STACK #137 Mar 2016

GAMES FEATURE

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By Paul Jones

Espionage, the Cold War, international terrorism, covert operations: these are all themes found throughout Tom Clancy games, and I’ve probably played just about every title released in the franchise. Not all entries in the video game series bearing the author’s name have delivered the goods, but there have been some absolute belters along the way. Opinions may differ, but here are five that have lodged, like mortar shrapnel, in my memory bank.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (2008)

Break down the door, set your gun to auto, and open the lead hose as only you can in Rainbow Six . The excellent Vegas 2 returns players to the explosive first-person shooter action and well-designed levels synonymous with the series. Sin City provides the backdrop once more in a game that certainly does

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (2002) Enter NSA Agent Sam Fisher. Most gamers who have followed the Tom Clancy titles will remember the first time they played Splinter Cell . Ushering in a new dimension in stealth gaming and using the Unreal Engine, the lighting and shadow effects in the game were revolutionary; the game would enable Ubisoft to go head-to-head with Kojima’s Metal Gear monster. Although not created by Tom Clancy, the author gave the thumbs up to the concept and the

(1999) A follow- up to the excellent original

little to reinvent, but provides plenty to entertain. Yes, the

campaign might be short, but with a robust multiplayer on hand, Vegas 2 is a bollock-busting barrel of fun.

game put Ubisoft Montreal on the map, establishing an ongoing franchise in the process.

Rainbow Six , Rogue Spear didn’t so much

GAMES

The game was heavily censored in Germany. In multiplayer, the censored and uncensored versions are not compatible.

revolutionise the series as improve upon a successful formula. Visually, the first-person tactical shooter was a significant improvement and weather effects were included for the first time, adding a new challenge to player strategy. A compelling story, improved AI (a little too tightened at times), excellent mission depth and at times gruelling gameplay meant that if you didn’t play the first Rainbow Six , you probably wouldn’t have a clue what was going on. Tom Clancy coined the term ‘Rogue Spear’, as a reference to a non-state entity in possession of nuclear weapons.

A delivery van in the game had the name St-Hubert emblazoned across the side. This is the name of a popular restaurant in Montreal that the developers would frequent during production.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005) The third game in the series is a darker entry in the Splinter Cell canon, which at the time of release, featured a huge visual step-up. The implementation of a knife and the delivery of a swift fatal strike had players, unsurprisingly, using this effective, silent weapon frequently. In Chaos Theory , missions can be approached in more than one way, offering variety that keeps the game challenging. With better AI and a handy co-op mode, Chaos Theory delivered just enough to keep things interesting.

as such was banned in South Korea until 2006.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (2001) Ghost Recon was a pioneer in tactical shooters, following in the boots of Rainbow Six . However, it traded all-out FPS for a more slow- paced, calculated, and carefully planned shooter experience with a story that would bizarrely echo actual events that played out when Russia invaded Georgia in the same year that the game was set. The methodical approach to each of the 15 missions gave the game a sense of realism that, despite the inferior graphics, had the potential to raise the anxiety levels at regular intervals.

The Xbox version of Ghost Recon was the first game that Red Storm Entertainment developed for home console.

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