What did they capture here that they couldn't get right in subsequent games? Why did it age so well?

What did they capture here that they couldn't get right in subsequent games? Why did it age so well?

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Level design, how seriously it took itself and realism. The gameplay isn't even that superbly amazing, it's just everything about it coming together cohesively in a believable, tense package that felt like it was a look into actual tactical espionage.

The newer games made sam into what's that fucking game, uncharted's main character. Just B list 2010s era action films in video game form.

Also those graphics are stylized in a way that they'll always look beautiful.

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Very good shaders and decent lighting.
EAX sound support for extra immersion.
Dynamically mixed 15 minute+ tracks OST by Amon Tobin in his prime.
Michael Ironside voicing Sam Fisher at a point where Sam has a relationship and repertoire with his coworkers

Also the conversations he has with guards and enemies convey the point that Sam has become SO efficient at his job, that he has the wherewithal to actually make entertainment for himself during interrogations.

I went back to play splinter cell 1 and the voices were a bit stiff compared to 3.
I guess the voice actors got a lot more comfortable with their roles.
I could have sworn Grim had the granny voice in 1. maybe it was in pandora tomorrow.

>"i thought of a number between 1 and 10"

Stealth mechanics and level design mainly, but it helps that the characters had a lot of charm too.
I love the stealth gameplay in Chaos Theory because they basically copied Thief light and sound mechanics, with it's own addition of masking your sounds with the environment's sound.
All of that was thrown out the window with the next couple games especially Conviction.

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>you finally get a knife
>such a great tool that killing someone with it doesn't even cross your mind
>mfw

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I think first few SC games had that spot on narrative where you were doing missions with some overarching agenda, but conventional STORY was never there. When it became about character drama and shit that's when it all went to hell. Just so happens Conviction fucked up on other fronts as well.

we haven't got a SINGLE game centered around information warfare ever since

It was peak of the series' formula up to that point.

>up to that point
What surpassed it?

I think he's implying the series' formula drastically changed afterwards.

>they couldn't get right in subsequent games?
They wanted to spice things after 3 similar games, same with Prince of Persia.
They did the opposite of Far Cry and Assassin's Creed, where their formulas on the other hand overstayed their welcome.

Crazy to think that just 17 years ago you could get absolute kino like this and now no one knows how to make a game

If I remember correctly, cutscenes never interrupted gameplay during a mission, they only happened before and after a mission. A facet I really enjoyed about Thief as well. Farthest it goes is with Fisher talking to his team when getting updated on objectives, Garrett did similar when discovering things.

Where did everything go so wrong..

Future games started gutting/dumbing down the sound and light feature until it was

>Don't shoot gun > Can't be heard
>Stand in any amount of darkness > Can't be seen

Remember how in Chaos Theory's co-op mode, you had to pre-plan and whisper because your voice levels would proc the sound detection feature? You straight up had to shut up next to an enemy.

I think it's simply that stealth games will never again get a serious budget like they could back in the day. Or you'll get "stealth" like Blacklist.

which is commendable, but in hindsight they made some bad calls

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>Stand in any amount of darkness > Can't be seen
Literally not even that. More like
>stand in the DESIGNATED STEALTH ZONE that we populated with shrubbery

This game isn't even that good it's massively overhyped. The first SC game was better in a ton of ways. When I played this after playing the first game it felt like a downgrade. The graphics are better and there's a few quality of life upgrades but everything else is worse. For example why did they add stealth kills to the game when in the first game the only way you could kill was with the gun which is a risk but it was a risk/reward kind of thing (because shots can be heard) whereas if you're up close your only option is to knock the enemy out, which could backfire if he's resuscitated by another patrolling guard. And also some simple things like the music in SC1 is way better and gives way better indicators for what's going on around you like for example if an enemy suspects you there's a loud gong noise whereas in chaos theory they completely removed it. And there's a bunch of other stuff which makes SC1 better.

@608227551
>First game is better because the only way you could kill people is with a gun, Fisher should be too retarded to use a knife
Well done, genius.

>And also some simple things like the music in SC1
Nah nevermind, this is a (you) farm, and I'm rescinding the post link.

Blacklist was a great fast paced predatpr stealth game, and had the best iteration of Spies vs Mercs. It has been shat on for not being a copy paste of Chaos Theory slow gameplay and instead being its own game which it did great, especially at no hud professional difficulty. Now the only stealth we are getting is Far Cry crouch stealth to liberate outpost #82638327373 and cinematic The Last of Us takedowns

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This is spot on. The level design in Chaos Theory is fucking amazing and the game and plot is very grounded. Plus it was riddled with soul.