Forum > Gaming Discussion > Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Graphics: Memories vs reality?
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Graphics: Memories vs reality?
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Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:58:57
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I remember playing this game and being floored by the first level, it was amazing, a glimpse at next gen running on a machine I already owned.

This is what it looked like:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Some claimed that this was hands down the best looking game of the generation. But my experience after that first level went notably downhill visually.

This is more like what I remember:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

All these screens are from the Xbox version all from IGN BTW.

I remember various threads with debates about this games visuals vs RE4. My argument was that RE4 was consistently throughout the entire game, visually impressive. Whilst Chaos Theory had an amazing looking first level and the rest was nowhere near as good. Looking at these screens and remembering, I feel I was right in that assertion.

However, then I see screens like the following. And some seem unrecognisable, or recognisable yet sharper and more colourful than I remember:

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

I do remember this pic^ yet in game the frame rate wasn't all there and the aliasing changed with the camera.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Picture

And I remember this room in particular, it did look like that.


So there is no real point to this thread, I was just out of curiosity looking back at old pics. What are your visual memories of this game and do you think that it deserved all the visual praise it garnered at the time? Do you feel that it kept up its visual splendour throughout the game or not?

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:28:08
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I never really played it, so I couldn't say.  But screenshots really never do seem to give an accurate representation, for better or worse.

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:43:11
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I can only really remember the first one, and I think it looked great at the time. The lighting was fantastic, but the darkness of it probably coverd up some pretty bad textures etc. Nyaa

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:16:00
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As someone who plays games form all generations around people REALLY need to get off the nostalgia crack and replay some of their old games. I mean I can't tell you how angry I get when I hear people say stuff like "this Wii game look like an average PS2 game" or "the N64 destroys the DS graphically" I think people really have to go back and play the games again instead of just looking at official screens that are total bullshots.

In terms of pretty games, well I'd say that Skies of Arcadia still looks great today as it did a few years ago. Metal Gear Sold 2 is also a solid example.
Edited: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:17:14

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:50:13
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I thought (in my memories) that they all looked pretty good.  My porblem with screen shots is that ... well my TV kind of hides a lot of those issues, even though it's HDTV.  I remember how well the first game made use of light and shadow in a new way.  It was the first game that impressed me on the XB, in terms of graphics.

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:56:38
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Foolz said:
I can only really remember the first one, and I think it looked great at the time. The lighting was fantastic, but the darkness of it probably coverd up some pretty bad textures etc. Nyaa

As in the first level or first Splinter cell game?

Punk Rebel Ecks said:
As someone who plays games form all generations around people REALLY need to get off the nostalgia crack and replay some of their old games. I mean I can't tell you how angry I get when I hear people say stuff like "this Wii game look like an average PS2 game" or "the N64 destroys the DS graphically" I think people really have to go back and play the games again instead of just looking at official screens that are total bullshots.

In terms of pretty games, well I'd say that Skies of Arcadia still looks great today as it did a few years ago. Metal Gear Sold 2 is also a solid example.

Yeah screens dont do some games justice either for the better or worse. I remember Splinter Cell 2 and 3 on my Xbox has screen tearing and a juddery frame rate at times. You couldn't even capture decent GC screens, something to do with the buffer. SOA though the character models are awfully blocky. I do like the chunky arcade look though. MGS 2 and 3 and Twin Snakes still look great to me.  

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:41:28
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^^^The blockiness is kinda the point. Think Super Mario Bros. beauty.

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:01:53
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Punk Rebel Ecks said:
^^^The blockiness is kinda the point. Think Super Mario Bros. beauty.

Ehhhhhh. I dont think they were deliberately going for that look. I would like to see some pics for the memories though. I completed the game twice, that's 90 hrs in the bag and loved every minute.

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Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:14:10
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I remember Chaos Theory staying consistant. I even remember thinking it looked better than Double Agent in some cases.
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Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:03:07
It may be that IGN has mixed all versions of the game into one collection of images. I remember that the game looked very good at the time.


By Miu Watanabe.

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Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:08:26
Té_Rojo said:
It may be that IGN has mixed all versions of the game into one collection of images. I remember that the game looked very good at the time.

Glad to see you were able to log back in.  I wasn't sure with that accent acute in your name LOL

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Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:20:59
First Splinter Cell game.

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