Gaming Target - GameCube: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Written by D'Marcus Beatty on January 21, 2004

First Impressions: Mr. Fischer is back with a new game and an odd subtitle.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell took the gaming world by storm with its release. The graphics engine on all of the platforms was revolutionary, with lighting effects that showed off (or, in some cases, pushed) the power of each respective console. In addition to the awesome graphics, Splinter Cell also had great gameplay, adding much to the popular and oft-overused stealth mechanic. Doing more than offering a pretty face and great gameplay, Splinter Cell created an atmosphere and an attitude, making a lot of gamers immediate fans of the grizzled and macho Sam Fisher. With its runaway success, a sequel was almost inevitable and early this year the highly anticipated Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow will make its appearance on all consoles.

Sam bringing a lot of new moves to his sequel. First, Sam has an improvement to his super-cool split jump move, the half-split jump. Now Sam can shift his weight from side to side during one of his split jumps. Sam also has a SWAT turn, which gets him across open areas swiftly, such as open doorways. There is also a laser sight on his trusty gun now, which will improve his accuracy but runs the added risk of alerting enemies to his presence.

Another improvement on the original is going to be the ability to choose your path. Sam now has multiple choices for progression through the stages instead of one linear path. An example is a stage where Sam must move from one end of a moving train to another without being seen. Sam can choose to move from rooftop to rooftop, risking the passengers hearing his footfalls above them, or he can move alongside the train, carefully avoiding the windows, or he can choose to go through the train, which obviously is the hardest, stealth-wise. Sam can even choose to go under the train, which may be the easiest to avoid detection but will easily be the most potentially lethal method. This openness of approach promises to add replay value and a sense of realism to the gameplay.

Although highly acclaimed, the developers evidently found some areas that they felt could bear some improvement in the first installment. One such improvement is going to be a more focused storyline, fleshing out Sam more and involving less of the confusing, convoluted, world politics storyline. This is not to say that there won't be a political overtone to everything, just that the actual game will focus more on Sam as a character.

Early looks are showing that the graphics and sound are still exemplary, as the first Splinter Cell set new standards in the audiovisual department. While we didn't think it would be possible, players can actually look forward to improvements in both departments. Pandora Tomorrow will support Dolby Pro Logic II for audio, too.

One current disappointment for Gamecube owners is the lack of online play. Xbox and Playstation 2 gamers will have a multiplayer mode, which will allow competition between a spy faction and a mercenary faction. The spy faction will operate in stealth, using non-lethal weapons and gadgets to attempt to steal information from the mercenaries, who, in turn, are armed for bear but operate only from a third person perspective. This is an interesting and welcome additional mode to Splinter Cell, and hopefully, even without online play, Ubisoft will still include the multiplayer mode for Gamecube owners. Only time will tell for sure, but Nintendo loyalists should keep their fingers crossed.