Quote:
Originally posted by The Source
SPLINTER CELL (November 15th, confirmed by Ubi Soft representatives)
Once the introductions were done, The Source immediately got treated to what will most likely be the game of the year, Splinter Cell (no, The Source won\'t torture you any longer, so here it is...and don\'t ever say that The Source isn\'t considerate). After seeing the game in action for an extended period of time, The Source officially confirms that Splinter Cell is the kind of title you\'d sell your own mother for. Yes, it\'s that freaking good. Within the first 5 minutes of presentation, courtesy of lead beta tester David Desch¨ºnes of Ubi Soft, The Source knew that Splinter Cell would unquestionably be that one game which would re-define the genre for years to come. And then some.
Splinter Cell is nothing short of phenomenal, for lack of a better word to describe it. First of all, the amount of tasks that your character can accomplish is simply mind-boggling, and until you experience it for yourself, there is no way to describe how Sam Fisher moves about and operates. To compare Metal Gear Solid 2 to Splinter Cell is not only unrealistic, but downright unfair as the two games are light years apart from each other. While Snake looks and feels like some kind of action film star wannabe, Fisher is exactly what you\'d expect to find in a covert operative. He not only fits the profile but more importantly, he is believable in everything he does, which is no small feat. His motion capture is incredible, and he can do almost anything you can think of : run, jump, climb, slide, crouch, peek, you name it, he can do it (no, he can\'t do that you pervert...). Watching him move between ceilings is an event in itself and The Source found it incredible that this mere activity was enough to stimulate awe. Can you imagine the full-blown action?
The gadgets will make you go ga-ga. You don\'t even need enemies : just walk around and play with your toys, and you\'ll be happy, guaranteed. The night vision and thermal goggles are beautifully-executed and could not be improved by the developers if they tried their hardest. Just wait till you guys see the \"wall mine\" ¨D it\'s some sort of motion detector-equipped bomb, which you can stick on a wall, and lure an enemy into its path so that the laser beam catches his movement...and you know what happens next...KAPOW!!!!!!!!! Yep, another goner for ya. The diversion camera is pretty awesome as well : just throw it discreetly anywhere to follow the action from afar without being detected. It\'s as good as it gets guys. Then you have the weapons (the sniper is the best that The Source has ever seen), and all the different stealth material like tranquilizers, sleeping agents, etc. Evidently The Source did not get to see everything, but what It saw...
For those worrying about Splinter Cell\'s AI, worry not. Whenever detected, enemies will generally look for you for about 30 seconds, which is a lot when you have no place to go. Throughout the demonstration, every single instance in which Sam Fisher was exposed felt \"right\" in the way foes reacted to an intruder\'s presence, as they would in real life. And in 4 straight tries of the same sequence, the AI reacted differently each time, which surprised even the lead beta tester himself...! One of the best things about SC\'s gameplay is the fact that you\'ll be able to complete missions in different ways; while some missions will dictate stealth, others will leave you all the liberty you need to choose your method of succeeding. The Source guesstimates that a \"good\" gamer will probably take anywhere from 20 to 30 hours to complete the entire game, and will probably feel like doing it all over again once it is finished. Moreover, this game is so deep, that dying or failing and having to re-start a mission is a pleasure, almost to the point of indecency. Frustration in this game should be kept to a minimum.
Finally, the graphics are a-w-e-s-o-m-e. Everything in the game is in full 3-D, and made out of polygons. The lighting is phenomenal (there\'s that word once again, but hey, who\'s complaining, right?) and everything in real-time. Guys, just you wait... you won\'t believe your eyes at these graphics, and especially the atmospheric lighting. The texture work is impressive and all surfaces look exactly like they are meant to look : cement, metal, bricks, glass, this is spot-on work. The environment is destructible to a certain extent, and that facet is intricately worked in the game in the exact same meticulous way that can be observed throughout. Shoot down the lights, hide in a corner, snipe from a distance; do it your way. Splinter Cell is almost finished, the guys at Ubi Soft are now working on debugging the last few glitches (of which The Source has seen none), and the title will be on shelves November 15th. Get ready for the stealth experience of a lifetime, people. And don\'t say that The Source didn\'t warn you...
Oh, and by the way, here\'s a little scoop : you begin Splinter Cell in a burning building, from which you have to escape using Sam Fisher\'s multiple talents...
I\'ve seen movies and the dynamic lighting is very impressive. (no it\'s not just a \'fancy effect\' to make it look nice, you\'ll use the darkness within gameplay and the AI is based off enemies seeing you/your shadows. But it is cool seeing the shadow wrap around your body as light comes from windows.) And judging from impresssions from people who have had a hands-on, this game is going to rock. The weapons, gadgets, ai, the smooth animation and things you can do and the cool main (but realistic) character give this title a very polished feeling to it all. I just wish more developers would consider making thier games around the xbox for reasons to do with how thier game can take advantage of the system, other than the usual reasons for doing things: ie easy sales and \'franchise\' recognition. Better they focus on the the title\'s quality aspects and how a platform can improve thier overall game if they want the game to have a better long-term impact on people.