The Year 2002
Film
2002 was the poorest year for the film industry, in my opinion. It brought titles like Spider-Man, which was a disappointing attempt at a superhero film. It lacked all of the originality of the original Spider-Man comics, and it just didn't work, at all. Then we had the disappointing Die Another Day, a James Bond flick that had no originality, again, and it just didn't seem like it was a James Bond film, it was rather disappointing. But, I had to pick one title, and that was the sequel to The Lord Of The Rings, and it is The Two Towers, the impressive sequel, that outdid the first in so many ways. The story was a much more developed line of events, and it introduces new, interesting characters with an even more interesting back plot. It was action packed, and it felt a lot more developed than the first, if you know what I mean. The first was something new to the film industry, but I felt right at home while watching this, maybe because of the hug success of the first one, this felt just right while watching, and it felt like a whole different experience, and it still is today!
Game
No, you guessed wrong. My pick will not be Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but if you guessed Splinter Cell, then well done, because that's what I've picked, the original, stealth coated, action adventure game that changed my view on gaming altogether, forever.Set in the fall of 2004, the player takes on the role of Sam Fisher, a long dormant secret agent called back to duty by the AmericanNational Security Agency, to work with a secret division dubbed "Third Echelon". At this point, Fisher hasn't been in the field in years. Fisher must investigate the disappearance of several CIA officers in the country of Georgia, which soon leads to a much larger, more intense mission.For his first assignment as a Splinter Cell,Sam Fisheris dispatched toTbilisi,Georgiato investigate the disappearance of twoCIAofficers, Blaustein and Madison. He succeeds in finding their corpses. During his investigation, Fisher uncovers a campaign of systematicethnic cleansingandmass murderbeing waged against the neighboringMuslimpopulation ofAzerbaijanby Georgian President Kombayn Nikoladze in an attempt to seize the country's vastpetroleumresources. WhenNATOintervenes in the situation against Georgia and Nikoladze, Nikoladze goes underground and retaliates against the U.S. by initiating aninformation crisisin America, using advanced computer algorithms developed byCanadianhacker Phillip Masse to wreak havoc upon America's electronic infrastructure. Fisher's espionage discovers that anuclear suitcase bombcodenamed the ARK has been placed on American soil. Fisher assassinates Nikoladze, ending the information crisis and stopping Georgia from detonating the ARK. Sounds like a massive, blockbuster film title? Well, it played that way, and Splinter Cell was a solid game, and still is, by far one of the best stealth operative games out. Stealth was the main name of the game. Forget Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell took stealth to a whole new extreme, with a range of cool and useful gadgets to use and interact with. Splinter cell was amazing, and hopefully Splinter Cell: Conviction can renew the franchise, later this year.