Splinter Cell Review Retrospective - Does Sam Fisher's debut still hold up?

An in depth review/retrospective of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, a stealth classic approaching twenty years.
My GOG affiliate link: adtr.co/Hjf4Mk
Come join the Kirk.Collects Discord: / discord
Please follow me on Twitter: / kirkcollects
Please follow me on Instagram: / kirkcollects
Please follow me on Tik Tok: @kirkcollects
Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Review: • Splinter Cell Pandora ...
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Review: • Splinter Cell Chaos Th...
Splinter Cell Double Agent Review: • Splinter Cell Double A...
Metal Gear Retrospective: • Metal Gear Review Retr...
PC GAMING WIKI: www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Tom...
Nick930 fix guide: • Splinter Cell (2002) |...
Eighteen years ago Ubisoft Montreal developed the original Splinter Cell kicking off one of strongest stealth franchises known to gaming. It also introducing gamers to Sam Fisher, a legendary anti-hero played by Michael Ironside.
The Splinter Cell series has had some incredible highs and a few lows but the franchise has always stayed consistent and its titles rank among some of the best stealth games ever made, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory for example. It's no wonder fans are antsy for a new entry especially after the under appreciated Splinter Cell Blacklist (who knows maybe splinter cell VR will be cool).
But 18 years after its release how does the original game hold up? Is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell still the height of stealth action gaming? Find out in this review retrospective.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Montreal. It is available for Xbox, PC (GOG, STEAM, Uplay) PS2, PS3 and Gamecube.
Timecodes:
00:00 - Start
1:17 - The making of Splinter Cell.
2:44 - The Premise - Fifth Freedom.
4:33 - Splinter Cell narrative.
6:01 - Sam Fisher.
7:35 - Michael Ironside.
8:38 - Splinter Cell presentation.
10:43 - Basic stealth mechanics.
12:43 - Level design.
14:20 - Mission 01 - Police Station
15:09 - Weapons and combat.
15:56 - Splinter Cell gadgets.
17:48 - Mission 02 - Georgian Defense Ministry.
18:26 - Guard AI - Close quarters combat.
19:38 - Hiding guards - Alarm system - Security cameras.
20:55 - Mission 03 - Oil Rig - Acrobatics.
22:58 - Mission 04 - CIA HQ.
23:44 - SC20K and its gadgets.
25:18 - Mission 05 - Kalinatek.
26:23 - The joys of wall mines.
26:51 - The Yangon Trio.
28:14 - The turrets.
29:08 - Final Mission: Georgian Presidential Palace.
29:55 - Splinter Cell Bonus Missions.
30:32 - Conclusion.
#splintercell #samfisher #ubisoft #tomclancy #splintercellreview #splintercellgameplay #ubisoftmontreal #xbox
If you enjoy this video please subscribe for reviews, impressions and other gaming content.
Written and edited by Kirk McLaughlin
Graphics by Steven Hilton - @stevenbydesign , stevenxdesign.com
Please follow me on Twitter: / kirkcollects
Please follow me on Instagram: / kirkcollects

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Is everybody still able to walk? Because I had to roll myself out of bed with all the pounds of turkey and sides packed into my stomach. Anyways, Splinter Cell this week! A bit of a switch up from my usual but I do love me some stealth gaming. Some of you might be familiar with the videos I did on the Thief series earlier in the year and since then I wanted to follow them up by revising first of the Splinter Cell series. If there's a good reaction to this I will definitely follow up with Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory. Once again I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was excellent and as always I hope everyone is staying safe, healthy, and are able to get some quality gaming in today. Timecodes: 1:17 - The making of Splinter Cell. 2:44 - The Premise - Fifth Freedom. 4:33 - Splinter Cell narrative. 6:01 - Sam Fisher. 7:35 - Michael Ironside. 8:38 - Splinter Cell presentation. 10:43 - Basic stealth mechanics. 12:43 - Level design. 14:20 - Mission 01 - Police Station 15:09 - Weapons and combat. 15:56 - Splinter Cell gadgets. 17:48 - Mission 02 - Georgian Defense Ministry. 18:26 - Guard AI - Close quarters combat. 19:38 - Hiding guards - Alarm system - Security cameras. 20:55 - Mission 03 - Oil Rig - Acrobatics. 22:58 - Mission 04 - CIA HQ. 23:44 - SC20K and its gadgets. 25:18 - Mission 05 - Kalinatek. 26:23 - The joys of wall mines. 26:51 - The Yangon Trio. 28:14 - The turrets. 29:08 - Final Mission: Georgian Presidential Palace. 29:55 - Splinter Cell Bonus Missions. 30:32 - Conclusion.

[@littlebadassgaming]

Will you cover any other Splinter Cell games?

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@littlebadassgaming Yep!

[@SuperiorNo1]

MGS2 is Superior and the Greatest Stealth Game Ever and will Never Be surpassed 😈

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@SuperiorNo1 *Suddenly MGS3 kicks open the door*👹

[@SuperiorNo1]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS Far Inferior to MGS2 Graphically Physics and Story 😈

[@hauntedhotdog]

The original is still quite playable, but man it's hard not to be reminded of how high Chaos Theory would set the bar just a few years later. That game is nearly perfect.

[@87GNX]

While I love the original 3, Chaos Theory is definitely the best, followed by the 1st one.

[@AMPYMCSTAMPY]

I never got the chance to play choir theory, but I bough all the games on steam and am currently playing through the first game again, and wow. I am more than rusty from when I used to play them with my uncle. 😂😂 Looking forward to playing them all.

[@DontKnowHowToTypeIn2]

​did you play "choir theory" yet? i've heard it's got a great soundtrack

[@wentoneisendon6502]

I do like chaos theory but Pandora tomorrow will always be my favourite. It was my first

[@dannypalmer3581]

I played blacklist then Chaos theory and am painfully getting through the first one now It’s a great game but holy shit the gameplay is exponentially more frustrating

[@ZFCaio]

I still have my PC disc to this day, Splinter Cell is a masterpiece

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

One of my favorites as well.

[@samfisher9661]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS splinter cell is a master piece and the best video game franchise ever created

[@megyskermike]

I just wish we could have more like the first 3 in this series. It slowly degraded into shite...like almost every ubisoft property. The original will always hold such a special place in my heart; to this day it's still my favorite story in the series. It's absolutely a masterpiece~

[@rambo-cambo3581]

This isn't a brag - but I still play the OG XBox disc to this day. The console itself works as well as the day it was bought and the game holds up enough to play it :) I usually play Chaos Theory, but either way - no point in buying the games twice

[@realitynowassigned]

The third one is where it's at tho

[@repubblesmcglonky8990]

Splinter Cell is one of those games that are a bit inaccessible but when you master it, it's really good

[@AD3SPG]

I'm way late but yeah I remember playing for the first time in 2006 a buddy didn't like the game, and I loved it just from the tutorial and coming back to it again in late 2022 I was impatient and damn that sound realism gets me now.

[@princeblasian3735]

I feel like most (or almost all) Ubistoft games can be described this way. Both good and bad games

[@E-0921]

@@AD3SPG it’s been a very long time since I played the 1st one. Back then I was not very good with stealth games and even when I memorized some of the stuff, I was still getting my ass handed to me. Idk what it is about splinter cell but it calls me back and I just want to ghost the hell out of every mission. It’s just something about it as someone who is really shit at stealth just cannot turn away from.

[@vonslakken6518]

It tugs at my heart strings to hear Lambert's voice again.

[@lahcenebelbachir7929]

Lambert was the best. The newer games just don't feel the same without him.

[@dignusdingus3709]

I'm so glad, growing up with SC since being a kid, I managed to keep that plot twist in Conviction under wraps until I finally played it in 2019. Still love the guy but, DAMN

[@807D14M0ND5]

The heavy grounded movement just still looks so good to me. Newer titles like blacklist are just too fast and lightweight. Like I'm controlling an origami figure.

[@karlispraulins7279]

True, when playing newer titles (almost any 3rd person shooter honestly) I still remember the option in SC first games to control your character speed with the mouse wheel. A fantastic way to allow the player to control the pacing of the game. Don't understand how it hasn't stuck around. Sam felt truly real, as a written character and a playable one.

[@kotalkan4482]

Are you talking about the way it climbs? or your way of walking?

[@807D14M0ND5]

@@kotalkan4482 almost all of it

[@kotalkan4482]

@@807D14M0ND5 ok, But what do you mean by havy grounded movement?

[@stoorald]

@@kotalkan4482 i think he means how the older games had you move around more slower, more tactical. that’s what i prefer about it anyway. the new games have you running around like it’s cod

[@jeyerlulz]

Oh my god Splinter Cell... I can't even describe what this series means to me. I will always choose Splinter Cell over Metal Gear Solid. And the fact that Ubisoft treats us fans like babies with NVG easter eggs in their game or making Sam a playable character instead is an insult to me when we've been waiting for a new game for ages.

[@arches_aviation8584]

Agreed. Ubisoft really mistreats us. Every single year we ask for a new Splinter Cell and the only thing we get is some random person getting interviewed says "oh yeah splinter cell uhm yea that's a game" and we still get hyped just at the mention of Splinter Cell from Ubisoft.

[@JZStudiosonline]

I grew up on Splinter Cell, having been given an Xbox by my older brother. But Splinter Cell doesn't hold a candle to MGS's gameplay. Any of them. Still wish Ubi would continue the franchise, but I'm pretty much 100% they'll fuck it up.

[@lahcenebelbachir7929]

@@JZStudiosonline I wouldn't even compare SC to MGS. Chaos Theory is on a league of its own. Best stealth game in my opinion.

[@JZStudiosonline]

@@lahcenebelbachir7929 Okay, so I've 100% played Chaos Theory and I absolutely don't get everyone's fascination with it. MGS at least offers different play styles and has far more depth than SC. I'd only argue SC is slightly more stealth focused... but only barely. And you can move while crouching instead of laying down.

[@samc8456]

I agree, splinter cell was the first game ingot on my Xbox when I was a kid and I've played every one so many times over. More than any other game. And I never got why people liked MGS so much. I wanna know what I'm missing tho lol. Which one was THE ONE to play?! And how was it BETTER than splinter cell??

[@sledgehamr6303]

I would love a complete remaster of this game

[@ronrocker7131]

I think, you meant a REMAKE. Would be cool, I agree.

[@MotherViksChaat]

@@ronrocker7131it’s happening LFG

[@sj-30000]

​@@MotherViksChaat Is it? They're taking their time. There's no reason why they can't put the first 3 on premium

[@kg_canuck]

I got the original and Pandora Tomorrow together for $5 when i was like 9 years old. They were two of the very first games I ever bought on my own, i remember being absolutely blown away by the level of detail and interaction. I still rarely get the feeling of involvement in gameplay that I got when first playing those games.

[@arthurrevan5811]

The OG trilogy is absolutely classic. Atmospheric as hell. With excellent sound design, lighting, levels and V/A. These were the gold standards of stealth action. Where tactical espionage was like a tension building chess game. I revisit this series (each entry having their own personalities) every so often and it’s like linking up with an old friend. Thank you Sam Fisher and friends.

[@YourPalHDee]

I honestly think Double Agent doesn't get enough credit. My favourite game on the Xbox 360 by far.

[@kingstarscream320]

@@YourPalHDee The PS2 Double Agent was good but I feel like they dropped the ball with the next-gen versions.

[@karlispraulins7279]

@@kingstarscream320 agree

[@loudneiv4653]

How do you get to play the second episode ?

[@CriticalNobody]

I like Splinter Cell too. Big clap, much good.

[@YourPalHDee]

Thanks for recommending this video dude.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Much thanks! I’ve seen all your content on the series, phenomenal stuff! Big big clap.

[@RAVEN-uj5zq]

Yes my friend we are SC fans😉happy new year🙌

[@jtc6366]

You are awesome

[@louisivorra4837]

I recently came back to splinter cell and chaos theory, and they definitely still are awesome games. This time I decided to try the ghost playstyle (no detections, no kills, and not even knockouts if possible) and I think it is the best way to play these games, it felt very rewarding.

[@maxnovakovics2568]

Im doing that with Deus Ex human revolution right now, love it

[@gaellorenzo3006]

I decided to buy splinter cell 1 and chaos theory in 2020, its worth it, chaos theory still holds up with the new gen games, and splinter cell, has old graphics.. but that doesnt matter. the stealth is amazing

[@laos85]

Blacklist is my favourite. Sometime if listen to ppl online is misleading

[@arx3516]

I bought Chaos Theory on Steam 2 years ago and it had massive issues with the lighting, i couldn't see anything.

[@BigNast93]

@@arx3516 In the words of Sam Fisher, “Mmmmm, darkness”

[@Sonnymac81]

Heyyy, Chaos Theory is still a looker with 1X enhancements. Still a 10/10 masterpiece for me, it holds up insanely well.

[@laos85]

@@Sonnymac81 Chaos Theory's graphic is a leap ground breaking in graphic in its time. Blacklist has a better gameplay but it seems like they lower graphic budget in that game.

[@legioxequestris4202]

"I never left. I am Sam Fisher " You damn right you are.

[@nathanamos9945]

I would like to see a prequel for Splinter Cell. Maybe how Sam Fisher was recruited and his first mission/campaign. I think there is a missing part of his character that has never been explored.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

That could be interesting. Maybe his early days with the SEALS and eventually working with the CIA?

[@lennyking1340]

Hell yeah!

[@reoencarcelado5904]

@Nathan-Amos's-comment/post "I would like to see a prequel for Splinter Cell. Maybe how Sam Fisher was recruited and his first mission/campaign. I think there is a missing part of his character that has never been explored.": I dunno if you're talking-about his first-mission as a "Splinter Cell" [agent] of the "3rd Echelon" division of the National Security Agency, or when he joined the U.S. Military, but the [first] time he was recruited as a [NSA agent / ] "Splinter Cell" was the first videogame (ie. "Splinter Cell: Stealth-action Redefined"), and in-there you literally-see Sam Fisher talking to Lamby before he goes through the Splinter-Cell training-course and after-that, he goes through his first-mission (and not-only his first mission [as a NSA agent / Splinter-Cell] but-also the *first* mission EVER of the 3rd-Echelon program/initiative): Infiltrating the Police-Station to find-out what happened to CIA agents Madison and Blaustein. Also: If you mean exploring his LIFE *BEFORE* being a "Splinter Cell" and/or his life in the Military (and/or all the [Military] training he's gone through), I suggest you buy the original Tom-Clancy-"Splinter-Cell"[-]books that were written by the man himself (ie. Tom Clancy), not that crappy prequel-to-Blacklist comic-book Ubisoft made[-&-published] that completely-clashes with already-established lore and totally f*cks on [the-character-of] Sam Fisher and totally writes him NOT how Sam Fisher is.

[@Twisted_Logic]

My only experience with Splinter Cell was the demo on a disk that came with my Gamecube in like 2002. Couldn't figure out how to play at the time because I was 9, but because of that the series has always had a sort of mystique to it for me.

[@freddiegreen6491]

Yo same, I remember that demo disk 😂

[@Jg-gb3gp]

I’m so glad I grew up in the era of gaming when demo disc were a thing lol I had so much fun playing random weird games on them that I still think about today

[@aquariuskudo]

I remember watching someone play it Walmart and being absolutely AMAZED at the graphics, unique emphasis on light and shadows, and those GREEN goggles. I legit thought it looked real back then lol.

[@807D14M0ND5]

Demo discs were a gift from the Gods. There's a PS1 disc I played more than any other game. Mostly for Spyro and the Matt Hofman BMX game

[@douglasmcnay644]

"I never left...I am Sam Fisher." I wish that they had never changed his voice in the newest iterations....

[@reecew.1903]

They had to because the old voice actor got cancer and couldn't record the new voicelines

[@rabidredpanda2888]

Michael ironside still voices sam Fisher.

[@YourPalHDee]

100% man! Michael Ironside nailed it.

[@YourPalHDee]

@@rabidredpanda2888 he didn't in Blacklist.

[@rabidredpanda2888]

@@YourPalHDee but he said "in new iterations" in the newest iteration of Sam, it was ironside.

[@jrodagormykid9063]

This game had sooo much hype behind it back in the day. I remember playing a demo of the first level over and over waiting for the finished product.

[@grayfox7995]

I remember me and my brother were playing it in the dark, barely breathing trying to be all stealthy and shit and his wife came into the room flipped on the light and started fumbling with a plastic bag, and we paused the game and just stared at her till she left.

[@briansoley1720]

Great video ! The CIA HQ mission felt like a mission impossible scene with so much atmosphere and i still think is one of the highlights in the franchise. The first game definitely had it's charm. Pandora tomorrow had it's own and it's such a shame it is no longer available digitally

[@mayankgaur8574]

Sam Fisher's best line "Lambert: You won't get any medals for saving him Sam: Medals won't help me sleep at night."

[@Offbrand._.goat._.cheese]

I remember the times when you actually had to use night vision

[@skoomaaddict1010]

In the Embassy mission, if a guard gets run over by the truck, Lambert blames it in you.

[@karlispraulins7279]

Honestly, usually seeing your favorite childhood games makes you realize how much your brain filled in the blanks, and how it was not actually as cool as you remember. This just makes me want to play SC1 again. The game even holds up really well visually (excluding cutscenes). +Darkness was actually pitch black. Latest installments could be played without the night vision completely. This is the game that made me love gaming.

[@Offbrand._.goat._.cheese]

The dog part “Uhhh GIVING THEN PETS AND TREATS RIGHT YEAH” made me like the vid and sub, I also love giving the doggy’s pets and treats

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

All dogs deserve pets and treats. Thank you for the sub!

[@AcediaIX]

We need more splinter cell games rather than "Assassin" Creed

[@imakeshoes1]

Both

[@Mauricio-bc4jm]

Agreed

[@_MisterC]

I'm a SC fan and KZbin's algorithm usually recommend me some videos. Fortunately the recommendation was very precise, your content is pretty good! Nice Review 👍🏻

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Thank you! I'm glad the video is reaching the SC fans.

[@CagedSUPERMAN]

I love how everyone talks about metal gear, but what truly got me into stealth was syphon filter

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

That taser tho....

[@crimsonalucard]

Nobody mentions the 3 bobbing bright lights that all the enemies pretend to ignore.

[@theFROZEX]

"It's probably just -the- -Wind- three in synch Fireflies"

[@Ben_Dover753]

It's a beacon for the players, it doesn't exist in the game so to spesk.

[@AdrianOkay]

the night vision goggles emit infrared light, and that's how it's able to see in the dark, other enemies are human and they cannot see infrared light, but the camera that the player uses to follow sam around does in the multiplayer game, when you as play as the mercenaries in first person, and you see the spies you can't see their goggles light up, because you're using your unaided eyes

[@crimsonalucard]

@@AdrianOkay Military night vision goggles do not emit infrared. Look it up. There's two types of night vision. The cheap type you're describing, and the expensive type which Sam is obviously wearing.

[@AdrianOkay]

@@crimsonalucard if you're outside, sure, the moon and stars will give you plenty of IR for your goggles to see, but if you're in the -30 floor and you just cut the power to the building, there's absolutely nothing for your NV to pick on

[@Travisious]

Incredible work on this video dude! You're criminally underrated for the quality of videos you make!

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Thank you so much!

[@Jg-gb3gp]

He is. I love these smaller KZbin channels that do such amazing reviews on niche-ish games that don’t get enough appreciation

[@chrisjsoto]

B-roll that actually matches the narration in a KZbin video... Never thought I'd see the day.

[@RoelBartstra]

WTF, You can peek doors in the original Splinter Cell game???

[@BladyGra]

Late to the party, but those videos are great! I loved Splinter Cell, bought it because shop had no MGS2 discs left and proposed this as an alternative. You missed a chance to mention the PS2 port, which had a re-done opening sequence with Sara and a bonus level in the snowy area, I guess a first chance to see Sam in his white overalls. Loved the detail of him changing into sneaking suit when entering enemy compound.

[@tanelraastas5630]

Love seeing this game be revisited with in-depth well-made videos like this. This was my childhood. Thank you for making this! :)

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

You're very welcome, thank you for watching!

[@fearan9406]

I cant go back further than Chaos Theory, its the gold standard

[@laos85]

Blacklist is better and I finished both

[@currangill430]

@@laos85 It's a good game not better than Chaos Theory

[@jackcravford8744]

@@currangill430 for me, it is better with takedowns, overall gunplay and mainly AI of enemies, is challenging as hell. I really like Chaos Theory for its detailed world build and many options for many situations, but i am more into martial arts and military stuff, which is the reason why Blacklist is one of my favorite games for that. But saying, that it is better... i don't think so. My opinion is subjective.

[@currangill430]

@@jackcravford8744 Hmm...fair enough but I do martial arts too. I had fun with Blacklist but I don't think it's the best Splinter Cell. I should have rephrased what I said my bad. If you are into miltary stuff Chaos Theory was much better with the miltary stuff than Blacklist if you are looking into it from a pure realism perspective. Blacklist was more in line with a James Bond esq rather than a Tom Clancy grounded in realism I'm not saying that Blacklist was a Metal Gear Solid I'm just saying it was just less realistic than SC-SCDA.

[@currangill430]

Oh I just realized you weren't the OP Jack lol

[@WhySoAwkward]

Awesome video about an awesome game! This was the first game I got on Xbox when I was 8 years old and I feel like it completely shaped my preference in games. To this day I can still really only get into games with good stealth mechanics lol. Thanks for taking the time to put this piece together!

[@samfisher9661]

i only know 2 things Sam Fisher is a badass and splinter cell is the best franchise ever

[@matthewcb1970]

The original (plus two sequels) was an absolute masterpiece. Still holds up today with the lighting and shadows.

[@surrealistidealist]

6:08 What I emotionally connected with, during my first playthrough as a kid, was the lighting! 🤩❤️😅

[@franzpattison]

Awesome video! I really hope you do all of the other mainline entries in the series!

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Thank you! I'm planning on it!

[@franzpattison]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS I will subscribe then 😊♥

[@contrabardus]

Haven't watched the video yet, but the answer is yes. It holds up surprisingly well, mostly due to how the lighting works as a gameplay mechanic. It's not amazing graphically anymore, but still looks good due to the use of the lighting engine. Mechanically it rewards patience and precision, and doesn't have any real "issues" with how it plays. If you die, or even get spotted, it's your fault and not the controls or wonky AI. Definitely still worth playing to this day, and is the basis of a lot of modern stealth systems in games.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Yeah we're on a similar page. At risk of spoiling some of the vid my hangups today are things like the alarm system and controls for stuff like the acrobatics. But the groundwork laid by the first game is still so strong and the later games did a great job keeping that preserved and improving the things that needed improving. I had a lot of fun returning to this game.

[@Gruntvc]

Great game, but Chaos Theory definitely improved upon the original.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@Gruntvc It's still my favorite of the series.

[@Gruntvc]

@KIRK COLLECTS, The franchise definitely peaked with that one. I do like the Xbox 360 versions of Double Agent and Conviction too. Blacklist might as well have been a new stealth game. Ubisoft will never make great games again.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@Gruntvc I've actually always had a soft spot for the Xbox/PS2 version of Double Agent. Mainly because Montreal made it and its essentially an expansion pack to Chaos Theory lol I really enjoy Blacklist, but I get peoples dislike towards it. It goes in a very different direction. Plus no Michael Ironside hurt that game a lot.

[@drgunnut]

I bought chaos theory after Sam came out in Siege and I don't regret it. Great game

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

That's awesome! Chaos Theory is still my personal favorite. Was Siege your first exposure to Sam Fisher and the SC franchise?

[@drgunnut]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS no, I started with Conviction not that long after release, and played Blacklist on the Wii U a lot

[@thedudeabides3138]

Great review. Thank you for taking the time to put it together, I really enjoyed it.

[@2bussy]

Kirk, if you love stealth games please consider playing and reviewing any of these if you haven't already: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Desperados 3 Aragami 1 & 2 Styx: Master of Shadows Styx: Shards of Darkness I really love all of these stealth games and I find them not nearly as popular as they deserve to be. Check 'em out and do 'em a little justice if you end up liking any of them, would ya? :)

[@chriscooke109]

You deserve way more subscribers, your videos are top notch! Thanks for another entertaining, well made video.

[@EvilTediz597]

I revisited this game in the summer, was also my first experience with the DLC thanks to salvaging a few OXM demo discs. It's still great, I enjoyed it back in the day and I'm still fond of it. Could never get into Chaos Theory - it had cool new things to do and implemented a pacify/lethal system, but it just didn't grip me like the first one did. Best way to play this game is probably through PC or back on the Xbox - Xbone is fine but is stuck at standard resolution while the original Xbox allows for fullscreen. The additional missions aren't all that necessary in the full package - the Masse mission is short (and pretty coldblooded), the Sub Pen was alright, and the Submarine level was a little too claustrophobic in design. I know the game had an additional level added to PS2 and Gamecube versions that takes place between Kalinatek and the Chinese Embassy that was cut from the original game, but these versions also retconned a bunch of the story to spiff it up unnecessarily, like making Madison and Blaustein two Splinter agents working together as opposed to Madison being a mole and Blaustein an agent investigating her disappearance (then neglecting to keep up with these changes in data sticks), plus a bunch of the cinematics were redone. Version 1 is preferable just for being a little more grounded in that sense. Also, best avoid the HD collection on PS3, despite an updated resolution, it came with a lot of other problems - freezing during loading causing save corruption, a downgraded and downright ugly HUD, mouth movements straight out of the original Deus Ex - it's one of those examples of a botched HD remaster. For me though, I think the original on the Xbox is the best version of the game and the best in the series. Fun little easter egg that I don't know if anyone pays attention to, but at the end of the Police Station level, Wilkes picks up Fisher in a van. In some editions of the game, this van has a logo painted on the side that looks like some sort of cartoon rooster. This has to be a reference to St-Hubert, a French-Canadian restaurant chain, and since the game's developers were based in Montreal I can assume they added it as a little in-joke yet strangely the van can appear as a blank van in other versions and localizations of the game.

[@YourPalHDee]

I actually fully agree. Chaos Theory seems to be universally rated as the best one, but for me personally SC 1 and Double Agent are the 2 best.

[@CadenHoyme]

You’re my go to reviewer on youtube man keep it up!

[@BAGHEERAPROSPER]

The original trilogy deserves a well made Remaster

[@RuddsReels]

Include Double Agent as well!

[@BAGHEERAPROSPER]

@@RuddsReels sure why not hehe

[@winlover37]

@@RuddsReels Both versions of Double Agent!

[@RuddsReels]

@@winlover37 Both versions?

[@winlover37]

@@RuddsReels There are two builds of Double Agent, one for the 6th gen and one for the then "next gen" consoles. Two completely different games.

[@tommo120]

First time on the channel, great video dude! I literally just played though the first Splinter Cell for the first time the other week. I have played Pandora Tomorrow onwards but it's been a very long time. Figured I'd just play through the entire series again since I never actually played the first. Took my 12 hours to complete and I probably quicksaved more times than I shot my gun, but I had a great time with it :)

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Thank you, and nice! I love playing through series and watching how they evolve, splinter cell is really great for that.

[@bigsolidboss781]

Michael Ironside's portrait of same Fisher was excellent.

[@nvmskullworks4794]

Went back to play this on the XSX. It's still awesome.

[@SolidSnake684]

Just beat Splinter Cell for the first time last night. Always played it as a kid but usually crapped out on Oil Rig or Kalinatech. I'm so glad Presidential Palace was as fun to sneak thru as it was, because the previous two missions were nightmares, specifically Chinese Embacy 2. My god that room with the flags and the turret right near the door had me pulling my hair out, especially because I was playing on Xbox, so my last checkpoint was a room and half back. Let me tell you I got real good at speedrunning that first room. I'm glad I finally beat it, as Splinter Cell is one of my favorite series, but I don't see myself going through all that again just for one cool final mission. Not with these checkpoints at least.

[@punkmusicmetal]

Hell yeah, Michael Ironsides!! A big reason why I loved Splinter Cell. I always loved the action movies he was in.

[@SpankZorOwnsYa]

I used to play Splinter Cell Chaos theory with a friend. co-op trying to do our mission fast as possible, with no kill, no detection etc etc... it was fun tho!

[@user-kw1nr5qi4c]

Downloaded this on Ubi store, just finished the 1st and about to start Chaos Theory

[@nothankyoutube]

Chaos theory is arguably the best

[@richieh2006]

25:26 Your Kalinatek music when you time your shooting to the strings 😂

[@fancyslimoshady]

for anyone too young to have experienced this when it came out, when this came out (Original Xbox) almost right out the 90s, this was such a graphical leap. Like when Crysis 1 came out. It ran so good on xbox ontop of that, so it coming together with revolutionary gameplay made this a legendary masterpiece. They dont make games like this anymore.

[@ThisBirdHasFlown]

Wrong. Not even close. Deus Ex: Invisible War would release only one year later and its lighting and textures look way better.

[@fancyslimoshady]

@@ThisBirdHasFlown looool invisible war looked like horseshit compared to this.

[@colonelmonkey990]

The fifth freedom is fictional Castro: interesting

[@CalisthenicsWorldview]

My two favorites are Chaos theory followed by Blacklist. However, the original was amazing for it's time and I have so many fond memories with it! Grabbing someone while sneaking and slowly pulling him into the shadows where all you see are Sam's night vision goggles is a feeling that will never get old.

[@Big-BossX]

More content in one minute than whole videos of most channels I'm impressed

[@begu88]

Hmm i replayed this Gem a couple of Days ago and now i see your vid ;) well done i loved it. I return every year to splinter cell and metal gear solid. Doesn't matter that they feel clunky sometimes or i know what to do by heart, they're amazing and worth replaying. So for all the people out there that never played the og games: enjoy them

[@gameynamey3703]

I played it when it was new, and me an both my brothers agreed back then we hadnt seen anything as good. I played it again in 2014 and was pleased with how fun it still was.

[@PsychoRavager]

Awesome video! Deserves more views!

[@veritas3997]

Great review. Makes me wanna start playing all of them again.

[@ProblmSolvd]

Ahhhhh thst high pitched beep will always give me good feels

[@sparrowhawk3422]

I love this game, just replayed it for the 2534th-ish time a couple of months ago. The way games are made now with floating markers telling you where to go I bet a lot of people wouldn't even find the ladder to get out of the courtyard at the start lol

[@reggiedenny9830]

These, MGS, May Payne… the ps2 had such great games

[@zubzero304050]

Whenever I hear the ping from the night vision I get a big grin

[@TwinCityShredder]

Splinter Cell is an excellent series and to this day is extremely fun and challenging.

[@Omar-ok7gd]

Well organised , well informative channel .. how come I just discovered this magnificent gaming channel

[@bulwinkle]

Now there's a blast from the past. I'm sure I have a PC copy somewhere. I shall have to seek it out.

[@fancy_pixel]

a video about splinter cell and no even mention of double agent from ps2? that game was soo good specially it had coop missions, soundtracks were awesome

[@DaCrunkwizard]

Just Subbed, very impressed with this retrospective. Looking forward to past and future content. I played a few splinter cell games but never completed one. Need to go back and check them out.

[@G-0]

The first game is one of my absolute favorites of all time next to Chaos Theory. This video is making me want to do my random "replay all the Splinter games at once" thing I used to do yearly.

[@jakeduron5331]

Tbh this game needs a remake like re2 and I really miss the coop in it tho cuz I used to spend hrs to master a level and listen to the dialogue from NPCs , splinter cell was the best game I ever played

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

You know they have that remake of Prince of Persia Sands of Time coming. If that does well I'd hope they start brainstorming other franchises they could do the remake treatment for...

[@jakeduron5331]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS yes ik and I already preordered it , just sitting here waiting for the release

[@JP-lb3sb]

I played this game when i was 6 years old! 😂 when it first came out. Loved it then. Stuck with the franchise ever since. Micheal ironside is the amazing as sam fisher. True legend

[@JDoG867]

I remember beating this on the hardest difficulty, not alerting anyone when I was a kid. It was groundbreaking!

[@andycruzatx3387]

You must have been one sneaky kid.

[@JDoG867]

@@andycruzatx3387 🥁

[@yourcommander3412]

linear level design in stealth games is like screen door on a submarine.

[@j0rdan18]

I got Splinter Cell and Halo along with my Xbox for Christmas when I was younger. At first I was disappointed because I wanted a PS2, but my dad got a deal on an Xbox from a friend he worked with. Splinter Cell was the first game we turned on. Within a few minutes of playing it the disappointment was gone. I still remember both my dad and I being amazed at this new generation of consoles - such a far cry from my original PlayStation! One of my favourite games of all time, and you’ve perfectly captured how impactful it was when it first came out. Thanks!

[@memekirpa]

Awesome content!!!

[@franzpattison]

1:07 it's always worth shooting up for

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

😂

[@namechef7344]

Chaos theory is a masterpiece.

[@mysticknight6724]

I still have the original disk and I still play this game to this day.

[@rajzaveri2233]

WAIT THERE'S A DOOR PEEK MECHANIC

[@ens0246]

Ah nice one! I bought this on GOG and I was thinking I remembered it looking better. Turns out the shadows were missing.

[@therealmovieman]

Original is great but tough went through most of them again last year

[@carlosdominguezOri]

I was blown away when I walked by a curtain… and the curtain moved realistically!

[@nickdiemelify]

What a sweet guy to put all those time stamps in

[@GlobalGaming101]

I go back to Pandora Tomorrow often. It was my first video game on my Xbox back in the day :)

[@vanilla3464]

This is a video I wish I could have made for the game so thank you for beating me to the punch, it was really well put together! Just one question, you never went over the music in the game I believe, just wondering if you had any thoughts regarding it?

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Thank you! I think you should still make your Splinter Cell video regardless 😁 You know honestly I don't have much to say on the music which is why I left it out. I was thinking I would talk about it whenever I get to Chaos Theory to compare it to Amon Tobin's tracks (which I'm very fond of). But yeah SC 1 music, I don't love it, I don't hate it. It definitely fits the game and doesn't distract. But all in all it doesn't really stand out to me. However I think the music for the presidential palace is awesome.

[@pfitz9346]

I missed the memo about Kalinatek being a combat mission when I was a kid and have only ever snuck through it.

[@TheHeymore]

Just replayed this on hard. Remember playing it with my dad when I was like 7. Great game!

[@lionocyborg6030]

I got into this series with the Gameboy Advance version of this game. That made me seek out the Xbox one and then the sequels. I even got it for PS2 both emulated and physical machine so I could have copies of the game that had all the GBA levels (Shipyard, Submarine & Nuclear Plant) This game on Xbox and Double Agent version 1 are my favourites: lots of good memories with both and being 11 when I played Double Agent, the super spy movie tropes in that version were fine to me. Never beat Jerusalem in Pandora Tomorrow and while I did watch a (now privated) full LP of Chaos Theory, I only recently got it myself. I also got Double Agent version 2 on OG Xbox for completeness. I even like Essentials on PSP, being my exposure to at least 2 of Chaos Theory’s levels. Splinter Cell 1 was my first stealth game and elements of both it and Double Agent version 1 are what I consider the gold standard for all stealth games including older ones like Thief, Metal Gear or the original 2D Wolfenstein games.

[@AldoAraujo85]

After having loved these on the OG Xbox back during their initial release, it's been so refreshing to revisit these after so many years. No other stealth franchise can compare. As you said, there are a few hoops to go through to get these working on PC, but it's so worth it. I'm actually streaming my playthroughs, and I'm getting more views than usual due to the fact that no one streams Splinter Cell anymore haha. Long live Sam Fisher!

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

Aw man that makes me kind of sad no one is streaming it these days, but it makes me happy you're getting views from it. It's a sign that Ubi really needs to put out a new game.

[@AldoAraujo85]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS Yep! I actually just finished Pandora Tomorrow last night, and am looking to revisit Chaos Theory next 👍

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@AldoAraujo85 Nice! I actually started capturing Pandora Tomorrow a few nights ago, I'm definitely eager to get to Chaos Theory as well.

[@AldoAraujo85]

@@KIRKCOLLECTS Nice! It's funny, because the sheer views on my Pandora Tomorrow playthroughs is what got me to Twitch Affiliate in just a few days lol. People are clamoring for more Splinter Cell - stop pretending it doesn't exist, Ubisoft!

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@AldoAraujo85 No kidding? Also congrats! Well if you got that reaction with Pandora I bet Chaos will be outstanding. And yes, no more guest spot in Ghost Recon, let's get a proper game!

[@SlowPoke1441]

Still need to back to this one, tried playing it when i was very young and impatient, fell in love with stealth games since then, i think it's about time (also am i the only one that loves conviction??)

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

I enjoyed Conviction, maybe a little too much of a departure in some ways but I appreciated the risk they took. I gotta say though I was really happy when Blacklist brought back a lot of the classic Splinter Cell elements.

[@YourPalHDee]

No dude, Conviction was fantastic. For me personally though, Double Agent is the best by far.

[@KIRKCOLLECTS]

@@YourPalHDee Out of curiosity, which version of Double Agent do you prefer?

[@killiandw]

I bought this cause I wanted more MGS stealth then I realized it was so much more

[@deadredeyes]

What I would give for a proper remake of this game. The graphics were absolutely stunning back in the day when this was released for PC. I even bought the Gamecube version of this game because it connected to the Game Boy Advance for a unique feature. Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory are still the best sequels, and imo they never could recreate what they had achieved.

[@timetellersunion3711]

On the topic of Thermals and Nightvision, we now live in the world of thermal clip ons to NVGs to see heat, as well as enhanced night vision and now augmented reality

[@dethofgod666]

The sc2ok also dumps the empty cases only when you reload

[@williamcavagnaro]

great review, splinter cell is a solid franchise. I love these games , love the page!!!