LogInHow the "Metal Gear Solid 2 killer" started.
Image credit: Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is still considered one of the classics when it comes to video games. The last installment in the series was released a decade ago, and the first – back in 2002. With Ubisoft working on a remake of Splinter Cell 1, it's interesting to see how it all started.
In a recent interview with Game Informer, the developers of the original game recalled the game's production process and discussed its initial idea, design, sound, and how it was supposed to be a "Metal Gear Solid 2 killer."
“One time I was having lunch with the guys from PAX,” said Ed Byrne, lead level designer, “and they were big fans of Splinter Cell. And when I told them this story, they were like, ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute, Splinter Cell was ironic? It was an ironic Clancy game?’”
This alone should make you curious about Splinter Cell's development. This game was the first serious foray for Ubisoft Montreal, which was then known for making kid-friendly titles. The Splinter Cell team was full of inexperienced youths then, and it all started with Francois Coulon, who would later become associate producer and creative director of Splinter Cell, proposing an idea of a shooter to Ubisoft's co-founder Yves Guillemot. The game, called The Drift, was not that easy to pitch, but Guillemot was eventually convinced.
“In a sea of kid-friendly games, The Drift was the more mature sci-fi project that caught my attention immediately,” shared lead character artist Martin Caya.
Image credit: Ubisoft
Game Informer describes it this way: "Earth had burst apart, the remains of civilization built atop the floating vestiges suspended high in the sky. Populating giant airborne islands were retro-futuristic buildings, flying cars, clunky analog gadgets, and dynamically reactive crowds. The game’s protagonist wielded a hefty gun with an attached TV monitor, a manually winding winch grapple, and an old-school switchboard used to control its main feature: a video feed to take advantage of various vision augmentations and remote projectile cameras."
As you might have guessed just from this passage, it was too ambitious for the small team with little experience. After a while, Ubisoft asked it to integrate the pitch into an existing franchise. After the company got the Tom Clancy license, it became possible. But the developers weren't too happy about it:
“They were just so awful,” said Byrne. “I can admit it now. I’m sure Ubisoft would love to hear this, but I mean, none of us loved Clancy. It wasn’t our dream license.”
Then Konami revealed Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – a game similar to what the Splinter Cell team was cooking. So Ubisoft wanted this project to be a "Metal Gear Solid 2 killer."
Splinter Cell didn’t have one director: the team paired level designers with environment artists and had each group make its own stage. What the game could offer was the play of light and shadow thanks to Unreal Engine, which became a large part of the project, reflected in sketches.
Sound is also one of the crucial parts of Splinter Cell. It's a stealth game, and listening to what's going on around you makes the experience even more immersive. Fabien Noel created "a system that simulated the movement and dissipation of sound waves throughout the game environment, considering each room's architecture and layout." He also directed Michael Ironside's Fisher performance – another integral piece of the game, whose design was developed by Caya.
“One day, while sketching some rough ideas, I just had this cool visual suddenly pop up in my mindʼs eye,” Caya said. "I could see the outline of a dark silhouette hiding in the shadows, and the only thing visible would be the reflection of some lights bouncing off the lenses of some night vision goggles. I instantly knew that I had found the visual foundations for Sam. Never mind that it realistically didnʼt make a lick of sense in a stealth game. I just thought it was f---ing cool.”
I'd say the most astounding fact about the Splinter Cell production is that it was done by young developers without one director to rule them. But it certainly inspires you to create something even without any experience in the field. There is always a chance you can make another Splinter Cell one day.
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