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Old 04-17-2010, 11:39 AM   #1276
DustyShinigami
The Quiet One
 
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Staffordshire, UK
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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Positives:

+ The graphics are still pretty good considering it was done back in 2004. Environments are detailed, character models are good, levels and designs are good, and lighting and shadow effects are nicely done.
+ Solid voice acting from the main cast - Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher being the main standout - and even the NPCs with their comments.
+ Good use of 'stealthy' ambient music and sound effects.
+ Action/stealth gameplay is the most strongest, entertaining and fun component of the game (along with the whole Splinter Cell series, of course). It's also great that you have some sense of freedom to tackle your targets/opponents/objectives. Of course, it does depend on what Sam's superior, Lambert, allows you to do - exercising Fifth Freedom or not - but you can use Sam's weapons and gadgets, along with the environment, to help out. It's fun to sneak up on unsuspecting guards in the dark, grab them from behind, and either interrogate them or drag them away to knock them out. Toying with your opponents and playing cat and mouse with them is sweet. It's also good fun playing as a secret agent/spy as you infiltrate secret facilities, hack turrets, security cameras and computers etc.
+ Each level unlocks as you progress through the game enabling you to tackle them again.

Negatives:

- Quality of PC cutscenes aren't up to the same standards as the in-game graphics. The news report scenes are perfectly fine, but the rest seem to look quite blurry in comparison. Also, I find the cutscenes for the PS2 version to be much more superior compared to PC and XBOX versions. This also applies to the credits at the start and end of the game.
- The story does appsolutely nothing for me. When the likes of politics, governments, war and terrorists (the latter not so much) come up, my mind just switches off. It's the same with maths. There's not really that much in the way of a 'story' anyway, as far as I'm concerned.
- A lot of trial-and-error is involved.

The first Splinter Cell/stealth game I ever played. I got this game for free with the very first graphics card I bought - a shitty GeForce 5200 FX. Thinking back now, I'm quite surprised it let me play the game to be honest. I was a bit skeptical about the game at first as I didn't think it'd be my kind of game. But, I ended up really enjoying it.

Overall:

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Last edited by DustyShinigami; 04-17-2010 at 11:51 AM.
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