For it's great bargain price this is a decent stealth action game! Though it has its bad moments.
Splinter Cell is a great stealth action adventure game. It often leads you to many different indoor and outdoor locations to stop or eliminate international terrorists. Generic spy stuff really. But what exactly makes this game better then the next 5 dollar stealth game?
Well lets start with graphics. First off graphics don't make a game. And for the most part this game has decent graphics. The environments look good for it's release year. The npc's occasionally appear blockish in their arms and legs from a far distance, but that's minor. They put a good amount of detail into Sam Fisher, the protagonist. For 2002 the graphics and visuals are outstanding. For graphics I give it a 3 out of 3.
Next is sound. The sound in this game is nothing that you are going to remember after you are done playing it. Thinking back on it I can't even remember the music, which is a good sign that the music wasn't that good considering I just beat this entire game a couple weeks back. The sounds of the guns isn't top notch either. It sounds like they took a cheesy sound board off the web and used the same sound for each gun, but just made it repeat slower or faster for each different gun the enemies wield. Your gun sounds the best... but it's silenced, so you don't hear very much. So overall the sound isn't the best but I have seen games do worse. It gets a 2 out of 3.
Next is gameplay. The game IS fun don't get me wrong, but if you don't like repetition and trial and error, DO NOT GET THIS GAME. Several several times through out the game I was forced to use trial and error because it was simply either not clear what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go, or the A.I. whipped out god mode and dome shot me as I entered the room. Although they didn't use God Mode very often (lol). But through all the repetitiveness and frustration it was a good action game. I never cared much for the story, because it wasn't very deep. I felt like they never really got that involved in making the story deep enough for you to care. In the end, it's hard to decide what made me want to finish the game more, the fact I'm planning on beating the whole series, or the fact that I can't stand being showed up by a video game. Though there were some good moments that made you feel like you were in a spy movie. Gameplay gets a 2 out of 3.
So with all of those combined 2's, it gets a solid 7. Not the best game out there, but it's worth spending a couple bucks on. Heck, I bought mine for two bucks. And that my friends, is why it beats the next 5 dollar stealth game you were considering instead of this ;)