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Tom Clancy’s bizarre location-based rule was all he offered as an aid to the development of the original Splinter Cell game

For many players, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell is a series that slyly talks about some of the best memories they had with a stealth game. Especially a title set in a universe where being silent and deadly were the coolest personality traits a professional killer could have.

But did you know that the idea was not originally intended for the general public? The game put a different spin on the franchise and introduced players to a world they weren’t expecting.

An idea that favors stealth rather than aggression

Splinter Cell: Blacklist player sneaking around enemies.
For many players, it was the first time “to get killed» wasn’t really the incentive. Image credit: Ubisoft.

In 2011, Game Informer wrote about the stories of those who worked on multiple projects for the studio. Among these, Splinter Cell by Tom Clancy certainly stood out from the rest.

But there was a good reason for this. Initially, a player’s view of the Tom Clancy The universe was a little frozen. Loud weapons, aggression, tactics and combat blended together in a series of epic gameplay sequences. And then came Burst cell.

Although Tom Clancy had little to do with the development of the series, the first game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and quickly became a testament to new ideas and concepts waiting to be played on consoles.

The first game in the series focused entirely on close-quarters combat, and barely required the player to get into a gunfight. Instead, he let players hide and make the most of anything that might prevent them from moving. Shadows and enigma have become tools here, rather than simple ideas.

Since the company is keen to rethink some of the oldest games and adding a fresh twist to it, we might one day see Sam Fisher return to the modern era of gaming in his own franchise.

Splinter Cell has managed to create a niche that other games can learn from.

Rainbow Six Siege: cover with Sam Fisher from the Splinter Cell games.
Sam Fisher is also popular in other games. Image credit: Ubisoft.

Shortly after the success of the first game, titles like Chaos theory And Double agent immersed in the stories of the protagonist’s life and relationships. However, each game tries to build on the essence of what made Cell burst so iconic in 2002.

Although Tom Clancy’s name has been immortalized through several video games, the novelist’s actual contributions to games (especially Burst cell) were limited. In fact, few games simply used his name for promotional purposes.

Regardless of the writer’s contributions to the series, the studio managed to create a game that went much further from small, quiet spaces to large landscapes where these mechanics still felt relevant.

Modern games like Rainbow Six Siege not only used these mechanics, but also introduced the protagonist (Sam Fisher) as one of the playable characters. It’s remarkable how different studios have enhanced the potential of the game’s original ideas.

What do you think of the Cell burst the franchise? Let us know in the comments below.