Splinter Cell remains a quality game on the Gamecube and PS2, but its overall luster has faded dramatically since it first appeared on the PC and Xbox. Make no mistake about it – these are the watered down, abridged tales of Sam Fisher.
Among the first things you will notice upon starting Splinter Cell are the downgraded graphics. While it may not stand out too much to those who have never played the Xbox original or the PC port, anyone who is a veteran of Fisher's cyber-ninja exploits will notice that he has not adapted as gracefully to his new surroundings as one might have hoped. It is now more important than ever to use the stealth bar to gauge your visibility, since judging it based on the onscreen lighting effects alone is tantamount to suicide. Those who own a PS2 or Gamecube exclusively aren't going to like hearing this, but the game in its original state was simply not made to work with their system of choice.
In order to work around hardware limitations, this ported version of Splinter Cell – Splinter Cell Lite, you could call it – has made changes to the core game that almost turn it into something other than the Splinter Cell you may or may not be familiar with. This is not necessarily a good thing, however. These changes come in the form of significantly less detailed environments, fewer light sources to shoot out, and even large chunks of levels being shortened or outright removed. As a result, the game as a whole feels a bit incomplete, though some may appreciate the decreased difficulty that comes as a direct consequence of these changes – you are even told outright how many alarms you can set off before your mission is failed.
Since so much of the original game had to cut, these new versions of Splinter Cell attempt to make up for their deficiencies with new, never before seen content. The PS2 and Gamecube version both give you a brand new, much-improved intro, filling you in on the events leading up to Sam's first mission. The PS2 version also outright gives you several new missions, as well as some nifty special features. Nintendo's port, predictably, continues the company's grand tradition of bleeding the GBA linkup gimmick dry. Though it makes lots of sense from a business standpoint, the fact that I have to own a GBA, a link cable, and a copy of Splinter Cell for the GBA to truly see everything makes paying a few dollars per level through Xbox Live look relatively painless by comparison.
The game controls amazingly well on both systems, and each actually makes a marked improvement over the somewhat clumsy Xbox original, where you would sometimes shoot a light ten times before it went out. The PC version of Splinter Cell remains the best controlling, however, and even though the game has now been released for every console currently on the market, it also remains the only version to address the horrid save system, where checkpoints are few and far between.
Splinter Cell received high praise for a reason, and it is in your best interest to experience it, no matter what system you own. However, if you do happen to have an Xbox - or preferably, a high-end PC - I'd advise you to pick up the game for one of those two platforms. That way, you can experience Splinter Cell the way it was meant to be experienced – uncut and unabridged.
-George
Company Line
Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace! You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon. The world balance is in your hands, as cyber terrorism and international tensions are about to explode into WWIII.
Features
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a unique experience that will have you thinly skating the fine line that separates fact from fiction. It is a third person stealth action game featuring cyber-terrorism, shadow agencies, and covert operations, and is set in the realistic, highly detailed geopolitical universe as portrayed by Tom Clancy. As Sam Fisher, a field operative of a secretive "black-ops" NSA sub-agency called Third Echelon, you have access to the highest levels of national security, where shadowy operatives have the freedom to do whatever it takes to safeguard America. Geared up to infiltrate high-security strongholds, you must seize critical intelligence, destroy threatening data and neutralise the enemy - all without leaving a trace.
Go Behind the Headlines into the Real World of Modern Espionage: Enter the realistic Tom Clancy universe. Suit up with the latest classified field operative gear and weapons.
A New Level of Stealth Action: All the best stealth action plus all new moves. Highly interactive environments giving players more gameplay options and the ability to strategize their actions.
Deep Environments. Unparalleled Immersion: Stunning environments driven by the next generation Unreal engine. Dynamic lighting and sound effects that match reality.
Pulse-Pounding Action on a Global Scale: Over 20 Hours of stealth action. Diverse mission objectives that can be achieved by different means for increased replay value.
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