Splinter Cell
Hacker ApprovedRanked 3 of 6 stealth games by recommenders
Stealth series praised for suspense, problem solving and distinctive lighting and visibility mechanics; critics find the controls clunky and the lighting unconvincing.
Stealth series praised for suspense, problem solving and distinctive lighting and visibility mechanics; critics find the controls clunky and the lighting unconvincing.
14 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 86%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Suspense and problem-solving stealth gameplay
“90s and early to mid 2000s seems like was the peak for 3D games with deep storylines and pure stealth mechanics”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Splinter Cell veteran says realistic modern lighting has screwed up stealth game” “The stealth genre has this unique quality that you can approach the gameplay in different ways”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Ask HN: What game have you replayed more times than any other?” “the suspense and problem solving in Splinter Cell is nice (kinda clunky controls”
Comment from 29 Aug 2026 in “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look [video]” Lighting and visibility mechanics
“you could make enemies visible and you not visible by virtue of the fact your character was wearing night vision goggles”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Splinter Cell veteran says realistic modern lighting has screwed up stealth game” “Walking back and forth through a curtain to see how it wraps around the body. So cool.”
Comment from 10 Dec 2025 in “Cloth Simulation” “Whatever Splinter Cell game I played on Xbox was amazing in terms of lightning.”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Splinter Cell veteran says realistic modern lighting has screwed up stealth game” Distinctive, unique stealth experience
“The stealth genre has this unique quality that you can approach the gameplay in different ways”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Ask HN: What game have you replayed more times than any other?” “Splinter Cell is definitely on a class of its own”
Comment from 27 May 2026 in “Splinter Cell veteran says realistic modern lighting has screwed up stealth game”
Other stealth games people recommend
The four most recommended other stealth games, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Gear Solid | 15 | 2 | 88% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Thief: The Dark Project | 13 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Splinter CellThis page | 12 | 2 | 86% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Thief video game | 11 | 2 | 85% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Metal Gear Solid V | 8 | 3 | 73% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
14 of the 15 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“the suspense and problem solving in Splinter Cell is nice (kinda clunky controls”
“Should go experience Splinter Cell and Beyond Good And Evil the first time again.”
“Good split/screen coop games, like Splinter Cell.”
“The stealth genre has this unique quality that you can approach the gameplay in different ways”
“Completely ruined the immersion for me.”
“Whatever Splinter Cell game I played on Xbox was amazing in terms of lightning.”
“you could make enemies visible and you not visible by virtue of the fact your character was wearing night vision goggles”
“The Splinter Cell lighting stuff never made much sense anyway”
“Splinter Cell is definitely on a class of its own”
“it's not the same as splinter cell”
“90s and early to mid 2000s seems like was the peak for 3D games with deep storylines and pure stealth mechanics”
“sending loved unique titles like Splinter Cell to the graveyard”
“Walking back and forth through a curtain to see how it wraps around the body. So cool.”
“there weee two additional ‘views’ simulating infrared and thermal cameras”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.