Armed to the teeth and seeking revenge, a man roams the streets of Valletta killing all those who get in his way as he climbs onto auberge windows and beats people to death in public toilets.

Sam Fisher, a secret agent, is the star of a videogame in which he comes to Malta to follow a lead on the mysterious death of his daughter.

The game, Splinter Cell Conviction, is part of a popular and multimillion-selling series endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, which means it is likely to generate some awareness about the island and spark interest among gamers eager to re-enact the steps of their hero.

But according to a public relations officer of the game's creators Ubisoft, no one from the development team ever visited Malta, and there was "no big reason" for having part of the game set on the island.

In the game, Fisher eventually heads back to Washington to continue his mission, but not before finding crucial clues in Malta.

The streets of the Maltese towns depicted in the game are highly stylised, and littered with criminals and gangs. But some of the country's best architectural attributes are featured prominently, including bastions, palazzos and wooden balconies.

The Maltese flag is also featured with much more regularity than is seen in real life.

The highly-anticipated game is set to be released this autumn and will be available on PC and Xbox.

The Splinter Cell series has sold over 19 million units worldwide and is one of the most critically acclaimed Xbox franchises of all time.

On Youtube, there is an eight-minute feature explaining the innovations of the game and showing action sequences that are mostly set in Malta: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRhDV3VKrLE.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com