Splinter Cell Essentials continues the legacy by creating a new experience for the PSP system.
User Rating: 8.5 | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Essentials PSP
Ok so I always have been a fan of Splinter Cell series since it came out all those years ago. I have always wanted to be able to take it with me. I tried the cell phone versions but just didn't really capture the experience. I tried it on the Nintendo DS, loved the game hated the system. Now the PSP takes a run at SC on the go with Splinter Cell Essentials. I seriously think that this game is one of the best games on the Playstation Portable. Many games suffer from horrid controls on the PSP due to its lack of the second analog stick. Splinter Cell Essentials has a better control scheme than most. The controls are almost exactly like they are on the home consoles but they had to tweak the camera control to compensate for only one analog stick. Now you hold the circle button to activate "camera mode". When camera mode is engaged you use the analog stick to rotate the camera. It does require you to stop and look so you can't be rotating when your on the move. Makes it a tad bit tedious to change your angle, but it isn't a huge imposition. The shooting was also tweaked, now when you draw your weapon you use the analog stick to aim and the face buttons to move. Its interesting and works suprisingly well. On to the things that most people look for that being graphics and sound. Considering this game was released not too long after the PSP was released, the graphics are pretty good. The unfortunate part about it is that it is always dark. Which is unfortunate because the game boasts some nice textures. Most everything else is awesome too, great animation, relatively fluid frame rate makes this one of the better looking titles on the PSP for the period it was released in. A game without sound isn't a game, SC:E has some pretty exceptional sound. There are a couple instances where the voices skip along at the beginning of a mission, but still some solid voice acting from a returning cast from the previous Splinter Cell games. The environments sound alive, in the jungle you hear the tropical birds, on an oil platform you hear the whirring of the pumps. This game packs a punch in the sound department, end of story. Overall I think this game is a great addition to any PSP owners collection. If you are a stealth/espionage gamer and you want to have some of it on the go, pick this up you won't be dissappointed.
