In this ongoing look at significant moments in the history of video game design, we have already taken a look at Bungie’s Halo & Halo 2, Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, Nintendo’s Metroid and several others. The goal of this series is to go beyond simple gaming magazines and iPhone Apps reviews, and take a closer look at what defines memorability and quality in game design. In this fifteenth part of the series we will examine some more of those classic moments where video game designers undoubtedly got it right and delivered a memorable, enduring and progressive gaming experience.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (Xbox) – Anyone who was heavily into video games at the time will remember the shockwaves that went through the gaming community upon the release of the early screenshots for the first installment in the Splinter Cell series. Unprecedented details in character models, gameplay that promised to push stealth into the next generation and a use of lighting and shadows that were never before possible were the cornerstones of this exciting new franchise. Many internet arguments would take place over the validity and reliability of these initial screens, but these exchanges were put to rest when the game was shipped and managed to surpass the graphical achievments those early screens promised.

The groundbreaking graphics notwithstanding, the aspect of Splinter Cell that must be focused on in this entry should be evident to any who has played it. No game up to that point had incorporated technical design elements into gameplay design elements in such a seamless and crucial way. Some will argue that the Thief games had already made use of light and shadow in similar ways, but those games featured stealth gameplay that was rudimentary and far less dynamic. Simply put, Splinter Cell relied on the horsepower of the Xbox and could not have existed on any previous gaming console.

But, to think of Splinter Cell as a mere tech demo would be a classic gaming mistake. This game does not simply rely on its technical prowess, but uses it to deliver a quality gaming experience which still stands among the finest to grace Microsoft’s first entry in the video game console sector. Throughout the game shadows must be used to hide in, but these shadows are not limited to pre-determined locations. Lights can be shot out to create new shadows, which can then be used to stash fallen enemies. Ragdoll physics that represented the absolute state of the art at the time were also included and helped up the immersion ante to even greater heights. Hollywood level voice talent was brought into the game in the form of Michael Ironsides, star of films such as Total Recall and Starship Troopers to give the game even more gravitas.

Frustrating at times due to its trial and error nature, Splinter Cell is still among the all-time greats of video games thanks to the way its technical qualities complement its gameplay and add to its immersion. To this day, few stealth games have come close to approaching the original Splinter Cell in terms of quality, level design and immersion that keeps the player coming back for more.