The Splinter Cell series has now officially turned 20 years old, with the first game coming out on November 17, 2002. Starring the sardonic spy Sam Fisher, voiced by legendary actor Michael Ironside, it became one of the most celebrated stealth franchises in all of gaming, up there with the Deus Ex and Hitman games. For many, it may be hard to imagine that it's been two decades since the maiden entry, and over the years, there have many releases featuring the government agent.
It seems that November is a good month for video game anniversaries, with Skyrim recently turning 11 and the Grand Theft Auto series reaching its 25th year soon. There is perhaps something to be said about launching close to the end of the year, as many titles that get released, such as the aforementioned ones, go on to become successful. Many have stuck around, with franchises releasing hit after hit, and not only does it show the quality of some of these titles but also how gaming on the whole has grown up over the decades.
Now it's the turn of Splinter Cell to celebrate a landmark age. For those who have yet to play any of the entries, the crux of the games is to take on the role of the iconic Fisher, a former Navy SEAL now working for the NSA, in the fictional Third Echelon division. Players are tasked with penetrating enemy territories, hiding in the shadows in order to take out dissenters, terrorists, and to recover secret intel. The games have generally been met with praise, with 2005's Chaos Theory considered one of the best in the whole series.
Sadly, subsequent installments haven't had as big an impact on the genre as the originals, with 2010's Splinter Cell Conviction being all but forgotten despite still being well received. Blacklist, which came out in 2013, was also praised, but there were some criticisms over the fact that both of these games were a gritty departure from the series' previous entries, with the latter being particularly noteworthy for not having Ironside voice Fisher.
However, with Ubisoft now working on a Splinter Cell remake, the espionage antics of the deep-voiced spy will be making a return. Gaming is in something of a remake and remaster era, and no doubt some players are beginning to tire of them. However, there have been some great games that have made triumphant returns, and hopefully Splinter Cell will be no different.
A Splinter Cell remake is currently in development.