8 Highly Effective Strategies for the Highly Effective Superspy
1. Shoot the Glass. It's been said that the great cinematographers of film noir used light like a painter's oils, and it's not hyperbolic to say the developers at Ubi Soft have done the same for artificial light sources in Splinter Cell. With only a few spent bullets, Sam Fisher can paint a room with shadows by knocking out light sources before any guards or passersby can see him. In fact, most glass in the game is vulnerable. With a well-placed bullet, Sam can even take out a guard, shatter a window, and knock out a light source. Still, not all glass can be shot, and not all shadows will be ignored.
2. Act Quietly. Too Quietly. Sam can do a lot of damage as long as he keeps in the dark and doesn't stir up too much noise. Shooting isn't always the answer—especially when he must slip past a civilian—and even a missed shot makes enough noise to attract attention. Grab the guard and drag him quietly into a corner to knock him out. Turn out the lights to lure him into an ambush. Sneak up behind him and incapacitate him with an elbow to the back of the head. If the situation allows, drop on him from above and say goodnight. Any of these options saves you a precious bullet and keeps things on the QT.
3. Hide the Bodies. A corpse lying out in the open will attract attention. An unconscious body out in the open will attract attention, wake up, and resume the hunt for one Sam Fisher. Tuck any immobilized foe into the darkest corner you can find—behind furniture, in a closet, or even a walk-in cooler. The longer Sam's handiwork goes undiscovered, the longer he'll go undiscovered.
4. Use It Or Lose It. Inventory management in Splinter Cell can be tricky. You needn't worry about keeping any one item from mission to mission, as Sam will be restocked before each assignment. Still, certain survival items like medical kits and ammunition must be rationed carefully to get through most levels. In general, don't be afraid to use items like disposable lockpicks as you get them, but don't use bullets or medical kits carelessly.
5. Make Another Sweep. It happens to everyone, even experienced agents like Sam Fisher. Every room is clear, you've got the data you need, the cameras have been disabled, and everything's hunky-dory…except you have no idea where to lead Sam next. Odds are, the answer is nearby, if not right in front of his face. Sam can interact with most anything in the room. Take a close look around—might that pipe provide a way over to the window? Can Sam shoot his way through that skylight? Did you miss the zipline against the dark night sky? Can Sam Fisher swim?
6. Bottles Don't Kill People…. Even when bullets run low, an agent like Sam Fisher is a force to be reckoned with as long as he keeps his wits about him. Bottles and other objects can be aimed and thrown like a grenade (hold down the left trigger for a harder throw). Some objects contain flammable liquids that Sam can ignite to help cover an escape or simply burn the bad guys. And while not exactly a weapon, grabbed characters do make excellent human shields. Defend yourself with what you've got—and what you can get to.
7. Take a Second (and Third) Look. Sam can see under almost any conditions. Obviously, night vision lets him see in the dark—handy when luring a guard into a darkened room, sneaking around in vents, or finding his date after the movie's already started. The heat vision function makes navigation a bit trickier, but can make your recon missionssafely successful and even help you figure out a keypad code—warm fingers leave warm buttons.
8. Mind the Intel. Clues are everywhere. Even the most innocuous sounding email or scrap of overheard conversation can prove to be of key importance later on. If you hear talking nearby, hide and listen. If you break into a computer and find a data stick, enter your OPSAT and read that sucker—even if a guard just walked into the room. The game will pause while you read up, and the information you get just might save you from that nosy enemy.
