Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | |
Publisher(s) | Ubisoft [lower-alpha 1] |
Producer(s) | Domitille Doat-Le Bigot |
Designer(s) | Denis Muffat-Meridol |
Programmer(s) | Wu Ming Jie |
Artist(s) | Frederic Lavignasse |
Writer(s) | J. T. Petty |
Composer(s) |
|
Series | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell |
Engine | Unreal Engine 2 |
Platform(s) | |
Release | March 23, 2004
|
Genre(s) | Stealth |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is a 2004 stealth game developed and published by Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Milan. The game is the sequel to Splinter Cell and the second game in the Splinter Cell series endorsed by writer Tom Clancy. It follows the covert activities of Sam Fisher, an agent working for a black-ops branch of the National Security Agency (NSA) called "Third Echelon". Michael Ironside returns to voice Sam Fisher, while Dennis Haysbert voices the character Irving Lambert, Fisher's boss, making this the only time he is not voiced by Don Jordan. Lalo Schifrin provides the theme music for the game.
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow received mostly positive reviews on release, with critics calling it a strong follow-up and praising its multiplayer component, which would become a staple of the series. A side-scrolling adaptation for Game Boy Advance and mobile phones was released to mixed reception. A remastered high definition version was released on PlayStation 3 in September 2011. A sequel, titled Chaos Theory , was released in 2005.
The gameplay of Pandora Tomorrow is largely unchanged from the original Splinter Cell. The game features some moderate graphical improvements, as well as minor gameplay changes such as the fact that health kits are no longer an inventory item, and the addition of a laser sight to Sam's pistol that allows the player to know exactly where the rounds will strike, even when moving around. Also, Sam can now whistle to attract enemies, open doors while carrying a body, shoot while hanging upside down, perform a "SWAT turn" to go past doorways unnoticed (move from one side of the door to other while covered), and perform a half split jump. In Chaos Theory, the next entry in the series, the SWAT turn was removed and the pistol laser was replaced with an OCP (Optically Channeled Potentiator) which can temporarily disable electronic devices. The PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of Pandora Tomorrow also feature an additional single-player mission to compensate for the abridged gameplay compared to the PC and Xbox versions.
In March 2006, the United States establishes a military presence in the newly-independent country of East Timor to train its military. Several anti-separatist Indonesian guerrilla militias oppose East Timor's formation, one of which is Darah Dan Doa (English: Blood and Prayer) led by Suhadi Sadono, an individual trained by the CIA to fight communism in the region, who has grown resentful of U.S. support for East Timor's independence. Following an attack on the U.S. embassy in Dili, which captures a number of U.S. military and diplomatic personnel, NSA's Third Echelon investigates the situation. Third Echelon's director Irving Lambert informs operative Sam Fisher that his old friend Douglas Shetland, a former soldier turned PMC owner, is among the hostages. Infiltrating the embassy, Fisher learns from Shetland and CIA operative Ingrid Karlthson that Sadono is working alongside an unknown individual identified as "Mortified Penguin", conducting business in Paris.
After the embassy hostages are rescued, the U.S. Army launches a military campaign against Darah Dan Doa, though Indonesia objects to its operations. Meanwhile, Fisher heads to Paris, and finds mercenaries hired by "Mortified" breaking into a cyrogenic lab and stealing ND133 containers –self-contained cryogenic containers used for transporting and storing human brains. Third Echelon identifies "Mortified" as Norman Soth, a former U.S. soldier turned CIA agent, who Fisher discovers has gone rogue. Learning that Soth has made a deal with Syrian terrorists operating in Jerusalem, Third Echelon coordinates with Israel's Shin Bet agents, and learns that Soth has purchased containers of manufactured smallpox virus, intending to use them as bioweapons. Lambert discovers the bioweapons are an insurance policy for Sadono, codenamed "Pandora Tomorrow" –if he is killed or captured, the weapons will detonate on U.S. soil and expose Americans to the virus.
With this threat, Sadono appears on the front lines, forcing U.S. troops to retreat in order to avoid direct confrontation. Third Echelon learns that Sadono has to make daily calls to ensure the bioweapons are not detonated prematurely. Lambert assigns Fisher to bug the calls so that they can be traced to Soth's mercenary cells guarding the ND133, with aid from Shetland's PMC outfit, Displace International. The traced calls allow Third Echelon to inform the NSA, who send agents out to find and neutralize all but one of the ND133s, allowing the U.S. army to launch renewed operations against Darah Dan Doa guerillas. Sadono is forced to withdraw from the front lines. Not wishing for a repeat of the "Nikoladze affair" in 2004, Lambert instructs Fisher to find and capture Sadono rather than kill him outright, and hand him over to the CIA. Fisher works with Karlthson in capturing Sadono at a television station in Jakarta. The conflict ends, and diplomatic ties between the U.S. and East Timor are strengthened.
Third Echelon continues hunting for the last smallpox-armed ND133, and discovers that Soth and his mercenaries possess it, with the intention of detonating it inside Los Angeles International Airport. Lambert reveals Soth's actions were not motivated by Indonesia, but rather by a perceived betrayal by the U.S. in an incident that lost him one of his legs. Fisher infiltrates the terminal building, kills Soth and his men, and secures the ND133. Disguised as a maintenance worker, Fisher places the device near two policemen, who evacuate the airport upon spotting it, and call in the Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad to perform a controlled explosion of the device.
Pandora Tomorrow was developed under the title of Shadow Strike. [11] Much of the game itself was built upon the original engine of the first game, but with notable efforts to improve on it with newer elements, including some changes to the gameplay, and additional moves that could be used in the movement and stealth elements of the game. Compared to the Xbox version, development of additional console versions for the PlayStation 2 and Gamecube were created, but gameplay had to be reconfigured towards an abridged style of gameplay. To compensate, developers established an additional mission for both versions that was not made for Xbox.
As with the original Splinter Cell, development of the Windows version focused on being a port of the Xbox version, duplicating its user interface and gameplay. However, the Windows version was designed to run at higher resolutions than the console versions, with the "checkpoint" save system from the Xbox version was replaced with the ability to save a game at any time, and the controls reworked to allow simultaneous use of a keyboard and mouse, with movement speed being controlled by the mouse wheel. None of the bonus content from the other versions was made present for Windows.
A PlayStation 3 version via PlayStation Network was announced on December 20, 2010 to be part of the Splinter Cell Trilogy which was released in September 2011 as part of Sony's Classics HD series. [12] It was revealed on the PlayStation Blog that the game is a port of the PC version, which had better graphical detail than previous console versions. [13] It was also revealed that the multiplayer modes are not included in the collection. [14]
The GBA version was released on March 26, 2004 in Europe and March 27, 2004 in North America.
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
Metacritic | (Xbox) 93/100 [15] (PS2) 87/100 [16] (PC) 87/100 [17] (GC) 78/100 [18] (GBA) 68/100 [19] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly | (Xbox) 9.67/10 [20] (PS2) 9.17/10 [21] (GC) 7.5/10 [22] (GBA) 4.67/10 [23] |
Eurogamer | 8/10 [24] [25] |
Famitsu | (Xbox) 32/40 (PS2) 30/40 [26] |
Game Informer | (Xbox) 9.5/10 [27] 8.75/10 [28] (GBA) 8/10 [29] |
GamePro | (Xbox) [30] [31] [32] (GBA) [33] |
GameRevolution | (Xbox) A [34] (PS2) B+ [35] (GC) B [36] |
GameSpot | 9.1/10 [37] (Mobile) 9/10 [38] (PS2) 8.2/10 [39] (GBA) 6.2/10 [40] (GC) 6.1/10 [41] |
GameSpy | (Xbox) [42] [43] [44] (GC & GBA) [45] [46] |
GameZone | (PC) 9.7/10 [47] (Xbox) 9.6/10 [48] (PS2) 8.8/10 [49] (GC) 7/10 [50] |
IGN | 9.5/10 [51] [52] [53] (PS2) 8.2/10 [54] (GC) 8/10 [55] (GBA) 7/10 [56] |
Nintendo Power | (GC) 4/5 [57] (GBA) 3.9/5 [58] |
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | [59] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9.5/10 [60] |
PC Gamer (US) | 90% [61] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [62] |
The Times | [63] |
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow received "universal acclaim" from critics for the Xbox version, while the PC, PS2, and GameCube received "generally favorable" reviews, and the Game Boy Advance received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. [64] In addition, Rotten Tomatoes gave the game a score of 100% "Fresh Rating" for the Xbox version; [65] a 95% "Fresh Rating" for the PS2 version; [66] a 90% "Fresh Rating" for the PC version; [67] a 55% "Rotten Rating" for the GameCube version; [68] and a 27% "Rotten Rating" for the GBA version. [69]
Greg Kasavin of GameSpot gave the Xbox and PC versions a score of 9.1 and said that the single-player and multiplayer portions of the game will appeal to anyone interested in high-tech stealth and subterfuge. He also said that players familiar with the first Splinter Cell should expect 10 hours or more of gameplay. Kasavin said the storyline in Pandora Tomorrow was more cohesive than the original Splinter Cell, but the gameplay often becomes pure trial and error, noting that the missions "could have benefited from feeling less rigid and scripted" but were "incredibly slick." Kasavin also praised the multiplayer mode for its innovation, complexity, and creativity. [37] Mongoose of Game Chronicles Magazine also gave the Xbox version a 9.4 out of 10 and gave special praise to the multiplayer portion of the game. He called the game "the single best reason to get online" on Xbox Live. However, he felt that gameplay in the single player campaign at times got increasingly linear and leaned toward scripted challenges, with "only one solution to any given problem", requiring "the use of a particular gadget or one of Sam’s nimble moves." [70]
Entertainment Weekly gave the Xbox version an A and said that it "seems less like a sequel and more like an extension of the first game, with a few nice enhancements and some more dark and dangerous environments." [62] Playboy gave the game 100% and stated that "A new online mode allows four players to stalk one another. Take an opponent hostage and use your headset to describe all the pain you plan to inflict on him." [71] The Times gave it all five stars and called it "a miniature masterpiece". [63] The Village Voice gave the Xbox version a perfect ten and said, "No multiplayer title has ever bound and balanced two wholly different games this way." [72]
By the end of March 2004, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow had sold 1.7 million copies. [73] Its total sales reached 2.7 million units by the end of June, [74] and rose to 2.8 million by September. [75]
GameSpot named Pandora Tomorrow the best Xbox game of March 2004. [76] The editors of Computer Gaming World nominated Pandora Tomorrow for their 2004 "Action Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay . [77] During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Pandora Tomorrow with "Computer Action/Adventure Game of the Year". [78]
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a 2002 stealth game developed by Ubi Soft Montreal and published by Ubi Soft. It is the first game in the Splinter Cell series. Endorsed by author Tom Clancy, it follows the activities of NSA black ops agent Sam Fisher. The game was inspired by both the Metal Gear series and games created by Looking Glass Studios, and was built using Unreal Engine 2.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth action-adventure video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels that were endorsed by Tom Clancy. The series follows Sam Fisher, a highly trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon", as he overcomes his adversaries. Levels are created using Unreal Engine and emphasize light and darkness as gameplay elements. The series has been positively received, and was once considered to be one of Ubisoft's flagship franchises. The series had sold 19 million units by 2008. No further installments have been released since 2013. A remake of the first game was announced in December 2021. Characters inspired by the game's "Third Ecehlon" faction are featured in XDefiant.
Tetris Worlds is a version of the video game Tetris. Originally released in 2001 for Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance, it was later released for Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 in 2002. In 2003, an Xbox Live version titled Tetris Worlds Online and a single-disc compilation version were released for the Xbox. The latter was bundled with Xbox systems.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield is a 2003 tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubi Soft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the third entry in the Rainbow Six series. The game's plot follows Rainbow, a secret international counterterrorist organization, as they respond to a wave of terrorist attacks threatening South America.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a stealth game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Milan. The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox in March 2005. Handheld versions for the Nintendo DS, mobile, and N-Gage were also released.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 is a tactical shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. A Microsoft Windows version was planned but cancelled in April 2005 in favor of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. It is a direct sequel to the 2001 video game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown is a 2005 tactical first-person shooter video game published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and Windows. It is the fourth game in the Rainbow Six series. The game's plot follows Rainbow, an international counterterrorist organization, as they battle a terrorist organization that has stolen a deadly bioweapon.
The Sims Bustin' Out is a video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and in 2004 for the N-Gage. It is the second title in The Sims console series and the first title not concurrently released on Windows PC.
Kill Switch is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Namco Hometek in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. A Game Boy Advance port was released in 2004. The GBA port was created independently of Namco, due to a licensing deal with Destination Software. The PAL release of the PS2 port came with a demo of SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs on a separate disc.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent is a 2006 stealth game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Shanghai, and published by Ubisoft. The Splinter Cell series, endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, follows Sam Fisher, an agent employed by a black-ops division of the National Security Agency (NSA), dubbed Third Echelon. The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360 in October 2006. The Wii and Windows versions were released in November 2006. A PlayStation 3 version was released in March 2007.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 hack and slash action game developed by EA Redwood Shores for the PlayStation 2 and Windows. It was ported to the GameCube and Xbox by Hypnos Entertainment, to the Game Boy Advance by Griptonite Games, to mobile by ImaginEngine, and to Mac OS X by Beenox. The game was published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the 2002 game The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Samuel Leo Fisher is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series of video games developed by Ubisoft as well as a series of tie-in novels. He was created by the writer JT Petty and designed by artist Martin Caya.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Essentials is an action-adventure video game with heavy emphasis on stealth. It is part of the Splinter Cell series and was released for the PlayStation Portable handheld system. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft on March 21, 2006. It is the fourth entry in the series and runs on the Unreal Engine 2.
Cold War is a 2005 stealth video game developed by the Czech developer Mindware Studios, and published by DreamCatcher Games. The game is similar to the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series of games in that it uses a stealth-action system of gameplay. The game distinguishes itself by adding an item invention system where the player can use seemingly useless objects to create new tools and weapons. Also, the story of the game centers on a civilian reporter, so no extremely acrobatic moves are available to the player. Another aspect of the game is that the player can take many different approaches to winning the game.
Ford Racing 3 is a racing video game published by Empire Interactive, 2K, and ZOO Digital. It is the third game in the Ford Racing series, and was released in Europe in October 2004, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In the United States, the game was released on the same platforms the following year, followed by releases later that year for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Visual Impact Productions developed the GBA and DS versions, while Razorworks developed the other versions. The game received mixed reviews, critics were divided in its soundtrack, physics and overall content and gameplay.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance is a 2001 action role-playing video game developed by Snowblind Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment subsidiary Black Isle Studios for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox consoles, with High Voltage Software handling the GameCube port, and Magic Pockets developing the Game Boy Advance version. CD Projekt was developing a version for Microsoft Windows, but was ultimately cancelled. In 2021, a 4K port of the game was released for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is a 2010 stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Microsoft Game Studios and Ubisoft. The game is a sequel to Splinter Cell: Double Agent and part of the Splinter Cell series. Key members of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas team, such as creative director Maxime Béland worked on the game. It released for Windows and Xbox 360 in April 2010. Gameloft released a handheld version for Apple's iOS in May/July 2010. There are also versions available for Android, Windows Phone and Bada, as well as a side-scrolling 2D version for mobile phones.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a 2013 stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft. The game is the sequel to Splinter Cell: Conviction and the seventh installment of the Splinter Cell series. Players control Sam Fisher, a highly trained operative working for the Fourth Echelon, in a mission to stop the Engineers, a group of terrorists which is trying to coerce the United States into recalling all of its troops stationed abroad. The gameplay is similar to its predecessors, with players tasked with completing objectives and defeating enemies. Blacklist marks the return of the asymmetrical multiplayer mode Spies vs. Mercs, which was introduced in Pandora Tomorrow.
Tom Clancy's is a branding used by video game company Ubisoft for several video games, some of which feature the works of American author Tom Clancy, while others do not. Various sub-series are often unrelated to each other with a few exceptions, although most are shooters set in modern or near-future military settings.