- May 20, 2010
- 4,020
- 1
- 81
Just finished the 1st Splinter Cell game which I picked up as park of a pack on Steam a few weeks ago. I have to say it was really enjoyable. It was really refreshing to me to play a game that does more than just funnel you from point A to B and force you to do a bunch of silly quick time events. Great to play a game that has actual objectives as well, other than make it to the end of the level alive. Also great to play a game that doesn't have stupid regenerating health. That system worked for Halo, but I don't know why it's been forced into so many other games where it makes no sense whatsoever.
It's a game, that for me really takes a lot of trial and error. There were a few sections I had to re-do several times before I got it just right. Now I will admit I'm not the greatest at stealth games, but the game was quite challenging (in a good way). Particularly the CIA level where you aren't able to shoot at anyone; you need to rely completely on stealth.
Some parts of the game can be very challenging, particularly when there are several guards patrolling a single area, but when you finally pull it off it's so satisfying. One part in particular there were three guards patrolling a room. The moment they were all facing different directions I grabbed one, and dragged him to a dark corner. When the 2nd guy came to investigate I quietly pulled out my pistol while holding the 1st guy as cover, and when he got close enough pulled off a head-shot. Then quickly knocked out the guy I was holding and stashed them both in the corner. This just left one guy remaining. No need to kill him, just sneaked by and made my way down the elevator.
Unlike most of today's games this game does not hold your hand. There are no flashing arrows telling you where to go, and no repeat tutorials throughout the game reminding you what buttons to press; *thank god*. The only time this became an issue was when I got stuck wandering around for a while before I realized you can rappel from rooftops. It was probably covered in the original tutorial and I just forgot. There were a few other times I got stuck as well (even though the game is linear) because the exit to the room was not immediately apparent. A ladder hidden in a corner behind a shelf, a hatch in the floor, or hole in a fence that I didn't notice right away.
The AI is decent, but not great. At times they will not notice you even when they are practically standing right on top of you, while other times you will be seen when in complete darkness when you should be a "ghosts shadow." For the most part though the AI works pretty well, and the few odd moments don't ruin the game at all.
One of the few frustrating moments of the game would be when they force you to to use combat. The game is built primarily around stealth, and so the combat doesn't feel that great and doesn't work all that well. Fortunately though these sections are few and far between, and it works well enough to get by.
The controls for the most part are tight. I particularly like how they implemented the scroll wheel as a way of changing Sam's walking speed. I really like the way they used context menus instead of a simple "use" key. This makes is so that you are always performing the action you want. For instance if an enemy drops a satchel by a door, you can make sure to pick up the satchel rather than opening the door by accident. The only trouble I had with the controls were with wall jumps where several times I would fly awkwardly off in the wrong direction, a few times leading to my unfortunate death.
The sound design is great. Not just the sound effects themselves, but the way sound is worked into the gameplay. The way you can listen to guards conversations to predict their behavior, or listen for footsteps before you go around a corner. I actually ended up turning the music way down so I could hear more of what was going on in the game.
The graphics hold up surprisingly well for a game which was originally released on the first XBOX. Textures are pretty sharp, and the lighting effects look pretty awesome. Particularly shadows, which of course play a huge role, and volumetric lighting. Of course the facial animations are laughably bad, but I wouldn't expect much more for a game of it's age, and cut-scenes play a very minor role in the game.
Overall I was impressed by the game, and will continue to play others in the series.
:thumbsup:
8/10
It's a game, that for me really takes a lot of trial and error. There were a few sections I had to re-do several times before I got it just right. Now I will admit I'm not the greatest at stealth games, but the game was quite challenging (in a good way). Particularly the CIA level where you aren't able to shoot at anyone; you need to rely completely on stealth.
Some parts of the game can be very challenging, particularly when there are several guards patrolling a single area, but when you finally pull it off it's so satisfying. One part in particular there were three guards patrolling a room. The moment they were all facing different directions I grabbed one, and dragged him to a dark corner. When the 2nd guy came to investigate I quietly pulled out my pistol while holding the 1st guy as cover, and when he got close enough pulled off a head-shot. Then quickly knocked out the guy I was holding and stashed them both in the corner. This just left one guy remaining. No need to kill him, just sneaked by and made my way down the elevator.
Unlike most of today's games this game does not hold your hand. There are no flashing arrows telling you where to go, and no repeat tutorials throughout the game reminding you what buttons to press; *thank god*. The only time this became an issue was when I got stuck wandering around for a while before I realized you can rappel from rooftops. It was probably covered in the original tutorial and I just forgot. There were a few other times I got stuck as well (even though the game is linear) because the exit to the room was not immediately apparent. A ladder hidden in a corner behind a shelf, a hatch in the floor, or hole in a fence that I didn't notice right away.
The AI is decent, but not great. At times they will not notice you even when they are practically standing right on top of you, while other times you will be seen when in complete darkness when you should be a "ghosts shadow." For the most part though the AI works pretty well, and the few odd moments don't ruin the game at all.
One of the few frustrating moments of the game would be when they force you to to use combat. The game is built primarily around stealth, and so the combat doesn't feel that great and doesn't work all that well. Fortunately though these sections are few and far between, and it works well enough to get by.
The controls for the most part are tight. I particularly like how they implemented the scroll wheel as a way of changing Sam's walking speed. I really like the way they used context menus instead of a simple "use" key. This makes is so that you are always performing the action you want. For instance if an enemy drops a satchel by a door, you can make sure to pick up the satchel rather than opening the door by accident. The only trouble I had with the controls were with wall jumps where several times I would fly awkwardly off in the wrong direction, a few times leading to my unfortunate death.
The sound design is great. Not just the sound effects themselves, but the way sound is worked into the gameplay. The way you can listen to guards conversations to predict their behavior, or listen for footsteps before you go around a corner. I actually ended up turning the music way down so I could hear more of what was going on in the game.
The graphics hold up surprisingly well for a game which was originally released on the first XBOX. Textures are pretty sharp, and the lighting effects look pretty awesome. Particularly shadows, which of course play a huge role, and volumetric lighting. Of course the facial animations are laughably bad, but I wouldn't expect much more for a game of it's age, and cut-scenes play a very minor role in the game.
Overall I was impressed by the game, and will continue to play others in the series.
:thumbsup:8/10
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