GameCube

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

oor GameCube. With Pandora Tomorrow, Ubisoft has released one of the most fun and engaging multiplayer experiences ever, and it’s only included on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game. Sure, the ‘Cube features connectivity, but it simply can’t match the glory that is Pandora Tomorrow’s online mode. Fortunately for Nintendo fans, the single-player mode is engaging no matter what console you’re playing on, and the story simply can’t be beat. With its intelligent story, tight gameplay, and fantastic multiplayer, Pandora Tomorrow is the best stealth/action game yet, hands down. Yes, the GameCube version has definitely gotten the short end of the stick, but the core excellence of this title is still in place, no matter which version you play.

Malgré la grosse impression que nous avait laissé le premier Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow réalise la performance de nous surprendre encore tout en respectant les bases établies il y a plus d'un an. Dommage que cet opus GameCube qui arrive tardivement perde l'un des grands attraits des autres versions, à savoir le mode multijoueur. On reste donc un peu sur sa faim, même si Pandora Tomorrow mérite tout de même largement l'attention des amateurs de jeux d'infiltration.

Well it's a few months down the line and Sam Fisher's circle is now pretty much complete. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is now out on all three major consoles. Today we're going to talk about the final version, the GameCube. I can basically sum it up for you like this. Take the full game, strip out one major element of it, and keep the great single-player campaign. And there you have the GameCube version. I don't understand what Nintendo's problem is with online gaming. But it's keeping third parties from taking advantage of some great games, including this one. The multiplayer online mode of SCPT is actually cooler than the single player game, and yet once again 'Cube gamers are left out in the cold. And while it's not UbiSoft's fault that this game isn't online, for a majority of people who have multiple consoles, this version isn't going to sell. People already have it, or will be getting it on the Xbox/Playstation 2.

We're going to save you some time. If you bought and didn't like the first Splinter Cell, then stop reading. Pandora Tomorrow is a sequel that utilizes the same fundamental play mechanics, the same control scheme, and the same stealth-action elements as its predecessor. Even the visual presentations between the two are very similar. So if you didn't like any of that the first time, you're not going to feel differently now. You should also stop reading if you own an Xbox. The GameCube port of Pandora Tomorrow is solid, but the game still looks and plays significantly better on Microsoft's console, and it also features online play.

In 2002, Ubi Soft redefined the Stealth Action genre with Splinter Cell, a modern day spy thriller that introduced gamers to Sam Fisher. A newer, harder edged anti-hero of espionage, Fisher’s scenario as a Splinter Cell that is, a lone field operative supported by a minimal intelligence staff focused more on realism than fantastical elements. Instead of a philosophical soldier with a mullet or a sex crazed spy, gamers got a grizzled veteran whose primary concern was securing his objective. Coupled with plenty of firepower and extremely cool gadgets, Fisher was an operative for the new millennium. Thanks to a new terrorist organization, his skills have never been more needed in his latest assignment, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow.

Splinter Cell is all about stealth. Hardcore stealth. Don't expect much action, because you won't get any. Oftentimes when you're spotted and the alarm is sounded, you don't even get the option of fighting your way out or hiding – the mission is over. The shadows are your friend, and the light is your enemy. Killing is rarely required and never encouraged.

Much like the original Splinter Cell, it must be said about Pandora Tomorrow that it occasionally devolves into pure trial-and-error gameplay. The missions are completely linear and tightly scripted, so if you're jumped by bad guys or you stumble over a trap of some sort and thus fail your mission, you'll just reload from the last checkpoint and then try again--this time knowing exactly what's coming up. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll always get through the tight spots on the second attempt, because, in fact, Pandora Tomorrow can be pretty tough. Some sequences demand you to silently make your way through environments while using both your night vision and your thermal vision to see all the dangers in your surroundings. Then you might need to silently take out a small squad of guards.

The original Splinter Cell is similar enough in both scope and design for you to use it as a gauge for how Pandora Tomorrow will grip you, it can no doubt be picked up for a pittance after entering the budget range some time ago. That is the sensible course, but if you truly trust yourself as a gamer then you really need only ask this question; Do you play games to escape from the rigid, constricting reality we have all around us? Or as games become more familiar, and closer to our everyday lives, in their search for realism, do you find them improving, rather than diminishing, in enjoyment and value?

While an excellent story, and pretty much the best stealth action title you can get your hands on, this version doesn't do it any justice at all. Cutting out the multiplayer was not the wisest decision, as it is pretty much all the replay value. The bombardment of checkpoints and loading screens make it the kid picked last for all the recess games.

For months, Xbox and PS2 owners have been enjoying Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, the sequel to Tom Clancy's 2002 blockbuster stealth game. Sporting beautifully dynamic lighting, smooth animations, and a surprisingly innovative multiplayer mode, the game is still one of the top selling titles around. As the game makes its way over to Nintendo's GameCube system, nearly all of those features are still intact. However, the one thing that is missing is also the best part of the game: the multiplayer action. While it doesn't kill the game, it makes it a bit harder to recommend it.