Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
- February 18, 2003 00:00 AM PST
The riveting stealth action of Splinter Cell gave the Xbox its biggest hit of the holiday season, and this fluid port gives PC gamers a chance to experience its gripping black-ops world for themselves.
For the uninitiated, Splinter Cell inserts you in the nightvision goggles of Sam Fisher, a solo operative of the NSA who must break the backbone of worldwide political crisis by infiltrating enemy outposts. The gameplay succeeds brilliantly, immersing you in the challenge of sneaking through hostile territory, deploying awesome gadgets like fiber-optic cameras, and getting the drop on unsuspecting enemies.The lone criticism is that completing your appointed tasks sometimes involves frustrating try-die-repeat cycles. But if you�re the sort who enjoys the almost puzzle-like challenge, you won�t even notice. Visually, the game is just beautiful�the eye-popping lighting in particular is remarkable. The audio also shines, especially Michael Ironside�s fine voice acting (he plays Sam).
As far as the levels and their layouts, the PC version of Splinter Cell is an exact copy of the Xbox original. Some differences in the controls are both necessary and obvious, and keyboard/mouse fans will enjoy that setup. The downside is that without an analog joystick to indicate whether Sam creeps, walks, or runs, players must use the mouse wheel. Granted, it�s the only logical solution, but it�s quite clumsy. Picking locks is also inelegant, requiring much stabbing at the keyboard�overall, the Xbox version controls better. A major plus on the PC side, though, is the ability to save anytime.
In the final analysis, Splinter Cell makes for a fine PC game. If you weren�t able to infiltrate Sam�s world on the Xbox, this excellent port provides a can�t-miss opportunity.
