwing enemies to their death. For all of its nuance, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent remains an adult game dealing with big issues.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 11/28/2006, price $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for blood, language, violence)

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  • What did you think about Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent?
  •  I think this game is

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See all 24 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    Great for the older crowd; Can't say the same for the kids

    This game is really good. But, of course, it's not for children. I find this game to be rather tame even though it has an M rating. Yeah, you get your share of bad language and a good amount of violence... but that's why it's rated M, it's intended for mature adults. So if you're a mature adult, I'd definitely recommend you check it out.

  2. I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Excessive consumerism
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    Good game

    Although this is a heavy and violent title, it has strategy and is actually quite tame in the blood and gore category.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    is good

    I love splinter cell and this is a good game, not much bad words in it!

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    I rate this title on for age 15 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    Great Game:

    I just started playing this yesterday and all i can say is: WOW! This game is awesome! it is quite violent but i have not seen any blood, surprisingly. The game lets you make choices about whether to support the bad guys eg. Crack a safe in the amount of time given to get "in" with them or you can go and bug the antenna on thier roof and support the good guys in the same time limit.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

    Joke? Not Funny.

    You've gotta be kidding me CSM

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