TFS Review of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda

Well, lucky me, I managed to get my hands on an early copy of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda. What can I say, it's good to be the TFS Girl. =-)

I know, personally, I hate long spoiler filled reviews so I won't do one. But I want to say I think this book is a MUST READ before Splinter Cell 4 is released. A very unfortunate string of cirumstances leaves Sam looking at himself, his past and future. If you read the teasers for SC4, it says they plan to divulge into Sam as a character, and this book certainly does that.

David Micheals (Raymond Benson) does a great job of keeping you locked in with excellent action, missions in several worldwide locations and even a few very unexpected surprises.

You can buy an autographed copy of the book from Raymond himself on his website: http://www.RaymondBenson.com. TFS says, Get yourself a copy, and soon...November 1st..mark it down.

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Jackie Fiest

Really want! & Really Really want!

I'm one of those people who firmly believes that you can have anything in this life as long as you are willing to pour your heart and soul into it. The success I have had with interviews on this site, I think, is a good example of that. Ubi's Frag Dolls, Raymond Benson, Kesshin, JT Petty and Clint Hocking just to name a few. I will be in an IM conversation with someone who has visited TFS and the question I get the most is who I know that hooks me up with all of these interviews? Well, the truth is, no one. The only interview I got that was a "hook up" interview would be the one I am working on with Julien Hantz. Everyother one I got all on my own. I guess you just need to know how to talk to people.

I look at this website as an extension of my education as I am a college student studying Mass Communications. That's another reason I pour my heart and soul into it. I have really wanted every interview I have got...but the two I REALLY REALLLLLLY want, have still eluded me.

Claudia Besso

Claudia Besso is the woman who has voiced Grimsdottir in SC1 and SC3. Considering that I promote this website as the first female owned Splinter Cell site, obviously a chance to talk to the woman who brings to life the prominent SC female character is something that I would REALLY REALLY WANT! But unfortunatley I have not had alot of luck getting it. Getting in touch with her "people" was a chore in itself. I'm not sure who it was I contacted as in her manager or agent...but who ever it was I emailed...they had one of those email filters on their email. If you email them and you aren't on their "email list", you get an email requiring you say who you are and what you are contacting them about. So, I did. I told this person who I was, and what I wanted and was given permission to email them back. So, I sent back another email asking for an email interview with Ms. Besso, and haven't heard anything back. I'm not gonna give up, but I'm thinking this person will be removing me from thier email list sooner or later.

Michael Ironside

I'm going to try very hard to stay calm during this part. I don't know if Michael Ironside is aware of this, but he is a heart throb around here. Most of the women that are regulars at TFS, including Derwen and myself, wouldn't give the likes of Geroge Clooney a second look, but would drool over Michael Ironside all day. Alot of the girls my age don't understand it, but I have always had a soft spot for men with sexy voices and Ironside DEFINATLEY has one of those. Ubi owes a HUGE part of SC's success to Sam and Michael Ironside is the one who has made Sam unforgettable.

Now dealing with Ironsides people has been a little smoother than Besso's. Ironsides manager (atleast I think it was his manager) David Ginsberg was atleast nice enough to turn me down to my face. I was dissapointed, VERY dissapointed, but atleast he didn't leave me checking my email every two seconds.

I don't plan to give up. I'm not the kind to give up, and at the point I do get the interview, you will know from the yeeehooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo you hear out of absolutly nowhere.

Splinter Cell Without Sam??????

I post regularly at the board for the upcoming Splinter Cell movie at the IMDB, but I don't think I will be going back there anytime soon.

There are actually fans there calling for Splinter Cell 4 to be the last Splinter Cell game with Sam!!! Splinter Cell without Sam...can you imagine? How about Halo without Master Cheif? Rainbow Six without Ding Chavez? Ghost Recon without Mitchell? No! No! No!

I really wish Ubisoft would have not put that bald gentleman in the trailer because now some people think that guy is Sams replacement. Apparently some people didn't watch that trailer well enough to see that is says FLAT OUT that it is a trailer for the ONLINE part of SC4. Sam is not a part of multiplayer mode.

Generally, when playing XBL I perfer to play with 18+ gamers and what is going at the IMDB is a perfect reason why. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean this as a generalization of all gamers under 18, but most younger gamers have no sense of brand or character loyalty. They live in a time where the video game companies are in heavy competition for the gamers dollars, so most young gamers are always open to the next thing to make them go "whoa!", and throw out whatever the last thing was. Those in my gamer generation, the ones that have been here since the first atari, have grown up with certain characters and have had time to bond with them more.

For example, many characters that got thier start in the Super Mario Brothers series, have gone on to have thier own games. Wario, Yoshi, and Koopa are three examples of that. But we don't get rid of Mario!

Alot of time I think some gamers look at Sam and want to dismiss him because he is over 50. They are missing the invalueable expierence that comes with those years. Most younger gamers don't see that, which is why I tend to perfer gamers my own age. Whoever this bald guy in this trailer is, he is not Sam Fisher and will never ever replace him.

Splinter Cell 4 Thoughts From TFS

Well I have read the press release and saw the trailer...and for some reason, I'm not sure what to say.

It appears Ubi is planning to make alot of changes to Splinter Cell, and to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm happy about that.

It's an age old question when you are dealing with a success story. You have this successful series that has sold over 12 million copies: Do you stick with a winning formula or do something innovative and risk a flop? Apparently Ubi has decided to go with the later. Im nervous about changes being made to Splinter Cell, but, Im going to give Ubi the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Ubioft's writers such as JT Petty and Clint Hocking have done a great job creating a storyline that has catpivated us. Julien Hantz as well as the other SC level designers have done a great job creating levels that have sucked us in with their realism. Ubi hasn't let me down so far, so I'm putting my trust in them that they won't let me down now either.

Of course, if they want to REALLY make me happy, cast Michael Ironside as Sam in the movie and I will join Grimm as "One of the happiest girls in the world".

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Jackie Fiest
Jackie@TheFairerSects.com