Agent Sam Fisher is back, and he hasn't lost a step since he last averted world crisis. The latest entry in the Splinter Cell series, Double Agent, is a top of the line espionage thriller. The franchise manages to still feel fresh and interesting while maintaining all of the excitement and gameplay features that fans enjoyed in the previous installments.

Everything that has made Splinter Cell one of the leading videogame franchises returns in force in Double Agent. The controls are virtually the same as the previous games, so veterans of the series can jump in with little or no training and refreshing and do just fine. Newcomers to the series might have trouble adjusting with the limited training missions that don't explain every possible action in the game, since there are far too many, but once they have played a few missions they will start to get a feel for the game.

The sheer variety of possible ways to complete a mission or even to get past a single guard is what has made Splinter Cell famous. There are many routes through the maps, enabling the player to go through, around, above, or below most obstacles. The guards can be distracted, lured, knocked out, shot, or knifed, depending on the player's preference. For the truly sneak, the game rewards stealth with a plethora of unlockable gadgets that are helpful in the course of any given mission. Fans of the run and gun style will have more difficulty completing objectives, since Fisher is equipped with only his low powered, silenced rifle, and a silenced pistol, both of which have very limited ammunition, but regardless, there are many acceptable play styles. This free flowing play style also adds greatly to the replayability of the game, since players can go back and try different tactics and routes in the missions they complete.

The game also features the series' famous graphics. On the Xbox 360, the graphics are fantastic and very realistic. Character models are well rendered and diverse in the game, and the characters are stunning in the cutscenes. Most worthy of mention are the lighting effects, which are crucial to gameplay. Players are wise to stick to the shadows, and the graphics engine does an amazing job of depicting shadows and changing lighting, whether it is from the spinning blades of a fan between the light source and Fisher, or a swinging bulb dangling from a ceiling.

The game also incorporates many new features to capture the interest of long time Splinter Cell players. The core of the game is the balance of trust between Fisher's employer, the National Security Association, and the terrorist organization he is sent to infiltrate. The player isn't able to play the game through as completely good or completely evil. The challenge of finding a balance that not only gains the trust of both sides but satisfies the conscience of the player is a great addition to the series. Another set of features that keeps the game feeling fresh is the set of smaller tasks within each mission like hacking computers, cracking safes, building mines, decrypting emails and defusing bombs. These tasks are challenging and rewarding, and for the most part can be completed at the player's discretion. Most of them are not critical to the mission, but go a long way towards completing the objectives.

Double Agent is simply a great addition to the Splinter Cell franchise, which is one of the best on the market. The game easily earns an A for its captivating gameplay, interesting plot, breathtaking graphics and high level of replayability.