Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Review

Sam Fisher is back in what could be considered as one of the finest titles to be released in the stealth genre; however thatâ??s not all, as Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow features an innovative Xbox Live! multiplayer mode that could become to Xbox Live! what Counter Strike was to PC Online gaming.

However before we begin waxing lyrical about the magnificent multiplayer mode, letâ??s take a look at what Sam has in store in the single-player mode.

Once again taking place in the near future, Sam finds himself up against a guerrilla group who are threatening a biological attack on the world. The pursuing adventure sees Sam trek across the world through locations such as Jerusalem to Paris, taking on such perilous tasks as boarding a speeding train to eavesdropping on important conversations.

Whilst the majority of the game remains unchanged from the critically acclaimed original, there are a number of subtle new tricks up Samâ??s sleeves which fans will certainly enjoy. This time around, Sam is certainly a more agile character with a number of new moves that further the enjoyment to be gained from the game; ranging from the SWAT Roll - used to sneakily cross doors when stuck against a wall - to being able to hoist yourself up to higher ledges from the signature split-jump move â?“ useful when having to explore the densely packed environments. Itâ??s certainly testimony to the developers in the way that theyâ??ve managed to incorporate a number of changes to the game, without disturbing the feel of the game â?“ anybody who played through its predecessor will immediately feel comfortable with the game and what challenges await you whilst introducing the new concepts brilliantly.

The first major aspect that strikes you when playing Pandora Tomorrow is the fact that missions are no longer predominantly based around indoor locations, with a wide range of them based in exotic locales to show off the improvements made to the graphics engine. Itâ??s also got to be said that virtually all of the missions offer much more excitement then that found in the original, with the game excellently opening up by having Sam have to pick a set of handcuffs off to the aforementioned train hi-jack â?“ certainly one of the games many memorable moments.

The game picks up at a much faster pace then the original, assuming that most players would have picked up the original at some point. To this extent youâ??ll find Sam equipped with most of his gadgets and weapons right from the beginning, with Sam able to use Night Vision and Thermal Vision and quickly getting accustomed to his trusty SC20K â?“ and neat add-ons â?“ right from the start.

Whilst the original was heralded across the board, it did suffer from criticisms from the way it handled dead bodies and forced mission failure depending on how many you failed to cover. Sadly Pandora Tomorrow still adheres to this technique (so make sure to cover those bodies), although for some strange reason it feels far less frustrating then the original ever did; for starters the game does a good job of outlining this fact to the player, whilst your stealth bar will also flash when a location is dark enough to cover a body in.

This also ties in with the changes that Ubisoft have made to guard patrols, which now switch between three levels of awareness â?“ donning flak jackets and other protective garments depending on how noisy youâ??ve been. Some levels still punish you with an instant Mission Fail if youâ??ve been detected however these are in the minority; this new change allows players to become a â??ghostâ?? for a short period, until the dust dies down and Sam is free to continue.

Although this structure does much to alleviate the frustration levels, it should be noted that the game does still border on the trial-and-error mechanics, with a large number of missions (particularly your first time through) revolving around deciding what NOT to do first and thus deducing the correct technique. Whilst fans of the original will know what to expect, newcomers could find themselves quickly frustrated.

As with the original, the missions themselves are based along a very linear route with a definite set of objectives and very little scope for freedom; whilst this may occasionally leave the experience feeling rigid and too scripted, the plus side is that it allows the developers to cram in to each level as many memorable moments as possible. To be fair the game does a good job of giving you different options when it comes to solving the objectives, particularly in terms of taking control of the light and or lack of it during scenes whilst the environments certainly allow for more freedom and exploration then the original.

Itâ??s fair to say that Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is a relatively risk-free sequel to the original, a paint by numbers approach with just enough additions to make it worthwhile for any stealth fan; however itâ??s the multiplayer mode in which the game is quickly becoming massively popular.

Briefly tied in to a storyline featured in the single-player mode, the multiplayer mode sees four players split into two teams with one becoming members of the Shadownet and the others taking on the roles of mercenaries from the ARGUS Corp â?“ naturally thereâ??s only one Sam Fisher!!!

The Shadownet members play very similarly to Sam, and are charged with sneaking into key areas to eradicate biological weapons in the location, whilst the Mercs is commissioned to prevent Shadownet from succeeding. However the really neat aspect (wonderfully clever yet brilliantly simple) is playing the Shadownet from a traditional third-person perspective whilst the Mercs switch to a first-person-perspective; the result is a tense experience filled with suspense, as the Mercs are unable to know whether there is a Shadownet operative behind them or not.

Being a Splinter Cell game however both sides have access to some impressive hardware, with the Mercs able to switch between two different visions â?“ detecting between motion and traces of the Shadownet gadgets â?“ whilst also being able to wield anti-spy mines, grenades, spy traps and having a funky laser sight to scare anybody playing as a Shadownet operative. Equally, the Shadownet operatives are similarly tooled up to the hilt, with a number of unique weapons and gadgets including the electromagnetic rifle, motion sensors and laser tripwires, in addition to such neat touches as the Spy Bullet used to target a Merc and keep him permanently displayed on the radar. However the single best aspect of being a Shadownet operative has to be sneaking up behind a Merc and ushering a few choice words via the Headset Communicator before snapping their necksâ?¦ and running up a wall and flipping over a pursuing Mercs head â?“ did we say how cool it is to be a Shadownet operative!!!

Playing as a Merc certainly feels a lot like Rainbow Six 3 (also from Ubisoft), with a similar inventory screen and control system; suffice to say that although seeing a first-person perspective in Splinter Cell is surprising, the mode does a very good job and is a nice diversion even if they lack half the decent moves of the Shadownet operatives.

The multiplayer mode offers three different modes, each a variety on the traditional deathmatch modes that weâ??ve all become accustomed to:

• Neutralization: Shadownet need to disable biological canisters, ARGUS Mercs must stop them.
• Extraction: Shadownet must find and retrieve biological canisters and take them to safe extraction point, ARGUM Mercs must stop them.
• Sabotage: Shadownet must find and hack into biological canisters with modems, whilst ARGUS Mercs are free to stop them.

There are eight multiplayer maps to choose from (with more on the way), including a Movie-Theatre (with unbelievable levels of Ubisoft product placement), a Museum, a Hospital, a Laboratory, a Warehouse, Vertigo Plaza, Schermerhorn and Deftech Belew. Each of these has been designed to ensure the dynamic relies very much on stealth, and emphasises a hunt-or-be-hunted feeling to the game. Itâ??s no exaggeration to say that Pandora Tomorrow offers an innovative and highly enjoyable multiplayer aspect that will quickly become popular amongst Xbox Live! owners.

Although Pandora Tomorrow may not be as remarkable as the first time you saw its predecessor in action, itâ??s testimony to the quality of that title and the subtle changes that Ubisoft have implemented which ensure the game still looks absolutely magnificent. Particularly the move towards larger, outdoor environments has allowed the developers more freedom to be creative, with particularly nice water effects, ambient lighting tricks and an impressive sense of scale. The character models, particularly Sam Fisher, have benefited from a make-over although some of the â??lesserâ?? models are beginning to look and animate a little dated.

Sound certainly plays large role in setting the scene, with a suitably tense ambient soundtrack that builds and dies depending on the action occurring on-screen. Samâ??s voice acting is particularly of a high standard, whilst the concise interchanges between Sam and his colleagues will please anyone who has become sick of the sight of them. Sadly the overall quality of the voice-acting is let down by some of the secondary characters, with all voices coming out as English despite wherever Sam may be in the world; in a game such as Pandora Tomorrow which places emphasis on player immersion, this sadly lets down the overall experience by a considerable margin.