Superspy Sam Fisher, star of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, has a remarkable array of super-smooth moves at his disposal. In the tense world of high-stakes espionage, knowing which one to use at the right moment just might save his life. You might be surprised what Sam's capable of—and you won't learn everything in the tutorial—but even the simpler moves have uses you might not have considered. Don't you owe it to Sam to learn more about his abilities? Sure you do!
The Crouch and Stalk "Well, duh,", I hear you all say. Indeed, pressing B to crouch and using a light touch on the left thumbstick to creep along might not even qualify as a "move" so much as a way to move. Nevertheless, the Crouch and Stalk may be the most important maneuver you master, and should be your default movement choice whenever possible.
Back to the Wall With a tap of the white button, Sam presses his back against whatever vertical surface he's facing, even when crouched. This reduces Sam's profile, making him much harder to spot, gives him a chance to peek around a corner to assess the situation, and lets him fire a weapon from behind cover. To fire from cover, move Sam to the edge of the wall and have him peek around the corner. While peeking, hit X, and Sam will take aim while keeping himself protected.
The Grab and Draw Creep up behind an inattentive character—civilian or enemy—and grab him by pressing A. A grabbed enemy makes a good human shield, so long as you only want to go backward. But by simply hitting X to draw your weapon, you'll keep your human shield and be able to move forward as well as back. Naturally, you'll also be able to shoot the bad guy.
The Jump & Shimmy Sometimes, the fastest way for Sam to get to his destination is to leap out into open space and hope he catches something. Fortunately, his alternate vision modes (especially night vision) make this a bit safer for our superspy hero. If the ledge, pipe, or windowsill remains out of reach, try tapping Y twice to do a double jump off the nearest wall. Once you end up hanging, shimmy right or left if you need to, or you can mantle forward and up.
The Splits When standing in between two fairly close vertical surfaces, (such as in a narrow hallway), press Y once to make Sam jump, then tap Y again at the top of the jump to double jump. Instead of the usual extra height, the double jump will end in Sam doing the splits, wedging himself between the two walls. This vantage point lets Sam hide quickly when no other hiding place is available, drop silently onto a passing enemy, and shoot from a higher angle (just press X to draw your weapon).
Don't Stop, Just Drop 'n' Roll Quick movement can be especially hazardous for a stealth operative, but sometimes can't be avoided. If you need to move Sam across a guarded courtyard, a camera-monitored hall, or through a well-lit street with alacrity while maintaining a low (and hard to hit) profile, just press B and hold it while moving. Sam will roll in that direction, ending in a crouch. This move can also get Sam through flames unsinged.
Rappelling If Sam can't reach his objective from inside the building, he can always hitch a rope to a secure anchor point and go down the side of the building to find another way in. Only a few spots allow rappelling, which is triggered with the A button when you get close to an object that you can use as an anchor. If your path leads you to a rooftop with no place else to go, look around for something that you might use as a hitching post.
