bit-tech Shopping: UbiSoft Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (GC)

£11.37 from 1 seller

GameCube

Sam Fisher, the covert agent who makes Solid Snake look like Basildon Bond, is back in <I>Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow</I>, the all-new sequel to the 2003 hit. Once again it's down to Fisher alone to rid the world of terrorists and various other enemies of Uncle Sam.<p> At first glance <I>Pandora Tomorrow</I> looks pretty much identical to its predecessor--which is to say it's one of the most graphically impressive video games ever made, with a particularly nice line in atmospheric lighting and insanely detailed environments. It's true that in straight gameplay terms things haven't changed very much, although there has been a concerted effort to make things less linear this time around--which was one of the main complaints levelled against the first game. Now though, there are multiple solutions to almost every situation you find yourself in, and this isn't limited merely to a simple choice between wading in guns blazing or sitting in a corner for 10 minutes being stealthly.<p> There are also a few new moves and gadgets to play with but probably the most important new feature for <I>Pandora Tomorrow</I> is the multi-player mode. This is no simplistic death-match mode but instead pits spies (using the single-player game's standard third-person viewpoint) against mercenaries (using a more traditional first-person view) where the completely different abilities and weapons of each team makes for some highly engaging and inventive action. This immediately stops <I>Pandora Tomorrow</I> from being yet another mission disc sequel and alone justifies the price of admission. --<I>David Jenkins</I>