• You'll play a special operative of Third Echelon, which tracks the flow of information around the world

• Begin by tracking two agents who disappeared in a breakaway Soviet state, and use your stealth abilities to remain completely unseen

• Use incredible gadgets, from a silenced pistols to lockpicks to a sticky camera, to get the information you need

• Stealth is key here -- you must enter forbidden areas and gather crucial information without being detected

• Break into police stations, crack open vaults, eavesdrop on conversations -- do whatever it takes to track this conspiracy across the world

Another great addition to this game is the dialogue between Sam Fisher and his boss, and even the enemies! example:

NSA Boss: Good Lord! That's general Kong Feirong!

Fisher: Good Lord. Who's that?

________________________________________________________________

Soldier 1: So...how many did you kill?
S2: Eh...computer geeks? I killed 1, he got four. (points)
S1: Four? (mutters then gasps) Hey, I think I see something!

Those soldiers were then blown to pieces by a frag grenade.

There's a bit of dark humour in this game, like most of the rest of it. This is a dark game, and to fully appreciate the stunning visuals, you might have to turn off your night-vision goggles once in a while.

This is truly the most complete, breathtakingly real black ops game I have ever played. Don't try to compare this to MGS. It will blow you away with its graphics (those sys specs are real!)and the gameplay is unmatched. And if you even think that Fishers headset looks wierd with the three green eyepieces, you'll change you mind after playing. I'd definently give this game a 10/10, this is one of the best games I've ever played! AND THERES A SEQUEL COMING!!!!!!

...Hey, who turned out the lights?

15 of 17 found the following review helpful:


Lookin good!  Feb 04, 2003
Well chances are, you already know of this game but you probably want to know what the PS 2 verison will have to offer that the original did not. Well so far the following additions have been confirmed. The PS 2 version will feature an all-new binocular-vision headset, as well as four, count 'em, 4 new levels in the power plant area! It will also get 30 additional minutes of cinematics, and a completely new four-minute intro with music performed by the Prague Orchestra. Ubi Soft also said they will support Dolby Pro Logic II sound, so anyone with a PLII sound setup will really appreciate this feature. The graphics seem to have been slightly downgraded due to the fact that the original was made for completely different hardware but it looks like it's coming together very well considering it's a port and the extra levels and gadgets should make it a worthy purchase.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:


The hype is justified!  Apr 08, 2003 By Walter Reade
I am always suspicious of an overly-hyped game, but Splinter Cell left nothing to be disappointed about. If this is a taste of what's down the road for video games, I'll have to quit my job! The graphics are super, game play and sound awesome, and the implementation of the stealth concept is powerfully convincing.

I have only three minor issues with the game. The first is that it takes a bit to get the controls down. Not a big deal, just a forewarning. What really bugged me was that pistol aiming was too slow. The number of bullets it took to put someone down was also on the unrealistically high side. You could be right over someone and shoot him in the back of the head, and it still would take a couple shots.

These minor flaws aside, the game if simply awesome!

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:


A good freshman outing...but not perfect  Apr 26, 2003
I was one of those who was a doubter regarding Splinter Cell. Being a huge Metal Gear fan, I obviously thought there was no way that Ubi Soft's first venture into to the stealth/action genre could deliver the goods. I can say that while not delivering quite as well, Splinter Cell is still an exceptional game.

XBox owners have been "OOOH'ing" and "AAAAHHH'ing" over Splinter Cell for the past 6 months. Some saying that it's the "Metal Gear Killer" that the XBox needed. The long and short of it is; though Splinter Cell is an above average game, it is by no means a Metal Gear killer. Why you might ask? Graphics and gameplay aside, Splinter Cell lacks the story development that would have put it over the top. Say what you want about Metal Gear Solid 2 SOL story, it was at least memorable. Full of characters that were charasmatic and you actually will remember long after playing the game. Splinter Cell though rooted in the "real world" lacks any real memorable characters other than the star, NSA's Sam Fisher. You don't feel any compelling reason to stop the bad guys. With precious few cinematics to tie the action together, at times it feels like you are playing through a bunch of disjointed, seperate missions. Also there is no hand to hand combat system. You'd think an Uber Agent like Sam Fisher alledgedley is would be trained in martial arts or unarmed fighting techniques. It's these reasons I gave Splinter Cell a rating of 4 stars and not 5.

Now on to what's right about this game. The game play is exceptionally good. An array of weapons at your disposal will give you a number of different ways to bring down a bad guy. Though the game can become a frustrating exercise in "trial and error" at times. Often leading to bouts of "What am I doing wrong?". Graphically, even on the PS2 this is probabley one of the best looking games you'll find out there. The light and shadow effects look pretty darn good even on the PS2's less powerful hardware. Ubi Soft is to be commended for having done a really good job of bringing a game like this to the PS2. The control scheme is also very nicely laid out. A few runs through the training level are needed to familiarize yourself with the controls and with Sam Fisher's movements. But once you get a hang of them it makes gameplay much easier. Some nice extra's were added for the PS2 version including a new mission, binoculars and an alarm meter to help you along with the game play.

Being Ubi Soft's first real stealth adventure game I'd have to say that this is an impressive start. Though not quite on the same level with the Metal Gear series, Splinter Cell is good none the less. Hopefully, if Ubi Soft irons out a few of the wrinkles along the way, then we can expect some big things in the future.

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