Over the years, it's fair to say that Tom Clancy has progressed from being just a name to a veritable brand. As well as penning his own novels, he authorises several series (Op-Centre, Net-Force, Splinter Cell novels) to be written under his moniker, and has also lent his name to almost forty videogames dealing with traditional espionage and military themes. It's with the first of the Splinter Cell series we concern ourselves with today. First released in 2002, this game was credited with revolutionising the stealth genre. It's since spawned four sequels - but how did the first one turn out?
Players take on the role of Sam Fisher, a hardened NSA operative dedicated to the most crucial and deniable operations the NSA requires. He uncovers a diabolical scheme that threatens the security of the world, and it's up to this one-man army to put a stop to the Georgian Information crisis.
Thinking about it, though, that last statement isn't exactly true. While an imposing physical figure, Sam isn't exactly able to take much punishment. Only a few shots from enemy rifles will kill him, and when Fisher aims his own weapons, manouvres are slow and limited - a clear discouragement against going in guns-blazing. This can occasionally create problems, especially in the rare sequences in the game where all-out assault is the ordered way to proceed (Grinko's attack in the Abattoir level, for instance). But solely action-oriented moments are few and far between, so this isn't nearly so much of a problem as it might be. Splinter Cell is, after all, a game about exquisite stealth, and on this count is succeeds admirably.
Sam is always at his best when hidden in the shadows. A useful light meter on the screen will let the player know how well concealed they are, and how likely it is that they will be spotted by enemies. There is an additional level for sound and ambient noise. When concealed in darkness, Sam is able to snipe an enemy quietly, creep up behind them and knock them out, or grab them for interrogation. There will be times when one option is clearly better than the others, but on most occassions Fisher has freedom to approach the foes however he wishes, and this is appreciated. The ten levels (including a PS2 exclusive) are large, and while your path through them is more prescribed than in the Hitman series, for instance, the number of options you have to play with when progressing are more than enough to warrant a replay. Sam is also able to interact with his surroundings - picking up a can to throw and create a distraction, or shooting out a light to ease your path. While these are welcome features, the AI can be a little too forgiving at times - standing immobile in a darkened doorway and allowing you all the time in the world to sneak up behind them, or just breaking off their attack if you hide for long enough. It's slightly strange.
Part of the praise heaped upon this game on release was down to the lighting system. And it's very good - given that the shadows are the key to surviving in the Splinter Cell world. There is no way Sam would survive for long running through the area like James Bond! Players will learn to stick to the darkness at every opportunity, creating their own shadows where possible and dumping enemy bodies away from the light. Indeed, it's certainly possible to progress through severals sections with no collateral damage whatsover - just supreme skill at sneaking and staying hidden. Done properly, the alarm will never be raised and the guards will never know you're there - this is the true challenge of Splinter Cell.
Graphics and sound are solid. The textures of Sam's face look very blocky in close-up, but few people will care about a view you've no need to ever see. The environments themselves are pretty without being spectacular - most of them are by necessity mostly dark, and all tend to look the same when viewed through night-vision goggles! The plot is interesting, dealing with a war of information warfare launched by the President of Georgia with the intent of bringing America to its knees. It's a tale that's not as action-packed or 'loud' as those of Ghost Recon or Rainbow Six, but that doesn't matter - Sam's life is spent in the shadows, rather than in open war. I think the plot keeps the game's environment perfectly.
Besides the slightly forgiving AI, the only issue I have with the game is that they didn't include all of it in the box. While the Power Plant leve is unique to PS2, three further levels dealing with the hunt for Masse were only available to download on the PC or Xbox live. I find this slightly irritating... if content exists for a multi-platform game, it should all be on all platforms. But the lack of that content doesn't detract from what we do have - an excellent stealth game. Splinter Cell should be required gaming for those keen on their spying and their stealth - and if you can get the extral levels, so much the better. Just don't get into the habit of shooting every light you see next time you're out and about. The shadows hide plenty, and you never know who might be watching.
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