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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Essentials (PSP)

Status: Stopped playing - Got frustrated
I started playing this game on Wednesday 21 July, 2010  //  I stopped playing this game on: Tuesday 27 July, 2010
Current opinion of this game
Doesn't quite work on the PSP...more frustrating than anything else really.

July 27, 2010 01:05:21 PM
I'm frustrated by my experience with this game. I'm frustrated enough that I decided to move on to something else because I feel that otherwise I may never get around to playing a Splinter Cell game (and I've heard so many good things about the series in general). My frustration is not so much with the game, but rather with all the elements surrounding the actual gameplay combined with what I would my "play context". Essentially, I'm playing this game on a portable device (obviously, it's for PSP) while I commute to and from work.

So, why the frustration?

(1) Playing on the train means that lighting conditions are usually less than ideal (i.e., I'm not playing in a dark room), so, game levels that are dark or require special attention to minute or subtle visual cues tend to be problematic.

(2) A saving system that is multi-layered and lengthy is annoying when gameplay sessions aren't that long. In particular, you have to go through multiple levels of a menu and, not only wait for the save to happen, but also wait for the level to load back up again. I would be exaggerating if I said that the menus have their own loading screens, but it definitely feels that way.


 
kudos for original design to Rodrigo Barria