I would like to retract my review of Splinter Cell.

Cafe Society
1

Well, I prematurely praised Splinter Cell for Xbox a few days ago. This was while I was stll trying to get the controls down.

Well, I still have not gotten the controls down and am starting to think this is one of the most over-rated games of the year. MGS2 is actually more fun that this game, to me anyway, and for stealth action on Xbox Hitman 2 is the way to go.

I am know this game is great to alot of people, but I must just be really stupid or inept at this game because it is no fun due to its difficulty.

Every little segment takes at least 8-9 tries, if not more, for me to get thru. And when I finally do alot of times I just give up and start shooting people to get by them.

I am in the jail cell block right now for example, and I have tried getting by the guards at least 10 times and keep getting detected. There isn’t anywhere to go but straight down the hall, so you have to be lucky I guess.

These enemies are all packing hand pistols but are able to hit you from down an alley while in a sprint but Sam, who is a seasoned vet, can’t get a head shot while at a stand still from over 15 feet away!

The inability to save at will really detracts from the game as well.

No overhead map or AT LEAST some sort of tracking to tell you where the hell you are in relation to your goal.

Too much ambiguity as to what environmental items you can interact with like tables, ledges etc. They LOOK like you should be able to climb on them or jump on them, but you can’t.

Being forced to control the camera in a firefight sucks.

No explaination, at least in the begining, as to why you are doing what you are doing.

Targeting is aweful, I think anyway. Like I said, these flunkies can shoot you in a sprint from down an alley but Sam can line up a shot from 15 feet away and still miss or only injure.

Like I said, I must really suck at this game because I am finding it REALLY hard to get into due to all the trial and error. I am not saying it is bad, I am jsut saying that IMHO it is not as good as it is made out to be.

BTW, did I mention that the targetting is f**king aweful?

2

I can see where the difficulty is bothersome, but I’m enjoying it immensely. I was having difficulty with it myself until I discovered the best way through the toughest situations:

  • Shoot out all the lights
  • Grab guys from behind and knock them out
  • Don’t shoot anyone

Anyway, I’m very happy with it, especially after being subjected to MGS2:Substance, which made me so angry that I feel I should write Hideo Kojima a nasty letter.

3

You are in the jail cell block on the very first level? That’s still pretty early and it get’s ALOT harder. I definately agree with you about the ambiguity of environmental objects. It sucks to take the time to get to a place that you think you’ll be able to climb up, do the jump and make the damn sound that alerts everyone.

I don’t see how the targeting could be any better really outside of having auto aim . I find the controls to be completely intuitive and I hate console controls for the most part.

One thing that you might want to consider doing is testing the limits of various things - like how close you can get without being spotted. The limits of the cameras. How much noise is too much noise, etc. You can then apply what you learn to every level.

SC does seem like work sometimes and it certainly isn’t as FUN as it would appear to be at first glance. Hitman 2 is more fun that it appears. That game is incredible. The tension of wondering whether or not I would be recognized in disguise was totally visceral - I would hold my breath.

4

Slightly OT but can anyone compare the different “sneaking” action games out there: MGS2, Splinter Cell, Thief series, Deus Ex etc.? Which are the most enjoyable?

5

I still think Thief is the king of sneakers. The directional audio is great and the gameplay still hasn’t been topped. One of the things that Thief did well that the other’s haven’t is the sneak. In SC and Hitman 2 it’s too hard to sneak up on someone who is moving. Thief managed to make it just challenging enough. Plus you can’t beat blackjacking someone over the head or sniping someone with a bow. While Hitman2 has the greatest possible options in terms of general strategy, I still think Thief offers the most tactical options.

6

Oh and I couldn’t stand mgs2. It’s 2D. For the life of me I don’t get what the big deal is about this game. I get the feeling it’s more for anime roleplaying types. People who like to watch cutscenes rather than play. I didn’t like the idea of being in a room and not seeing what was ahead of me unless I went into the first person mode. Incredibly awkward.

Deus Ex isn’t really a sneaker but is an incredible game nonetheless.

7

Another vote for Thief I and II as the best sneakers.

I really can’t say enough about the sound – play the game with headphones if you can; you can practically tell where people are and where they are going solely on sound cues. The positional audio in the Thief series has yet to be matched, IMO.

And the little crystal doodad that showed how well you were concealed was positively inspired – no guessing as to whether you were far enough into the shadows. More games should utilize a similar “concealment-meter.”

RIP, Looking Glass Studios, we hardly knew ye. :frowning:

8

I haven’t played MGS2, but I played MGS, and could not understand the hype. The gameplay was pretty much exactly the same as in Metal Gear for the NES, one of the first games I bought for that system. The only differences were that the graphics were updated and Metal Gear was a much smaller game. Almost everything MGS had, MG had too - even the ‘sneaking around in a box’ scene.

Metal Gear was a very good game in 1987, though even then it was more of an action/adventure game ala Legend of Zelda than a stealth game. Even with fancy graphics it seemed very dated in 1999.

9

I meant that Metal Gear Solid was the much smaller game - there was no way someone could beat the first Metal Gear in 2 hours. It’s possible with MGS.

10

Hitman 2 is awsome. That game leaves me feeling like if shit went wrong, it was my fault. No other game has so many options to accomplish the same task.

I will keep SC and work with it more, but after the awsome play of Hitman 2 I amspoiled me thinks.

Ambiguos Environment==ANGRY STINKPALM!!