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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

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8.8 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 32 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubi Soft

Developer: Ubi Soft Montreal

Genre(s): Action

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: February 18, 2003

Summary

Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace! You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon. The world balance is in your hands, as cyber terrorism and international tensions are about to explode into WWIII. [Ubi Soft]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central Game Revolution

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GamePro

Visually, the game is just beautiful—the eye-popping lighting in particular is remarkable. The audio also shines.

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Gamers' Temple

The sound in the game is also phenomenal. The sound is so well done that you can sit still and listen, and you'll be able to tell the direction that guards' footsteps are coming from and whether or not they are coming towards you.

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Gamezilla!

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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GameZone

The graphics in Splinter Cell are unsurpassed. The lighting effects are incredible, the character models look great, and the animations are realistic.

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Gamer's Pulse

Takes stealth gameplay to the next level with unbelievable open-ended stealth gameplay coupled with gorgeous graphics, grim high-quality voice acting, and ambient music to always keep you on the edge.

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IGN

Splinter Cell is the hardcore's game made excellent by an engaging storyline and a sinfully addictive journey into ordinary places that become extraordinary simply due to the change in how we tackle each of their unique problems.

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PC Gameworld

Ideal for those new to the genre and experienced gamers who consider themselves more 'middle of the road' when it comes to shooters.

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Game Over Online

The need to overhear one more conversation, hack into one more computer and pick one more lock is something that'll keep you going into the night, and quite possibly into the early hours of dawn.

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ActionTrip

The PC installment of the game is every bit as spectacular, if not even more intuitive, than the Xbox game. 'Nuff said people.

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PC Gamer

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]

Game Revolution

Splinter Cell's gameplay is perfectly adapted to the mouse and keyboard.

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GameSpy

One of the most tension-packed, visually stunning games you're likely to play this year.

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Cheat Code Central

The mouse takes the place of the analog stick and really smoothes things out. It's much easier to aim your gun at cameras, light bulbs and human heads, and you can make Sam run faster than ever before. It all comes together to make Splinter Cell one of the best action/stealth games to ever grace PC.

Computer Games Magazine

Once it gets started, the tension on each level is practically unbearable, and the final room of the final level provides the perfect ending to a game that sneaks up on you and never lets go. [Apr 2003, p.72]

Computer Gaming World

Combine Splinter Cell's pure stealth action with the world of Tom Clancy and you've got one hell of a techno-espionage title made even better on the PC. [Mar 2003, p.82]

Armchair Empire

While I do not feel it takes the accepted throne of stealth action games, Splinter Cell is highly polished, and extremely solid as a game.

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AtomicGamer

While the gameplay is somewhat linear, the gadgets are fun to mess with and there are plenty of different moves to do to finish the missions.

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GameSpot

In some ways it's even better than the original version. In most ways, though, it's exactly the same.

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PC Format

Very probably the greatest secret agent game around.

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2404.org

The other thing that got incredibly annoying is Irving Lambert, your debriefer and operations coordinator and hearing him say “this missions over”….. “this missions over”.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dalek C gave it an8:
I thought that the game was fun, sneaking and shooting and whacking the crap out of people.

Sneak gave it a10:
I really, really, pity the people who think that this has been done before/is stupid/is too linear. It takes a while, but there is always an alternate route, with a few exceptions. Also, AI is amazing, mch better than in Metal Gear Solid (where pointing your gun at them caused them to crap out ammunition and supplies. Also, even though I have only played the Xbox version, the computer version can't really be that much different.

Shawn H gave it an8:
A good game, even in 2008, 5 years after it debuted. I agree with what others have said. It is linear and has aspects of Thief, Hitman and No One Lives Forever. I enjoy sneaking up and taking out enemies, but I wish there were more ways to dispatch the enemy. I also enjoy listening to the conversations between NPC's, which give life to the game. It is definitely worth playing, and I look forward to playing the sequels to see what other adventures Sam Fisher gets involved in.

Simon B. gave it a7:
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).

Dj E gave it a 10:
This game is the best with all the best sound graphics and levels puls how much deatial is put in to the guns this is a sweet game i would recommend this to anyone.

Tim B. gave it a 10:
Oh man. I don't know where to start. This game lets you choose whether to kick ass and take names, or just hide in the shadows and sneak past everyone. If there were no ending, I'd still be playing it. Nonstop. I wouldn't even sleep.

Roger B. gave it a 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.

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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

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