The original Splinter Cell was a stunner; an immensely believable, immersive stealth caper that introduced the one-man army Sam Fisher. When it appeared on the Xbox 18 months ago, it was hailed as one of the platform’s finest games. Now, slippery Sam is back and on fine form.

In Pandora Tomorrow Fisher must flush out Norman Soth, a CIA hotshot and suspected double agent, to avert global disaster. To complete the mission, Fisher must lurk in the shadows and slip on his night-vision goggles to dodge guards and potential alarm- raisers. Too many misplaced steps will alert the guards and bring the mission to a premature end.

But the single-player mission is just part of the delight awaiting players of Pandora Tomorrow. It also opens up more social gaming with some versatile multiplayer action in which gamers compete as either Spies or Mercs. The Mercs play in the first person, Spies in the third person, and each side has its own set objectives. The online action is where this title deserves most plaudits, particularly since the co-operative gameplay makes excellent use of Xbox Live’s in-game “communicator” chat-channel. Pandora Tomorrow is a miniature masterpiece. This goodlooking, great-sounding and convincingly voiced espionage thriller delivers two satisfying game outings. The PS2 and Gamecube versions of Pandora Tomorrow are expected to be released in a few months.

Tim Wapshott