Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Comments by Kristan Reed

Where is everyone?

Morning Alastair. Strange, huh? Empty today. I was too shy to make a first post. :-)

although some of the shading in the darker areas is disappointing, with a nasty banding very apparent

What is banding? Nothing to do with the French bander, I hope.

Sorry, late in. Er - yeah, quite liked the demo of this one! Although I might now wait and see how the Cube version fares before I indulge...

IGN reckoned this version was much easier than the Xbox version. Are they right, or talking shite as usual?

It can only be a good thing if it's easier, the PC version is very tough, and I would have given up I guess without a quicksave option.

It is easier, but that's because it's more playable, easier to control, etc.

What's banding? Dithering. You see bands of shading in ugly stripes. Not all the time, but you'll know what I mean when you see it.

I see, it's like when you turn up the brightness of your TV, and see ugly things hiding in the shadows.
Bad description, but then it's early and I should work. Anyway, I think I see (ha ha ha) what you mean.

When I saw this running on a demo pod I could have sworn that the shadows were being cast through Sam Fisher, eg if a shadow was being cast on his back you could also see it on his front.

Is this correct, or am I just in denial over the fact the PS2 version is at least as good as the Xbox one?

The shadows definitely display some odd and inconsistent behaviour. I never noticed them being cast on the front though.

It is easier, but that's because it's more playable, easier to control, etc.

I hope you mean in your opinion. Don't wanna stir it do ya :p This review is just a console war bomb waiting to go off
Great game, for those people with just a GC and PS2 I would wait till the GC one comes around first. Link play with the GBA mmmmm.. :D

Ah... denial.

One thing I found wierd was that the jaggies on the fence bars were 'amplified' in their shadows - just like in the second picture in this review.

That is pretty weird... almost like the shadows are lower-res than the rest of the graphics at times.

Denial - It's not just a river in Africa.

The Xbox version had the jaggies on the shadows as well, not as bad as on that screenshot, but they were there.

The Xbox version had the jaggies on the shadows as well, not as bad as on that screenshot, but they were there.

I noticed that as well but only in some shadows as far as I could tell

Well, flicking between the two versions on a giant, ultra crisp Tosh 36" widescreen TV, I'd dispute the resolution issue. It really is almost inperceptible.
Slowdown? Not in my version, chum. The colours ARE more vibrant in the Xbox version, no arguments there, but frankly, who cares? Lighting? I said it was a very different effect, but it's still very very impressive.
As for controls, the PS2 controls worked for me. The context sensitive system makes it MUCH easier to do the basics. It's just my opinion, and I didn't say I exactly hated the Xbox version did I?
Please, let's not turn this into a PS2 vs Xbox flame war. Let's instead admire the fact that Ubi has done a really good job, undertaking what many thought was an impossible conversion, and in some style.

Please, let's not turn this into a PS2 vs Xbox flame war

I think you're hoping a bit there, Kruds. :-)

Phew!
At least other people can see the problems with the shadows in the PS2 version.
Thought I was turning into an Xbox fanboi for a minute.

As a proud owner of the PC version, I can safely say I am above that blinkered discussion. So I just say: the PS2 and Xbox versions both suck in comparison.

/buffs nails

D'Oh!

Truth sayer
I'm extremely wary of people carrying names like this.

I think things must have moved on since the demo version, cos I haven't experienced the shadow issues you're referring to.

Nice review kruds. I'm very tempted to get this, but I think I'll wait for the Cube version to see how it compares.

LaundroMat wrote:
'Truth sayer
I'm extremely wary of people carrying names like this.'

Yeah, there's a certain FB-ness about it......

That is pretty weird... almost like the shadows are lower-res than the rest of the graphics at times.
I think there are lots of games doing that ("Silent Hill 2" comes to my mind now). I suppose since it's calculated in real time or "almost real time", rendering shadows at a lower resolution then scaling them up speeds things up. In older games with pre-calculated shadows it was also used sometimes in order to keep the texture sizes down (the shadows in "Quake" for example).

Ubi has sent over some shots of the PS2-exclusive level, posted here.

Are we going to see a three way grudge match review when that comes out ?

Could be 5 way, if you include the PC and GBA versions ;-)

I think ign have said they will be doing a Head2Head comparison of the X-Box/PC/PS2/GC versions, so I'll keep and eye out. Should be up in the next week or two now that the US release of the GC version has been brought forward to April (the 8th I think).

All I am going to say on this one is Well done the guys at Ubi well ported. Excellent piece of work.

Gamecube movie here:

http://media.nintendo.com/nintendo/contents/gamepage/gamecon
tent/video/t/tcsplintercell_gcn_480.mov

Looks smoother than the PS2 demo, anyway.

didn't I see an ad for a mobile-phone verion of Splinter Cell today somewhere ?

Looked worse than the PS2 version for sure :)
GBA too for that matter.

yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!! now hopefully developers will start developing more on the x-box platform to port to the pc and gamecube and ps2... splinter cell is an amazing game!!!! furthermore why should ps2 owners not get games which truly push the power of the machine so ps2 gamers can get a great show..... "no ps2 x-box flamewar".... why not????? a little better resolution here and there across EVERY SINGLE game on x-box compared to gamecube or ps2 = a whole lot of better for me.... IT makes me roll my eyes every time I hear "a little better isn't such a big thing" b.s. a little better car a little better food a little better t.v. a little better movie is ????? guess what a little better which is lots better to me!!!!!!!!!!, uncle lou makes me laugh though because his comment is in fact true and I for one respect that, uncle lou I want a little better computer!!!! (faster and more powerfull), I can feel the x-box loathing in the air!!! (p.s. I am going to look into a cube because the cube is a little better than a ps2!, metroid, zelda, rogue squadran!!!)

I can only see the comments on this review, I'd love to read it. When I click on the read more link I get: Warning: mysql_num_rows(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /web/eurogamer2/eg_login.inc.php on line 34
Can't open file: 'news_features.MYD'. (errno: 144)

I agree with Jimbo 118%.

JIMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How the hell are you?

Thanks b.g.i.e!!!! and keyser Soze!!!! Keyser I'm great how about you!!!!!!!..... You will never be discovered Keyser as you are a master of disguise and wit!!!!

w00t It works now, great review guys...

no 60hz MODE hahaha. xbox had it. slow game then

No it didn't. Like many games, people assume SC runs at 60Hz just because Xbox supports the feature in hardware. BUT, if the game doesn't support 60Hz, the game will default to 50Hz.

Ubisoft actually said the xbox port supported the 60hz option tho :P

Ubisoft actually said the xbox port supported the 60hz option tho :P

Okay!

*turns on xbox, sets video option to PAL 60 "yes", exits settings, inserts Splinter Cell into xbox, waits until game boots up, checks TV to see if in 60Hz mode*

Either Ubisoft are lying or I have a defective copy of Splinter Cell!!! The game does not run in 60Hz mode!!!

*shock* - thanks guys for checking up on this for me, im a little bitch and refuse to buy games which dont support 60hz mode (i get watery eye syndrome), Ubi-Soft totally said they were going to.. even the Eurogamer review had it down as suppoting 60hz.

I'd say graphics differences are a 'moot' point. Gameplay is where it's at and SC on PS2 does the business there! Interesting to see how it fares with MGS:S, sales wise.

BTW, I do prefer MGS for the freedom you get and comedy moments.

There is definitely NO 60hz mode in Xbox PAL Splinter Cell.

I run my consoles through a TV card to my video projector. The TV card software shows which video mode is in use.

PAL Splinter Cell for Xbox is PAL50, with nasty borders.

A Finn

Hmm... That is very interesting. On a TV, the game runs full screen which leads me to believe that perhaps the Xbox does not output a "real" PAL signal, but just stretches the image vertically to eliminate borders.

"Your kilometerage may vary (depending on your display device)! =)"

Man, some people just KNOW how to impress the ladies.

Hard to think this is the same game I played on the xbox. I found it very repetitive, depressingly linear and incredably fustrating. A special op who can't hit a barn door with his weedy little shooter. A real dissapointment compared to the other clancy games.

A special op who can't hit a barn door with his weedy little shooter

I can see you really put in the hours on this one...

/is sorry if that came out 3 times.

...an 80-strong Chinese code (sweat) shop to convert...

That seems like an awful lot of people...

This is getting out of hand...

Hey Adam, you're just jealous that Little Joe and Hoss both have a PS2. God, even Hop-Singh has a Cube, but Pa' bought you the friggin' Xbox!