Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(47)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I've heard a lot of idiots going around saying that this game is the killer of Metal Gear Solid 2, that's like saying Tony Hawk 4 will kill off Grand Theft Auto Vice City. First of all, the games are very different. Splinter Cell is firmly rooted in reality, and that includes the lighting and shadow effects that are constantly mentioned and there is a lot of trial and error, whereas MGS 2 is a mix between fantasy and reality and has a set course for you to follow, so these games aren't really the same, and given the choice between them, I'd take 'em both. With that out of the way, ON TO THE REVIEW!
Splinter Cell is the only Tom Clancy game I've ever liked, I feel that games like Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon are too real to be fun, and if I wanted realism I'd join the Marines, but what makes this so different? Who knows, but the story is very cool and realistic, the graphics are OK for the Ps2 hardware and the actual gameplay is excellent, you can hide from enemies in the shadows and distract them, enabling you to move on and the controls are also very easy to use, taking only a short time to master. The enemy AI is also very realistic and it offers a good fight, which is why you should either sneak up from behind enemies or just avoid them altogether.
Reading the other reviews, I've seen that in addition to comparing MGS2 to SC, people also compare the XboX to Ps2 versions, I've played both and they're equally good. The Xbox version has better graphics going for it and you can also download the levels that are in the Ps2 version, the Ps2 version has better and easier controls and the levels are already there. Given the choice between the xBox version and Ps2 version, I couldn't choose and the only reason I got the Ps2 version was because I don't have an XboX.
But it doesn't matter which version you buy, because the game is cool wether you get the Ps2, Xbox, PC or the Gamecube version, (is there a Gamecube version?)
Thanks for taking the time to read the review.

OK, so, if your looking for an action shooter title with a bit more strategy, or a stealth based game that allows multiple ways to complete the mission (e.g.: Hitman II), Get Splinter Cell, period. It combines some of the best visuals I've ever seen into a game where everything from lighting to the terrain your standing on affects yur risk of being captured (read: complete your mission).You can even shoot out the lights in a room! Unlike other games, there is no "obvious" way to get around a problem. You'll have to figure it out on your own, wheather its simply sniping a lone guard from a dark corridor and dragging his corpse into the shadows, or sneaking up behind him, grabbing him, and walking towards your objective using him as a human shield. There IS a lot of trial and error in this game, it is definently not an easy game to beat. You will not however become bored with it once you've tried something a couple of times (granted, I did become bored with it after I got up from the computer and realised it was 4 AM seriously!). The graphics are great,but you will need a pretty high-end system to run it. It wouldn't load on my old PIII, but I got a new Toshiba Satellite with an nVIDIA Geforce FX-M card and it smokes!! Also, the mission advancement is very well-balanced. You won't get all the cool gagets and weapons immediatly. You are always equiped with what is needed for your mission, but some of them are limited ammo, so you might fail your mission if you don't have any once you reach your objective! Some examples are:
-the laser mic. point andlisten device for hearing conversation behind walls
-diversion camera. small camera that emits a whistle on command and can also shoot knock-out gas.

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?

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.

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!

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.

This game is definately better than MGS in my opinion, for one simple reason. You get to play it. MGS is so inundated with cut scenes it ruins the whole game. I want to play the game not watch an hour of cut scenes every 15 minutes. That said, the graphics are awesome, the controls really aren't that difficult, the sound is awesome, and the enemy AI is great. I rank this game just ahead of Medal of Honor as far as action games go for the PS2. It's a great game, very fun and addicting. Remember, stealth is always the best strategy in this game. Buy this game, I'm sure you'll like it.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a wonderful addition to the Tom Clancy games. I like Splinter Cell much better than the Ghost Recon games, and the game is better than most tactical shooters. In fact, it would really be hard to call this game a shooter at all. You really don't get very many bullets in the game, and weapon use comes second to stealth tactics. Also, killing an enemy may result in an alarm being triggered if someone is nearby. I many levels, only one alarm that is set off could mean mission over. The max amount of alarms that you could have in a level was three. Howeverm if you are careful, the alarms aren't that big of a deal. You should note that this is no Red Faction II or even MGS2. Splinter Cell is 90% stealth! You must stay in the shadows and avoid enemies. The best way to dispose of troops is hiding, then they turn their back, and then you can(fairly easily)sneak up on them. It's quiet and efficient. Also, you must hide bodies to avoid being caught. Even James Bond kills a thousand times more people than Sam Fisher. The graphics aren't as good on the PS2 as they are on X-Box, but they are still great! The sound is very good too, with humorous enemy chatter and good music and sound effects. The biggest drag to Splinter Cell is that the first time through, the game is exhilerating, the second time, it's pretty predictable, and then after that, it will most likely sit on your shelf for awhile. Please don't buy Splinter Cell if you hate sneaking around and not firing a lot of bullets. If you are a Timesplitters 2 fanatic, you might want to think beforebuying this game. Now, I love both combat games and espionage types, so I loved Splinter Cell. And this game is great relief for MGS fans until MGS3:Snake Eater is releasd next year. My Rating:9.4!

I don't think there are tons of stealth games to compare this too. While MGS has some cool moves, I have to say SC tips the scales. According to Xbox users, nothing is as great as xbox graphics, but the graphics for the PS2 are pretty darn impressive. A game like SC must rely on its environment to make the game interesting, intriguing, inventive and entertaining. And it does.

The use of shadows, light, and other objects in the game make it fun to skulk around. As expected of a black op, you must be quiet, get in, get the info and get out. Playing Sam Fisher I feel like an elite NSA agent, and the moves of the character are really excellent. I like the way he crouches and walks, presses himself against walls, walks slowly with the gun, and hang and crawl on pipes and ropes. Very cool.

The story is very well done and the intercuts of the 'fake' news and updates on the ongoing terrorist saga is fantastic. The graphics are wonderful. Again, the in game environment is very realistic. If you walk on paper it crinkles, boards creak, water splashes, curtains blow in the wind, etc. I think that makes for better game play.

There are two levels, normal and difficult. I haven't played difficult but I suspect the enemies must be smarter. On normal there are definite moments where the enemies are morons and don't see you standing right next to them. They don't hear other guards being knocked out or grabbed. BUT, that's good when you're not an expert player and are not looking for that level or realism to just make it to the next level.

There are plenty of checkpoints and I don't think the game makes you play a lot over and over if you die, which is good. It seems to have checkpoints and saves in crucial moments (before a big fight, etc)

Michael Ironside sells the voice of Sam and how he interrogates enemies is funny sometimes. It's challenging without being overwhealming or incredibly frustrating, though some things you will definetly do more than once. Patience, shadows, timing and perfect aim are key.

While there are plenty of walkthroughs to help, I found that after doing something 4 or 5 times you find your own way to do it; and you have plenty of gadgets to help you.

The only little flaw is that you don't use gadget nor every move. I didn't use the split jump once, nor did I use the rappel and shoot or use an enemy as cover.

But I really, really enjoyed this game and am in love with this series now. I think Sam is a very mysterious and intriguing character.

The best aspect of this game is that every one of its eight missions is extremely deep and takes a good long while to finish. You can't finish the game in just one night at all.
Some missions require more stealth than others, including one mission in which you're not allowed to kill anyone at all, simply disable them.
The graphics in this game are absolutely incredible, nearly the quality of SOCOM or SOCOM II. The drawback is that each mission is linear and can only be completed one way, in contrast to SOCOM's "free ranging" style. That's especially frustrating when you're encountering particularly difficult enemies, and they usually pop up just before you get to a point in your mission where you're allowed to save.
While each mission is very long, don't fear, if you die you don't have to go back and complete the entire mission. There are several "checkpoints" in each mission and if you die, you simply go back to the last checkpoint and begin again, but with more knowledge on how to complete the level.
The storyline is also quite engrossing and relevent to today's world. Your character is Sam Fisher, a NSA operative that needs to help save the United States from cyber terrorist attacks sponsored by the deposed President of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. You also have real life weapons or prototypes of weapons that will be in the US arsenal in a few years, as well as the use of infared and night vision scopes.
For those that like shooter games, this game isn't always all stealth and sneaking around. You've got plenty of levels where your entire goal is to kill any enemy you come across and don't even have to worry about hiding their bodies or anything.
This game really has it all.
The only drawbacks I think in the game is the aiming just isn't very precise and the game lacks the ability for your character to go prone and shoot, it only lets you crouch. Even when you're carrying a weapon with a sniper scope and crouching, your scope just won't aim correctly for more than a second or two before it bounces off target. Each level also seems to never allow you enough ammo so you find yourself having to invent ways to kill enemies when the best course of action would be a shot to the head...but you're out of ammo.
Even despite those drawbacks, this game is a great buy. The next version of the game will be out in 2004. In order to understand the premise of that game and your character Sam Fisher, you really should pick this one up.

Splinter Cell is one of the greatest PS2 games out on the market.

Why you ask?

Splinter Cell is unique in the game market since instead of using brute force i.e.; gunning everything in sight, the player has to use stealth and evasive techniques to avoid the baddies when trying to complete missions.
The player controls Sam Fisher, an agent for the NSA. Armed with a varying array of weapons, lock picks, fiber optic spy cams...etc, Sam is sent on a number of missions which require you to navigate Sam into the shadows and avoid detection while trying to attain objectives.

Players will have a good list of actions available to get Sam to his destination undetected. The game controller is setup with the left analog joystick used to move Same while the right allows the user to pan the camera. I found this to be very useful in allowing me to look around corners without putting Sam into view.
Left and right d-pad buttons allow for Sam to use the night vision /thermal goggles he carries. Very helpful to see in the dark, which you'll hopefully be most of the time. The lighting in this game is very life like, so I've found it helpful to use the night vision in rooms that are in full light to help flesh out objects I might have missed when searching a room.
O button allows for Sam to crouch down. Since the object of the game is to try to complete these missions undetected, crouching offers a number of different advantages. Aside from the obvious, hiding out of sight, crouching while jumping down from a high place, softens the impact, thus making less noise.
Triangle button is useful for jumping. In Splinter Cell you can have Sam jump to and from ledges, off of walls, or go down a zip line. If you're in a narrow corridor, you can even do a split jump and wedge yourself with your legs flayed out. Baddies can walk below you all while being undetected.
X button allow for numerous tasks such as repelling off of a building, opening doors, or grabbing a bad guy to interrogate. I found that when I hid in the shadows and waited for a guard to get close and turn around, I would crouch and sneak up behind him. Hitting the X button allowed me to put him in a head lock and hold a gun to his head. From there you can pump the guy for info, make them do something, like stand for a rental scan, or you can hit the R1 button to just knock them out.
R2 button allows the used of a varying array of weapons at your disposal. Sam has the standard 9mm with silencer, which is helpful in taking out opponents as well as knocking out light bulbs to insure your stealth. Each mission you'll be equipped with different weapons or tools, wether they be a 9mm, or assault rifle, or even a laser microphone. They're all pretty much accessible via R2 button.

The graphics in Splinter Cell are superb. Actually better than other games I've played like Vice City or even Ghost Recon. Shading and lighting as well as color are incredible and very life like in this game. I thought the night vision was easier on the eyes instead of the greenish tinge night vision that Ghost Recon uses, Splinter Cell uses a black and white tinge to the night vision, which I feel allows you to see more clearly into darken area and make out objects better.

Splinter Cell, however, is much more than just a "shoot'em up" game. As I stated above, the game is more stealth and evade. With that in mind solutions to reaching these goals are not apparent. I spent a good deal of time examining the environment that Sam found himself in before acting. Instead of barging through doors, I found it better to use the fiber optic camera that Sam carried to look under doors to see what/ who was here. From there you can develop strategy in how you're going to enter the room undetected, or if your cover is blown how to incapacitate your opponent. You'll definitely find that there is more than one way to tackle a problem in Splinter Cell. The missions may be linear, but the solutions to problem within each mission are not.

Figuring out how to get Sam to act in a stealth manner isn't self evident.
The training mission in the beginning of the game acts as a tutorial to practice your moves before going out into the real world. Here you'll practice all the running, jumping, climbing, hiding and evasion techniques you'll need to be the best covert ops agent there is.

Overall, I put Splinter Cell on my must buy list and must have for any hard core gamer.