Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Hands-On Impressions
We check out Sam Fisher's sophomore outing on the PlayStation 2.
It's no surprise that Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow made the splash that it did when it was released for the Xbox and PC earlier this year. Ubisoft's second installment in its acclaimed stealth action franchise did more than just give gamers a by-the-numbers continuation of the original game. Instead, Pandora Tomorrow offered an engaging and polished single-player experience that expanded on the original game's best elements.
While such a move was to be expected, the multiplayer component took some genuine risks by featuring a taut, controlled four-player experience that was distinctly different from the typical 12-plus-player offerings on Xbox Live. Despite the risky choice, Pandora Tomorrow delivered stellar single- and multiplayer experiences with a hefty amount of appeal. We had the opportunity to check out the upcoming PlayStation 2 incarnation of the game to see how Sam Fisher's latest mission is coming together.
For those unfamiliar with the franchise, the Splinter Cell series casts you in the role of Sam Fisher, a highly trained and experienced commando who works for a top secret military organization called Third Echelon, which is devoted to keeping the world safe. Given the rather "dynamic" nature of evil, Sam's hours aren't quite nine to five. As a result, the spy veteran finds himself jetting all over the globe, at random times, to deal with all manner of threats. Pandora Tomorrow finds Sam on the trail of a guerrilla leader who is threatening the free world with a biological contagion. The devious villain leads Sam on a chase around the globe to such varied locales as a speeding passenger train that's hurtling across Paris and to a military camp in Indonesia.
The gameplay in Pandora Tomorrow's single-player game hangs onto--and builds on--the core mechanics introduced in the original Splinter Cell. You'll sneak your way through various stages by avoiding or incapacitating any unsuspecting guards (or the occasional civilian) who might otherwise threaten your mission of secrecy. As with other stealth games, it's not difficult to attract unwanted attention by moving too quickly, making too much noise (like a bull in a china shop), or blundering into a well-lit area. And as if this all wasn't bad enough, Pandora Tomorrow features other nasty surprises for you. Hidden antipersonnel mines (visible only when you toggle your thermal vision), infrared trip wires (likewise), booby traps, motion detectors, security cameras, and other such painful--and deadly--devices will constantly keep you on your toes.
However, although it seems as though you're hosed (and perhaps outmatched), you've got plenty of tricks up your sleeve too. Sam is typically armed with a silenced pistol, as well as his trusty SC20K multipurpose experimental assault rifle, which can be used for either silent sniping (when lethal force is permitted) or activating various gadgets, like diversionary cameras and smoke grenades. Additionally, Sam's assault rifle can fire alternative types of ammunition, including electrifying (but nonlethal) rounds. Fisher's other gadgets include lock picks, an optical fiber wire that can be maneuvered beneath a closed door for viewing what's behind it, and his combined night-vision/thermal-vision goggles. He's fully decked-out to get the job done by any means necessary.
The multiplayer game is limited to just four players at a time. You'll play as either ARGUS mercenaries or Shadownet spies. The twist to the premise is that the Shadownet spies handle much like Sam and feature a third-person camera. The ARGUS mercenaries, on the other hand, are quite different and are played in a very standard first-person-shooter fashion. Teams don't have to be balanced, so you can have three-on-one matches if you like, which makes for quite a bit of fun. The first time you try multiplayer, you're given a quick interactive tutorial of both the Shadownet and ARGUS sides, although you'll need a lot more practice than what is presented here. Success or failure in Pandora Tomorrow's multiplayer hinges on cooperation--in fact, more so than in your average game.
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