Ubisoft created a lot of great games during the early 2000s, but the original Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell was arguably one of the best among them. Released exclusively for the original Xbox in 2002, this critically-acclaimed stealth game was the brainchild of Ubisoft Montreal, the studio best known for its work on the Prince of Persia and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series. Splinter Cell followed the escapades of seasoned secret agent Sam Fisher, a former U.S. Navy S.E.A.L. Officer who was recruited by the National Security Agency as part of a newly-established espionage division called the Third Echelon. In the game, Fisher is tasked by the United States government to infiltrate a terrorist base in the country of Georgia to investigate the death of two CIA agents, all while the omnipresent threat of WW3 looms in the background.
The general premise of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell isn't all that novel, but where the title really innovates is in its stealth mechanics. Splinter Cell features dynamic lighting that was revolutionary for the time. In the game, players can manipulate the lighting around them to forge their own path in the darkness. They can, for instance, shoot the lightbulbs in their surrounding environments to advance through a place without being seen. This interactive, light-based gameplay is just one aspect of what makes Splinter Cell so good and why, despite its age, it's still worth playing to this day, especially right now.
Why Now is the Perfect Time to Give the Original Splinter Cell Game a Shot
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is Not Readily Available on All Modern Platforms
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is available on a wide variety of platforms, but it isn't exactly easily accessible. As previously mentioned, the game originally launched as an Xbox exclusive, but it was released on PC, PS2, GameCube, mobile phones, and even N-Gage in 2003. The title was subsequently ported to Mac OS X and PS3 in later years, but unfortunately, it wasn't released anywhere else. Currently, PC and Xbox are the only modern platforms that you can access the original Splinter Cell on because, other than a backwards compatibility update that made the game playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, it has yet to be ported to more devices.
The First Splinter Cell Game is Heavily Discounted on PC
Sadly, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell has been delisted from the Xbox marketplace, so those that want to pick up a digital copy of the game will have to go to Steam, Epic Games Store, or the Ubisoft Store. Players who wish to do so may want to act fast because, at the time of writing, the title is 75% off ($2.49) on all three PC storefronts until October 16, 2024. Splinter Cell is already a cheap game as it is, but this deal makes it even more affordable, which is particularly great for gamers that want to get accustomed to the title before the release of its upcoming remake.
Although a Splinter Cell Remake is in Development, It's Best to Play the Original Game Right Now
That's right, a remake of the original Splinter Cell is in the works at Ubisoft Toronto, but updates on the title have been so few and far between that it would be hard to fault anyone for not knowing it existed. Even though it was announced all the way back in December 2021, Ubisoft has shown next-to-nothing from the game up to this point, besides a few pieces of concept art. Considering how much time has passed since its announcement, one would think that the Splinter Cell remake is close to being released, but according to recent rumors, that isn't the case.
The Brazilian insider Petro Henrique Lutti Lippe, a.k.a. PHBrazil, reportedly said in a YouTube video that the Splinter Cell remake had internally been delayed at Ubisoft and was currently in bad shape. In other words, it looks like the title won't be coming out anytime soon. Some gamers who want to check out the first Splinter Cell game may want to wait for its remake to be released, but because it's apparently pretty far out, it's probably best to just play the original 2003 title right now instead, especially since it's on sale.
- Released
- November 18, 2002
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft, Aspyr Media
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 2
- Franchise
- Splinter Cell
Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace!
You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon. The world balance is in your hands, as cyber terrorism and international tensions are about to explode into WWIII.
Go Behind the Headlines into the Real World of Modern Espionage -
Enter the realistic Tom Clancy universe. Suit up with the latest classified field operative gear and weapons.
A New Level of Stealth Action - All the best stealth action plus all new moves. Highly interactive environments giving players more gameplay options and the ability to strategize their actions.
Deep Environments. Unparalleled Immersion - Stunning environments driven by the Unreal engine. Dynamic lighting and sound effects that match reality.
Pulse-Pounding Action on a Global Scale - Over 20 Hours of stealth action. Diverse mission objectives that can be achieved by different means for increased replay value.
- Platform(s)
- Xbox, PC, PS2, GameCube, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Mobile
- Genre(s)
- Stealth
- How Long To Beat
- 13 Hours
