New 'Splinter Cell' takes gamers to next level
By Stephen Ryan
CNN Headline News
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Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow"
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(CNN) -- There's a lot of talk among gamers who plan to go covert in March with Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow." But considering it's just a game, let's steer clear of the hush-hush talk this once.
All kidding aside, Ubisoft didn't play games when developing this special operations adventure. So many volunteers showed up at the company's development studios outside Paris, France, that officials had to turn some of them away.
All in all, these volunteers spent more than 700 hours fighting and racking up more than 38,000 casualties -- virtual ones of course. What's all the excitement about? The anxious volunteers were testing new online multiplayer mode for "Pandora Tomorrow."
The company can pat itself on the back for the new four-player mode. Players can control both sides of the stealth formula ... the spies trying to hide and the mercenaries trying to find them. The spies' third-person perspective allows them to see more of their surroundings so they can maneuver. And the mercenaries' first-person point of view helps them aim but limits their field of vision in the name of fairness.
Electronic Gaming Monthly said the idea is to have each side play completely differently but be equally powerful.
Now if you're a fan of the "golden oldies," don't worry about the solidarity of "Pandora" to the classic "Splinter Cell." The company probably figured it was on to something when the first "Splinter Cell" sold nearly 4 million copies. Ubisoft has kept the original character, agent Sam Fisher, and the original "Splinter Cell's" backbone for "Pandora Tomorrow."
The game's single-player mode still encompasses the massively useful assets of crouching, climbing, jumping and shooting. Using cover and sticking to the shadows is also an important holdover.
Tom Clancy's "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow"
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There is still an on-screen light meter to let you know how visible you are to the enemy. Electronic Gaming Monthly said using and referencing the light meter often is one of the best methods of success.
The first "Splinter Cell" is often regarded as one of the best looking games ever, but adjusting "Pandora's" graphics was still a priority for Ubisoft.
Animator James Green told Electronic Gaming Monthly, " 'Pandora' features some beautifully lush outdoor environments that will really surprise fans who expect to see Sam crawling through air vents in some factory."
The magazine said other design tweaks focus on giving the player multiple ways to tackle a level. For example, there are often several ways to access a building or facility. In certain cases, you can sneak inside in the back of a tractor-trailer, or you can take out the guards and brazenly stroll on in. Thinking outside the box can definitely boost the "Pandora" gaming experience.
Covert ops gamers will not be disappointed in the experience "Pandora Tomorrow" has to offer. The original "Splinter Cell's" tag line was "Stealth action redefined." Ubisoft said "Pandora Tomorrow" can be classified as "Stealth Action refined."
