Splinter Cell overload

With Splinter Cell Double Agent charging down the assembly line to rush your local games-vendor, we thought we'd take a moment to drag you down memory lane. We've logged hours and hours with this game, and not just because our bosses pay us to: we really, really like Splinter Cell Double Agent. So, we've compiled a selection of some of our choicest coverage along with some new tidbits we've assembled to get you in the mood for the stealthy slayage arriving next week.

We'll start with the brand new videos we got from Ubisoft featuring the voice of Sam Fisher, acclaimed (at least by us) actor Michael Ironside. The note we received with these brief interviews mentioned that Mr. Ironside is "a method actor who keeps in character between takes" which is a statement that chills us to the marrow of our bones considering how creepy the character of Sam Fisher can get - he must be fun to hang out with while making these games (shudder). Seriously though, watch these short snippets of interviews with Michael Ironside - we were surprised by his dedicated attitude and ownership of the Sam Fisher character, plus he throws in some pretty poignant observations.

Michael Ironside on Sam Fisher - Here, we get a glimpse of what it is that Michael Ironside identifies with about Sam, and what he thinks resonates about the character with fans.

Michael Ironside on Gaming - In this clip, the voice of Sam Fisher extols the virtues of modern gamers and comments on how well informed we are. If for no other reason, you should check this one out to hear someone actually compliment the gaming community instead of just trying to pin the latest school shooting on us.

Michael Ironside on Sam's evolution - Through the course of the Splinter Cell games, Sam Fisher has become more battle-weary with each episode. In this snippet, Michael Ironside expounds on his involvement in the multi-dimensionality of the character and how he has worked to make him feel like a real person. If you watch carefully, there's also a bit of a spoiler in here.

Michael Ironside on voice acting - Mr. Ironside delves into the core of his craft in this little movie. Maybe that sounds boring, but when he starts talking about how he gets into character - a strange alter-ego named "Binkie" is involved, and that's all we'll say - the whole thing becomes disturbingly informative.

Michael Ironside on Double Agent - Want some insider spoilers from this new Splinter Cell? Too bad, while Michael Ironside has lots to say about the game itself, he doesn't let any nuggets of story out in this clip. Tons of veiled hints pepper this video, though, so you'll want to watch it a couple of times to see if there's something we may not have caught.