Splinter Cell Review | Silly Realism, Light & Shadow, The Fifth Freedom

Developer Ubisoft Montreal was given one job: make a game like Metal Gear Solid, but better. And they decided to make something a bit like MGS, but also a bit like Thief. We're going back to 2002 to look at the first entry in one of the most celebrated stealth-action series of all time. We're talking Splinter Cell... specifically Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell... just in case you find one done by someone else...

On this episode of Stealth Boom Boom, we talk about how Splinter Cell came from a sci-fi third-person shooter called The Drift, which was almost a James Bond game. We discuss Michael Ironside basically insulting the script, how it was important for the team to make Splinter Cell feel realistic, and did we mention Splinter Cell was going to take Metal Gear Solid's lunch?

In our review, you'll hear some chat on the astonishing light and dark system (and how you can create darkness by shooting out lights), hopping on the spot, the blend of silliness and Tom Clancy realism, excellent gadgets like the optic and diversion camera, some frustrating trial-and-error design, an unnecessary split jump, satisfying shooting, THE SC-20K, goggles (both night-vision and thermal), a divisive CIA office, Kombayne Nikoladze's coup, glitchy news broadcasts, a reluctance to look at The Fifth Freedom, Sam Fisher, Faithless, and THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.

Colm tests the gaming knowledge of Adam and Josh in another edition of Who Am I? And then the lads give their final verdict on whether Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a Pass, a Play, or an Espionage Explosion.

For those that would like to play along at home, we'll be reviewing Tomb Raider on the next episode of Stealth Boom Boom.

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