Clancy comes alive with 'Cell'

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell" is one of the best games of the past year. It stands toe-to-toe with, and in some respects even exceeds, other more heavily hyped titles such as "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Metroid Prime" in sheer entertainment value. It's also the coolest thing to hit the Xbox since "Halo." In a word, it's awesome.\nGamers assume the identity of NSA agent Sam Fisher. Fisher is part of a top-secret initiative known as the Third Echelon, which implements old school espionage tactics while embracing new technology and fighting techniques. With the assistance of his surveillance team, Fisher's goal is to extract data from hostile territories in hopes of protecting national security. Such is the life of a "Splinter Cell," that of an invisible one-man army, gathering intelligence and fighting many small battles to avert major wars.\nThe game is good, but it requires lots of practice, patience and concentration. It's likely to annoy kids weaned on "Doom" and "GoldenEye 007." Not to take anything away from those classic shoot-'em-ups, but this game is a completely different and better beast. Bullets are used primarily for cameras and lights. Enemies are often ousted via stealthy, hand-to-hand combat. Much of the gamers' time will be spent averting opponents, strategizing an eventual attack and lurking in the shadows.\n"Cell" boasts some of the best graphics on the Xbox or elsewhere. The lighting and character models are top-notch while the animation moves at the smoothest of framerates. The controls are responsive and relatively easy to master and the cool score from The Crystal Method enhances the cinematic feel. If being a bigger, badder "Bond" appeals to you, pick this game up.