By Danny Pogue, Staff Writer
http://splintercell.wikia.com/wiki/Tom_Clancy's_Splinter_Cell:_Pandora_Tomorrow
This last July, the highly anticipated sequel to the smash hit Splinter Cell was released to the public. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow was produced by Ubisoft, one of Microsoft’s most prominent developers. For those of you who are unfamiliar to this game, the genre it represents is stealth-action. The purpose of the game is to present a challenge in which the player must use stealth and logic to overcome problems and obstacles, rather than using brute force.
This game, supposedly an improvement on the original, was promoted as a newer, better-looking Splinter Cell with new options and an intricate story line. Gamers were promised a whole new look into the workings of a splinter cell, or an undercover super agent. Also, the game’s difficulty is supposed to be increased dramatically to allow Splinter Cell veterans a challenge.
As a fan myself, I was disappointed. With almost identical game play, the same extra features, slightly improved graphics and an under-developed story line, this game falls short of the hype the media gave it. Slightly improved features, such as an easier-to-use sniper rifle and a pair of binoculars, are hardly what I would call “new options”.
Also, the actual difficulty of the game is lacking. It was a quick 7 levels that took a very little amount of effort. Levels are divided up into different areas around the world, following the story line. The player is taken to multiple places including a docked submarine and LAX airport. Despite the obvious variety of these locations, the way the levels are set up is usually inconsistent. At some points, you are able to easily walk past the 2 guards in the area, while in other areas, you are mauled in about 2 seconds by a group of 6 soldiers with night vision goggles. While that increases the difficulty slightly, it takes away from the realism of the game.
However, because of the fast growing legacy and the near-monopoly of the stealth action genre, this game has sold like hot cakes. Without competition, despite the lack of improvement from the first version, Splinter Cell is top of its game. Overall, the game is of good quality and is a good buy at the reduced price of $29.99. If you were a fan of the first game, this is a definite buy. If you aren’t sure if you will get into this style of game play, you are safer sticking to renting this.
This game, supposedly an improvement on the original, was promoted as a newer, better-looking Splinter Cell with new options and an intricate story line. Gamers were promised a whole new look into the workings of a splinter cell, or an undercover super agent. Also, the game’s difficulty is supposed to be increased dramatically to allow Splinter Cell veterans a challenge.
As a fan myself, I was disappointed. With almost identical game play, the same extra features, slightly improved graphics and an under-developed story line, this game falls short of the hype the media gave it. Slightly improved features, such as an easier-to-use sniper rifle and a pair of binoculars, are hardly what I would call “new options”.
Also, the actual difficulty of the game is lacking. It was a quick 7 levels that took a very little amount of effort. Levels are divided up into different areas around the world, following the story line. The player is taken to multiple places including a docked submarine and LAX airport. Despite the obvious variety of these locations, the way the levels are set up is usually inconsistent. At some points, you are able to easily walk past the 2 guards in the area, while in other areas, you are mauled in about 2 seconds by a group of 6 soldiers with night vision goggles. While that increases the difficulty slightly, it takes away from the realism of the game.
However, because of the fast growing legacy and the near-monopoly of the stealth action genre, this game has sold like hot cakes. Without competition, despite the lack of improvement from the first version, Splinter Cell is top of its game. Overall, the game is of good quality and is a good buy at the reduced price of $29.99. If you were a fan of the first game, this is a definite buy. If you aren’t sure if you will get into this style of game play, you are safer sticking to renting this.