druadan's Full Review: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for Xbox
Step aside Playstation 2, and take Metal Gear Solid with you! We've got a new game in town and its about to beat the poorly textured socks off your meager stealth 'em up.
Of course, I'm talking about Splinter Cell. Well, you know that already because you clicked on Splinter Cell. Either way, lend me your ears (well, your eyes) and I'll tell you a tale. A tale about a man names Sam Fisher, America's hidden-hero. Stalking from the shadows, you are invisible, deadly, and a man on a mission - to protect your country.
As a Tom Clancy game, this game shares the main theme that all Clancy books and games go by: Extremists being evil, America attacks them. Well, you can't beat the cold, hard truth for a storyline, right? Absolutely.
Upon starting up the game, you're treated to an excellently well-made FMV of Sam Fisher doing his stuff, with 'Name of the Game' by Crystal Method playing in the background. Rage Against the Machine fans will notice the distinct guitar style of Tom Morello there. But I'm not here to tell you about the music. You want the cold hard gameplay, right? Good.
The gameplay is nothing short of enthralling. Imagine being invisible, with state-of-the-art deadly technology. If you just shivered, then you pictured it exactly like I do. It's the sort of game that makes you want to buy a sneaking suit and go out at night, sneaking around in the shadows, just for the hell of it.
Let's give you an example from the first level, the Police Station. I won't detail the circumstances, because I don't want to give anything away. But you can put yourself really high up, between two close together walls, in a perfectly concealed position, ready to drop down onto the next unsuspecting Georgian policeman to cross under your path. And that's exactly what this game gives you... an impending feel that you are quite clearly the coolest guy in the game, and that everyone else is at the mercy of your actions. Egotists' heads might actually explode because of the sheer power you have over lives. You can't help thinking (I wonder if he had a family) before you hear "I found a corpse!" and you quickly have to delve into the shadows to prepare another ambush.
Unfortunately, there is the small problem of 'jaggies'. For those fairly new to examining games, 'jaggies' are clearly-defined sharpness in graphics. In Splinter Cell, this is seen in the shadows. For example, if a light source has a small amount of rendered-beams, then you get a pronounced serration to your shadow's edge.
Be aware... this is NOT an error. It is a side-effect of dynamic lighting. Because DL uses rays of light, and Splinter Cell has many things to render interactions for, light rays from sources are often limited, and so there are less light rays at your shadow's edge, so the shadow is technically given a lower definition. As a result, 'jaggies' form. This can be a disappointment for the graphics-obsessed gamer, but this is the only graphical fault. The lip-synching is great, the shadows are well-done through Dynamic Lighting, and the fire-effect is sublime.
Overall, this game is perfect to replace MGS in the Stealth 'em Up genre, and with the impending release of a sequel, and the availablity of downloadable content on XBOX Live!, Splinter Cell is the new complete stealth game.
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 a...More at Walmart
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