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-Introduction- Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell, not unlike Konami’s Metal Gear Solid, is a tactical game based around stealth. Although there are no bosses in the Splinter Cell series there are very expansive and often beautiful levels. They are filled with fairly difficult obstacles that you must overcome using your stealth abilities and thermal/night vision goggles. It’s hard to find a good-solid game to play on the PC – especially one as graphically pleasing as the original Splinter Cell was. But, I must say that given my previous experiences with the original Splinter Cell, I was nonetheless excited to delve into some hot stealth action! I couldn’t help but to wonder if Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow would live up to the first Splinter Cell ..... -Synapses- You are once again Sam Fisher, and your mission is to save the world. Pretty basic stuff, really. Throughout Pandora Tomorrow your missions will all evolve around Suhadi Sadono, leader of “Darah Dan Doa” (Blood & Prayer). An Indonesian terror organization. You must travel from Dili, Timor…through Jerusalem, Israel…and to the good ole U.S.A. Pandora Tomorrow’s levels vary in difficulty and intensity, but not excitement. You must infiltrate a series of complexes while sneaking past unsuspecting guards, hitch a train in France and take an abbreviated rooftop tour of “The Holy Land”. Hide in the bushes of a claymore riddled Indonesian jungle; wander around its terrorist training camp. Stop by a docked submarine; capture a madman at a TV station. Last but not least, stop a smallpox outbreak at an L.A. airport. -Gameplay- Although there is no hugely noticeable differences from the original Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow improves upon the original in just about everyway. You’ll find a few new gadgets in Sam’s arsenal along with a reworked Heads-Up-Display and interaction system. Other than that it’s the usual back-to-wall, hide-in-the-shadows stuff. Which is damned exciting! Not to mention interrogating and killing the occasional bad-guy. As if all those features aren’t exciting enough by themselves, Pandora Tomorrow would not be complete without an array of weapons and gadgets like the original Splinter Cell. You are equipped with your same SC-20K M.A.W.S. as in the first Splinter Cell, which doesn’t just allow you to kill enemies. It still comes with the “Multipurpose Launcher” that can shoot less than lethal projectiles at foes. Pandora Tomorrow includes all the same gadgets from the original Splinter Cell, and you will find a few new ones along with some reworked weapons. For instance; the optical cable is now easier to use; it can now be selected from the interactions menu instead of having to go through the items menu for it. You’ll also notice that the pistol now comes equipped with a more precise laser-sight, which comes in handy for taking out guards with one shot to the head. Weapons and gadgets in Pandora Tomorrow (single player mode) are: • SC-20K M.A.W.S.
with Multipurpose Launcher. • Pistol with
Laser Sight. New to this version are a pair of binoculars, as well as the ability to whistle, which seems silly at first, but it can be a very useful resource to distract enemies. Medic kits can no longer be picked-up as an item, instead they are located in various areas of a level. They can restore either full or partial health.
Player capabilities in single play mode include:
Single player character interactions:
No big changes…you still hide bodies in the shadows.
To add to its sensational gameplay and mechanics, Pandora Tomorrow’s graphics are nothing less than gorgeous. I experienced no performance problems with my system (Athlon XP 2600+, Radeon 9700 Pro). Running at 1280x1024 with detail on medium I had next to no slow-downs, and no lag whatsoever gaming on line. A very pleasing experience indeed! The graphics can be stunning, even with the game’s lack of Anti-Aliasing the game has plenty of eye candy. With its high character detail and expansive environments, Pandora Tomorrow is sure to please even the most demanding of you gamers. It is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing games so far this year. The only unpleasing factor to me was the game’s low-resolution movies in between levels, quite unpleasant. -Sound & Music- Pandora Tomorrow’s sound effects like the original are exceptional, as are ambient sounds. Perfectly in-sync! As for character voices they are pretty good but could be better. Except for a few out of sync moments, they are very pleasing. Like the effects, Pandora Tomorrow’s musical score is exceptional and very appropriate for the game’s genre. Although i prefer the original soundtrack its still very well done. -Multiplayer- Unlike the first Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow has on line multiplayer functionality. Its two-on-two action pits Spy (“Shadownet Team”) against Mercenary (“ARGUS Corp.”) or vice versa, either playing as a spy à la Sam Fisher, or as a Mercenary. The Spies’ objectives vary on the level but always involve (you guessed right) sneaking around! Now, obviously the Mercenaries’ objectives are to prevent the Spies from infiltrating and, well, spying. The Spies’ goal in “Neutralization” mode is to kill all Mercenaries and neutralize the “ND133s”. In “Extraction” mode Spies must take the tubes out of the “ND133s” and bring them safely to the extraction point. In the final mode “Sabotage” Spies have to place a modem next to the “ND133s” to disable them and kill the Mercenaries. Mercenary goals are to prevent the Spies from completing their goals at all costs. Another unique aspect about Pandora Tomorrow’s revolutionary on line multiplayer gaming is that the Spies and Mercenaries use different camera types. Depending on if you’re a Spy or a Mercenary you’ll either get the traditional third-person view or first-person view. The Spies use the third-person view (like Sam in single player mode), and the Mercenaries, naturally, use the first-person view. Weapons, gadgets and player movements in multiplayer mode are basically the same as in single player mode. Except for the “Enhanced Reality” viewing mode that the Spies and Mercenaries use to navigate through levels and find their objectives. Enhanced Reality draws 2D boxes around goals, objectives and items. It also has distance measuring. The Mercenaries get a few extra items and weapons because they don’t use stealth as the Spies do. They can use a flashlight, “Spy Trap” (a claymore basically), tazer, and a phosphorescent grenade. The phosphorescent grenade explodes spreading phosphorescent particles on enemies, which can be seem using “EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Vision”. Another advantage in the Mercenaries arsenal of gadgets is “Motion Vision” which senses the turbulence of moving objects. The Mercenaries seemingly have better odds than the Spies, but don’t worry. The Spies can handle themselves using their stealth techniques and “Spy Bullets” to distract and locate the enemy. The Spies also have the very unique ability to jump off walls, Karate style. A useful ability used to flip backwards over enemies. This game’s original multiplayer concept will no doubt bring many copycats to the table. With three on line play modes; “Neutralization”, “Extraction”, and “Sabotage” mode, its groundbreaking multiplayer concept, Pandora Tomorrow is well worth the money.
With its exciting atmosphere and two difficulty levels, I’d definitely play Pandora Tomorrow again. It has no more replay value than the original Splinter Cell, but no less either. With the addition of multiplayer on line gaming, the fun won’t end soon. As with most of Tom Clancy’s games, including this one, its replay value won’t disappoint gamers one bit. This game does not lack entertainment! The on line gaming capability is enough to keep you satisfied for quite some time. Ubisoft will, hopefully, release new multiplayer maps in the near future. -Bottom Line- Pandora Tomorrow with its compelling story dialogue combined with excellent enemy AI, and unique multiplayer experience is definitely one of the top games of ’04 as of now. This XBOX port was very well done, not rushed like other ported console games. So, if you liked the first Splinter Cell, you’ll love its sequel. But, if you loved the first…you’ll wet your pants over this one. Gameplay 9.5/10
-excellent gameplay once again.
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