Splinter Cell

Chris gets cunning and decides how Tom Clancy's finest fairs on the PS2.

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It has finally happened. After all these months of anticipation Splinter Cell arrived on the PS2 last month. With its release being so hotly monitored it was going to up for a stiff grilling from the games press so I just hope it can live up to the dizzying heights of its sister version on the Xbox.

If you’ve not played this game before (where have you been) you might want to know a little more about the basic premise. Taking the role of special operations guy for the Nation Security Agency, Sam Fisher, you begin the story looking for two of your colleagues who have gone missing in Georgia. Armed with only a silenced pistol, a few snazzy gadgets and the shadows to protect you, you begin a journey, which involves you in an intriguing plot of cyber war. Living in a post Iraq War 2 world this has eerie connotations for the future of western civilisation with strangely familiar media manipulation, and pockets of resistance across the world.

To begin with you are taken through basic training and this sets you up well for the rest of the game. You are taught all the basic moves and weapons skills as well as a pivotal part of the game: how to use stealth to get what you want. The main focus of all the levels in this game is being able to sneak up on people and grab them before they see you, and then make them talk! You have the ability to crouch, as well as use the shadows aided by your night vision goggles, and once you grab your victim you can interrogate or force them to open doors with key codes or eye sensors. All the controls are well thought out and easy to pick up and I only have two minor problems with them. The first is that one of the most impressive moves in the game, where you can jump in a corridor, spread your legs and stay above any would-be assassins, is actually not required in any way during the game. My second issue is that in order to get up close to the opponent you have to continually tap the stick forward, little by little, which creates a ridiculously jerky movement, which is, apparently, more stealth like. They are only minor qualms, regardless.

The graphics, although inferior to the Xbox versions, are quite exquisitely done. They are, by far some of the best graphics I have seen on the PS2 and the dynamic lighting is really something special. The look and movement of all the soldiers is well worked out and it is clear that a lot of effort has gone into this element of production. All this coupled with the wonderful orchestral soundtrack that intimately relates to the story which unfolds during the game, demonstrates the time and care taken by the developers. What’s more, the music also interacts well with the game play in order to really draw you into the atmosphere of the action. Both the graphics and music really enhance the game’s status as a quasi-cinematic experience.

In terms of game modes you pretty much only have two options, playing the game in medium or hard mode. Although medium is fairly easy going (I completed the game in this mode in a week) the step up to the hard mode is quite large and it can become infuriating when you know how easy it was the first time you did it.

So, now we’ve confirmed that this is a ‘good’ game, does it live up to the standards of its Xbox counterpart? Well the game definitely seems more complete with an extra level, more video, improved musical score and better interaction. The graphics, although exceptional, are always going to fall short of the Xbox’s capabilities. It seems too, that with only one game play mode this game is going to be picked up and put down in weeks. One of its selling points has to be its cinematic look and feel but it has also been aimed at this game that this element has been a detriment to the games sense of fun and enjoyment. The addition of a multiplayer option or some kind of shorter arcade-style missions might have been an interesting improvement, but as it goes this game is still damned impressive. It could be argued the heavy attention to slow deliberation and guile has detracted from the titles sense of ‘play’, but if this floats your boat then you are going to love Splinter Cell.

82%

By Chris Monk