Gaming
 

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

From Wiki Splinter Cell

Warning! This page contains spoilers.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Full Title Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal (Win,Xbox,Mac, & GBA) Ubisoft Shanghai (PS2 & Gamecube) Gameloft (Mobile)
Engine Unreal Engine 2.0
Release November 17, 2002
Composer Michael Richard Plowman
Platforms Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, GBA, N-Gage, Mobile
Next Pandora Tomorrow

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is the first game in the Splinter Cell Game Series . Like all the other games in the series, it is built on the Unreal Engine 2.

Contents

[edit] Story

"Europe Cover Art"

Set in 2004, the story focuses on Sam Fisher, a long-dormant secret agent reactivated by the National Security Agency as part of a secret division dubbed "Third Echelon". Third Echelon uses "Splinter Cells", lone operatives supported by a small team, to conduct covert intelligence missions in hostile territory.

[edit] T'bilisi, Georgia

For his first assignment as a Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher is dispatched to T'bilisi in Georgia to investigate the disappearance of two CIA agents, Robert Blaustein and Alice Madison. Madison had been working undercover in Georgian President Kombayn Nikoladze's political cabinet, but suddenly went missing along with Blaustein without warning. Upon arrival in T'Bilisi, Fisher is to rendesvouz with CIA informant Thomas Gurgenidze inside a local warehouse. Fisher finds the warehouse in flames, and finds Gurgenidze trapped beneath debris inside. Gurgenidze states that, according to Madison's last transmission, the duo had discovered "something big," and she had said that gaining proof could lead to war. Gurgenidze, before dying from his injuries, reveals the location of Blaustein's apartment, where Fisher can find Blaustein's Black Box - a machine tracking his movement and status via his subdermal implants. Fisher makes it to Blaustein's apartment, but finds Russian mercenaries searching the apartment as well. Despite being confused as to why they are here, Fisher enters anyway, and finds Blaustein's hidden Black Box. However, the Black Box reports that Blaustein has been dead for more than a day, and his body is in the morgue of a local police station. Hoping to find either Madison or information on who killed Blaustein, Fisher sneaks into the police station's morgue. In the morgue, Fisher finds the dead bodies of both Blaustein and Madison; with their subdermal implants removed. By accessing the surveillance records from the morgue, Fisher discovers that a Russian by the name of Vyacheslav Grinko removed the implants and departed in his car. Using his license plate number, Third Echelon tracks him to the Georgian Ministry of Defence.

[edit] Georgian Ministry of Defence, Georgia

Arriving at the Georgian Ministry of Defence, Fisher begins the search for Grinko, wanting answers for why Blaustein and Madison were killed. Fisher first encounters and interrogates Grinko's personal driver, George Hamlet. Hamlet reveals that Grinko is former-Spetznaz, now a mercenary, and is shortly meeting a computer genius called Phillip Masse in the glass elevator overlooking the Ministry courtyard. With this info, Fisher delves deeper into the Ministry, and locates Grinko and Masse meeting in the elevator. Using his Laser Mic, Fisher is able to secretly eavesdrop on their conversation, and hears the two discussing Blaustein and Madison briefly. They then hint that Nikoladze is conducting some kind of top-secret operation in Azerbaijan, and that Nikoladze has evidence stored on his office computer. To uncover whatever they're hiding, Fisher infiltrates Nikoladze's personal office and has Anna Grimsdottir, Third Echelon's technical expert, hack into the computer via satellite. The Ministry's security detects the hack and cuts Grimsdottir's access, sending the building into alert. She hacks in again however, and retrieves the rest of the data, which reveals that Nikoladze has secretly been waging an ethnic-cleansing campaign in Azerbaijan, which is still ongoing by cells of the Georgian military. Fisher fights his way out of the building and escapes via helicopter, piloted by Third Echelon field runner Vernon Wilkes. The data that Grimsdottir gained is further analysed in full detail by the National Security Agency.

The detected intrusion at the Ministry forces Nikoladze to go into underground hiding. He then kick-starts his campaign into full action: the Georgian military cells now start murder rampages throughout Azerbaijan. NATO sends troops into the affected areas in an effort to stop the attempted genocide, and to locate Nikoladze. During this chaos, the NSA notice, in the data retrieved from the Ministry, that a Georgian militray cell stationed on an oil rig on the Caspian Sea has been exchanging data with the Georgian Presidential Palace, suggesting it to be of some importance; and thus Fisher is sent there to retrieve the data.

[edit] Oil Rig, Caspian Sea

Whilst Fisher is infiltrating the oil rig, the information gathered by the NSA is also gathered by NATO, who send in planes to bomb the oil rig, thinking it to be the location of Nikoladze. This sends the entire oil rig into panic. An intercepted radio transmission reveals that a computer technician, Piotr Lejava, is arriving by boat shortly to download the data to his laptop to prevent it falling into NATO hands. This laptop can only be accessed via the technician's encryption key, and so Fisher trails Lejava around the oil rig until he finally catches him, and obtains his laptop along with his encryption key. A brief interrogation of Piotr reveals that the data concerns something called 'The Ark', but he doesnt know what it is. Once extracted by boat, Fisher lets Grimsdottir examine the laptop. The data is filled with vague references about an impending retaliation against the USA. Additionally, Grimsdottir is shocked to discover that the level of information stored on the laptop could have only been gained by a mole in the CIA. At that moment, the transport plane they're in suddenly malfunctions. The pilots manage to regain control before it hits the water, but an incoming call from Third Echelon commanding officer, Irving Lambert, reveals that North America has just been hit by a wave of digital warfare, attacking mostly military targets. Nikoladze takes credit for the attack, declaring war against America, and experts warn that other information attacks could be made, just as easily on civilian targets, potentially causing unstoppable devastation.

[edit] CIA Headquarters, Virginia

As America struggles to cope with the aftermath of the attack on their military installations, Fisher investigates the potential CIA mole working with the Georgians as it is their only lead to Nikoladze. After infiltrating CIA headquarters and accessing the CIA computer mainframe, Fisher uplinks to Grimsdottir, who is able to trace the location of the data leak to the personal computer of Mitchell Dougherty. Fisher sneaks into Dougherty's office when he leaves and accesses his computer. Grimsdottir examines the computer via laptop and confirms the data leak and locates where the data is being received - a nearby building called "Kalinatek, Inc." Her intrusion is detected by those at Kalinatek and they shut down. Lambert orders Fisher to bring Dougherty in for interrogation, and Fisher finds Dougherty taking a smoke break outside, which allows him to knock him unconscious. Fisher takes the unconscious Dougherty to Wilkes and interrogation expert John Baxter, waiting by a van in the CIA parking lot. They leave the compound and Dougherty is subsequently interrogated. Dougherty claims to have no knowledge of a data leak - in reality, his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder forced him to haul all his data onto an insecure laptop, a vulnerability that the Kalinatek hackers took advantage of.

[edit] Kalinatek, Virginia

Sam in the Kalinatek Offices.

Because Grimsdottir's hack was detected by those at Kalinatek, the troops in the building are attempting to destroy any evidence that could lead to Nikoladze, including their computer technicians. Grimsdottir intercepts a 911 call made from a technician called Ivan inside the building, who states that his life is in danger, and he will help the American government in exchange for rescue. He tells her that he is safe for now as he has closed the fire doors surrounding him but they wont hold forever. This new information necessitates an emergency mission to the Kalinatek building and Fisher has to move fast to find Ivan before he is found and killed. However, he is forced to make several detours when the troops plant mines throughout the building on vital parts of the structure, and a bomb is armed on the gas pipes in the main utility room. After deactivating all of these explosives, Fisher stumbles across a dying technician, who tells him that Ivan must be on the fifth floor. Lambert then tells Fisher that the FBI will collect Ivan and all he needs is Ivan's encryption key. Fisher locates Ivan hiding in the toilets, and saves his life by killing his attacker. Ivan is anxious to leave with Fisher but Fisher just demands the encryption key from him. Eventually, Ivan hands over his encryption key. Fisher leaves the Kalinatek building as FBI agents come to take over the scene and rescue Ivan. Using the encryption key, the NSA discovers that Nikoladze has been using a network of unconventional relays to communicate with the Georgian military cells. Grimsdottir manages to trace one of these data streams back to the Nadezhda Nuclear Power Plant in northern Russia, but due to the elctronic noise surrounding the plant, is unable to trace the data any further; thus Fisher is sent to shut the power plant down.

[edit] Kole Peninsula, Russia

Fisher infiltrates the Russian power plant, only to find it under the control of Grinko's mercenaries, here to protect the microwave relay. Despite this, Fisher makes his way through the building, and initiates a false meltdown alarm, which forces everyone in the building to evacuate, allowing Fisher to move around easier. Despite this however, some troops remain and even gun turrets have been set-up. Regardless, Fisher gains control of the microwave relay, allowing the NSA to finally locate Nikoladze. Fisher leaves the building via the plant's private train - but to their surprise, the mercenaries are also using the train to transport nuclear material, possibly to create nuclear weapons.

[edit] Chinese Embassy, Myanmar

The NSA trace the full communicate network and find out that Nikoladze is currently taking refuge in the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, raising questions of Chinese support for the Georgians, which could potentially lead to a war with China. Fisher is sent to sneak into the embassy in order to investigate if the Chinese are really assisting Nikoladze. Fisher sneaks onto the Embassy grounds, and uses his Laser microphone to listen in on a conversation between Nikoladze and General Kong Feirong (a prominent member of the People's Liberation Army of China). The conversation reveals that the two are working together, and have brought NATO hostages to a local slaughterhouse for execution, planned to be broadcast to America via webcast - Fisher delays his objective of interrogating Feirong so that he can save the hostages.

[edit] Slaughterhouse, Myanmar

Hoping to gain some more time to work with, Fisher disables the broadcast antenna of the slaughterhouse, which does indeed delay the execution. The entire slaughterhouse is guarded with Grinko's mercenaries, and Grinko himself is here leading them. Upon finding the hostages and Chinese dignitaries being held against their will, Grinko and his second-in-command arrive to kill Fisher; however, Fisher manages to kill them both. Returning to the hostages, the Chinese there reveal that Feirong is acting renegade and does not represent China in his actions - with this news, American and Chinese relations stabilize and war is avoided for now.

[edit] Chinese Embassy, Myanmar (2nd Visit)

However, Feirong and Nikoladze must still be eliminated if this peace is to last, thus Fisher returns to the Chinese Embassy. However, Feirong is in the process of fleeing the building with a near-complete nuclear device. Luckily, as Fisher gets closer to Feirong's office, Feirong seemingly gives up in his escape plan, but unfortunately plans to commit suicide. This presents a problem as Fisher requires evidence Feirong is acting alone if the peace is to be secured. Fisher enters the office just as the drunken Feirong is about to shoot himself; unable to convince him to stop, Fisher shoots a Ring Airfoil round, knocking Feirong unconscious and allowing him to be interrogated. Fisher forces Feirong to access his computer, thus presenting the needed proof. The information on the computer also reveals that Nikoladze has retreated back to Georgia, where he is trying to recover the key to a mysterious weapon called "The Ark" - something so important that Nikoladze is willing to risk his life for.

[edit] Presidential Palace, Georgia

Intelligence gathered suggests the key to the Ark is held somewhere in the Gerogian Presidential Palace, and that Nikoladze may be already within. Third Echelon sends Fisher to sneak in and to prevent both Nikoladze and the new President, Cristavi, from accessing the Ark key. It seems Cristavi is already aware of the Ark's existence, and has previously interrogated one of Nikoladze's men in a recording labelled as the "Ark Interrogation Files." Fisher locates these, and moves on to find Nikoladze, who is just about to take the Ark key from a vault in the building basement - however, Cristavi's men then arrive, and hold both Nikoladze and Fisher at gunpoint. They take Nikoladze and the Ark key elsewhere, and Fisher is left to be executed - luckily, Lambert organizes for a blackout in five seconds time, allowing Fisher to escape from his captive and continue his pursuit of Nikoladze. During this, it is learnt that the Ark is actually a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere in America. Fisher eventually locates Nikoladze, who at this moment is trying to negotiate the Ark for his freedom: in order to prevent this from happening, Fisher assassinates Nikoladze, the only person capable of activating the Ark, thus ending the crisis.

[edit] Somewhere in the Kola Peninsula, Russia

Sam infiltrates a building to find Phillip

As Nikoladze has been neutrialized, Phillip Masse was still on the loose. Seeing as how he could still be a threat to the free world through digital means, Sam is sent to Kola Peninsula to eliminate him. After killing Masse, Sam was ordered to go to a nearby submarine port to prevent a threat of a loose nuclear weapon from being retrieved from a Typhoon-Class nuclear submarine.

[edit] Submarine Port - Kola Peninsula, Russia

Sam Fisher is sent somewhere on the coasts of the Kola Peninsula, Russia. The mission was to stop the remaining Alekseevich's troops from taking control of a Typhoon-Class nuclear submarine Vselka. In his efforts, Sam was able to raise the sub to the surface in order to board the vessel and disable Alekseevich's soldiers from using it. To prevent a threat from loosing a nuclear weapon, Sam discovers that they were unable to retrieve the nuclear weapon and were either spared or killed by Sam. Sam then escapes the submarine via a torpedo launch tube.


[edit] Mission Locations

[edit] Bonus Locations

[edit] Development

This is the first Splinter Cell game in the franchise. This is also the second game to be made not based off a Tom Clancy book. First being Ghost Recon which was released in 2001 for the PC. The game is also Ubisoft Entertainment's second game to be in developed while Ghost Recon was just published by Ubisoft while Red Storm Entertainment developed it. First being the PC game Rainbow Six: Take Down. Ubisoft Montreal was tasked into creating a revolutionary stealth game that took elements from Thief and Metal Gear Solid. Tom Clancy endorsed while also being a support writer for scenarios. Tom Clancy at first did not approve of the tri-focale goggles as it was unrealistic to have such a device. Though Tom Clancy later approved of it as Ubisoft made use of it as Sam Fisher's signature style.

Ubisoft Montreal focused on making a more realistic approach to the stealth genre, and in doing so had to do research on developing technology. Such as the suit that Sam wears, the type of tech for surveillance and so forth. Ubisoft also brought in a reknown actor, Michael Ironside to provide the voice for Sam Fisher.

[edit] Reception

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell received positive reviews upon release. Gamespot's Greg Kasavin said that Splinter Cell has "hands down the best lighting effects seen in any game to date." IGN likewise praised the game for its graphics and lighting.[1] Both praised the game's audio, noting that Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher's voice suited the role perfectly. Criticism of the game was also present. Greg Kasavin said that Splinter Cell is "sometimes reduced to frustrating bouts of trial and error." In addition, Kasavin criticized the game's cutscenes, saying that they are not up to par with the rest of the game's graphics. Some experts say that they agree with this, but maintain that it is still a good game

[edit] Awards

  • E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo 2002 Game Critics Awards: Best Action/Adventure Game[2]
  • 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards: Excellence in Writing[3]
  • 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Console Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering[4]
  • IGN Best of 2002: Xbox Game of the Year, [5] Xbox Best Graphics[6]

[edit] Nominations

  • 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards: Game of the Year, Original Game Character of the Year, Excellence in Game Design, Excellence in Level Design, and Excellence in Programming[3]
  • 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Innovation in Console Gaming, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, and Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year[4]
  • IGN Best of 2002: Overall Game of the Year[7]

[edit] Versions

While Ubisoft Montreal's initial Xbox and Windows versions were released to critical and commercial success, Ubisoft Shanghai was developing versions for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube consoles. Development on these ports started in April 2002, while Montreal's version was still in development, and used Montreal's base code and graphic assets as a starting point. In order to complete the port in such a short timeframe, extra developers were brought in from France and Italy to assist the Chinese team. Incomplete data packages being sent from Montreal and cultural and language differences between the team members caused hardship during the production, but the port shipped on time and was also a critical and commercial success. Changes from Montreal's version include a redesigned HUD, lower difficulty, decreased graphic quality, and sections of levels removed and replaced with full-motion video cutscenes.

Xbox: the Xbox versions' visuals include better lighting and less jagged polygon models, and utilize its graphical capabilities almost to the fullest. This version includes real-time cutscenes, rather than the full-motion videos from the other two versions. The game runs at a higher resolution than the PS2 version, and has a slightly more consistent framerate than both the PS2 and GCN versions. None of the extras from the PS2 and GCN versions are present, though shortly after the other versions were released three exclusive levels were downloadable via Xbox Live.

Windows: the Windows version was a port of the Xbox version, and duplicated that version's user interface and gameplay. However, the Windows version can be run at higher graphic resolutions than the console versions, and some of the real-time cutscenes have been replaced with full-motion videos. The "checkpoint" save system from the Xbox version was replaced with the ability to save a game at any time, and the controls were reworked to allow simultaneous use of a keyboard and mouse, with movement speed being controlled by the mouse wheel, a feature that received praise from several reviewers. None of the bonus content from the other versions are present on this version. The Xbox Live bonus levels (Kola Cell, Vselka Infiltration, Vselka Submarine) for the PC version were available as a patch included in the limited collector's edition of Chaos Theory, and came pre-installed in the version of the game in the Ubisoft Action-Adventure Collection. It was also available in the Splinter Cell: Mission Pack, which is sold only in Europe. There is an unfortunate graphics problem in this version, though. Projected shadows would not appear with video cards Nvidia 6 series and up. This problem was caused because the game was a direct port from the Xbox, which renders shadows similarly to Nvidia 3, 4, and FX cards. It is possible to force the shadows, but this can cause system instabilities. This problem persists to Pandora Tomorrow.

Mac: the Mac version was a port of the Windows version and runs mostly at a 800x600 graphic resolution, real-time cutscenes have been replaced with full-motion videos. The save system has the ability to save a game at any time, controls were reworked to allow simultaneous use of a keyboard and mouse, with movement speed being controlled by the mouse wheel. No bonus content is present on this version.

PlayStation 2: the PS2 and GameCube versions were developed by Ubisoft Shanghai, and feature a redesigned HUD. The PS2 version runs at a lower resolution than the Xbox and GCN versions, and sacrifices had to be made to the graphics including more jagged edges, duller colors and fewer lighting effects, due to the more limited hardware. Also, despite these sacrifices, the framerate tends to stutter slightly more than the Xbox version. Loading times, as with most PS2 versions of games, are also longer. Missions are also structured in a different/shorter fashion.

The PS2 version boasts extra content, however, including a new Nuclear Power Plant mission, which appears exclusively in the PlayStation 2 version. The real-time cutscenes from the Xbox version were replaced with full-motion videos.

Nintendo GameCube: the GameCube version didn't receive quite as many graphical sacrifices as the PS2 version, as it is running on more powerful hardware. This version runs at the same resolution as the Xbox version, is less jagged than the PS2 version, and the colors appear to be more natural than the PS2 version as well. However, the GCN version doesn't quite look as realistic as the Xbox version and, like the PS2 version, had to make sacrifices here and there with the lighting effects. This version includes the full-motion video cinematics that appear in the PS2 version, replacing the Xbox versions' real-time cutscenes. Missions are also structured in a different/shorter fashion than that of it's Xbox counterpart.

Mobile version

The Power Plant mission from the PS2 version is not included, though Game Boy Advance connectivity is supported. Using the GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable to connect the GBA to the GCN, a map of the level the player is currently in is displayed on the GBA, and includes locations of enemies and items. The GCN version also includes a new Sticky Bomb weapon, which doesn't appear in any other version. In addition to those, the GCN version supports 480p resolution, which is exclusive to this version of the game.


Mobile: The Splinter Cell version for mobile phones was opposite in differences than the console and computer counterparts. It was a side scrolling game was pixel bit graphics.

[edit] Trivia

  • In the first Chinese Embassy level, when Sam is meeting a contact, his code phrase is, "A bright cold day in April", the first line of George Orwell's novel 1984.
  • In the C.I.A. building it is possible to enter an out-of-the-way room containing UFO-themed items and a computer with a jumbled email from 'F.M. FBI,' a reference to Special Agent Fox Mulder from The X-Files. Further exploration lets the player view a huge, unreachable records room as seen in that show.
  • On the C.I.A. mission, Sam is told to go to "Information retrieval" department, another fictional department from Terry Gilliam's film Brazil.
  • On the first level, the training mission, you can reach the upper lookout room behind your starting position and talk to (and knock out) Anna Grimsdóttir. If you knock her out, you are fired.
  • A "behind the scenes" shows Sam Fisher discussing his experiences in making the game in real time with a CGI version of Sam being voiced by Michael Ironside

[edit] See Also


Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Characters

Sam Fisher — Irving Lambert — Anna Grimsdottir — Vernon Wilkes — Frances Coen

Nikoladze — Vyacheslav Grinko — Phillip Masse


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
Retrieved from "http://splintercell.wikia.com/wiki/Tom_Clancy%27s_Splinter_Cell"