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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for Xbox Videos >>
Rating Reviewed By thug(25) Review Date 02/16/2004 Overall Rating  5 of 5 Value Rating  0 of 5 Visitors rate this review 3.67 of 5, 3 votes Rate this review? Summary Why am I reviewing a game that is 1.5 years old? Because I'm way behind on the level of gaming that I used to do (darn you career and marriage) and also Splinter Cell sat on my shelf for months and months while I played Star Wars: KOTOR. I'm just happy I went back to it instead of buying a new game. This review is for any Xbox owners who haven't played Splinter Cell yet or gamers interested in Splinter Cell who are thinking about buying an Xbox. Splinter Cell is a game that you need to stick with for a little while longer than you want to...then you really start to fun with the game. The levels range from moderately challenging to pull out my hair/don't know what to do/this level is going to take me all week to get through difficult. Even with the challenge that some of the levels present, the feeling of achievement is great after finishing the level. And then going back and acing that level again is an even better feeling and is fun as heck. The graphics and sound are excellent, best I've seen so far on the Xbox and this game is 1.5 years old. The level of detail that went into the enemy AI and the environments will also impress you. There are a few things about the AI that I don't like and will cover later, but for the most part the developers did an awesome job. Controls have a little learning curve to them but it's not that bad and somewhere in the second or third mission you should have a good grasp and feel comfortable with them. All in all one of the best games on the system...still.Sound Pretty good. Good voice acting and sound effects.Gameplay Like I stated above the controls take a little getting used to but at the point that I'm at now in the game, it's like a second language and the layout of the controls is actually very good. Where some may have trouble is just in the number of things that Sam Fisher can do and when in the levels is a good time to use the moves. All the levels that I've played so far have been large and fairly well layed-out. Levels are broken up into checkpoints which are well placed. Very seldom is there a checkpoint followed by three or more difficult sections and then a checkpoint. A lot of the sections of the levels will need to be tried and tried again until figuring out a good way of passing through unnoticed or how to KO a well placed guard. You find out fairly quickly that there is a time and place for sneak and KO, or distract and sneak by, or the shoot out the lights and KO or sneak by. The game does keep you on your toes though and doesn't feel repetitive with the situations that it offers later in the game, which is good. The enemy AI is pretty good. There are times when you are surprised the little noise you made was noticed and other times will wonder why the guard walked within one foot from you and didn't notice you. Which is one of my complaints with the AI, if you're not in the path of the enemy character and in the dark they won't notice you even if they walk by pretty closely, but if you're in the path of the enemy they'll notice you when they get three or four feet away from you even if you're in the dark. Small annoyance but it would be nice to be able to just grab them and pull them into the darkness instead of having to get out of their way or find a spot to where they will have their back turned so you can grab them. Which is one other complaint, you have to be directly behind a character to grab them. Kind of annoying especially if you run into them. But this is all part of the challenge of the game and doesn't take away from any of the fun. One last annoyance with the AI is with the guards that come running after you've been spotted. You could get spotted by a guard, run into a dark alley and kill him when he follows and then hide and if a guard came running into that alley even though you were hidden they'd know where you are and shoot directly at you. Encountered this a couple of times, again not a big deal but a little annoying. Enough on this though. In summary the AI is challenging and fun when you beat it. Not sure what else to add. The Palm PDA screen that pops up when you hit start is very helpful. It collects important information like door codes or other pieces of info that can help you pass the next section of the level. My only gripe is that there isn't really a map showing you where you need to go...but I suppose that could of taken away from some of the reality of the game. But it sure would have helped on several occasions where I didn't know what I was suppose to do. The story of Splinter Cell gets ripped on a lot and I don't know the whole story yet but if there is one thing that I've learned from reading reviews or forum posts from avid gamers is that they tend to exaggerate smaller things on very good games (ie the graphics on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the buggy gameplay of GTA3 and Vice City). That's my conclusion with the story complaints. It's really not that bad, but kind of gets lost as you struggle through missions.Would you like to Comment? Join VideoGameReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Rating Reviewed By GrandeloquenceReview Date 08/25/2003 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Visitors rate this review 1.00 of 5, 1 votes Rate this review? Summary A new pillar in the genre. It rounds out the top 5 by all appearances.Sound The gameplay is too dependent on narrative as the overall thread becomes less than engrossing. Too much of a holding your hand walkthrough. More accomplishment based campaigns would of likely lent itself to freer reign. But the game has no shortcomings with its array of gameplay mechanics. Less narrative and more compositions would of been preferable.Gameplay To derive the highest enjoyment factor, give yourself reasonably fast mobility a good chunk of the time and choose the opportune times for defensive approaching. A good strategem is to be somewhat more aggressive during a first run-through and then after this acclimatization time your transitions progressively better. That's the main gist of it.Would you like to Comment? Join VideoGameReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Rating Reviewed By MarkFrom Michigan Review Date 08/24/2003 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5, 1 votes Rate this review? Summary If you're looking for a game unlike anyother game in the way that you use light, sound, and stealth in no way ever used in a video game before this is the game for you. The game has such flawless game-play it is as though you are actually there following him around and seeing exactly what he is seeing and hearing.Sound The sounds is great, when in different levels you can hear things like guards talking, your own heart beat when looking through the scope. it's great I cant explain it is so great. You need to go out and at least rent this game and try it. I did it was awesome, it can get tough at times but it just makes you think that much more.Gameplay The game play is great the controls are extremely easy to understand and learn quickly. They put a training level in the game that teaches you how to do everything from picking locks to using stealth in a way never used in a video game. When you start the first mission and you make your first kill whether it is by stealth or by a weapon you are hooked and the story line in great. It takes place in a believable near future in the weapons that they give and the kinda of terrorism that is happening in the game. Once you get the rifle, sticky shockers and the diversion camar you are hookedWould you like to Comment? Join VideoGameReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Rating Reviewed By Nathan SeldomridgeFrom US Review Date 07/31/2003 Overall Rating 5 of 5 Visitors rate this review 4.50 of 5, 2 votes Rate this review? Summary Overall I would have to say this game has everything a stealth player needs or wants. My friend told me about this game and since he usually talks about consistint violant games I thought that this game would be trash. One I reanted it it was amazing. I felt that one of these days they were going to hit it big time well this is it, why else would it have a 9.6 for ratings?Sound Please the people have differnt accents when they talk in differnt places and even the background sound is the type of music from the region.Gameplay It is amazing the way that the levels are built. In this game it seams that every button has its own unique abillity. You can even Interagate the people and after you kill them you have to hide them from the enemy or if they find the corpse thell be on to you.Would you like to Comment? Join VideoGameReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member. Summary Splinter cell is one of the most enticing games ive played. it makes you want to play it over and over again just to see how many ways you could pass the level. It has a decently deep story, about a fictitious country that may be up to something not so good. You are sam fisher...aka the "splinter cell". This game is tight, and no matter how many people say "its on all platforms", its not the same. Its toned down graphically, gameplay wise, and of course no other system offers in game dolby digital sound.Sound The sound is groundbreakin, it is part of the gameplay. You cant play this game of mute, you must turn up da VOLUME!!!Gameplay The game play is quite complex but with the training they give you at the training level it is understandable and very managable. it is a good feeliing to have so many gadgets at your hands. you have lock picks, a thingy to let you look under doors before you open them and a whole list of other things. The game revolves around stealth, it isnt a run and gun game. The others who have dogged this game cuz its not a "max payne", basically max payne is checkers...splinter cell is chess (add a couple of guns, explosives and the like). Althogether it has superb gameplayWould you like to Comment? 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4.54 of 5
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