When Game Informer broke the Splinter Cell: Double Agent exclusive several months ago, I was delighted to see Sam Fisher behind bars. The thought of going under cover and interacting with criminals (as well as dealing with the harsh realities of prison) thrilled me because it represented a dramatic shift from what I had been used to. I was looking forward to something like the show Oz, minus the copious amounts of prison sex, of course. But unfortunately, I'm not going to enjoy such drama. Fisher's in prison for just one mission, though my disappointment vanished after checking out some of the later levels. For the first time in this series' history, I'm actually looking forward to the next Splinter Cell. Obviously, Ubisoft's done something right.

The primary reason why I had become disenchanted with the franchise is because the developers never strayed from the norm. Through several games (for both consoles and handhelds) the objectives and missions remained the same. I continuously wandered through shadows, waited for ages, tossed a bottle in the opposite direction, and went for the kill. And this never changed...that is...UNTIL NOW! You see, Double Agent, while containing its fair share of shadows, is significantly more wide-open than the previous games. You still have to do a fair amount of lurking. Ubisoft hasn't been developing an action packed FPS here, but the environments you get to explore, and the action that's occurring within them, are a (no pun intended) far cry from anything I've experienced.

Take, for instance, one of the missions in Africa, the famous one that has Sam hanging on to the underside of a truck. The city is in civil war. Soldiers are running all over the place, there's gunfire, buildings are cars explode randomly; it's pure unadulterated chaos and it all takes place during the day. Basically, as with all missions, there are a series of objectives to complete, and it's a good idea to sneak around buildings a hide from the conflict. You shouldn't just walk up to a guy with an AK-47 and be like, "What's up home slice?" That wouldn't exactly be a good move for a professional assassin. No, you're still going to need to creep about. I'm just really impressed by the complete anarchy. It's vastly different than what I'm used to, at least with Splinter Cell titles, and what's really cool, aside from the destruction, is how the "freedom fighters" interact with Sam. Basically, if you keep your nose clean and stay out of their way, they won't bother you. Period. But if you fire upon them or wander too close, they're going to take you out, or at least make a really good attempt.

I'm also impressed with the branching missions. The whole point of being in prison is to break out a terrorist that works for the John Brown Army, so Sam is actually pulling double duty. He's assisting the terrorist group, but he's also got his ties to the NSA to worry about. That's another feature that I'm real excited about, the freedom of choice. Most if not all of the missions in this game have branching paths, and Sam keeps in touch with the JBA and the NSA at all times. Both parties will ask him to carry out specific tasks (some of which will be in conflict with each other) and the decisions that you make will affect his standing in both groups. So, for example, there's a mission on a tanker in where one group is ordering Sam to kill everyone aboard while the other is urging him to take them out by non-lethal means. It's akin to having an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other, and whatever side you lean to may have grave or positive consequences. The game has a Trust Meter for each faction that rises and falls depending on your current standing. One second you might be the JBA's best buddy, and the other you might be its worst enemy.

As for enemy interaction, you still have the opportunity to grab them from behind and decide if they live or die which is always cool, but what's more interesting is the lack of a HUD. Instead, you've got a visibility meter that informs you of how much trouble Sam's in. If the meter is green he's in the clear, if it's yellow, that means the enemy is alerted to his presence and is investigating, and finally, red is bananas. The enemy knows he's around and they're moving to kill him ASAP.

Speaking of death, Sam doesn't have a health bar per se. Instead, he's got a set up that's not that much different from Master Chief's. Fisher is wearing a state-of-the-art suit that's capable of absorbing a specific amount of damage. He can take a few shots to the body without dying. But when he's near death, you'll hear a heart beat and feel the vibrations from the controller. That signal lets you know that Sam is knocking on death's door and that you should back away. Once you do (and chill for a few moments), the heart beating will disappear, and Sam's "health" will in theory be restored. That's definitely cool.

I'm also a huge fan of the variety in this game. You're going to wander about worn-torn cities, sky dive, brave harsh snowstorms, and swim. You're not just relegated to walking around, so if anything, this will be the most diverse Splinter Cell yet as far as missions are concerned. It's also the darkest. This time around, Sam is an ex Navy Seal that's just experienced a great tragedy, hence his dual loyalties. This guy isn't necessarily working for either side. He just wants to release his aggression through killing.

Ubisoft has always overachieved when it comes to graphics in Splinter Cell titles and Double Agent is no exception. This is without question the most gorgeous Splinter Cell yet. The texture work on Sam's clothing is exquisite, and the environments are painstakingly detailed. Explosions rock the screen and the weather effects shake the house. Seeing this game running through an HDTV is heavenly.

Double Agent is going to be released on October 17 and I'm actually going to pick it up. Ubisoft's made plenty of attractive changes and I enjoyed playing a near final version of the game. The multiplayer mode is also quite good, but I can't talk about that just yet. Stay tuned for more Splinter Cell coverage as we near the game's ship date.