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(More customer reviews)Tom Clancy has long been on the leading edge of theoretical conflicts. Rainbow Six series hunted terrorists before September 11 and now Splinter Cell explores information war.
Available for the PC, X-Box, and Play Station 2 for some time, Splinter Cell was only recently released for the Mac. Though similar in many respects to previous Clancy games, Splinter Cell does away with complex team planning and control in favor of detailed control over a single character.
You play Sam Fisher, the first operator in a new NSA unit intended to exercise the "fifth freedom" - "the right to protect all other freedoms, by whatever means necessary." Under that premise Clancy outlines an information war on a grand scale - something our military is anticipating. Basically, the new president of Georgia begins secretive attacks on his neighbors and the US and Fisher gets caught in the middle during his very first intelligence-gathering mission.
The larger geopolitical conflict that stems from your missions unfolds in quality pre-rendered news clips while the details of your part in the war unravel primarily through in-game radio dialog. Veteran actor Michael Ironsides provides the voice of the protagonist. Like most of the parts, his is well acted, but it doesn't seem to fit Fisher's face. Data sticks collected along the way provide supplemental plot information, but can only be read during the current mission.
The espionage focus of the game is reflected in an innovative control scheme that emphasizes stealth. Success in this game is more a matter of controlling how Sam moves than switching weapons, performing combos, or similar rapid actions that are common in shooters.
A third person perspective with a movable camera allows you to see Fisher at all times. When using a weapon, the camera moves to an over-the-shoulder view that works very well. But if you're playing the game well you shouldn't be using your weapon very often.
Instead, you use the speed control to keep Sam from moving to fast and alerting enemies with his footsteps. You also stick to the shadows so they can't see you (there's a handy light meter that gauges how well hidden you are). A third option is just to be someplace the bad guys won't look. Maneuvers like rappelling, hanging, climbing, peeking around corners, and some advanced film-inspired moves will keep you well out of sight if used properly.
The same techniques are required just to navigate the beautiful and highly detailed levels. Exploiting pipes, ledges, and zip lines is essential to reaching your objectives. And since the controls were designed for console controllers, they are surprisingly simple. The use of a contextual "action" key and a pop-up objectives display when you're not moving are particularly well implemented.
There's even a great tutorial at the start of the game in the form of an obstacle course. Having run many of those myself, I can tell you they're not as easy as super-agent Fisher makes it look!
But boy, does it look good! Even on the low-end. The character animations are the best I have seen anywhere. The pouches on Sam's belt even sway with his body. The level of detail and realism in room interiors is laudable and the use of wind and lighting for ambiance is impressive. Realistic shadows are everywhere and paper, blinds, and sheets of vinyl flutter in the wind and slip over your body as you pass.
All that realism is functional too - if it makes sense, try it. Almost every room has a light switch you can turn off to aid infiltration with night-vision or infrared. You can drop on enemies from above, shoot while hanging or rappelling, and follow footprints from puddles.
When using many tools such as lock-picks and keypads, you are actually presented with a large functioning view of the items to interact with rather than just watching an animation of the character performing the action.
You can't help but feel immersed in the character. There is a sense of action even when sneaking and more when you must take a hostage, shoot a guard, or trigger an explosion. It's a challenge though, so save often.
There's no multiplay, but you can get a lot out of trying to use more stealth and less force or vice-versa as well as switching between the two difficulty settings, "normal" and "hard." In addition to saved games, you can start at the beginning of any level you've completed and load times are short, so replaying a particular mission is easy.
If you're looking for a high-quality action game or are just a fan of Metal Gear Solid or Tom Clancy games, check this one out. Here's hoping the subsequent sequels will also find their way to the Mac soon!
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Tom Clancy's Splinter CellProduct Description: Splinter Cell takes you into the world of Sam Fisher, a top-secret specialist agent who goes where no one dares, unseen and unheard.
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