Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 492 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 423 out of 492
  2. Mixed: 54 out of 492
  3. Negative: 15 out of 492
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  1. NinjaMafia
    Aug 11, 2003
    6
    I really don't like this game that much. First off, the game is very linear, which I could handle if it had some replay value to keep me going. The gameplay was fun for a while but you had to sneak everywhere in this game, making running almost useless except for the parts where there are no guards around. I liked the fact that you could take human shields but they did a poor job on I really don't like this game that much. First off, the game is very linear, which I could handle if it had some replay value to keep me going. The gameplay was fun for a while but you had to sneak everywhere in this game, making running almost useless except for the parts where there are no guards around. I liked the fact that you could take human shields but they did a poor job on it. Enemies still shoot at you when you have a human shield and the only thing a human shield is good for is to knock a guard out. The targeting system could have been improved , I really didn't care for unholstering my gun and then suddenly Sam Fisher moved at a crawl.This game isn't that terrible though, you really feel like your being extremely stealthy in the game, which can be a good or bad thing. The graphics are realy good but I don't really care how a game looks. The sound is ok, the voice acting was good but sometimes Sam sounded a bit monotone. There is practically no memerable music in this game. I did like that fact that shooting out lights could help you hide in the shadows but there rises another problem. This game is too dependant on hiding in the shadows. Sure I can understand it if it had other stealthy moves buts it really doesn't. Overall, Splinter Cell can be an incredibly fun game for a lot of people. It just isn't my cup of teamemerable music in this game.… Expand
  2. RogerB.
    Nov 27, 2003
    6
    Good graphics and sound - despite the on-going issues with both (Testing department??) Story line is too linear and no on-line/multiplayer option therefore less incentive to continue playing after completion of the game. anyway good effort - bring on Pandora Tomorrow.
  3. JurisdeMo
    Feb 25, 2003
    6
    Well, nothing special. Yes it is good, but I am tired of walking in all 3d alone. Also map on game just sucks. And to make it worse you can allways see that there is only one way to go, just go forward and no left or right. If U have not played much 3d then this is great, but for others - I am tired of these kind of games, they R always the same.
  4. Basem101
    Aug 20, 2013
    6
    although i like stealth games but i can't seem to get well with this one maybe because i played it lately and not when it was released or maybe because i didn't like its slow paced gameplay
  5. mr-NachoMen
    Sep 4, 2019
    5
    Personally i'm not a huge fan of the stealth genre, i'm more of the go straight to the point rather than just sit and wait a few minutes for the perfect moment to take down an enemy, but there are games like Thief and Hitman that manage to be fair in check points, detection and how to deal with enemies in case you've been detected... Splinter Cell is not that game, it is more like thePersonally i'm not a huge fan of the stealth genre, i'm more of the go straight to the point rather than just sit and wait a few minutes for the perfect moment to take down an enemy, but there are games like Thief and Hitman that manage to be fair in check points, detection and how to deal with enemies in case you've been detected... Splinter Cell is not that game, it is more like the hardcore experience in stealth video games.
    This series is a big one... it has multiple sequels and a huge fan base.
    The game story is pretty interesting and well executed, movie quality stuff i would say.
    This game for it's time (2002/2003) was a tech improvement... it implemented real time shadows and lighting that were essential in the game's mechanics. This game was built using Unreal 2 Engine and still looks good... it looks better than letter games using that engine like... Land of the Dead and A series of unfortunate events. When an engine it's on good hands... amazing stuff can happen.
    For me, personally the general game was a huge downside due to it's controls, mission structure and stealth mechanics.
    Being stealthy is strongly recommended here, engage in combat and kill enemies is risky and can result in a mission failure.
    Making a sound can attract enemy attention and they will go looking for you, so try to not make any sound, stay hidden in the shadows is essential, the player can shoot to security cameras and light bulbs with your silenced pistol to remain hidden but when doing it, like i mention, will result into enemy patrols searching for you. Shooting at enemies is a no go, the aiming is inconstant at long range and it will alarm the enemy, there are multiple missions in which you must not get spotted, if so... mission fail and you must load the previous check point, most of the times you will rather press f5 to quick save and start from there.
    Again... Splinter Cell is not necessary a bad game or nothing like that, but this game is for the hardcore stealth gamer, which is not my case...    … Expand
  6. SimonB.
    May 29, 2007
    7
    You play a secret agent with gadgets and catchy lines. That's kind of like James Bond and Hitman. Except James Bond cares less if he blows up an entire skyscraper. Comparing this game to Hitman is flawed. Hitman can go with intense action and making mass murder. Sam Fisher has only sixty lousy bullets and he can't pick up guns from dead bodies. Stealth prevails here more than You play a secret agent with gadgets and catchy lines. That's kind of like James Bond and Hitman. Except James Bond cares less if he blows up an entire skyscraper. Comparing this game to Hitman is flawed. Hitman can go with intense action and making mass murder. Sam Fisher has only sixty lousy bullets and he can't pick up guns from dead bodies. Stealth prevails here more than making a private Vendetta. This game is a solo game made in 2003 or 2004 , I'm not certain. Back then, nobody really believed in free gaming. This isn't some FPS or hardcore gamer game. If people aged over 40 years old could play it as a pass time, I believe (yes I have proof of this) that it deserves more than just being compared to other action games. Overall, great stealth game with a solid story (though the dialogues are beyond ridiculous in my opinion, seeing as nobody speaks other languages than english).… Expand
  7. TheTwo
    Oct 16, 2003
    7
    Like some people already said, it's HIGHLY overrated. It can be anything but original: it's basically a mix between Metal Gear, Thief and Hitman, plus a little of NOLF and other games; the only original things it adds are the "free camera", the speed control and the split jump. OK, that doesn't matter that much, but is the most LINEAR game I've ever played. If taking Like some people already said, it's HIGHLY overrated. It can be anything but original: it's basically a mix between Metal Gear, Thief and Hitman, plus a little of NOLF and other games; the only original things it adds are the "free camera", the speed control and the split jump. OK, that doesn't matter that much, but is the most LINEAR game I've ever played. If taking decisions about what to do in certain situations is the way you think an infiltration game should be (like in the 3 games I've mentioned first), AVOID THIS GAME, because the level design forces you to go(do) wherever(whatever) the developers want you to go(do): "rappel here", "everything is closed except the ventilation system", etc. In Splinter Cell you can do almost anything you can think a secret agent "ninja style" can do, your character really has a good variety of moves, and you will find yourself using all of his moves through the game and that's cool, but that's because you have to, you don't have the choice for a better/quicker way of infiltrating/getting out, you have no choices at all in this game, then it's hard to get involved in the history of the game, cause everything is "staged" (highly scripted), everything is done in only one way, eveything ca be passed in only one way, everything feels unnatural. Of course, because of all this, the game has ZERO replay value. The enemy AI is very poor, and you can figure most scripted sequences and beat them the second time you pass them if you die. Style, graphics and sound save the day.… Expand
  8. Babutto
    Nov 12, 2022
    7
    Another fairy tale about brave American hero. Nothing else to expect from Tom Clancy. But.

    Pros.: - If you love stealth - play it. DO IT! - Fischer's humor is hilarious. The only thing I really played game for. - It's a hard game. - Shooting with the silencer. Love the sound. - Sound from The Prodigy - Mindfields when you are spotted (they used 1-2 sec. sequence from the beginning    Another fairy tale about brave American hero. Nothing else to expect from Tom Clancy. But.

    Pros.:
    - If you love stealth - play it. DO IT!
    - Fischer's humor is hilarious. The only thing I really played game for.
    - It's a hard game.
    - Shooting with the silencer. Love the sound.
    - Sound from The Prodigy - Mindfields when you are spotted (they used 1-2 sec. sequence from the beginning of the track).

    Cons.:
    - If you don't like stealth - stay away.
    - If you don't like fairy tales about U.S. superhero special forces dudes - stay away.
    - If you like modern Hitman games and variety of ways to finish the level - stay away.
    - Bugs and glitches.
    - Too linear.    … Expand
  9. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2003
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2003
18
#18 Most Shared PC Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Gamezilla!
    96
    It’s all rendered beautifully, possessing a realistic quality that will likely be unmatched for quite some time. Animation is incredibly fluid and the attention to detail is impeccable.
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  2. GameZone
    95
    The graphics in Splinter Cell are unsurpassed. The lighting effects are incredible, the character models look great, and the animations are realistic.
    Read full review
  3. PC Gamer
    91
    It's not all stealth. Ubi Soft's Montreal studio did a terrific job sprinkling the missions with spasms of frenetic action and tech-savvy stunts. [Mar 2003, p.84]
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