Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (video game)
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| Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell | |
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| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Montreal (Win, Xbox, Mac & GBA versions) Ubisoft Shanghai (PS2 & GCN versions) |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Designer(s) | Nathan Wolff (lead) |
| Series | Splinter Cell |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 2.0 |
| Version | 1.3 |
| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, N-Gage, Mobile |
| Release date | Xbox November 18, 2002 November 27, 2002 November 29, 2002INT April 1, 2008 Windows |
| Genre(s) | Stealth-based |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) ELSPA: 11+ PEGI: 12+ OFLC: M |
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a critically-acclaimed 3D action-adventure stealth-based video game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal and built on the Unreal Engine 2. It is the first Splinter Cell game in the series endorsed (but not created) by author Tom Clancy, and follows the activities of American NSA Black Ops agent Sam Fisher. The character of Sam Fisher is voiced by actor Michael Ironside. His boss, Irving Lambert, is voiced by actor Don Jordan.
The game is available for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, PC, Mac and Game Boy Advance. In December 2003 a version of the game for the N-Gage handheld game console was released, retitled Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Team Action Stealth. The N-Gage game is in 2D instead of 3D. The success of the game series spawned a series of novels written under the pseudonym David Michaels.
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[edit] Gameplay
Splinter Cell's stealth-based gameplay, although frequently compared to the Metal Gear series, has more in common with that of the cult PC series Thief which pre-dates it by several years. Most of the game is spent sneaking around, using darkness and shadows to hide from patrolling guards. The player is equipped with a "light meter" that indicates how visible they are to enemies, as well as night vision and thermal vision goggles to help the player navigate in darkness and spot enemies. For combat, Fisher is equipped with a suppressed pistol as well as a suppressed assault rifle that can be used for combat, sniping, and even for launching various non-lethal devices such as "sticky shockers" and "gas grenades". Fisher can also sneak up on enemies from behind to knock them unconscious or grab and interrogate them. Fisher is also extremely acrobatic, and has a variety of maneuvers including the ability to mantle onto and climb along ledges, hang from pipes, and perform a "split jump" in narrow spaces to mantle up a steep wall.
The game heavily encourages stealth over brute force. Although Fisher is equipped with a firearm, he only carries at most 60 rounds of ammunition and rarely is able to obtain more during a mission. He also can only survive about 6 bullet hits before dying, and since most enemies are equipped with fast-firing automatic weapons they have the ability to cut Fisher down in a second or two. Additionally, Fisher must go in "aim mode" before firing his weapon, during which his movement speed is significantly slowed down. Moving while firing also makes Fisher's weapon highly inaccurate, as does firing more than one bullet at a time. It is also critical to hide bodies after killing or knocking them out. If another patrolling guard finds the body, he can alert other enemies and an alarm is heard. If the body is unconscious, the guards can revive him. Sometimes the only option is knock them unconscious, as lethal force is not permitted.
The game is quite linear, instead of exploring an open area, the player frequently goes on a straight route from one point to another throughout an entire level.
[edit] Plot
Set in 2004, the player takes the role of Sam Fisher, a long-dormant secret agent reactivated by the NSA as part of a secret division dubbed "Third Echelon". The Third Echelon uses "Splinter Cells", single operatives supported by a small team, to conduct covert intelligence missions in hostile territory.
[edit] Characters
- Sam Fisher—The player character. He is a seasoned veteran of Black Ops, working for the NSA.
- Irving Lambert—The link between agents, like Fisher, and the commanders of Third Echelon. He contacts the player with new information, objectives, and instructions periodically throughout a mission.
- Vernon Wilkes, Jr.—Coordinates the transportation and equipment for field agents. He drops the player off at the start of a mission and picks him up at the end. He is killed by a Russian mercenary in the "Kalinatek" level.
- Anna Grimsdóttír—The computer and security expert at Third Echelon. She, like Lambert, will contact the player throughout a mission—usually in accordance with Lambert.
- Kombayn Nikoladze—The main villain of the story. He is the President of Georgia who wants to bring down America with his power and resources. He launches a technological war on the U.S. before going underground for fear of capture. A terrorist leader. He is killed by Fisher in the "Presidential Palace" level.
- Vyacheslav Grinko—A former Russian Special Forces operative, he is Nikoladze's terrorist military commander–usually working with mercenaries. He is killed by Fisher in the "Abattoir" level.
- Phillip Masse—A Canadian hacker, he is the technology behind Nikoladze's terrorism. He is killed by Fisher in the "Kola Peninsula" level.
[edit] Story
For his first assignment as a Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher is dispatched to T'bilisi, Georgia to investigate the disappearance of two CIA agents (Blaustein and Madison). During his investigation Fisher uncovers a campaign of systematic ethnic cleansing and mass murder being waged by Georgian President Kombayn Nikoladze against the neighboring Muslim population of Azerbaijan in an attempt to seize that country's vast oil resources. When NATO intervenes in the situation against Georgia and Nikoladze, Nikoladze goes underground and retaliates against the U.S. by initiating an information crisis in America, using advanced computer algorithms developed by Canadian hacker Phillip Masse to wreak havoc upon America's electronic infrastructure. Fisher is dispatched to hunt down Nikoladze and stop the crisis. Fisher eventually discovers that Nikoladze is working with rogue Chinese general Kong Feirong to develop nuclear weapons, and has even gone so far as to place a nuclear suitcase bomb codenamed the ARK on American soil. Infiltrating the Georgian Presidential Palace, Fisher assassinates Nikoladze, ending the information crisis and stopping Georgia from detonating the ARK.
The Xbox and PC versions of the game feature 3 additional levels, available over Xbox Live or a special patch from the Chaos Theory collector's edition, that continue the storyline. Since Sam killed Nikoladze, Phillip Masse is still loose, and Fisher travels to the Kola Peninsula in Russia to neutralize him. The second mission has him trying to prevent the 'Vselka', a nuclear submarine, from being taken over by Alekseevich's remaining troops. In the third mission, Alekseevich's remaining troops have taken over 'Vselka', and Fisher must determine if they have removed its nuclear warheads. The warheads in question belonged to R-39 SLBMs (mentioned by the NATO reporting name SS-N-20 Sturgeon in the game), which would make the Vselka a Typhoon class submarine.
[edit] Development
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Because the development team was aiming for a Teen ESRB rating, they tried to minimize the level of violence.[1]
[edit] Reception
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
- E3 2002 Game Critics Awards: Best Action/Adventure Game[2]
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell received positive reviews upon release. Gamespot's Greg Kasavin said that Splinter Cell has, "hands down the best lighting effects seen in any game to date." IGN likewise praised the game for its graphics and lighting. Both praised the game's audio, noting that Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher's voice suited the role perfectly.
Criticism of the game was also present. Greg Kasavin said that Splinter Cell is "sometimes reduced to frustrating bouts of trial and error." In addition, Kasavin criticized the game's cutscenes, saying that they are not up to par with the rest of the game's graphics.
[edit] Versions
For the most part, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was kept the same on all three consoles. But like most ports, there are always a few differences. The game was developed with the Xbox in mind, with the visuals utilizing almost the full power of the Xbox. The PS2 and GameCube both being weaker hardware meant a few sacrifices had to be made, mainly in the graphics department. But content was actually added to these versions for being released after the Xbox version. The differences are as follows:
Xbox: the Xbox versions' visuals include better lighting and less jagged polygon models, and utilize its graphical capabilies almost to the fullest. This version includes real-time cutscenes, rather than the full-motion videos from the other two versions. The game runs at a higher resolution than the PS2 version, and has a slightly more consistent framerate than both the PS2 and GCN versions. None of the extras from the PS2 and GCN versions are present, though shortly after the other versions were released three exclusive levels were downloadable via Xbox Live.
PC: the PC version was a port of the Xbox version, and duplicated that version's user interface and gameplay. However, the PC version can be run at higher graphic resolutions than the console versions, and some of the real-time cutscenes have been replaced with full-motion videos. The "checkpoint" save system from the Xbox version was replaced with the ability to save a game at any time, and the controls were reworked to allow simultaneous use of a keyboard and mouse, with movement speed being controlled by the mouse wheel, a feature that received praise from several reviewers. None of the bonus content from the other versions are present on this version. To get the Xbox Live bonus levels (Kola Cell, Vselka Infiltration, Vselka Submarine) for the PC version, you have to buy the limited collector's edition of Chaos Theory or Splinter Cell: Mission Pack, which is sold only in Europe.
Mac: the Mac version was a port of the PC version and runs mostly at a 800x600 graphic resolution, real-time cutscenes have been replaced with full-motion videos. The save system has the ability to save a game at any time, controls were reworked to allow simultaneous use of a keyboard and mouse, with movement speed being controlled by the mouse wheel. No bonus contents are present on this version.
PlayStation 2: the PS2 and GameCube versions were developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, and feature a redesigned HUD. The PS2 version runs at a lower resolution than the Xbox and GCN versions, and sacrifices had to be made to the graphics including more jagged edges, duller colors and less lighting effects, due to the more limited hardware. Also, despite these sacrifices, the framerate tends to stutter slightly more than the Xbox version. Loading times, as with most PS2 versions of games, are also longer.
The PS2 version boasts extra content, however, including a new Power Plant level and a new mission, which appear exclusively in the PlayStation 2 version. The real-time cutscenes from the Xbox version were replaced with full-motion videos.
Nintendo GameCube: the GameCube version didn't receive quite as many graphical sacrifices as the PS2 version, as it is running on more powerful hardware. This version runs at the same resolution as the Xbox version, is less jagged than the PS2 version, and the colors appear to be more natural than the PS2 version as well. However, the GCN version doesn't quite look as realistic as the Xbox version and, like the PS2 version, had to make sacrifices here and there with the lighting effects. This version includes the full-motion video cinamatics that appear in the PS2 version, replacing the Xbox versions' real-time cutscenes.
The Power Plant level and the mission contained in the PS2 version are not included, though Game Boy Advance Connectivity is supported. Using the GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable to connect the GBA to the GCN, a map of the level the player is currently in is displayed on the GBA, and includes locations of enemies and items. The GCN version also includes a new Sticky Bomb weapon, which doesn't appear in any other version. In addition to those, the GCN version also has Progressive Scan support which is also exclusive to this version of the game.
[edit] Easter eggs
- In the first Chinese Embassy level, when Sam is meeting a contact, his code phrase is, "A bright cold day in April", the first line of George Orwell's novel 1984.
- In the CIA building it is possible to enter an out-of-the-way room containing UFO-themed items and a computer with a jumbled email from 'F.M. FBI,' a reference to Special Agent Fox Mulder from The X-Files. Further exploration lets the player view a huge, unreachable records room as seen in that show.
- On the CIA mission, Sam is told to go to "Information retrieval" department, another fictional department from the movie Brazil by Terry Gilliam.
[edit] References
- ^ Game Informer Staff (June 2007), “Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction - Reborn Identity”, Game Informer: pp. 72 - 77
- ^ 2002 Winners. Game Critics Awards. Retrieved on 2007-08-24.
[edit] External links
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