Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell

Posted Feb 21, 2003 by Wes Phillips

Updated Mar 17, 2008 at 01:59 PM

System: Microsoft Xbox

Publisher: Ubi Soft

Reviewer’s rating: A+

ESRB rating: Teen

Game type: Action

Kind of like: “Metal Gear Solid”

Best feature: Environmental effects serve the game design. For example, you can be standing in front of an enemy but he can’t see you if you’re in the shadows.

Worst feature: The realization that the game will end at some point. Oh wait, in a couple of months you’ll be able to download new missions through Xbox Live. Nevermind.

The bottom line: A few years ago Konami released “Metal Gear Solid” on the original PlayStation. The stealth-based action game was a huge hit and spawned a sequel. Ubi Soft’s “Splinter Cell” takes some of the concepts of that series and makes them better.

For one, the gameplay is more open-ended. There are many ways to advance through a level, the coolest of which don’t involve killing anyone.

Also, this Tom Clancy game has a more realistic story. You play NSA operative Sam Fisher. He has a license to kill and acts as a one-man crew in his attempt to stop World War III. We won’t ruin it for you.

The game interface is very clever. Through the use of Sam’s Palm Pilot you can keep track of objectives and notes such as the passcode for that electronic lock.

But the little details make this game one of the greats. Want to distract a guard? Grab an old bottle from that rubble pile and roll it where you want the guard to go.

We could go on and on about the game’s graphics. That wouldn’t do justice to some of the photo-realistic textures and lighting effects. They truly must be seen to be believed. If you own an Xbox, this game should be in your collection.