There aren't many games that can match Splinter Cell Double Agent (DA) for tension, and the Spy vs Merc online mode over Xbox live can be a difficult and intense experience for a first-time spy.
Objectives and Teamwork Over Splinter Cell’s Xbox Live Multiplayer
The objective of the three spies is to extract two full files from any of the four terminals scattered around the multiplayer map and return them to the extraction point.
The spy's enemy is the mercenary, a slow moving and heavily armed soldier.
Teamwork is key to success, so plan a strategy before the game begins. Try to split the mercs up: move swiftly to a target, attract the enemy, then vanish or attack. At the same time have a teammate sap another terminal, forcing the mercs to split up- divide and conquer.
Basic Gameplay Tips for a Shadownet Spy over Xbox Live Multiplayer
While in-game, keep an eye out for air vents and crawl spaces, these can be used to approach a terminal from a new angle. Be aware that fast movement will appear in a white outline to an enemy merc's, so stay in a crouch and move slowly.
When approaching a terminal, plan an escape route. Also, try to hide behind an object or wall while hacking to protect against grenades. Listen for footsteps or the bright orange light coming from an enemy drone.
Do not attempt to face a merc head-on. If a team decides to take the mercs out, try to come down from above or sneak up behind them. Listen to the enemy's motion sensor ticking and try to blindside them.
Attack and Defence as a Double Agent Shadownet Spy
When a spy is positioned behind a merc, a press of the A button will grab them, and A again will snap their necks. The best policy is to drop in, snap and run.
Dropping on top of a merc will knock them over, and if the spy falls from a height the weight can even kill a merc on occasion
Remember that the ideal course is to get the files and extract. Trying to take on the three mercs is difficult until the basic motions are familiar and escape routes memorised.
Clever Use of Items Can Decide A Battle Over Xbox Live
A spy can carry one of four items which can be deployed as weapons or handy distractions:
- The smoke grenade is perfect for escape manoeuvre. Throw one down and it will blind a merc and slow them down.
- The jammer produces a dummy reading on a merc's motion detector, these are best used in hidden spaces out of a merc's reach.
- The syringe can restore lost health and the health of your teammates.
- The flash grenade produces a light which blinds mercs for a few seconds.
Spies also have the familiar trident goggle rig on their heads, with two useful vision modes:
- Infrared- shows body heat.
- Night- produces the green-tinged view of the environment.
These should be used carefully however, as a spy using the goggles is visible in a merc's EMF visor. Similarly, hacking spies also show up, so it is best to stop hacking if a merc approaches.
Move Slowly, Plan an Approach and Practice in the Skirmish Mode
DA's multiplayer allows computer-controlled bots to be used in the game, try playing a few of the maps on your own with only the computer controlling the mercs, and learn the layout of the levels- practice makes perfect.
Read how to play as an Upsilon Mercenary in DA's multiplayer
