Splinter Cell Preview

When you see that notorious Tom Clancy brand, it usually signifies the making of a decent third-person shooter, enriched with team-oriented gameplay (Rainbow Six, Rogue Spear, etc.). This time however, you’re on your own. No teammates, no backup. You’re off to "no man’s land" to complete perilous mission assignments single-handedly. Splinter Cell, Ubi Soft’s latest 3^rd person sneaker, is already developing into a reputable Clancy-trademark and from what we’ve seen thus far, it promises to deliver just the right stuff.

As part of the NSA’s (National Security Agency’s) new division, the Third Echleon, you’ll be following the dicey career of one Sam Fisher. NSA is also America’s vital center that possesses the technology and intelligence for using and breaking complex and highly-sophisticated security encryption systems. The game is set in the year 2004 and you’ll be deployed to Tbilisi (the capital of the ex-Soviet state, Georgia). Besides Georgia, players will get to try out missions in Russia, the U.S, and Myanmar. At the outset, your primary task is to infiltrate enemy territory and unravel the mysterious disappearance of two CIA agents. Soon after the first mission, Sam is going to unknot a giant conspiracy at work, which unless kept hidden, could jeopardize the safety of the entire world. Thus, you’re required to use utmost scrutiny and discretion while carrying out your duties. Accordingly, our hero often gets to go on mission assignments on his own. If he should fail (die or get caught), then he’s considered to be an outlaw, a rouge - a "splinter cell." This means you are faced with one goal; to achieve your appointed task, while causing as little causalities as possible.

Adaptable to almost any situation, Sam has the obligation to go through top-secret areas without so much as a whisper. The basic training of every Splinter Cell agent denotes several basic moves and abilities, such as shimmying, hand-over-hand movement, zip lining, close attack, back-to-wall routine, climbing, mantling, and crouching. Apart from his basic moves, our hero is exceptionally talented in all sorts of maneuvers. Enhancing his stealthiness even further, the developers gave Sam the skills to take out enemies in very tricky situations. For instance, he can use his expanded jumping abilities to quietly drop behind unsuspecting enemy sentries. This is called the Quiet Landing - nasty and particularly lethal; the character climbs the wall and then stealthily jumps down to take care of the job. His additional skills include rolling, wall jumping, rappelling, the split jump, the drop attack, and the door peek. He can also shoot while engaged in some of these positions (rolling, wall jumping, rappelling, the split jump). While our character may not be too articulate, he can certainly take the time to converse with some of the NPC’s during his missions. On top of that, he can interrogate enemy personnel to learn details about his mission or to find a safer route perhaps... And if that’s not enough for ya, enemy soldiers can also be forced to cooperate at gun-point. If the manner of interrogation should fail, there are other arguments available. Kind of like "Hitman," he has the ability to hide bodies in order to conceal his tracks. In more tense situations, Sam will be able to grab enemy guards and even use them as a human shield.

With all of those impressive capabilities, Sam will have a tough time standing up to the advanced AI. All baddies aim really well and are going to use flanking and other group-tactics to encircle Sam and eliminate him. So, you’re really gonna have to make an effort to use Sam’s skills effectively. Also, enemies can react to light changes and to any sudden noises you produce. So for heaven’s sake, shhhhhhhh...

A well-trained Splinter Cell shouldn’t go anywhere without his trusty equipment - weapons, various gadgets, and so on. One of the most interesting thingies you’ll be using is the special "sticky cam." The miniature high-tech cams can provide you with a perfect survey of the nearby area (depending on how well you place them on walls and ceilings). The "sticky cam" is supplied with full pan and zoom capabilities as well as night and thermal vision modes. Another useful "sticky" object is the special shocker that can be fired at enemies rendering them completely helpless. Whatever the case, most of Sam’s equipment was designed to incapacitate people, rather then icing them right on the spot. Anyway, there’s no tellin’ what Sam might run into along the way, so as backup, sometimes he’ll get to use heavier artillery like the SC-20K Assault Rifle. This rifle is light, yet very powerful. Thanks to its special design it can be modified according to the nature of Sam’s missions. It can project stun darts or even fire smoke grenades - ideal for confusing enemy ranks.

Speaking about the graphics, I’m afraid there are a couple of issues that won’t sound too good to PC users. UbiSoft will be thinning some of the visual effects that were specifically designed for Xbox capabilities and its GeForce 3-spiced core. Although, that still shouldn’t omit the fabulous-looking lights effects. As we’ve mentioned before, you can use indoor lights to confuse the enemy. But, unless the player does this adequately the guards can easily be prompted if they see any suspicious movement. In addition, the environment’s almost completely interactive, allowing players to pick up almost any object and use it to distract sentinels. Or, some larger objects can be utilized to conceal Sam’s whereabouts. The game’s special effects are most often caused by some of the weapons and equipment. Plus, explosive barrels can be detonated with a few simple shots from a distance, which comes in very handy when you’re facing multiple enemies. Also, the nifty "sticky cam" displays a number of alluring effects when the player switches from thermal to night vision. This is topped with dynamic lighting and shadowing and tasty particle effects. For all of that, let’s have a big hand for the renowned Unreal engine...

With captivating graphics and advanced character movement, UbiSoft might be shifting the barrier of 3^rd person shooters as we know it. In short, you’re probably looking at the ultimate single-player experience: intense action, a well-structured plot, and advanced stealthy gameplay. We’ve prepared some juicy media to go along with this feature, and something extra if you happen to be subscribed to AT Plus.

BTW, as for the release date, PC users can look forward to playing Splinter Cell this X-mas, while Xbox gamers will have the privilege of testing the game mid-November.