Splinter Cell

Publisher: (Ubisoft)

Another console, another stealth-based game. Except this one has the name of Tom Clancy stapled to it. Firmly tipped to be one of the games that makes the Xbox worth the money, this takes cinematic production values and tippy-toed killing to new heights.
You'll take control of Sam Fisher, a gravelly-voiced special forces operative from a shadowy top-secret organisation trained in secretive infiltration and killing. And that's the crux of whether you'll love or hate this. Getting frustrated and mowing down a load of dopey troopers isn't really an option when you're supposed to be like a ghost. That said, Fisher is more than up to the task with an array of technical weapons and some real subtlety in his movements. Sneak, peek, crouch, jog, crawl and even perform tear-jerking splits between walls in order to assail your foes from on high. There's no guilt in the pleasure either, as Clancy takes us to a 'near future' where killing generic commies is back on the menu. That man must have hated the end of the Cold War.
There aren't many missions but the beauty of the Xbox version, apart from being out some weeks before the PS2's, is that additional sections can be downloaded using Xbox Live. However, one aspect they've had the time to improve for the PS2 are the slightly clunky cutscenes that fail to tie together the action convincingly. Whether on the ugly console or the nice-looking one, this pushes the boundaries of silent assassination in your living room.