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Review: Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory
- Title: Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
- Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- System: Xbox
- Reviewer: Zonk
- Score: 9/10
As such, the entire game is steeped in realism to preserve the flavour of the modern day experience. The graphics and lighting are gorgeous, and the fluidity of motion that the game's character portray is extremely impressive. The artificial intelligence of enemy opponents, while not perfect, is certainly better than many other titles in the stealth genre. This allows for some lovely emergent gameplay, as you can take actions in the game world and can plan on a logical reaction taking place. The first mission allows you a perfect opportunity to try this out, with two mercenaries patrolling near a tent. Taking out the merc outside the tent allows you access to the generator for a large lighting system nearby. By turning off the generator, you make the guard inside the tent curious...a vice which gets cats and guards in trouble.
The need for stealth in the game is paramount, but not as rigorously enforced as in previous titles. You can set off as many alarms as you like, and until you are slain the mission isn't over. This, and nearly every other, addition to the Splinter Cell gameplay library was made to make the game more accessible to players. The addition of a knife to Sam's arsenal allows him to take out enemies in a single thrust in near silence. Gunshots are noisy and attract attention, but laying out your opponents with deadly fire is an accepted way to complete a mission. The previous titles were extremely punishing of mistakes, and Chaos Theory counteracts that by allowing Sam to take on a more kick-ass take-names approach. If you've played the previous incarnations a great deal, you may find the going easier than you expect. Higher difficulty settings are provided to challenge the more skilled. This eased gameplay also allows for more than one way to complete a mission. Even if you decide to kill the captain of the cargo ship without interrogating him, you can still sweep the ship with your weapon drawn looking for your target. Arbitrariness and gameyness have been deliberately reduced.
That sense of realism is extended by the story and voice acting. The tale centers around a series of missions which take you from one end of the earth to the other. Each mission has a good deal of background to it, and the depth of the Chaos Theory story is entirely at your discretion as the mission briefings are entirely skippable. Each portion of the mission briefing is handled by one of the memorable non-player characters, each with their own area of expertise. The memorable nature of these characters is solely based on the quality of the dialogue writing, which comes off very natural and spiced with quality humor, and the skill with which the voice actors portray their roles. Fan favorite Don Jordan returns as Irving Lambert, and Michael Ironside returns to the tight fitting bodysuit of Sam Fisher.
The score, by Amon Tobin, nicely accentuates the mood and temp of the game with a modern vibe that never feels as though it was composed by software. Tobin's composition, his first for a videogame, is very promising. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
Like the previous title, Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory isn't something you have to enjoy alone. Multiplayer via Xbox Live is once again a unique experience. The four-player Mercenaries vs. Spies gameplay returns, with some tweaks and refinements. To ensure that you're briefed on the objectives of the multiplayer game, you are required to go through a training scenario. The maps allow you a range of several types of gameplay, including a deathmatch, a disk capture mode that is a variation on keep-away, and a new story mode. Story mode is probably the most interesting addition, forcing the mercs and spies to complete several missions in sequence and tying them all together with a workable plot. Chaos Theory has a lot of living room local multiplayer potential as well, with four cooperative levels available. There are several moves that two spies working together can accomplish, and the gameplay is accentuated by a story which works the co-op levels in as part of the backstory to the single player campaign.
Nothing is perfect, of course. While I enjoyed the game, my previous experience with Splinter Cell titles is limited. I found the game challenging on Normal mode, but players who have honed their skills on less forgiving titles may view the single player campaign as a cakewalk. The darkness mechanic can start to feel slightly contrived after a while, as you move through areas that wouldn't be as dark as the game allows them to be. The realism of other areas of the game makes it a jarring experience when you find a well guarded part of a bank in pitch blackness. The co-op mode, finally, could have been more fleshed out. Cooperative play is one of the most interesting aspects of modern gaming, and I would have liked to see a more developed co-op aspect for this title. Minor complaints, but the attention to detail that the game takes in all other areas makes weak points stand out.
For fans of the previous games, and players who enjoy modern tales, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a perfect fit. It has a sensibility all its own, and the high praise it has garnered around the industry is well deserved. If you're looking for a stealth action title, Chaos Theory will fit your needs with military exacting precision.
Screenshots are from Microsoft's official Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Xbox site, ©2005 Microsoft and Ubisoft.
FG - First time for graphics on slasdot?
"Nothing for you to see here, move along". Yeah, right. Jedi mind tricks won't work on me, Mr. Fisher.
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
Stealth games always have the first two items on that list.
The slashdot advertising department in cooperation with Microsoft (c).
Surely he meant to say, "which started to gain attention with the likes of Metal Gear."
Tenchu? Late and lame if you ask me. MG (even the old 8 bit jobs) was what made the genre.
Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
All the Splinter Cell series have kicked ass, and while I haven't picked this one up yet (Guild Wars is released soon, my money is for that!), I have no doubt I'll enjoy it as I did the other ones.
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
... Which is written by none other than Mr. Amon Tobin. As a good friend observed, the album is a return to form, and I can personally attest that it makes for excellent listening.
I thought this game came out on all three systems (gamecube, ps2, xbox)?
Did Zonk even write this article, or was it sent over by ©2005 Microsoft and Ubisoft?
I've never been critical of the slashvertizements in the past, but add this to the stupid expanding banner ads I've been seeing lately and Slashdot loses all appeal to me. How long before we're clicking through an ad to get to the comments page?
And he composed what is quite possibly the best drum&bass song ever (Get Your Snack On). Electronica lovers everywhere kind of freaked out with happiness when it was announced he was doing the soundtrack to a mainstream video game, because it meant that a lot of people would hear of him who would never have otherwise (except as the background to a car commercial..)
Personally I'm half wanting to play this game just to see how the soundtrack works out even though the splinter cell games aren't generally my thing.
Maybe I'm just to violent *Loads up Red Orchestra"
"I may be full of crap about this game, and I may be wrong, and that's fine." -Jack Thompson
seeing how it is strictly an XBox game
Wow, the ad worked! This game has been available on PC (and other consoles) since day one. Your misconception should do wonders for the Slashdot marketing report though.
It's not an xbox game. It is on PC as well. The demo has been out for a while. I believe it's also on PS2.
Oh, and instead of $200 for a limited console, you can pay $300 for a video card and your other upgrades. I just don't understand "consoles have to be purchased and maintained for years to come". What maintenance are you talking about? You mean, like swapping out cards, adding memory, and the like? Oh, that's right, consoles don't require that at all. In fact, last I heard, that was one of their big value propositions.
Somehow, the idea that consoles involve forking over too much money and maintenance during their lifetime doesn't ring true at all, and less so when you say that in comparison to PCs.
Excuse me? If I recall I was playing games co-op with my friends back in the NES and SNES days. In fact, a heck of a lot of games back then had some form of co-op. Only in 'modern gaming' has co-op taken a backseat to lots of run of the mill style deathmatch. So no, co-op isn't an aspect of modern gaming; modern gaming is finally reintroducting the co-op back into the game.
With that said, I find the co-op enjoyable. Two issues: needs a save function (there is one, but only while youre playing; if you quit and come back you have to restart the level). Could use more levels, oh, and less slowdown. Sometimes it gets downright awful.
FYI:
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is on the XBOX, Gamecube, PS2, *and* PC.
There goes your argument.
The PC version is out. *cough*torrentspy.com*cough*
I agree with your remarks about crappy consoles, however it was released on the PC as well. http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/244950.asp DVD only though.
And you didn't RTFA?
The score, by Amon Tobin, nicely accentuates the mood and temp of the game with a modern vibe that never feels as though it was composed by software. Tobin's composition, his first for a videogame, is very promising. I hope to hear more from him in the future.
The co-op mode, finally, could have been more fleshed out. Cooperative play is one of the most interesting aspects of modern gaming, and I would have liked to see a more developed co-op aspect for this title.
Were we playing the same game? The simple fact that these four HUGE levels (with more to come, eventually) were developed specifically for co-op and require you to work together directly with a teamate (or you can't pass the mission) demonstrates who incredibly well the co-op was designed. I don't thing I can even name another co-op game (aside from Phantasy Star Online) where it was impossible to get through a level without your teamate timing something with you perfectly. Each level has at least one moment where you and your teammate must do something simultaneously in order to get past it, like disarming bombs, mixing chemicals, etc. And several other places where you can't move on to the next area of the level without help from your teammate. On top of that, you can play through these huge levels differently every time if you so choose. Aside from some occasional disconnect and slowdown issues on co-op, I've never seen a better co-op mode in any game, ever, hand's down. Heck, even the simple fact that guards can hear the two of you talking is something special. A less-developed co-op would've been to simply give us the single-player levels and allow two people to play on them (which I'd gladly take as content download).
And admittedly, Zonk says he doesn't have a lot of previous Splinter Cell experience, but this one is hands-down easy if you want it to be. No more trial-and-error gameplay, alternate paths, added knife ability (which makes it really easy to kill armed people even after they've spotted you), more accurate guns (also easier to kill), and a handy save anywhere feature, this one is pretty easy to get through compared to the other two games. As a result, I've managed to get 100% ratings on a couple levels the first time through, without really even meaning to (which means not being detected, completing all objectives, and not killing anyone).
"9/10"
- Slashdot Daily -
[Fade to Black]
...and it should be known by now
In the corner of my room lays three, unused, obsolete, $150 consoles. In my corner lays my single computer I've always had updated occasionally for the same price of those three consoles. Difference? My PC hasn't been lost in the interest of game developers. No new games released for my SNES vs whats just released today for my PC. Plus, I can use my PC to surf, print, type, develop, and things I can't even imagine. The day my console can do that is the day my console becomes an un-upgradeable computer.
"and despite some nonexistent devices to further gameplay (like hacking a computer from across a room)" I didn't know wardriving belongs to sci-fi.
Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
Ah great, I can remove the firewall software tonight.
Same here. Stealth games bore and frustrate me.
Tom Clancy's jingoistic pro-military, pro-police-state propaganda and lackluster dialogue aside, the game is beautiful and it really hits its stride when you plug into the internet and start testing out their multiplayer modes.
:D
The co-op play is a real joy to behold, and the versus play is a really original take on multiplayer "shooters." You wouldn't think a 2v2 where one side has guns and the other side is devoted to stealth would work. It's not perfect, but it's surprisingly successful, noticeably balanced, and deep.
There is just nothing quite like sneaking up behind a merc as he saunters past you down a corridor, grabbing his neck, holding down the button and whispering something offensive into his ear before you snap his neck. Or for that matter, watching a spy do a 20 foot header through the air from a grenade you dropped right at his feet while he was trying to sneak past you.
When you see an alarm go off, and are rushing through some dark basement area towards it and think you catch something moving in the shadows, but it disappears when you shine your flashlight on it, you feel real fear.
Congrats to Ubisoft. No dobut they'll make the mint selling extras over the XBox live channel to boot...
Tired of Political Trolls? Opt Out!
The only thing I found lacking in the game was knowing where to go in Co-Operative play. In addition to removing your binoculars you do not have access to a map. This was frustrating on the first co-op level in trying to figure out how to get into the big fancy server room to end the mission, without really knowing where you had to go.
With the game being so new there were no walkthroughs for the co-op mode either. But I am pretty sure that has changed by now.
I just don't understand "consoles have to be purchased and maintained for years to come". What maintenance are you talking about?
Well, one way to look at it is that consoles do need to be maintained so that they will still run for years to come, whereas I can just go buy any PC and play games from yesteryear (as long as they aren't too old...such as old DOS games). I recently had to replace the power supply in my Xbox, and since modern consoles have more moving parts (as compared to, say, an SNES or Genesis), this could be a problem.
Then again, I don't think that was what he was getting at. I don't think his message was coherent at all, really...I mean, consoles have to be purchased and maintained? As if PCs DON'T have to be purchased and maintained? And I'd like him to show me one PC purchased in 2001 that runs Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory...and no, no upgrades allowed. I guarantee it cost more than 300 dollars at the time.
Forgive me for not being uptodate on the latest marketing. Replace game title with "Halo 2" to reinforce my point.
There's a PS2 and PC version of Splinter Cell.
"Mr. Fisher" is the main character of the reviewed game, and he must use stealth. So, instead of giving parent poster its deserved +1 funny, you scream your ignorance with -1 offtopic. Oh well...
yiff-yiff-yiff?
Because it allways feels stale. As far as I'm concerned, no stealth game will ever see my money without a flamethrower, which everyone in the business knows is stealthy tool number one.
P.S. No more pictures! Only ASCII art is appropriate for slashdot.
Pretty sure its out for PC, too. Least its on the torrent sites.
~ Crummy
First of all, let me tell you, I think you should let game reviews for other web pages, personally I like Metacritic a lot.
Secondly, although I have not played the game, after reading some user reviews from the above page I found someone who stated:
the no blood thing is terrible for a game like this. This is an Adult game so why no blood?
I can just say come on! why the heck there is no blood??
Also, if the bad guys spawn in predetermined places, as the same reviewer states "kind of like the first Super Mario Bros. [...], you know exactly when and where to move the second time around ( either dying and spawning over or just playing the game a second time all together )"
So, maybe the replayability levelfor this game is low, but anyway I a fan of the Hitman series, lets see if there is a new Hitman sequel and, how is it going.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Don't know why they had to change the Interface 3 times in 3 games. IMHO the first one with the PDA was the best. It obivous they were going by sponsors, ie Palm 1st game, Ericsson 2nd game, 3rd game ????. The "in-game" interface for the 3rd game is slow and looks just like some shitty menu. It just make me feel like I'm back at the game menu as opposed to a spy looking at the pda on his wrist.
:) They HAVE to do expansion packs. Beyond them wanting your money with reagards to the single player game there is just no reason to keep putting out entirely new games. All the tools they need are already done, just put out expansion packs for $19.95 every 3 months and trust me people WILL buy them. Shit if they just put on expansion packs for the 1st game I'd pay again what I've already spent on games 2 and 3.
Also I preferred the night vision from the previous games where once you switched it on the whole screen just went "green". Now when you turn on night vision you look through a green fisheye lens. Its still useable, just not worth doing and not and improvement.
Finally I have to say if you've played the 1st two games even on Expert this game is just way too easy. I tried to challenge myself, but even though I didn't set off 1 single alarm nor get seen by guards the game was just too easy.
Finally, finally,
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
The single player is excellent. They fixed a lot of little problems in the previous games. You can switch shoulders for your weapon (which was the biggest UI change I saw, which was great). Unfortunately, you can't switch your firing mode for your SC-20 now. It's "pressure sensitive"--so good luck not accidentally squeezing off a few bullets instead of one.
That being said, the multiplayer is impossible unless you play with someone you know and you're using a mic. Also, the multiplayer isn't the same executable as the SP game, and it's probably nearly unchanged from Pandora Tomorrow. Which is irritating because I mouse with my left hand, but the multiplayer doesn't recognize left mouse button mappings.
Also, make sure you've got the latest drivers. I kept getting a BSOD until I realized my audio drivers weren't up-to-date.
Plays great on my laptop. Specs: 3GHz HT processor, 1GB RAM, ATI Radeon Mobility 9600 (128 MB).
Oh, and the Collectors Edition isn't worth it.
. . . are great. "Supermodified" is very catchy, but nowhere near as polished as "From Out of Nowhere." I have the soundtrack to Chaos Theory and I like it a lot, but it doesn't really show off how insanely detailed his compositions can get.
Monster Zero is the reason we cannot live on the surface, but must live forever live underground like this.
for real or that BS one that's been out since the release?
For those who have never played any of the splinter cell games, Chaos Theory does not lend itself to the pick-up-and-go person without a little frustration along the way. I consider myself somewhat proficient at figuring stuff out with unfamilar games, but I actually had to *cough* break out the manual *cough* to figure out how to do most everything. I'm assuming the 'how-to' stuff is covered in previous games. The only other complaint is - what is with game developers not supporting at least 480p? Regardless, the game looks pretty good for not being any flavor of HD.
Once you get the hang of it, it's actually rather fun and a nice change of pace from the run-around-and-blow-everything-up type games that are generally prevalent.
Am I the only shocked that the "worthile" list does not include RTSs? Ah, Broodwar, you stole my youth away.
I agree with your second point, but I'd also add that it is pretty hard to get PCs to play games more than 6 years old. Even non-DOS games have a lot of problems, especially those games that only work on Win95. And I still miss some of my DOS games (though I suppose a lot of the more worthwhile ones have win-friendly ports, like quake).
I've still got an Atari 2600, a nintendo, genesis, dreamcast, etc., and none of them have ever had to be "maintained" (expect maybe blowing dust out of the nintendo). I really don't know what this guy was on about, either.
...the fact that you're still here reading and posting away just proves that you're one of those retards.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I guess.
...is that the PC-version has been in stores for WEEKS, and it's STILL not cracked! I guess the new version of the protection "StarForce 3" was really hard to crack!
You better watch out, there may be dogs about . .
Why game reviews on Slashdot?
What next, some big breasted asian chick who watches Style network most of the time replaces Taco?
First off, I must say that I truly enjoy Chaos Theory as a game. However, I have to bring up the fact that I believe the Ubisoft tried to ruin the game with a number of other problems. For example, the extensive DVD checking which takes place during each and every launch of the game. Apparently, it has an issue with my DVD drive, such that it takes several minutes to perform the check. On my brand new AMD64 laptop, it refuses to run, since the GeForce 4 440 is apparently not good enough. However, I understand it to run on lesser GeForce cards. And last, but not least, it includes two (poorly printed) serial numbers required for play. The install key appears to be the same (on the three copies which I have seen) and the serial number has never been asked for (perhaps for online play?). Why do they insist on making this so diffucult? In summary: Great game...once you get to play it!
Why is it that all of these FPS console games are so dark that you can barely see anything. Even with the game's brightness settings as high as they will go, it is still necessary to set the television brightness unnaturally high.
Why are these games so damn dark. I'm not a nocturnal animal. I need light to see.
I don't really see your reasoning on that one. "Thief, The Dark Project" was released in 1998, and is more centered on using magic and other interesting extraordinary abilities to accomplish some number of goals.
"Metal Gear 1", on the other hand, was released in 1987, and is basically the epithome of the first stealth game. While I do see the whole "hide in the shadows" aspect of "Thief," it seems that sneaking around in MG1 with a knife, pistol, full-body suit, and pair of night vision goggles really defines "stealth game" to me a lot better.
Spilter Cell: Popcorn eyeglasses
Unix is mysterious, and ancient, and strong. It's made of cast iron and the bones of heroic programmers of old -
If we are going for the originator wouldn't it actually have been Castle Wolfenstein? That came out roughly six years before the original Metal Gear and featured stealth as an integral game mechanic.
Though I agree with the other poster who wrote that the stealth gameplay in Splinter Cell has far more in common with what Thief pioneered rather than the simpler Metal Gear/Castle Wolfenstein stealth gameplay models.
There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
I thought "why is a video game review on Slashdot?" Then, I saw the use of "center around" at the beginning. Hooray for poor grammar usage! Boo for advertising poorly done video games!
I have the first Splinter Cell on my XBox. I feel like it was a waste of money (the game, not the XBox ;)) It's all eye candy and no substance. Realism is touted as one of the games selling points, but let's be honest, it seems to be restricted only to the graphics, not to the actual plot, etc.
The AI is extremely simple. Enemies have no memory what-so-ever. That's so realistic! Disturb them a couple of times and after a while they'll always go back to what they were doing. Somehow they seem to be able to see in the dark too! And how many people on a level must disappear before others start noticing that it's become awfully quiet? How can they shoot so accurately when I've taken out all the lights, and I've moved around?
The game is also extremely linear with a very constrained map. Furthermore, this is another game (like Halo) that I completed in under a week. It has less substance and real game play than most of the FPS games I've played over the last 10+ years. It's all fancy graphics and nothing else. That's my opinion... so will somebody please tell me what the attraction is?
That interview says rather slyly:
For a more honest look at how he actually composes ("play all the instruments yourself", haha :) ), then try this interview from Sound on Sound magazine.
It's funny, but the /. stance on sampling and electronic music seems curiously luddite for people so enamoured with the idea of collaborative software development, "commons"-style re-use of ideas, creative product and 'intellectual property'. I often see statements like "sampling is just stealing someone else's tune because you're too lame to write your own", which is an extremely naive and prejudiced opinion - albeit an understandable one, if the only sample-based music you've been exposed to is P Diddly.
Honestly - read the interview, which covers both the practical and "ethical" aspects of sampling, and check out Tobin's music, and see if you don't feel a little different. Here's a taster:
Why are these games so damn dark. I'm not a nocturnal animal. I need light to see.
Which is exactly why the good folks at Ubisoft took the time to outfit you with night vision goggles.
I have played all three SCs and I can say I have enjoyed this one the most.
Pros:
Best cut scenes and voice acting
Great storyline
Addition of the soundmeter has added a great deal of skill necessary to complete some missions
Better AI (still pretty average overall)
Mission statistics
Detailed levels and character interactions (those going through Japanese house through the floor shaft know what I mean)
Sam's mannerisms change when moving close to objects (creeping up on people)
Better and more realistic weapon selection
The EM jammer on the pistol (no need to blow out every light)
Breaking, kicking in doors
Primary, secondary, bonus, and opportunity objectives
Hacking computers
Changing weapon shoulders
Jumpy NPCs when you have spooked them a couple of times
Misses:
Mission statistics subtract for all kills but not for knocking everyone out...would like to have seen this modified to at least deduct from the mission score if a NPC was not guarding a particular computer or target. Mission scores should reward pure stealth.
No back-to-the-wall shooting
AI still is pretty bad, but is getting better. For instance, I take down a buddy and the other NPC does not try to look for him. Also, everyone seems to have radios but NPCs are not worried when someone doesn't check-in. However, it has gotten better, if doors are left open or closed the NPCs will get suspicious also the NPCs will at least use some squad tactics when challenged.
In all I have enjoyed SC:CT a great deal. Also, I will be crawling back through the game again because the mission statistics now make it a challenge to try to go through the entire game unnoticed and unseen.
"offers up familiar gameplay that never once feels stale"
He's right, there's nothing quite as refreshign as standing still for 10 minutes turning to shoot lights. Screw health drinks, it's how I start every day!
Do you see what I did there?
I'd also add that it is pretty hard to get PCs to play games more than 6 years old.
Tried Dosbox? It plays all my favourites just fine...
The X-box has existed for three years and is still going strong. In that time I have purchased a new computer already, as most gamers do. It was more expensive than an X-Box.
The graphics aren't bad, and it's easy to just pop in a disc and start playing, which is less so on a PC.
While I prefer PC gaming as a whole, there ain't nothing wrong with consoles.
Gee... the article is about the third generation of the game, and you decide it's high time to go lambaste the old one.
Do we need to wait until Splinter Cell V to hear what you think of III?
While I give credit for the writers for trying to spice up the cliched subject matter (which, like all Tom Clancy material, revolves around terrorism) with a little infobabble (we've moved past portable nukes), I've broken down laughing many times while playing this game.
I can't speak for laymen, but as a guy who has taken quite a few classes on formal languages, algorithms, and the theory of computation, terms like "weaponized algorithms", the mystery of "512 encryption", the forbidden secret of "recursive functions", and having to steal (and use) "access algorithms" on servers always gets me going.
The writers of this game would have you believe that the fate of the world rests in the careful control of these so-called "Masse kernels", capable of some sort of uber-intrusion. I don't see how any of the possible interpretations of that (popcorn, OS, or sigproc tool) are such a threat, but maybe these writers know more than we suppose at first.
The end-all, very best line in the story (and I won't spoil it by providing the context) is the startling realization that the villians have access to an INFINITE STATE MACHINE!!! I suppose the surprise this is met with is justified, since we'd have to rewrite a lot of textbooks (and not just CS ones) to accomodate that. The only problem is, they didn't specify if it was deterministic or non....
Still, the game was a treat on almost every level and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to play it.
njord
This is what I do. I build a new bleeding edge pc and every other year I sell it to my friends for cost in new parts - 150.00. This usually gets me enough cash to build a new bleeding edge pc for 300-450.00.
I feel that 450.00 to play the newest games and do all my job functions as well as all the other things I do with my pc (game mods, internet browsing, programming, etc) is well worth it compared to the 200.00 I spent on my xbox.
That said, as keyboards and mice become more common for consoles, and as I get older and find myself playing less and less games, it makes sense to keep a older computer and just update the consoles. I find myself buying less and less games each year and renting more games.
So time will tell, but I suspect I'll soon be a slave to Microsoft in a different manner than a OS (Unless I'll be using GNU/Box sometime soon to play console games, but I dont see open source hardware taking off anytime soon).
My little brother has a PS2, and about 2 years ago, I played Splinter Cell for a bit to see what it was all about. I really enjoyed it, although I hated the alarms going off when I left some dumbass dead in a hallway. Irritating, but part of the whole "don't leave evidence behind" concept, I guess.
Does this series translate well to a PC? And is there a strong multiplayer group out their playing the MP version for PC?
IronChefMorimoto
Ok moderators, here is more practice for you in discerning flamebait from a legitimate opinion.
Its been said before and I'll say it again, first person shooters are best left on the PC. They just aren't "right" on the consoles.
Digital is, by definition, imperfect. Analog is the way to go.
Its been said before and I'll say it again, first person shooters are best left on the PC. They just aren't "right" on the consoles.
That's a legitimate point, as the analog sticks on console controllers often lack the same precision as a mouse when it comes to aiming. Your comparison falls apart when you take a deeper look at the game and realize that there are also platforming elements involved - and in that respect, consoles have always been the way to go for platforming games.
The multiplayer, which IMO is the true draw of the 2nd and 3rd games, illustrates this point quite nicely. I have yet to try the PC version, mind you, but I can't quite see how (outside of using a controller) one can get the same degree of control over the Spy (i.e. Sam Fisher) side of the game using the traditional keyboard-mouse setup.
The PS2 version is crippled due to the underpowered hardware. Levels are changed to avoid large areas. Destructible elements (esp lights) aren't destructible, and so on. Pandora Tomorrow was really bad in this respect, and by all accounts CT is as bad or worse.
They say if you only have a PS2 you wont miss the differences, but I sure did with PT. Going to pass on CT - maybe give it a once over on rental, because it really is a massively fun series, but only if you have an Xbox or PC.
Sony is going to be bleeding come Christmas if they really are holding back the PS3 until Q1 2006.
No, I did not read the f***ing article!
and there is always a vent....
I purchased, yes I said purchased, this game on Saturday afternoon and basically did nothing else until I had to go to work this morning.
I LOVE THIS GAME. It's sooooo good. 10/10.
Whether its a slashvertisement OR just another HORRIBLE game review by zonk, this SHOULDNT be on slashdot. Fuck off zonk.
Not every worthwhile game title involves headshots, big explosions, high speed racing, or athletic prowess.
Unless they've changed the concept for Chaos Theory, 3 out of 4 ain't bad.
It looks like everyone is wearing plastic clothes and has plastic skin. The developers should tone down the specular reflection, or experiment with other lighting models.
I was playing this just a few minutes ago, I play it about an hour a week. I'm on the 4th mission now. I was walking and I saw this ingame advertisement for "The Longest Yard" a movie that's comeing out in May. Now this brought me to think Doesn't this game take place in 2007 or 2008.... Now why would they have an advertisement for a movie that came out 3 years before the events in the game? Stupid continuity.
This is a typical microsoft product.(LOTS OF BUGS) I got stuck in the floor 10 times on my first time through and some lights could not be shot out even with a sniper rifle. MGS1 & 3 totally kick its ass in storyline and gameplay. Oh yeah one more thing, NOT ONE DROP OF BLOOD IN THE WHOLE GAME!!!
No, the first time graphics popped up here at Slashdot was when they reviewed Halo 2 a few weeks ago.
Still a relatively new phenomenon however.
"There's no success like failure, and failure's no success at all."
- Bob Dylan
FPSes are best left on PC. Splinter Cell is in 3rd person.
That's right, there are FOUR (4) major systems out right now, one is sitting right in front of you. Unless you run your Linux off a console...
I installed Windows XP (yes, a "genuine" copy) just so I could play this game on my desktop.
Basically it comes complete with crappy/annoying copy protection. It installs some weird driver that requires you to reboot(!) after installation. You then have to enter two keys: one from the manual and one from the disc case. Then you are allowed to play the game that you just laid down $60 for.
They sure invested a lot of time in copy protection. Not that it did them any good - I looked and found plenty of pre-cracked torrents for the damn game. So, basically all the copy protection did was turn me from a satisfied customer into a pissed off customer.
The weirdest aspect: the installer analyzes your PC before installing the game. However, the analysis isn't able to determine whether or not you can run it. That particular bit of data is calculated after you install, reboot and enter your keys.
The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
The game looks good but I'm goign to be holding out for a similar game:
Cold War
I've been following it for over a year now and according to rumor it's supposed to be released sometime this year. And there's going to be a linux port so long as the devs stick to their word.
What about the ads for "Airwaves" chewing gum in the game? I haven't played it myself, but I hear that there is at least one CG scene that is essentially a gum commercial. Sam Fisher whips out the gum, label-out, the camera takes a look at the stuff, and he pops it in his mouth.
From what I hear, it adds nothing to the game, and is really blatant. Even worse than the ads in Burnout 3 or Need for Speed Underground 2.
Personally, I wouldn't buy a game with blatant advertising like that.
It just wouldn't be /. if there wasn't somebody ridiculing Tom Clancy, in knee-jerk reaction form (note the adjectives, but the lack of real argument). That's a meme that, no matter how oft-repeated, never seems to disappear.