bit-tech Shopping: UbiSoft Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (Xbox)

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Year

Strengths: Stealth action, graphics, sound

Weaknesses: No offline multi-player

Summary: UbiSoft Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is another installment of the premier stealth series out for the Xbox. The game is a nice follow up to the original Splinter Cell only this time the game offers superior graphics as well as online multiplayer. The single player game will keep you engrossed for at least 10 hours of gameplay but the multi-player will keep your entertained for hours once you get over the tough learning curve. Not much to nit pick on this game. I would have liked to play co-op off line as well, but overall this is a must buy for anyone that owns an Xbox.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 2 Months

Strengths: Excellent graphics showcase, realistic storyline, great sound and voice acting, good control, further refinements to the already solid stealth gameplay, new online multiplayer mode

Weaknesses: Linear single player mode, trial and error gameplay, online-only multiplayer mode, online competition may be too difficult for beginning players

Summary: The original Splinter Cell gave you gritty stealth action gameplay without the other-worldly enemies, melodrama, lecturing on world peace or John Woo-style cinematics of the Metal Gear Solid series. If you wanted a more realistic perspective on what infiltrating the enemy's territory undetected might be like, Splinter Cell had you covered. Pandora Tomorrow continues the series' tradition of stellar graphics (dramatic use of light and shadow), excellent voice acting (led by Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher) and gritty real world locations and plot points. Pandora also ups the ante by adding a very challenging new multiplayer online mode. (Beginners may find the online competition a bit overwhelming at first.) Just as with the original Splinter Cell, Pandora's single player mode is linear and perhaps a tad short (10-12 hours). Some players simply will not like the trial and error style of gameplay. For those of you that liked Sam Fisher's original adventure, you're sure to be pleased with his latest outing, especially given its recent release as a Platinum Hits value title. If you're a hardcore competitor, you'll appreciate the level of competition that the online community has to offer. You'll definitely want to know the multiplayer maps in and out when you go online.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 3 Months

Strengths: Excellent story, superb graphics, realistic controls

Weaknesses: limited mulitplayer

Summary: This is one of the top games to define the steath-action genre of games. The story is very well written combined with easy to pickup controls and gameplay. The graphics are simply unbeatable. There are 8 levels to go through, and while they are linear, there is a good variety of exotic locations. The Multi player mode is very unique with opposing players having slightly different controls. The limit of 4 players for multi player matches it limited. Overall the game looks and feels like the best stealth-action game on the xbox.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Week

Strengths: Graphics, gameplay, controls

Weaknesses: Lack of offline multiplayer mode.

Summary: If ever there was a series that makes Xbox worth buying, it is the Splinter Cell series. Forget Halo, *THIS* is what Xbox is all about. Even better than it's stellar predecessor, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is one of the best games ever made -- on any system. In fact, pick up the original (it's a greatest hits title and under $20), beat that -- and then play this. You will be wow'ed by the original and completely blown away by this.

Rating: 10

Time with product: 1 Month

Strengths: Great single player, great multiplayer. Looks great, plays great.

Weaknesses: Surpassed by Chaos Theory.

Summary: The original Splinter Cell claimed to redefine stealth action, and it did. The genre has probably never looked or played as good as the original, until now. In addition to a great new single player campaign, that would be worth the game's (now budget) price alone, there's a full-on spies-vs-mercenaries multiplayer mode that you can play on Live or over a LAN. It's like a whole other game, and it makes the package irresistable. Even through Chaos Theory is better, if you've only got $20 to spend or you don't quite know if Splinter Cell is for you, this is a great place to start.