Fresh from the East Timor operations, Fisher is now put on the front lines of information warfare. The year is 2008 and the world is suffering from citywide blackouts, stock exchange sabotage, and electronic hijacking of national defense systems. The stakes are high and Fisher, as the NSA's most elite black-ops agent, is inserted in operations to aggressively gather intelligence. A wide range of missions call on a lethal mixture of weapons and close range combat. While Chaos Theory demands the same agility and athleticism required in previous Splinter Cell incarnations, some new weapons, gadgets and moves are available, such as the prototype Land Warrior rifle, and the stealthy, but oh-so-deadly inverted neck break.

In addition to an improved graphics engine, physics are enhanced, too. Enhancements like rag doll physics, particle effects, and realistic interaction with the environment make the Splinter Cell experience more immersive than ever. Just as judging your environment was crucial in past Splinter Cell games, Chaos Theory demands that you understand the delicate balance between light and shadow to stay alive.

Chaos Theory offers great replayability in single player mode, thanks to its vast, open level design. There's always more than one way to achieve your objectives. At the beginning of each mission you are given your objectives, but you must choose how to go about completing them. Decisions about stealth versus conflict are yours to make, too. Should you enter a mission with non-lethal weaponry, a host of guns and ammo, or a little bit of both? You decide.

Hell on Mars
Your character is a low-ranking Marine on a routine rotation to the Mars Research Facility of the United Aerospace Corporation (UAC). That's pretty much all the backstory you need.Doom 3is a bit skimpy in the storyline department, but rich plotting and character development have never been the focus of the Doom franchise. Action is the name of the game here, and we found plenty. After a few minutes of wandering through the facility, listening to rumors about impending catastrophe from the staff (rememberHalf-Life?), it was time to start shooting. We fought our way through dark, lavishly detailed environments until finally doing battle with pure evil in the depths of hell. Although the game offers no opportunities to explore the Martian setting apart from the linear corridors of the research facility, good level design and well-crafted sound effects succeeded at scaring the living heck out of us all the way through.

Fearsome monsters. Dimly lit environments. The perfect recipe for horror.

Creature Discomforts
Groaning zombies and the sudden leaping attack of an eleven-eyed Imp are just the beginning of the horror and anxiety inDoom 3. Floating Cacodemons attack from above with a mouthful of teeth... ethereal Revenants fire flesh-seeking missiles with deadly accuracy... a swarm of spider-like Trites skitter down the corridor, hungry for blood. Although the enemy AI inDoom 3is less crafty than we would have liked, the incredible variety of enemies--each with a unique style of attack--outweighs this shortcoming somewhat.

Guns, Guns, Guns
While there are many powerful weapons in the game, they are designed to force players to anticipate and plan for firefights. For instance, we liked wielding the chaingun to shred enemies at longer ranges, but the weapon devours ammo and using it on close-range targets was a waste of bullets. We quickly learned to switch to the shotgun or the chainsaw to dispatch foes at close range.

One piece of hardware, the flashlight, was a point of both salvation and frustration for us.Doom 3is a dark game and many enemies know how to take advantage of it. You'll often find yourself switching back and forth between your weapons and your flashlight just to see what's lurking ahead. This problem might easily be solved by duct-taping the flashlight to your equipped weapon, but, alas, we found no duct tape on Mars.

Looking Good
Doom 3looks incredible. Every room is exquisitely detailed, from the shimmer of the air near a heat source to the texture of a hamburger sitting on the counter of the company mess hall. Id obviously went all out designing every creature in the game and their realism makes them all the more horrifying. The eye candy does come at a price, though, and we were forced to play at fairly low resolution even on a Pentium IV 2.8 GHz and an ATI Radeon 9500. Even so, gameplay was smooth as silk. For higher resolutions (1024 x 768 and above) the latest generation of ATI or Nvidia cards is suggested.--Joshua Gunn

Pros

• Stunning display of graphics technology
• Strong level design with lots of spookiness
• Rich variety of enemies
• Plenty of hours of single-player gameplay

• Thin storyline
• Stiff system requirements
• No headlamps or gun-mounted lighting in the 22nd century
• Fairly basic multiplayer options

The game's designers have crafted an entirely new and unique world inspired by ancient Chinese myths and legends. In the primeval, arcane setting of the Jade Empire, you'll train under your master's watchful gaze and learn the mystical and magical powers of ancient martial arts. You'll travel widely -- from the rugged mountains of the Land of Howling Spirits to the luxuriant gardens of the Imperial City--as you make your way on your quest. Powerful human and supernatural foes will stand in your way, but with practice you'll learn to overcome your most powerful enemies. And as you venture forth through Jade Empire, you'll be challenged with questions that will ultimately lead you to discover the darkest secrets of the world.

The game begins when a series of sinister events disrupt the peaceful harmony of an isolated martial arts school. You'll be forced to confront a slew of shady characters, evil warlocks, demonic beasts, and other atrocious villains that protect the Jade Empire's deepest secrets.

Jade Empire offers you the chance to become a martial arts master. You'll assume the identity of one of six different characters and begin developing your skills. Each character has a unique appearance, voice, and fighting style. As you progress in the game, you'll decide whether to adopt the ways of good or evil, and your choices will affect your reputation.