Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell®

Splinter Cell wasn't a game I grew up with so I can fully say that I don't have my nostalgia goggles on for this one. One important bit is that if you're buying this to relive that PS2 or GameCube game you only played when your brother wasn't home, this will be different. The Xbox and PC versions came first and are missing changes from the PS2/GC versions. Some say for the better, others disagree. There are plenty of comparisons online you may want to peruse before buying. + Solid story, classic Clancy + Enemy AI surprisingly good for it's time. Better than some later gen games I've played. + Like many old games, it tries a non-standard control layout but you get used to it really quickly. All actions are with the left hand on the left side of the keyboard, plus your mouse. - Noticeably linear level design with little option for how to tackle a problem. This is likely to prevent players from getting lost and confused and to keep the level going as they can be quite long. For example, there's one way to enter a room or building or window. If there is a rappelling point or zip line, you will need to use it. At no point will you need to weigh the options of interrogating someone for a code or using some cool gadget or Ramboing the front door. There is one solution to every hurdle, and I feel that this was the beginning of a trend for Clancy games going from tactical shooters to just following the level in a straight line, ticking objectives off as you go. The few times you can go off the beaten path, it's a very short hall to an extra medkit or lockpick and that's it. - Oil rig level has game breaking bug as soon as you climb the first ladder and step on to the green pipes. I got past it by running over the pipes onto the boards, then proceeding without stepping on the pipes at all. - Like Clancy's novels, anyone who isn't American is a bad caricature of how Americans think that demographic speaks.

Really good stealth game my only issue is the forced fight sequences that occur very rarely apart from that a wonderful game that I would reccomend for any person that loves the stealth genre.

The golden age of stealth games back in the late 90's & early oughts. Splinter Cell is a slow paced methodical game where hiding in the shadows is encouraged. Unfortunately the game does throw some scripted action scenes at you but for the most part you can ghost many parts of the levels. Works great with modern hardware & on widescreen. The visuals look great if dated but you can appreciate the lighting & ambience that went into the level design. Very scripted linear level design but it is so well done. The overarching story is classic Tom Clancy inspired. Some great ambient music as well. If you are on a budget or nostalgic or just want to experience peak stealth gaming from the early 2000's then get this game. No Ubisoft nonsense just DRM free goodness from GOG.

I love stealth games, though I admit - I am really poor stealth player. My favorite titles are usually Deus Ex, Thief and a few others. I had my luck to play few of Splinter Cell games before, and recently I've bought this gem. Long story short: Good graphics (aged nicely); Interesting to play and learn; Fun story; Fairly challenging. I'd recommend this game to both seasoned stealth-players and to newbies to this. You gonna have fun. This game is neatly balanced, has a fun story and not-so-easy situations to solve. Definitely give it a try!

Those who have played and loved this game in their childhood (when it originally came out in the early 2000's) may probably more indulgent with it, but without the nostalgia glasses Splinter Cell clearly shows its age and lots of design issues that mostly comes from the fact the third person stealth genre (and the Splinter Cell formula) was quite young around that time. Pros: -great voice acting (mainly from Michael Ironside) -considering its age, the graphics often look pretty cool -funny NPCs encounters -occasional cinematic moments -the overall writing is decent Cons: -frustratingly inconsistent AI which sometimes follows annoying, scripted events, sometimes it just goes into the odd territory (like a guard noticing a turned off lamp even though he's looking into another direction and the door is closed) -unreasonable design decisions like the doors players cannot close (but the doors themselves keep closing, which can be often annoying), or the artificial shooting inaccuracy -boring, linear level design -gameplay heavily relying on trial and error -awkward controls/platforming