Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – XB – Preview

Metal
Gear Solid revolutionized the spy/mission genre.  Metal Gear Solid 2 refined
it.  Believe it or not, Splinter Cell has taken the great concept that Hideo
Kojima created even further.  It takes it so far that Mr. Kojima himself told
The Official Xbox Magazine that he would love to turn it into Metal Gear solid
3!  Nearly everything that you could do in MGS2 can be done in Splinter Cell. 
But that’s not what makes this game so great.  The cornucopia of additional
gameplay features is unbelievable.  If you didn’t think the Xbox was worth
owning before, you will now.

The
most obvious significant difference between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Splinter
Cell (other than the graphics, which are beyond breathtaking) is the camera. 
Metal Gear Solid 2 featured a near-perfect pre-determined camera that moved on
its own as Solid Snake leaned up against walls and various objects.  While
exploring, the camera was positioned in a permanent, third-person view. 
Splinter Cell features a fully controllable camera that allows you, the
player, to change the view at any time, regardless of how the character is
positioned.  The result is something that feels awkward at first, but within
thirty minutes, it becomes your new best friend.  It’s the most brilliant
camera I have ever used.  It does not matter how many times you move it
around, or may objects stand in your character’s way because the view is never
blocked, never damaged or hindered in any way.  Whether you’re leaning up
against a wall or not, the camera can always be positioned in a near-perfect
view that reveals your enemy’s location.  If this isn’t revolutionary gaming,
then I don’t know what is.

Another
significant difference is the combat.  Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2’s combat was
rather motionless (you couldn’t shoot and move at the same time.  Remember,
it’s a game of stealth, one that encourages the player to kill their enemies
with clever actions, not by running and shooting).  While fun, the developers
of Splinter Cell thought that they could do better.  And guess what?  They
thought right.  Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell’s version of Solid Snake) can draw
his gun, crouch and carefully sneak up on his enemies.  He can move in any
direction, but since this is not a first-person shooter, his movement is
relatively slow (but definitely NOT boring).  Dodging enemy fire is next to
impossible in good lighting, since the enemy has no trouble seeing you.  As
small an addition as this may seem, it really changes the gameplay
experience.  It played an important role in the demo, so I’m willing to bet
that it’s going to be an integral part of the final version of the game. 
Either way, I love being able to move and shoot at the same time, whether it’s
truly necessary or not.

So far,
Splinter Cell’s visuals are out of this world.  What Gran Turismo 3 and Metal
Gear Solid 2 did for PlayStation 2, Splinter Cell will do for Xbox. 
Everything about the game is drop-dead gorgeous.  You couldn’t be a human (let
alone a gamer) and not be impressed by the graphics.  If you’ve ever wanted to
play a game that looked like a computer-generated movie, now’s your chance. 
Every wall, every texture, every reflection, every shadow and every stream of
light is perfect.  Graphics will get better with future consoles, but they
will not get any better than this on PS2 or GameCube, and probably not on
Xbox.  Splinter Cell has set a new standard that will force all other
developers to work their butts off if they want to compete.  Graphics aren’t
everything, but when you’ve got a game that plays as beautiful as it looks, it
becomes the competition’s new nightmare.

Whether
you can afford it or not, go and reserve Splinter Cell right now.  Some
retailers are giving away a SC demo disc to those who put down $5-$10,
ensuring that they will get a copy when it’s released.  The latest issue of
the Official Xbox Magazine features the demo as well, and some Electronics
Boutique stores have it set up to play in their store.  Do whatever it takes
to play this game, and do whatever it takes to buy it, because this is the
biggest Xbox gaming event of the year.  On a must-play scale of 1 to 10, this
game is a 20.  Don’t walk, run to your nearest retailer and pre-order Splinter
Cell.  I cannot stress this enough!