Ubisoft ships Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

Ubisoft today announced that Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory has shipped to retailers and will be available nationwide by March 31 on the Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PC. An N-Gage version was released last week.

Chaos Theory follows the top secret exploits of superagent Sam Fisher as he attempts to stop terrorists from posing a threat to global stability. The game begins with a mission in Peru in 2007 but eventually leads to globe-trotting for Fisher as he attempts to prevent North Korean and Chinese naval forces from decimating the Japanese coast.

The franchise is noted for its realistic blend of action and stealth. Though Fisher can progress through levels using lethal force, the game also gives players the opportunity to sneak by guards or incapacitate them. In addition to Fisher's acrobatic repertoire of moves, such as shimmying along steam pipes or hanging from railings, Fisher has added new moves, such as the inverted neck break and knife attacks.

The multiplayer options have expanded as well. Returning is the popular spies-versus-mercs mode, which is a two-on-two battle of cat and mouse. A new cooperative mode lets buddies play a separate campaign via split-screen or online on the Xbox or PC.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is rated "M" for Mature and has an SRP of $49.99. For more information on the game, sneak over to GameSpot's previous coverage, or check back later today when the full reviews of the PS2, Xbox, and PC versions go live.