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    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

    Game » consists of 17 releases. Released Nov 17, 2002

    First entry in the Splinter Cell series. You are Sam Fisher, a highly-trained covert operative working for a division of the NSA known as Third Echelon. As Sam, you must infiltrate heavily guarded areas in order to combat the threat of terrorism.

    Short summary describing this game.

    Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell last edited by interea on 02/03/23 11:12AM View full history

    The Story

    This gritty work of spy fiction follows the work of Sam Fisher as he is forced out of retirement in order to undertake a deadly mission for the National Security Agency. There are several Georgian terrorists suspected of possessing information that would cause a security threat for the US intelligence agencies. This comes about after two CIA operatives go missing. The story moves quickly in a linear fashion, completion of missions are satisfying nonetheless due to the scope of the game. One of the defining things about the narrative in this game is that it is in essence a journey spanning a plethora of different locations around the world including anywhere from an oil platform, the Chinese embassy in Yangon to our own CIA Headquarters in Langley Virginia. With all of these locations, there is one thing for certain Sam must be cunning, stealthy, and even ruthless to accomplish his mission. It is up to Fisher to end a war before it has a chance to begin.

    Gameplay

    Unlike more action-oriented stealth games like Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell aimed to take a measured approached to gameplay that focused more on stealth and less on action. While games like Thief and its sequels took a similar approach years before Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell brought the gameplay to the twenty-first century.

    Shadows and lighting

    Just another day at the office.
    Just another day at the office.

    Splinter Cell was one of the first games to use shadows as a means for the player to progress through a level undetected. Though others had tried this before, Splinter Cell was the first game to successfully implement the concept. Shadows are not only used as hiding places in Splinter Cell. The player may also use the shadows of enemies to determine their exact whereabouts. Enemies will cast shadows dynamically on walls and ceilings. Lastly, players may also choose to turn off lights or even shoot them out in an effort to manufacture their own darkness to make any room their hunting-ground for unsuspecting enemies. However, some lights cannot be shot out or turned off, which makes moving around unseen more of a challenge.

    Moving like a modern ninja

    You may need to limber up for this one...
    You may need to limber up for this one...

    One could argue that Sam Fisher is the epitome of the “modern ninja,” and it is not hard to imagine why after playing this game for a short while. One of the main abilities that a player will have to master in order to be a successful Splinter Cell is the ability to move quietly and deliberately through an area, making as little noise and leaving behind as little evidence as possible. If you must kill or incapacitate an enemy you’ll be in for a few surprises if you leave the body lying around. Enemies will go into a “hyper-paranoid” state of mind where they will fill you full of holes at first sight. Ergo, covering your tracks by hiding the bodies is crucial. If you master the art of stealthy movement and destroying any evidence of your presence, your enemies won’t know what hit them when you put them into a choke hold and thump them on the back of the head with your pistol to send them for an extended nap in a dark corner.

    Use of the environment

    It’s an occupational hazard for a man who is not supposed to exist to move though areas of heavy foot traffic. That is why there are plenty of other routes that Sam can use to accomplish his mission. You may find yourself dangling from a water pipe as an enemy passes so close beneath you that you can hear him breathing, or you may find yourself using a nearby power line as a zip line to access an adjacent building. Areas of low traffic are always the best.

    Weapons

    The SC-20K
    The SC-20K
    • SC-20K Modular Assault Rifle - The SC-20K was developed by third Echelon specifically for use in the Splinter Cell program. It fires 5.56 X 45mm NATO rounds with plenty of stopping power. The weapon is also fitted with a Silencer and reflex scope.
    • 40MM Grenade Launcher - This is a multi-purpose grenade launcher mounted to the SC-20K which is capable of firing many different devices including non-lethal sticky-shockers, air foil rounds, and micro-cameras useful for remote viewing or shooting out knockout gas. It is a key part of Fisher's Arsenal.
    The Five SeveN
    The Five SeveN
    • Five-SeveN Pistol - Sam Fisher’s weapon of choice. It is a 20-round,semi-automatic Fabrique National handgun with an attached suppressor that uses NATO 5.7 mm ammunition. This gun is quick, quiet, and effective.
    • Other weapons - Sam may also encounter weapons such as grenades and deadly wall mines. A good agent should always be on the lookout.

    Gadgets

    • Optic Cable - A fiber-optic cable useful for looking under doors and spotting enemies.
    • Lock Pick - A set of tools used to open locked doors without a key.
    • Camera Jammer - A hand held device that temporarily disables the electronics in cameras.
    • Trident Goggles - These unique goggles feature a night vision setting for dark areas and thermal vision for spotting heat signature.
    • OPSAT - Operational Satellite Uplink. This is Sam’s connection to his superiors; it is also used to process data in the field.

    The Enemy

    • All enemies carry weapons.
    • Security guards only carry pistols and are easy to take out.
    • Soldiers carry automatic weapons and require some skill to take out when you face a three or four man squad.

    Missions

    1. Training

    Briefing: Prove that you are the man for the job.

    Objectives: Complete the assault course and covert ops training.

    2. Police Station

    Briefing: Locate CIA agents Blaustein and Madison.

    Objectives: Rendezvous with local NSA informant Thomas Gurgenidze for information on Blaustein's area of operation.

    • Killing civilians will result in mission failure.
    • Touching the street will result in mission failure.

    3. Defense Ministry

    Briefing: Discover President Nkoladze's secret.

    Objectives: Infiltrate the east wing of the Georgian Defense Ministry.

    • Discover Vyacheslav Grinko's whereabouts by interrogating his driver.
    • Tripping an alarm will result in mission failure.

    4. Oil Refinery

    Briefing: Retrieve Georgian communication data.

    Objectives: Infiltrate the oil refinery by the main pipeline.

    • Trail the mercenary technician.

    5. CIA HQ

    Briefing: Track down the mole in the CIA.

    Objectives: Retrieve the SC-20K from the storage room behind the battery generator room.

    • Access the CIA central server to identify and locate the information leak.
    • Any agency fatalities will result in mission failure.

    6. Kalinatek

    Briefing: Recover the encryption key.

    Objectives: Infiltrate Kalinatek.

    • Access Kalinatek's fire emergency system to open the four doors surrounding Ivan.

    7. Nuclear Power Plant

    Briefing: Trace the microwave relay.

    Objectives: Infiltrate the cooling rod room and trigger a meltdown alarm.

    • Investigate the Nadezhda communication center.
    • Tap the Georgian microwave relay.

    8. Chinese Embassy

    Briefing: Find the Georgian/Chinese connection.

    Objectives: Rendezvous with the agency contact.

    • Collect intelligence from the Embassy with the laser mic.
    • Embassy fatalities will result in mission failure.

    9. Abattoir

    Briefing: Prevent the executions of the soldiers.

    Objectives: Access the antenna on the abattoir roof and destroy its broadcast ability.

    10. Chinese Embassy II

    Briefing: Discover President Nikoladze's secret.

    Objectives: Infiltrate the embassy via the upper floor.

    • Access Feirong's communications archives from the embassy's server in the basement.
    • Killing Kong Feirong will result in mission failure.

    11. Presidential Palace

    Briefing: Find Kombayn Nikoladze and The Ark.

    Objectives: Recover the Ark interrogation file.

    Bonus Missions

    12. Somewhere in the Kola Peninsula, Russia

    Briefing: Locate and access Masse's server.

    Objectives: Force Masse to download his personal source code from his office PC and then kill him.

    13. Submarine Port - Kola Peninsula, Russia

    Briefing: Locate the Russian sailor being held captive and talk to him.

    Objectives: Board the submarine.

    System Requirements

    Minimum:

      • Supported OS: Microsoft Windows® 2000/XP
      • Processor: Pentium® III or AMD Athlon™ 800 MHz
      • System Memory: 256 MB of RAM or above
      • Video Card: 32 MB 3D video card (64
      • Sound Card: Direct X 8.1 compliant sound card
      • DirectX Version: DirectX® version 8.1 or higher
      • Hard Disk: 1.5 GB available hard disk space
      • Multiplayer: Broadband Internet connection

    Recommended:

      • Supported OS: Microsoft Windows® 2000/XP
      • Processor: Pentium® III or AMD Athlon™ 1.0 GHz
      • System Memory: 256 MB of RAM or above
      • Video Card: 64 MB 3D video card/
      • Sound Card: Direct X 8.1 compliant sound card with surround system
      • DirectX Version: Direct X 8.1
      • Hard Disk: 2.1 GB available hard disk space
      • Note: For an up-to-date list of supported chipsets, video cards, and operating systems, please visit the FAQ for this game at: http://support.ubi.com.

    External Links

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