Pandora Tomorrow to adopt adaptive AI

Gamers who found Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell too easy--or too hard--won't have the same problem with its sequel. In an interview with the BBC, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed that Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow will use an adaptive AI system that will make the game harder or easier according to the players' skill (or lack thereof).

While previous action games like Max Payne 2 sport self-adjusting diffculty levels which tweak computer-controlled characters' alertness and toughness, Pandora Tomorrow will apparently go one step further. According to Guillemot, Tomorrow's AI will alter the game's plot, adjusting when scripted events occur and lowering or raising the requirements to pass a level. "We should be able to improve the game for particular kinds of people," said Guillemot. "It is about AI reacting to your abilities. If a player is good, [it knows] what to give him and, if not as good, to give him alternatives. If you cannot do something after 20 tries, [the AI] makes sure you still progress."

Due on March 16 for all consoles and the PC, Pandora Tomorrow follows the further adventures of stealthy superspy Sam Fisher, voiced by the inimitable Michael Ironside. For a full debriefing on the game, access GameSpot's preview.