Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Review

Developer	Ubi Soft
Publisher	Ubi Soft
Genre	Tactical Espionage

In 2002, Ubisoft released Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell for XBOX (and other platforms), which immediately made a huge impact on the videogame industry. The game was so popular, that chances were if you did not own Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell then you did not own a XBOX at all. Yet Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell had plenty of room for improvement, despite being a “Videogame of the Year” candidate, and that is where Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow comes in. TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow “out” performs it predecessor on nearly every “level” and introduces a stealth multiplayer mode via XBOX Live which will blow you away. If you thought Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell was the best videogame ever made, then be prepared to meet its “younger & hotter” little sister… Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

Gameplay - The Metal Gear Solid videogame series changed the way people played videogames by “properly” introducing the concept of stealth.

stealth (stêlth) noun The act of moving or proceeding in a quiet secretive way so as to avoid notice: The leopard uses stealth to catch its prey.

Sam Fisher is back. He’s gotten older, but in no way has he gotten slower, he moves just as fast and delicately as you would except from a 10 year old world-class ice skater. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow has the same gaming characteristics that Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell had. In addition to your mission objectives, you are always required to complete each mission going unnoticed, and to do so using any means necessary. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell’s storyline was based on a secret agent working for a group called Third Echelon who went on espionage missions using stealth, all of this was provided by Tom Clancy himself, who is a popular author.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow continues the story started in its predecessor videogame, with new missions and objectives. The gameplay in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is similar to the gameplay in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, however there are a lot of useful improvements, there are a few additions in the game features, and there are less glitches. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow also has a multiplayer mode, something quite new to the Splinter Cell franchise. TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow delivers everything that the close to perfect TCSC could not.

The Splinter Cell franchise continues in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow, with an entertaining storyline and plot setup. TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow has new missions and objectives which span over different parts of the world with a “movie” like storyline. The story is easy to follow being that Ubisoft has gone through the trouble of designing cinematics with state of the art graphics and “Sam Fisher to Colonel Irving Lambert” verbal conversations during gameplay, to keep the gamer aware of what is going on at all times. There are more missions in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow as well as more characters, and the overall feeling that you are getting a lot more out of this game as opposed to TCSC. The impact TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow will leave on you will satisfy your needs for the Splinter Cell franchise, the same way Metal Gear Solid: Sons Of Liberty (PS2) satisfied the millions of Metal Gear Solid videogame fans.

TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow could not be a Splinter Cell sequel if it did not have something new to offer video gamers. Besides the game itself being more challenging and longer then TCSC, it has a few gaming improvements to offer. In addition to the Split Jump, you can now perform a Half Split Jump which will allow you to jump from the Split Jump position, meaning, with the proper combination of maneuvers you can basically scale a very high wall.

In TCSC, video gamers were allowed to perform the Hanging Shot, but in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow you can also perform an Upside-Down Hanging Shot, which allows you to hang from a horizontal bar using your legs so that you can perform a shot while upside down. In addition to Back-To-Wall Shooting, you can now throw items such as a grenade while you are in the Back-To-Wall position. And finally, arguably one of the most impressive moves that TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow has to offer is the Swat Turn, which allows you to transfer your body from one Back-To-Wall position to another in one fast movement. As for items, the SC Pistol and SC-20K Assault Rifle remains in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow along with other useful items from TCSC. New items include Flashbang Grenades, Chaff Grenades, and Laser Aiming (for your SC Pistol). These items are pretty self-explanatory. As for In-Game Elements, you will need to go up against the same technology such as Surveillance Cameras and Retinal Scanners, but in addition to these items you will need to watch out for (Grenade) Booby Traps and Motion Detectors. All in all, the elements in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow are similar to the game elements in TCSC except for the improvements and additions.

The gameplay in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow, is like taking your favorite pair of shoes (most likely not in mint condition) and cleaning them up and putting new shoe strings in them, meaning, the game is basically the same, but improved. The AI in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow is arguably the most realistic a videogame has ever had. If you are clearly visible or make sounds or movements that would result in being detected, you will be, and vice versa for going undetected. Darkness remains your friend in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow, which truly answers with the response “NO!” to the television show “Are You Afraid Of The Dark?” which used to be on Nickelodeon (I believe I am the only person who remembers that show).

As you move through each level, you will need to avoid as much attention as possible, luckily the bad guys forgot to install their bases and buildings with a lot of lighting, so you’ll fit right in! Stealth is not an option in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow, it is required, but in no way is stealth boring and slow, the game moves a lot quicker and smoother then most people would think. Ubisoft did a good job on designing the single player mode in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow; it compliments the gameplay in TCSC and satisfies gamers from A to Z (Note: Gaming World X is not responsible for your personal knowledge of the entire alphabet).

If you were to tell me six months ago, that TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow was to be developed with a multiplayer mode, I would have told you: “I know that, I read the articles posted at E3.” But if you were to tell me that TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow was to be developed with a multiplayer mode six months before E3 2003, I would have told you: “Get out of here! You must be kidding me?” It was astonishing to hear that Ubisoft was planning to add a multiplayer mode to TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow via XBOX Live and System Link play, but after having played it for a while, I have one word to say to Ubisoft: “Kudos!”

The multiplayer mode sets the Shadownet Team fighting the Argus Corporation. Only 2 to 4 players can play together in the multiplayer mode either via XBOX Live or System Link, yet the lack of a large amount of gamers playing at once is not at all a negative factor in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow. The Shadownet Team plays as spies in 3rd person view to work against the Argus Corporation. And the Argus Corporation plays as mercenaries in 1st person view to stop the Shadownet Team from succeeding. There are 3 modes of play in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow’s multiplayer mode: Neutralization, Extraction, and Sabotage mode which all involve the Shadownet Team working against the clock to do something with a device called the ND133, while the Argus Corporation does their best to stop them from doing so in the given time period.

There is a good amount of levels available for XBOX Live and System Link play, and XBOX Live support will most likely provide updates not only for multiplayer modes, but also additional levels for TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow’s single player mode, like in TCSC with its XBOX Live capabilities. All in all, if you were to own TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow with XBOX Live, you could probably go a few years without social interaction outside of playing Splinter Cell, and yet you would in no way be depressed. (Note: Gaming World X is not responsible for anything Sean Nagasawa says, please do not give up social interaction for years of playing Splinter Cell via XBOX Live, unless you find it absolutely necessary and consult a “licensed” physician before doing so).

Graphics - TCSC combined “five star” gameplay with “two thumbs up” graphics. TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow combines does the same, yet still finds ways excels higher then five stars and two thumbs up. TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow does not support HDTV/Progressive Scan gameplay, but you will soon learn there really isn’t too much of a need to do so, the graphics are so good, you just might cry of joy. Ubisoft did more then just create characters and levels that looked good, they concentrated on detail almost as much as they concentrated on breathing.

You will notice amazing design in the small detail as well as properly designed levels and characters. And the most important thing you will notice graphically, being that it is a big part of the game are the game’s lighting effects. If you are clearly in a visible area, you will be noticed, and if you are clearly in a dark area where no one except a “Where’s Waldo?” champion could spot you, you will go unnoticed. The gameplay and graphical glitches are not as frequent in TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow as they were in TCSC, which always is good to hear. The facial features on all the characters, including Sam Fisher himself, make everyone look almost like real human beings, its scary to think about, but un-heard of to not think about at all. Ubisoft deserves a pat on the back for its efforts on creating a videogame that looks just as realistic as it plays. Pat…Pat.

Sound - In game music is game related to the tempo of the game, fast paced music and or “creepy” music will be played, when you are in jeopardy of failing your mission, meaning your presence is about to be detected. But when you are covering every footprint you leave behind (you can’t actually do this, I apologize for teasing you) and make sure you close every door you open and go about the game quietly, the in game music will be peaceful and soothing.

Communication between in-game characters such as enemy guards can only be heard if you are in realistic listening range, which is another step towards realism that Ubisoft has made. Communication between Sam Fisher and Third Echelon goes unheard to nearby enemies, because your ear-piece is neatly transplanted inside your head (Neurosurgeons are everywhere! AARRRGGGHH!). Slow movement will project little or no noise, as fast movement or running over a pile of broken glass will result in a louder sound effect, which could ultimately jeopardize your mission. Sound is not usually a popular category for videogames, but it should be considered one, when a discussion of TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow is underway. As for player communication via XBOX Live during a multiplayer game, teammates are allowed to communicate to one another without being heard by the opposite team, communication cannot be had between teammates when one of the teammates is dead.

And a nice feature that Ubisoft included in the multiplayer mode is when a spy has a mercenary in a chokehold, he/she is allowed to communicate to the other player, before the spy kills the mercenary by breaking his/her neck. This is a great time to take advantage of the whole trash-talking concept of XBOX Live.

Bottom Line - Whether or not you did not like or own TCSC for XBOX (or any other platform), which is a small population of video gamers, TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow will find a way to impress you in ways TCSC could not. With an improved single player mode, a brand new and impressive multiplayer mode, state of the art graphics, a sound score that should be nominated for an Oscar, and a gaming engine that sets standards for all videogames to reach, you couldn’t go wrong with purchasing TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow. TCSC was a nominated “videogame of the year” for 2002, and TCSC: Pandora Tomorrow is definitely going to be a “videogame of the year” nomination for 2004. It would be dumb to not at least give this videogame a rental opportunity, but it is also dumb to drive naked, and people across the nation do that. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow it is a definite must-play for all gamers, let alone a definite must-own.

Review by Sean Nagasawa