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I'm very familiar with the Splinter Cell universe as found on the PC, having played all more than once (never played a console version).
Of these three, Chaos Theory is considered the best and I would mostly agree. The original, however, is what made the series what it is. Pandora is still quite good and worth finishing.
These ports ended up being FAR better than I expected based on reading the dismal reviews of performance before it was officially released. I kept on waiting for serious lag issues, long load times, poor graphics and optimization (and other 'issues') anything that detracted from the SC experience. Didn't find anything truly worthy of complaint and I was waiting to complain and put the disc away for a hopeful future patch.
I was preparing myself for utter disappointment again based solely on the multiple poor reviews before this PS3 trilogy was released and found myself very satisfied with the controls, graphics, and overall performance.
Are there issues that can be annoying? Sure. They are, truly, minor. The authentic gameplay of the Splinter Cell series can still be had with these three. I didn't think I'd be able to say that before I played them.
I do not care whatsoever for multiplayer. If the single-player experience is not what you're looking for, then this PS3 version of SC is not for you.
I've played more than a few so-called 'lazy ports'. This is not one of them. In the end, these three titles are absolutely worthy of playing on the PS3 (especially if you do not have the PC version).
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This is my first review, I apologize if there are spelling and grammatical errors in the review. I wrote this review because of all the low stars that is has received undeservingly.
The trilogy comes with the first 3 games in the series. Since there are 3 games, I will divide this review into three sections. All 3 control very well and the controls are very fluid. The analog controls can not be inverted. According to Ubisoft the games are ported from the PC versions. The first 2 games the PC versions were the only ones where you could save at any point in the games and not have to get to a check point.
Splinter Cell:
Some of the cut scenes lag for about a second here and there, but you barely notice it. the lip sinking is a little of. Some of the textures are miss colored, part of Sam's hair is brown and black and you could see a square on his head, you only notice it if you look for it. When you get close to certain objects and wall you will notice some pixelation, but it is an older game. The game itself has more lighting than the original, occasionally you stand in an area that was bitch black in the original, but here is maybe visible, your meter will show that it is dark, you will go further in the level, turn around and come back and it will be dark like the original, again doesn't detract from the game. Even though there are some graphical deficiencies, there are also improvements, when I played it on PC I thought Sam's clothing was solid black, but here I can see a dark camo pattern. Visually the game is very crisp fps is at 60 or very close to it as far as I can see. There are several PC versions of this game, ones that have 2 extra levels that were exclusive to the PS2 version and the original release that didn't have them, this trilogy does not have those 2 extra levels as far as I can see.
Pandora Tomorrow:
Pretty much like the first, controls are good, has more lighting. The cut scenes do not have lag, or I did not notice it. Textures are better handled than the first game. Crisp graphics and fps is at or close to 60 as far as I could tell. Lip sinking is better in this one. Textures are better handled as well.
Chaos Theory:
Just like the first 2 games, controls are good and graphics are good. I never played this game on the PC, I played it on the PS2, so it is better than the PS2 version, but cannot compare it to the PC version since this version was ported from there. Overall game plays well.
I mostly reviewed the first game and didn't think it was necessary to repeat most of the information for the other 2 games. All games have there own trophy set, so there are 3 platinum trophies to get. Each game has its own save file, the saves are not locked, so you can copy them onto your flash drive. So far the game is relatively bug free. I prefer there version over the originals, they also brig back fond memories of when I played them originally. Hope you find this review useful, FYI I do not regret paying full price for this collection, I believe it was worth it.
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Product: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD PS3
To begin, I never played these games when they were originally released, this High Definition re-release is my first encounter with these games, and therefore, I will not be comparing them to their original releases. Also, I want to be clear that I really enjoyed these games, they were a lot of fun to play and I found them extremely rewarding. That being said, this review will not focus on my personal opinion of the games as far as game play goes, I will be focusing on the presentation of the product as an entry into the High Definition format.
Splinter CellIn-game rendering was decently crisp and smooth, surfaces were nice and clear, the lighting effects presented a bold contrast in the environments, and overall, from a visual standpoint, I thought the game looked good.
The cut-scenes are a different story; these did not look like they were treated with tender loving care. Cut-scenes really make this game show its age. The news broadcasts that feature throughout the game have an almost cartoonish quality; the broadcaster's faces almost bringing to mind "the uncanny valley", stuff of nightmares. The cut-scenes that feature the primary cast in conjunction with the main story look especially bad, they seem stretched and over dark, and overall un-updated. The characters movements within the cut-scenes seem stilted and robotic, and surfaces and objects come to sharp triangular points. Lip synching is basically mouths opening and closing without rhythm while the dialogue plays.
While the game looks good (while playing), it suffers from occasional hiccups and freezing. From what I could observe it seems that whenever the player character passes over an in game scripted event point the game stutters dramatically: with NPC's dialogue becoming jilted and echoed and the frame rate taking a nose dive. Also, occasionally throughout the game I experienced a seemingly random freeze that would stop all visuals, allow no player control, yet, maintain the sound of the game. This happened to me two or three times and lasted for about seven to ten seconds. It was annoying but didn't directly affect game play.
Ultimately, though the games visuals are nothing to write home about and the cut-scenes are cringe worthy, none of theses things drastically impeded upon my playing of the game.
Pandora TomorrowThe opening cinematic sequence looked good, a lot better than any of the cut-scenes from Splinter Cell. It definitely gave me high hopes for the game, and overall (visually anyhow) the game looks pretty good, comparable or better than Splinter Cell. I thought that there were some environments that really looked spectacular with the lighting effects, to the point where I'd stop and just pan the camera around to take it all in.
HOWEVER! Unlike Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow had a host of in game freezes, stutters and frame rate slowing that was so bad it completely compromised the game for me. Right from the first level I was plagued with a half second visual and audio hiccup every couple of seconds that served to completely derail my enjoyment and emersion in the game. The only time throughout the entire game that this constant problem was not quite so constant was in levels that were predominantly indoors, and had only basic lighting effects. Which is a real shame, because the outdoor levels juxtaposed with the lighting used in them would really have been nice to enjoy without having the game stutter-stop every five seconds. The games issues hindered my playing at various points throughout; one issue was that when I'd equip a gun, aim and fire it there would be about a quarter to half a second before the action was translated on screen. In a similar vain controls overall were sluggish: if I had to equip a weapon, fire it and than un-equip it all very rapidly in order to avoid immediate detection or death, fifty percent of the time I was being forced to double press buttons and more than likely failing in whatever endeavor I was attempting. The freezing in Pandora Tomorrow was quite a bit worse than it was in Splinter Cell, while it was more frequent there was also a situation where I had to execute a complete system restart, re-load the game and find out that my last save had been compromised. I also encountered a strange issue where guards were stuck in a strange loop and would just jostle back and forth like a machine unable to complete a circuitous movement, and when they'd move they'd glide across the ground without moving their legs, it was very creepy, reminded me of a movie ghost or something. Dialogue in the game was at times almost indecipherable, dialogue would occasionally coincide with a stutter-stop and frame rate drop and the whole conversation would sound as though it was recorded in an echo chamber, every word of dialogue being repeated two or three times.
Although the opening cut-scene gave me high hopes for the in game cut-scenes, Pandora Tomorrow showcases cut-scenes which are not noticeably any better than those presented on Splinter cell.
Although I did play all the way through Pandora Tomorrow, there were a multitude of instances where I genuinely asked myself if playing through this game was worth the frustration all of its issues caused me. The one minor caveat to what I've written on the topic of Pandora Tomorrow in HD is that it is a stealth game, and therefore is a game of patience and slow stealth, which frame rate drops and freezing will hinder the playing of only so much. What I mean to say is that were this game a fast paced shooter I don't know that I would have been capable of finishing it; Pandora Tomorrow is (fortunately for itself) a slow paced, methodical game and can almost excuse the hiccups, as far as basic game play is concerned. Though that far from excuses it.
Chaos TheoryThis game looks a lot sharper than either Splinter Cell or Pandora Tomorrow, light glistens off of surfaces, textures have distinct dimension and there's a real beauty to the environments and the various colors permeating through the layered lighting. The cut-scenes look better as well, though I wouldn't particularly high-light them as any artistic gem: they're better than cut-scenes that I'd describe as bad, which doesn't make them good.
Similar to Pandora tomorrow I again experienced lag during various points throughout the game, glaring pauses in video while the sound still plays, disjointed dialogue that cuts in and out and, in some areas, repetitive looping stutters in the game. These looping stutters were especially irritating as they'd significantly distract from the action going on during the game.
Most of the major issues in Chaos Theory (and the other two as well, really) appeared to be connected in some way to the sound. For instance the first level in the game features an ocean beach front, and at various points throughout the mission the sound of the break of the waves would coincide with a dramatic lag and stutter in the game, both of video and audio. Other similar issues would occur while NPC dialogue was occurring, either enemies or the support team radio conversations. And in both instances it became an insistent skipping that not only was irritating but at times really pulled me out of the game and interrupted the story and flow of "need to know" information.
SummarySo to summarize, these games really could have been presented better, the host of consistent glitches serves only to deride the game play and can make a game that some have describe as a tedious dance of trial and error into a frustrating mess. Than again I was able to play all the games through to their conclusions, and though the issues mentioned were annoying I found the games rewarding enough to ignore the problems and trudge forward. Pandora Tomorrow is far and away (from my experience) the worst port of the three, Splinter Cell would come out in the middle and Chaos Theory would be the standout. If you were looking for the ultimate Splinter Cell collection brought to the High Definition format this product may disappoint. But if you could care less about presentation, only want to play the games and can ignore some glaring software issues, than for the price offered, you may give it a whirl.
(Also, there are no extras on these games. You get the three games with added trophy support. For whatever reason the multi-player component from Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory was excluded)
Honest reviews on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD - Playstation 3
there are a few tiny gripes...like quitting the game to ps3 main screen to choose between the 3 titles being an example but it is offset by things like being able to quick save in the self titled original and pandora tomorrow. chances are if you are looking at this you already liked the splinter cell series or the double agent title that came out on the ps3. in my opinion, these are by far superior games to that. the updated graphics don't look as good as the brand new titles that come out nowadays, but is a nice upgraded presentation to say the least. i played these games on original xbox when they first came out and it feels so good to be able to play them on the ps3, all 3 original titles on 1 disc, and play through the story line(s). if you're feeling nostalgic or just want to see where and how it all began, can't go wrong here.
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Okay, so back in the olden times of the PS2, Splinter Cell was the game to play. For me anyway. My sons and I would take turns running the awesome Sam Fisher through his paces. We progressed through all three games and played them over and over. When this trilogy came out, I had to have it. But as with all things I buy on Amazon, or anywhere else for that matter, I read reviews to see what other people have to say about it. They run the gamut from "this is a great games you must buy this games it is great to have" (written by a 12 year old evidently) to people who complain about the lack of new graphics to people like me, who play a nostalgic game and love it for what it is. And that is what I hope this review is going to be about. As a short aside, I have to question my reasoning for caring what other people think. Opinions are just a different point of view, and don't always line up with yours. I can't tell you how many times I've been watching a movie, hop on IMDB to read the reviews and start noticing the little picky things people are carping about. It tends to ruin what could possibly be a good movie. The same, I'm afraid almost happened with this game. But I digress. The original title, "Splinter Cell" starts you out as a newly hired Sam Fisher going through his paces in the training gound of the CIA. Right away I noticed new and better graphics, different rooms and lighting and such. But, consider that this was a game originally created to be played on a PS2. So the cut-scenes reflect this. The second title, Pandora Tomorrow is better graphically, with the same subtle changes I noticed in the first title. And Chaos Theory, my person favorite of the three, is a big improvement over what I played on the PS2. Better graphics, sound, and general gameplay. So all that being said, I'm not going to tell you "you must buy this games it is the best games in the world I play it twenty-four hours a day" because I'm a grown man with the ability to better express myself. So I'll break it down as succinctly as I can.
Pros:
If you enjoyed playing the originals on your PS2, you'll have fun reliving all the fun and stealthiness on your PS3. Most of the reviews I've read I feel are overly critical and don't really reflect what I see.
THREE games on one disc (you can skip from game to game if you want, or have ADD)
The graphics ARE updated and what Ubisoft did update they did well but subtley but enough to make the game fresher.
Sam Fisher is just a bada$$
Cons:
When you first put the disc in, there are some downloads and software that needs to be pulled off the disc and onto your hardrive. That was only a problem for me because I was so excited to get to playing.
Shipping was lightning fast and arrived a good two days before the shipper said it would.
