Splinter Cell Review

I can't remember the last time I scored a game above 90. Over the years, I've become very particular about my games. It might be that I'm jaded, or that I know what I like and dislike - after about one million games I've played so far on several different platforms, but whatever the reasons, I can hardly stay immune to instant classics. And Splinter Cell is one such game.

In fact, it is most certainly the best game I've played this year, and probably one of the best games ever! I can try as hard as any reviewer not to get too hyped about the subject at hand, but I will most certainly (and have already) failed in this attempt. So yeah, you can basically stop reading this review now and rush to the store to buy Splinter Cell. I doubt you'll regret it. In fact, I'm certain you'll regret it if you don't.

Hey, nice wheels. You wouldn't mind if I took it for a spin, would you?

And the unsuspecting guard winds up with a bullet in his back...

The story in Splinter Cell takes place in the near future, a mere few years from today. The constant growth of Internet and its supporting infrastructure (optic cables and such) has led to a rapid development of former states of the Eastern Block. Countries like Georgia and Azerbaijan are showing tremendous growth ever since the introduction of broadband to their poor and underdeveloped countries. New leaders are beginning to emerge on the political scene. Still, these people though graced with all the advantages of modern-day technology are pretty much 'traditional' when it comes to their political agendas. In other words, the political map of the world has changed, and the security of the US is now threatened by tech-savvy cyber terrorists sponsored by the new leaders, who believe that the American presence in their region poses a threat to their authority as well as undermines their ability to deal away with their political opponents the best way they know how - by force, murder and sabotage. The players are cast in the role of Sam Fisher, an NSA (National Security Agency) agent, and a member of their Splinter Cell special task force, created for the sole purpose of undertaking covert-ops in the regions where the security of the US is threatened. Naturally, with people like the Georgian President Nikoladze playing a dangerous game of double-faced politics there will be plenty of interests to secure in that particular region. After finishing his basic training (he's not a rookie, he's just a little rusty), Sam Fisher is sent to Georgia to investigate the disappearance of a US maul, and a CIA agent sent in to investigate its disappearance...

Surprisingly enough, even though it may seem a bit tacky on the surface, the story is very well told and consistent. And almost believable! I'm not sure if the Tom Clancy license was used for mere marketing purposes, while the story was written in-house, or if it was actually written by the famous author himself. But whatever the case may be, the game world is highly consistent, gritty and mature. This makes the Splinter Cell narrative on a par with those in high production Hollywood action movies, and that is a commendable achievement for a video game.

Besides being very immersive and plausible, the script includes a few moments of genuine humor which is edgy and mature, and it adds a special sparkle to the game. Sam is a character. He's a grizzled veteran with a decent sense of humor, and that will help tremendously in terms of players absorbing themselves in the role.

Still, a great story wouldn't mean much without some top-of-the-line gameplay mechanics. Thankfully, Splinter Cell is one of the very few games that manage to combine the two. The engrossing story blends perfectly with Splinter Cell's gameplay style, which can be best described as genre-redefining. And to top it all off, the visuals are gorgeous and completely intrinsic to the game's genre! All of the essential elements of game design have been amalgamated almost to perfection in Splinter Cell. This achievement will most likely serve as a model of intelligent game design for years to come.

Splinter Cell is played from a third-person perspective with an option to switch to pseudo first-person when using a weapon. I already mentioned that the game redefines the sneaker-shooter genre and there are several reasons why this is so. The simply exquisite use of lighting and shadows, as well as some other advanced hardware features of the Xbox, raise the bar for commercial 3D graphics to an unprecedented level (at least until DOOM 3 arrives). The usage of the Unreal technology is pushed to its limits and the results are more than evident. But more importantly, every shadow, ray of light or smoke trail serve in the function of gameplay. Sneaking past guards unnoticed or fooling a security camera by going from shadow to shadow is sometimes crucial to mission success. The advanced rag-doll physics properties are also integral to the gameplay. Jumping, climbing, disposing of bodies are just some of the things you'll need to do in order to stay alive and undetected, and it helps to know that you can count on the laws of physics to apply properly to the in-game objects. The animation of the main character is simply brilliant. It is a joy to watch Sam swing, climb and crawl his way through the gloomy streets of Tbilisi, Georgia.

I see dead people... Or something like that.

Look, just give me a free copy of Splinter Cell, and I'll let him go.

Sound effects represent another crucial element of the game. These have all been done professionally, and again - surprisingly good; even the foreign accents sound believable. Moreover, every soft whisper and screech of boots over the wrong type of surface might give you away, so minding your step and listening very carefully to your surroundings is just one of the keys to success in Splinter Cell. Again, this is a fantastic example of the usage of sound in games (this goes for the musical soundtrack as well).

Lastly, the Xbox controls seem like a perfect fit for Splinter Cell and are also a vital gameplay element (I wonder how the designers will port these to the PC?). The analogous movement with the game pad thumbsticks is simply a brilliant idea (the amount of pressure you apply on the thumbstick determines how loud and fast Sam Fisher will move in the game), and the use of force feedback is superb. I swear, using lock picks in the game actually feels like the real thing (not that I know anything about it mind you). The controls are intuitive enough and easy to get into. Sam can perform a myriad of different moves which might save your neck on more than one occasion. So, learning all of them and becoming proficient at them is highly commendable.

Finally, I should add that the AI routines work amazingly well. The guards' behavior seems highly realistic, which only goes to prove that the AI code has been immaculately designed. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the AI opponents in Splinter Cell are probably the most advanced virtual enemies I've ever had the pleasure of meeting in a game world. They are fully aware of their environments and will even react differently depending on a few subtle parameters in near identical situations (how's that for a life-like AI?). This feature, coupled with the fact that there are several ways you can go about solving problems in the game, makes Splinter Cell as non-linear as any game, and highly increases its replay value. There was only this one time in the entire game that the AI soldier didn't react in a believable fashion, obviously because of some code glitch. Just one soldier in one particular situation, which I couldn't reenact even if I wanted to. You can hardly call that a serious drawback.

Other than that, the only "problem" I had with Splinter Cell might have to do with the fact that some of the objects or locations on the map that represent important mission clues can sometimes blend with the environment. In other words, it's easy to overlook them if you're in a hurry, or if the area is crawling with guards. This however, doesn't' drastically influence the gameplay, as it doesn't happen often in the game.

To cut a long story short, Splinter Cell is one heck of a game. Possibly the best game of the year. No other title in 2002 can rival the technical excellence and the phenomenal game design I've witnessed in Splinter Cell. Immersing, gritty, intelligent and hella fun to play - that's Splinter Cell, people!