Story

It is the year 2003. (the game was made in 2002) In response to the growing use of sophisticated digital encryption to conceal potential threats to the national security of the United States, the NSA (National Security Agency) has ushered forth a new dawn of intelligence- gathering techniques. This top-secret initiative, dubbed Third Echelon, marks a return to classical methods of espionage, enhanced with leading-edge surveillance and combat technology for the aggressive collection of stored data in hostile territories. When intelligence deemed critical to national security cannot be obtained by traditional means, Third Echelon is granted clearance to conduct physical operations. Denied to exist by the U.S. government, Third Echelon deploys units known as Splinter Cells: elite intelligence-gathering forces consisting of a lone field operative supported by a remote team. Like a sliver of glass, a Splinter Cell is small, sharp, and nearly invisible. March 10, 2004: The CIA contacted NSA officials regarding the loss of contact with Agent Alison Madison, a CIA operative monitoring widespread communication shortages plaguing the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. A second operative, Agent Blaustein, was inserted into the Georgian capital T\'bilisi to locate Agent Madison, only to drop from contact seven days later. Fearing for the lives of American agents compromised at the hands of a suspected terrorist effort, Third Echelon has activated Splinter Cell operative Sam Fisher to locate the missing agents and evaluate the situation. You are Sam Fisher. You must leave no trace on the physical or political map. Remember: Although killing may compromise secrecy, the choice between leaving a witness or a corpse is no choice at all. You do not exist. You are a Splinter Cell. (from the splinter cell manual)

Game Play

You play from a third-person perspective as Sam Fisher, highly trained in high-risk espionage missions. You act in stealth and are sent to find certain information as your goals. Sam carries both a silenced pistol and a silenced SC-20k machine gun/sniper rifle but you use them only as a last resort. Stealth is your top priority. You are paid to be invisible. There several missions that take place all around the world, but mostly in the Republic of Georgia. Sam has to hack computers, steal items, and interrogate certain people he runs into.

Enemies

Your enemies consist mainly of guerrilla soldiers but also include police officers, security guards, and terrorists. Though they all come from different parts of the world, they are all basically the same, except you can\'t kill the police officers no matter how desperate your situation. It should be noted that you will find yourself pulling out your gun and shooting enemies quite a bit during the game. You do have the option of rendering your enemies unconscious instead of killing them, but it is impossible to complete the entire game without killing enemies.

Graphics

The graphics in this video game are mediocre by today\'s Next-Gen standards, but considering the game was made in 2002, the Graphics are AMAZING for its time. Gameplay graphics are rich in detail, and Sam Fisher\\'s character will stun you with how detailed his uniform is. During gameplay fingers may occasionally stick together or mouths may not move when talking but this goes highly unnoticed. Cinematics graphics are great for the average 2002 game, and detail is huge. Mouths move when talking, clothing is highly detailed, and no finger sticks. Graphics get an A+.

Appropriate?

The game is rated teen for blood/gore and violence. Small red blotches of blood can be seen every now and then, but there really is none at all. Dead/Unconscious bodies do not disappear, as a very big part of the game is to hide these bodies so your character will not be detected. Swear words are basically non-existant in the game, though if your character makes a serious mistake to compromise or fail the mission your commander will shout at you , \'Christ Fisher, have you gone mad!?!\'. In some levels it is better to kill enemies than knock them out (because enemies can awaken unconscious enemies if they come across them) and this should be taken into thought when deciding to play the game(Joke: killing terrorists can\'t be all that bad, can it?). I would say that the game is appropriate for anyone of the age 11 or older.

Availability?

Brand-new copies of this game are easy to find at most game selling stores, and they run at just over $13. Used copies can run as low as $4.99, but I would recommend a copy with the \'Greatest Hits\' in red text at the top of the case.