Gaming Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

[Semjaza]

[quote]LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2004--Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced that Ubisoft's Montreal studio is currently developing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell(R) 3 (Working Title), the next installment in the now-legendary Splinter Cell(R) franchise. The Splinter Cell(R) titles have consistently received some of industry's highest-ever review scores and most prestigious awards, and have sold, cumulatively, more than 6 million copies worldwide. Splinter Cell(R) 3 will be shown for the first time ever in a theater-style demo at Ubisoft's E3 booth -- #1046 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, and is scheduled for a PC launch in late 2004. Details on other platforms will be forthcoming.

With Splinter Cell(R) 3, Ubisoft's celebrated Montreal development studio returns to the legendary Splinter Cell(R) franchise, for an action gaming breakthrough. With the first Splinter Cell(R), Ubisoft redefined stealth action and set new standards for dynamic lighting; Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell(R) Pandora Tomorrow delivered an online multiplayer experience that awed even jaded gamers, and Splinter Cell(R) 3 will continue the tradition of pushing the interactive and technological possibilities of video gaming. It will offer the best graphics in this generation of games, a completely immersive and interactive environment, innovative gameplay and a completely unique collaborative multiplayer experience. Splinter Cell(R) 3's features - all courtesy of cutting edge visual and sound technologies - will set an industry benchmark once again.

"With Splinter Cell(R) 3, the series evolves to give gamers a new kind of gameplay that ensures the Splinter Cell franchise will continue to set standards for the industry," said Yves Guillemot, President and CEO of Ubisoft. "We expect Splinter Cell(R) 3 to be the best-looking game on any platform, period, thanks to Ubisoft's incredible command of the latest technologies and visionary creativity - after all, we created the first Splinter Cell(R), which completely redefined stealth action."

About Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell(R) 3

The year is 2008. Information Warfare has evolved into the most dangerous threat to global stability. You are Sam Fisher, Third Echelon's most skilled Splinter Cell(R) operative. You are assigned to execute a hazardous series of operations to investigate and eliminate a new source of information attacks, originating in North Korea. To succeed, you will employ a host of unconventional counterintelligence activities to gather intel, disrupt enemy operations and neutralize adversary targets.

As Information Warfare evolves, so must the Splinter Cell(R). You must penetrate deeper into hostile territory and operate undetected, closer to the enemy than ever before. At your disposal is a lethal array of tactics ranging from Combat Knife techniques, experimental prototype weapons skills, and more radical hand-to-hand techniques such as the Inverted Chokehold. Experience the thrill of acting as a lone operative fighting tomorrow's threats in the field, and of cooperating online with a partner to accomplish crucial missions. Die in action, and the free world dies with you.

KEY GAMEPLAY FEATURES

-- DEADLY AGILITY: Incredibly complete and fluid variety of moves including athletic and stealth moves, as well as stealth kills

-- AS GOOD AS REAL: Never-before-seen graphics technology offers the best visuals ever to appear on any platform. Advanced physics engine allows rag doll physics, particle effects and perfect interaction with the environment

-- REAL WEAPONS OF TOMORROW: The most complete arsenal of weapons and gadgets, from the combat knife to experimental prototype combat systems

-- AMAZING REPLAYABILITY: Totally open level design with multipaths and optional secondary objectives

-- ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: Intelligent all-new A.I. with personal attributes, natural behavior where non-playable-characters are aware of their environment and remember past events

-- CO-OP STEALTH: Play multiplayer with a friend and coordinate your infiltration in an all new multiplayer challenge

-- THRILLING SCENARIO: Gut-wrenching in-game sequences. Gripping plot with multiple twists and turns[/quote]

Apparently the team has eben working on this specific game since the original Splinter Cell wrapped up development. While great on a technical level, I really am not too fond of the look of the characters, but that's me.

I think it's a bit soon to announce this as well... especially considering the latest in the series hasn't even hit all the platforms yet.

First screens:
[url]http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3011620040510_151531_1_big.jpg[/url]
[url]http://www.jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/3011620040510_151531_2_big.jpg[/url]

[OtakuSennen]

[color=navy]And to think I haven't even beaten the first Splinter Cell yet. :p

Splinter Cell 1, in my opinion, had better gameplay than Metal Gear Solid. The visibility rating factor, the wider variety of stealth moves, and authentic Tom Clancy-esque atmosphere made for a very solid game. I only rented the game once, but I certainly got a lot of entertainment out of it.

Pandora Tomorrow looks even cooler, from what I've seen, with more abilities and an even more dramatic atmosphere, and I can't wait to see what the innovations for Splinter Cell 3 will look like in action. It should be pretty exhilarating.

As for them saying that SC 3 will have "the best graphics for any console, period", I would have to disagree from what I've seen of the game so far. The soldier in those two screens still looks rather.. Unnatural, somehow, and I don't see that problem as much in what I've seen of MGS: Snake Eater. I do like the textures, though. ..Oh well, there's still time for improvement, eh?

I'm mostly looking forward to see if they put out another outlandish subtitle, like something along the lines of "Splinter Cell: Omega Plunger", or something more cool.[/color]

[BlueYoshi]

Splinter Cell was an extremely stealth-wise game, you wouldn't survive without it. On the other hand you have Pandora Tomorrow, more of an action-focused entry to the franchise. Enter Splinter Cell 3, who knows what to expect.

It was very hard to overcome getting spotted in SC, especially with the fact that you could only get spotted so many times before the mission was aborted, but it only encourages you to play in conext with the game to help you become more compatible with the overall style of it.

On the other hand there's MGS2. The enemy AI was quite basic and outsmarting them would only require you to jump over ledge or to crawl under something - that's not what I call stealth.

An environment that looks the part, as well as easy to adapt to is essential for a game of the kind game I think. MGS2 got extremely repetitive in the plant, all the blocks looked the same and the atmosphere was dull. There needs to be flexibility - which Snake Eater has managed to achieve, there is always a ledge or tree to hang from or wall or bush to hide within to surprise your enemy, as well as a vast complex to explore. It allows for a more tactical mind.

[color=teal]It's been announced that the official title will be Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

I doubt that co-op stealth mode will have very much to do with the storyline because a second character hasn't been hyped up yet, but hopefully Ubisoft will put their heads together to come up with some pretty cool team-work features involving the stealthy attributes that SC is known for.

I suppose you could relate this to what Desbreko said about FSA. Its simplicity is its charm, and if you take that away in place of something much more overly-extensive then you're more or less killing it, as you'd have to make room for split-screens and whatnot. SC is simple in its own way, so contradicting what CT has going for it would probably be the best move, especially regarding the "thrilling scenario" because to be honest, I don't really care about how that will turn out compared to its overall gameplay.

Another thing, these "weapons of tomorrow"... what are Ubisoft playing at? Stealth orientated devices are all that will be needed as far as Sam Fisher is concerned. For Ubisoft to advertise totally unrelated items to SC's concept just raises the stakes for it to be classed as just another action game, and doesn't really self-promote what it's popular for as a whole.

[/color][color=dimgray]Edit: I've just put your posts together, to avoid a double post. - James[/color]

[::Ex-Soldier::]

I really think MGS was a much better game in general. I have played most of the MGS's,I played some of th gameboy ones, MGS1, MGS2, and I played the remake of MGS1, and I must say I like it more because I like to have more storyline involved. With splinter cell, which was an alright game, it was really repetetive in the sense that they gave you a mission, do it. Another mission, do it.

Yes, the plant was very very repetetive, but I wasn't expecting that damn stupid raiden to be a part of the game.

You could very well buy MGS3, and find that you can't play as solid snake again...I hope not though...haha. Everybody complained about that in MGS2.

[BlueYoshi]

[color=teal]Heh, I think you play as [spoiler]Big Boss in MGS3. It's a strong belief because MGS3 is set in the 60's, and Solid Snake hadn't been 'cloned' by then. Plus, Big Boss and MGS3's Snake both have their right eye missing? and Big Boss wears an eye patch there in MGS1.[/spoiler]

Anyway, about your comments, it's true that the MGS games are a lot less playable than Splinter Cell because you're over-crowded with many cut scenes and Codec calls that dwell into the story far too much. Splinter Cell is very much the opposite and focuses purely on what stealth has to offer in video games. So to speak, it's really up to the player's preferences on which one is better.

[quote name='::Ex-Soldier::']Yes, the plant was very very repetetive, but I wasn't expecting that damn stupid raiden to be a part of the game.[/quote]

Yeah, SC had different levels each time, and each one strived originality and brought new developments to the game, where as MGS2 revolved around a plant for the most part of it.

About that though, SC3 promises open levels, and MGS3 is based in a jungle, so they should really balance eachother out in that sense.

At the moment, both games are highly varied, and SC3 has only recently been announced, so it's hard to suffice which is more compatible to its genre.[/color]

[size=1][color=blue]Spoiler tags, man, spoiler tags. - Shinmaru[/size][/color]

[Foshi Foci]

What an amazing game. It is improved in every way. The graphics are phenomenal, sound chilling, and gameplay super tight. The freedom that the player is giving is perfect. No more will you have to restart a level over because you killed someone you weren't suppose to or being found and setting off an alarm. Quick-saving works wonders and the new interface is great. Online play works just as well as Pandora Tomorrow, and the new versus mode where two spies have to work together through an alternate adventure adds a lot of replayability.

Your thoughts and comments.

[color=#4B0082]Merged with the original thread. - [i]Desbreko[/i][/color]

[Kamuro]

I havn't played it yet but I've been seeing mad advertising for it, and lots of good reviews, all you see the whole commercial is [SIZE=3][B]9.9[/B][/SIZE] and[B]A 10 REVIEW[/B], its crazy, but it looks really good, although I was never much of a fan of 3rd-person shooters, I might just buy this one

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]I have to admit that my only experience with the Splinter Cell series game as a five minute go in a video game store about 2 years ago. However reading more about Chaos Theory, as well as having seen a very good trailer for it in the disks that come with a PC magazine I buy regularly, it does seem a game that would be interesting to give a try to.

I'm quite a big fan of the Metal Gear series, and the gameplay does seem to resemble the Hitman series slightly, in the fact that stealth is your greatest ally. I might wait a few weeks and read a few reviews on it to see if it's a game that I'd enjoy but from what I've read here, it would seem that it might be. [/SIZE]

[Foshi Foci]

The Splinter Cell stories are nothing to write home about unlike in the MGS series. The SC gameplay is the winner in these games. The options that your giving seem limitless and anything you can think of can be done. Your also giving freedom to not kill anyone if your good enough. I still rate the MGS series higher than the SC series, but they are different types of games. MGS emphasises action over stealth and SC emphasises stealth over action. Or, thats just the way they play out.

[Samsara]

This is just one of those games I try and force myself to enjoy, but I just can't seem to enjoy it. Basically I am the same way with the stealth genre as a whole. But I still think I may give Splinter Cell 3 a chance. I have heard nothing but praises for it. It sounds interesting.