CONTROL Resonant
CONTROL Resonant
Game
Game2008
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell®
Developer Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a 2002 action-adventure 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 (voiced by Michael Ironside). The game was inspired by both the Metal Gear series and games created by Looking Glass Studios, and was built using Unreal… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
210 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Mastodon) · newest Oct 6, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
91
LovedLoved
188 positive · 19 negative
95% range 86–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 188 | 19 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
3 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
3,585 of 4,081 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
A classic stealth game, but the PC port needs community fixes.
Players widely praise Splinter Cell as a stealth masterpiece and one of the genre's greats, with many calling it timeless. The light-and-shadow mechanics and tense gameplay still hold up well today. [1][5][9][18][31]
However, the PC port is heavily criticised for lacking controller support, having glitches like broken spotlights, and requiring community mods to run properly. Many reviewers strongly recommend using the EnhancedSC mod for a better experience. [1][3][4][8][16][21][27]
Praised stealth gameplay · light and shadow mechanics · timeless classic
Criticised poor PC port · lack of controller support · requires community mods
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 8, 2026. Method
Critics, per Wikipedia
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell received positive reviews upon the game's release. GameSpot's Greg Kasavin said that Splinter Cell has "hands down the best lighting effects seen in any game to date." GameSpot later named Splinter Cell the second-best Xbox game of November 2002, behind MechAssault. IGN likewise praised the game for its graphics and lighting, while also praising how it evolved Metal Gear Solid's third-person stealth-action gameplay. Both praised the game's audio, noting that Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher's voice suited the role perfectly. Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame gave the Xbox version four-and-a-half stars out of five and called it "one of the few games to elicit a feeling…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 210 · most liked firstGreat game but not a great port. Initially it was almost impossible to pass the "Abattoir" mission due to the spotlight which detects the player, not projecting the shadows. After sometime I found out that we need to manually enter a launch option "-shadowmode=projector". There are also more minor glitches. But speaking of just the game, its great!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game that started it all & 2nd only to chaos theory imo. But do yourself a favour for a better experience & download the `Enhanced SC Mod`. This adds controller support, the ability to whistle , opening doors while carrying bodies ( both which wasn`t introduced until PT), Mission stats similar to chaos theory`s but with the option for stealth or ghost rating, Suit selection, DLC missions, widescreen fix & a load of other improvements.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game deserves a remake, preserving all the original mechanics; it simply needs updated graphics and gamepad support.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I understand now why people love this game and call it one of the greats when it comes to the Stealth Genre. Please if you enjoy stealth games at all this is a must play. You will need the patch to play this and its super easy to download! Its called EnhancedSC on github!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A stealth masterpiece that still shines (thanks to the community) I played it back in the day on GameCube and loved it, so I decided to buy it again on PC to relive the experience. Years have passed, but the lighting and shadow work done by the original development team is still absolutely mind-blowing. It's incredible how such a pioneering lighting system still looks great and forms the foundation of such perfect stealth mechanics to this day. Regarding the localization, I have to admit…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Now that Pandora Tomorrow was finaly "released" for Steam, it's a good point to revisit the original. Well, this plays surprisingly well, I'm impressed. You dont even need a Ubisoft account. Game is pretty good, replaying now, that skill set Sam has for traversal is still mighty impressive for a 23 year old game. Still looks and plays nicely. If you're in the Deck you'll need to tinker the controls a bit or download a preset of your liking, but other than that you're good to go!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tested on Steam Deck OLED The original Splinter Cell still defines stealth 23 later - and it runs beautifully on the Steam Deck OLED. No Ubisoft Connect, no online check-ins - it just launches instantly. There is no native controller support, however community controller layouts handle movement well, though you’ll need Steam + X a few times for the on-screen keyboard. Mouse sensitivity settings affect analog control, so lowering it smooths out aiming and movement perfectly. Visually, the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →whenever ubisoft finally decides to remember that this ip exists outside of their other franchises i will ♥♥♥♥ bricks
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the two best stealth Characters in history, Sam Fisher's legacy is one of the best experiences you'll ever have, reguardless of time, these games are basically timeless classics that nothing has been able to compete against since the turn of this century.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get the Splinter Cell enhanced mod from github... It completely changes the game into a more modern expirience. It adds alot of quality of life improvements from later splinter cells such as opening doors while holding dead bodies, 4K ULTRA HD reolution, controller support, unlock all levels + all the extra levels from every console exclusive version of the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Splinter Cell is a great stealth game with awful shooting. Its primary game mechanic is hiding in the dark, and the main way the player makes the environment dark is to shoot out the lights, but Sam Fisher aims and shoots like both his arms are made of pasta noodles. Sam will consistently miss shots on watermelon-sized targets within 10 feet of him. I’ve seen Sam draw a bullet hole outline of a guy’s head like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon while the crosshair completely covers it.…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game for the very first time when I was just a kid, and coming back to fully finish it now before jumping into Pandora Tomorrow has been an incredible trip down memory lane. Beating it as an adult gave me a whole new appreciation for what Ubisoft achieved back in the days. The light and shadow mechanics still hold up perfectly today. There is an unmatched tension in creeping through the darkness, holding your breath while a guard walks just inches away from your position.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What can I say about Splinter Cell that you don't already know? Because, I don't know why, but I presume that everything we've said about it, the impatient reader has already read. But some may have been waiting for this review to discover Ubisoft's title. So, please excuse me if you're reading too much that's already been said. Written by Tom Clancy, whose work has already inspired numerous tactical FPS games, this is a third-person title that awaits us, and whose adventure begins in Georgia,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just play the game... It's p good. Just don't forget to quicksave often. Trust me, you are gonna hit some parts where quicksave will be the only thing between you and a high-speed cruise into oncoming traffic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An awesome franchise that Ubisoft decided to abandon and leave for dead. All thanks to his majesty, the consumer, of course. Then again, stealth games were niche even back then, 20-ish years ago. The first three SC were made with so much attention to detail and care. This one released at the same time as Hitman 2 Silent Assassin and MGS2 Substance, with each being its own amazing thing ^^. It's a real shame nobody wants proper stealth games anymore. :/
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It can be a fun game, albeit, extremely dated. Do take in mind though that this game is more of a puzzle game than it is the Metal Gear sort of stealth... until it gets into the horrendous forced combat sections. Who the hell thought that was a good idea? If you plan on playing this game, PLEASE, download the Widescreen fix + SCEnhanced.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is severely outdated. Stealth Gameplay is so frustrating that it makes you go guns blazing against the terrible AI half way through the level. Most of the gadgets are useless and the shooting is terrible. If you are in an action scene than your basically screwed because most of the bullets will go around the target even if your standing still to reduce the aim. Terrible if you want to play it only stealthily.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Metal gear solid is my favourite series of all time so I felt like I needed to play Splinter Cell and this is proper stealth I really enjoyed it a lot.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. Rough around the edges with absolutely linear level design that doesn’t often permit ghosting. The story is the best part for me, and the sequels. The port is abysmal (thanks Ubisoft, I hope you close down and sell your IPs) so it’s best you use Splinter Cell Enhanced. https://github.com/Joshhhuaaa/EnhancedSC
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i did not expect to hear a Crystal Method track in the end credits then again this is a game from the early 2000s and The Thing's original release had Saliva in the end credits so this doesn't surprise me in the slightest
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →[Before the review, I will note that I played this with the Enhanced mod, which includes better supports and bug fixes. I highly recommend you use this as well.] Splinter Cell is a masterclass in stealth-action, pioneering such a heavy gameplay focus on the lights and shadows while blending it with a modern setting and weapon system. Really, other than the original Thief games, it is still one of the only games to truly do it to such an impressive extent. While the gameplay is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Even after all these years, Splinter Cell still holds up as an engaging stealth adventure. There’s a lot to appreciate: - The visuals remain striking, even if they’re undeniably low-poly by today’s standards. - Environments are varied and well-realized. - The music and sound design are excellent, perfectly complementing the game’s tense and methodical tone. - The core stealth gameplay works well for the most part. The visibility indicator clearly communicates when enemies can spot you,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Keyboard and controller do not function in game. Only mouse. Shame,
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First time playing the OG Splinter Cell game and it was a treat. I was a Double Agent/Conviction player so I can see why those games got a lot of flack back then. The stealth mechanics are some of the best I've seen, being able to use walls to jump higher, grappling off pipes or doing a split jump and taking down an enemy is quite rewarding. The abundance of gadgets make it easier to traverse on the Stealth grading system. Hard mode was surprisingly easy but you will need to remember to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first series of Splinter Cell It can be said as one of the OG of stealth games in modern era (early 2000s). Not gonna lie but the gameplay here is still proper enough for current era of gaming. Good animations, voice actings, although story wise is fine. What lacking here is gamepad support. Ubisoft should added the support for gamepad here, or much better is to remake this game for current era. Look here Ubisoft, fans are dying for the remake of the original trilogy + Pandora Tomorrow.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →came out in 2002 but so far has been my favorite stealth game. does require some polish to play in modern systems though, like the enhanced mod pack made by [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1692255530]Joshhhuaaa. the game has crazy mechanics that i haven't seen in a lot of modern games. lightings, and the gameplay dynamics affected by it are great. soundtrack is amazing. level designs are splendid. story is nice enough. overall a great experience that still plays…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game doesn't even load without crashing. Attempted to relive childhood and was met with disappointment, fitting.. Lmao. Before anyone says anything, my computer isn't the most high end but this game does not require the latest and greatest specs to run. Do not recommend this at all.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good it fits the retro style and works well with keybored and mouse defo the best stealth game out there
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ignoring my nostalgia as best as possible: It aged pretty well. It looks and plays solid, but a few parts that suck because its old game design. Runs smooth and loads fast. Quicksaves make the bad parts bearable. Tipp for playing on modern hardware: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?l=french&id=170119402 (Google: "Graphical Improvements and Widescreen Fix for Splinter Cell") This guide was a life saver.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classic game. Of course I only played the inferior PS2 port of this game way back in the day, so all these years later like nothing outside of a few locations even seemed similar. Unlike the console ports I also like the ability to save on the fly that this version has, saved me quite a few times honestly.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've sunk far too much time into this game over the years. Come back to it at least every couple. Do yourself a favour though and play using the EnhancedSC mod.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the greatest stealth games ever made, second only to Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun old game holds up pretty well. Make sure you grab the EnhancedSC fan patch for a lot of fixes for modern hardware.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Time has not treated Splinter Cell kindly, nor has Ubisoft. It's depressing, lighting is a large part of this games core system, and all complex lighting systems (unbaked lighting basically) is nonfunctional now. That's a BIG deal in a stealth game. I just finished a playthrough on hard and got about half way into the game before I fully realized just how broken the games lighting system really was. The game has a total identity crisis. It want's to be a stealth action game, but it also…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to recommend this game but I just can't because of how much third party modifications are needed in order to properly play the title. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't even able to get the game to launch no matter how much I tried. I pray that Ubisoft releases a patch for this to at least get the game running on latest hardware and operating systems, but until then, my review is going to have to be negative for this one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is one of those rare games that still leaves a lasting impression years later. I remember playing it on the GameCube when I was younger, and even then it felt unique compared to everything else at the time. Revisiting it now reminds me why I have always loved the Splinter Cell series so much. This game was not just entertaining, but immersive, challenging, and far ahead of its time. What made Splinter Cell stand out to me was it's atmosphere and attention to detail.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first time I heard about this franchise was on PlayStation 2, more specifically with Pandora Tomorrow. I barely understood English back then, but I still tried to play it anyway. Much later, years after that, I saw the bundle during one of Steam’s sales and thought, “Hey, it’s been a while... why not buy it and play the whole series?” I even picked up the Far Cry franchise too. You can expect reviews for those games too eventually, it might just take a while. But now, talking a bit about…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The first game in the mainline Splinter Cell series, and honestly it makes me question how the hell they got the greenlight to make sequels to this. Graphically and audio-wise, this game is quite good for the time, and the story is the usual Tom Clancy affair; for everything else gameplay-wise, the spiral into frustration begins, begins quickly, and will not end until the end credits roll. If you approach this game with a willingness to just kill guards and break stealth then I imagine it's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played Blacklist ages ago, love splinter cell, just never got to play the originals, saw the sale, so far the OG game holds up, a little dated but it's good in 2026. Will review the rest. POST GAME COMPLETION EDIT: Definitely worth the money, a couple bugs (such as spotlights not working properly) but there's an easy ass fix, which I think is perfect for people who aren't super computer smart like me. Definitely a little confusing with no waypoints and you kinda have to eyeball ladders etc,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Splinter Cell 1 pretty much redefined what stealth means in a 3d game. It's nail biting yet methodical pace made it the premier Stealth game that surpassed Tenchu Stealth Assassins and blows rudimentary radar sim games like Metal gear solid 1 & 2 out of the water. This might be hard to believe! But back in the day Ubisoft made proper games and working in Ubisoft meant something. Its takes generational talent to match what Tenchu did for 3d stealth games as a genre and the first splinter cell…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got jumpscared at the presidental palace. The very last moment you had to escape from it. I didn't realise you had to climb up to the platform, so I opened the door and got one shot. But basically. I loved the game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First time playing this game and I'm not quite done, but I feel genuinely disapointed that I hadn't played this sooner. The shadow / light mechanic is fantastic, the incentive to avoid kills creates a sense of tension that doesn't really exist all that much in other stealth games (at least not mandatorily), the story is top tier, the graphics look way beyond anything for its time and could even be compared to Metal Gear Solid 5... There's not a single thing I don't like about this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An ending so bad it's frankly amazing that they ever made more Splinter Cells after this one. The basics of SC are all here, so for 80% of the game you'll be enjoying yourself. And then they introduce spotlights that you can't see, shoulder-lights that don't emit a glow, and a truly woeful last level design that relies on the awful parkour system and it all goes belly up. The last 3-4 levels are so bad, requiring so much save-scumming, that I nearly didn't finish this. The first half of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am still baffled after all these years on how advanced this game was for it's time. This stealth system was only surpassed by was other Splincer Cell games and MGSV in 2015. It was never achieved again since.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A BLAST from the past. This game almost made me buy the 'original' XBOX from 2001, but unfortunately it wasn't the right time and I went for a PS2 instead. 20 years later i'm finally playing it on PC. [8/10] Would recommend.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The sneaking can be great and Michael Ironside's Sam Fisher is an inspiration. That said, the controls have not aged well and the level design is wildly uneven. When it's good, it's very good. When it's bad...oof. By modern conventions, it's an immensely frustrating game to play. Would be mighty nice if that remake ever happens.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a fan of stealth games, this is honestly one of the worst games I’ve ever played in the genre. The game is completely broken, the aiming is awful, and the enemy AI is stupid as hell, the level design is terrible too, sometimes I have no idea where I’m supposed to go or what I’m supposed to do. I won’t deny that it had some great ideas for its time but the execution is just bad. A lot of people seem to love it mainly because of nostalgia. If you’ve played the best stealth games out there,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →game is broken. oil rig level is unplayable
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Boy am I still in love with this game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is 13/273 of my games backlog on Steam. Easily one of the best stealth games to ever do it, and honestly I was surprised playing the first game how congruous it is to one of my favorite games of all time Chaos Theory, but even more so how much the first game clearly had an influence on 3rd person shooters as well. There is no doubt tons of fun to be had with this game, but here are the caveats to remember: 1. This is an old PC game, getting the Splinter Cell Enhanced mod from github is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ok i want to really like it coming from metal gear and i use sam in siege but arrrgghhhhhhh it was painful trying to be a wee bit more aggro at subduing people in this game. sam's melee hits like a wet noodle when spotted. and some of the game systems can be janky as hell like the shooting which i can cut slack. but the light detection , movement , keypads and retina eyescanners where i have to subdue someone adds up to the jank. myanmar and the pla embassy were the worst suspects in that one.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When I played this on my PS2 all those years ago, this game blew my mind. Specifically, the lighting and how you can use darkness to become almost invisible. Shooting out lights never gets old. In a dark room, you're rewarded with the only visible thing which is Sam's iconic NV goggles. They are iconic, and would come to define Sam's character model. Anyway, since then, I've been a fan of the franchce and I've completed all the mainline SC games. Chaos Theory is my favorite but the OG still…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gran juego con una gran atmósfera. Tiene únicamente un pico muy bajo (la plataforma petrolífera) pero después todos los niveles tienen un muy buen diseño
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wow did this game age poorly. I am surprised Ubishart released more games after this one. Because this was one ♥♥♥♥ ass game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A very bad trial and error game. It sure was cool when it was released but thats it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic stealth game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best stealth games out there. I was happy to download the game after so long. I hope a proper controller setup will be available soon, as I suck at WASD. This is a nostalgic game for me. I had played the firdt 3 splinter cell games in PS3.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Loved the game, I finally finished the entire game, since I was too stupid when I was a kid. Did it in the hardest difficulty in 10 hours!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great stealth game, holds up way better than I expected. Guards walking right past you in the dark never gets old. EnhancedSC mod by Joshhhuaaa on GitHub is essential. Fixes a ton of bugs and makes it actually run properly on modern PCs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is quite funny with Georgia attacking the US, which is quite original but they made georgia comical levels of evil. Gameplay and the overall atmosphere of the game is really good for it's time, Most of the Georgian text is either gibberish or looks like sample text. Problems with lighting can be fixed by putting -shadowmode=projector in launch options
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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