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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (PC DVD)

Ubisoft
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent (PC DVD)

Ubisoft

In a nutshell:
Splinter Cell returns with an all-new story of double-dealing terrorists and uncomfortable moral decisions. Its greatest new feature though is its multiplayer, which continues to expand into the definitive online stealth experience.
The lowdown:
You can only imagine that Sam Fisher must get a good pension, because he doesn't seem to have an easy life. This time his role as a double agent in a terrorist group forces him to constantly make difficult moral choices, from big set piece decisions on whether to execute hostages to simple choices in-game such as whether to help out civilians. Although there are few significant changes to the controls this time around, for once most of the game doesn't take place in the dark. Stealth is still paramount though, especially since two onscreen trust meters track whether you're still in favour with both the terrorists and the NSA. The terrorist base also acts as a sort of hub world which you keep returning to between missions and slowly explore and unlock as the game's story unfurls.
Most exciting moment:
The expanded Spies vs. Mercenaries multiplayer game now has even less connection to the single player campaign, with the spies using only hand-to-hand combat and moving much faster than Sam Fisher. It now supports a total of six players at once and is one of the few online action games to offer a genuine alternative to the normal first person deathmatches.
Since you ask:
The next Splinter Cell game is subtitled Conviction and is due out some time next year. Controversially it has been announced as an Xbox 360 and PC exclusive only, with no PlayStation 3 or Wii versions currently scheduled.
The bottom line:
The best Splinter Cell yet, particularly in multiplayer mode.-HARRISON DENT
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (PC DVD)

Focus Multimedia Ltd
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PC DVD)

Konami
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (PC)

Ubisoft
Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (PC CD)

Sold Out Software
Thief: The Dark Project (DVD Packaging)

Sold Out Software

Demanding a better strategy than "find the biggest weapon and blast everything that moves" Thief: The Dark Project relies on stealth, wits, and skill to deliver a totally unique adventure thrill. Though it's modelled on the first-person shooters we all know and love, Thief is more accurately described as a first-person sneaker.
You play the role of Garrett, a master thief who becomes entangled in a web of lies, double-crosses, and fanaticism. Each of the game's 12 missions is introduced with a montage of images, accompanied by Garrett's cynical comments. After examining a map and coming up with a general plan of infiltration, you select the special tools of your shadowy trade: a sword, blackjack, rope, magic arrows, and sleeping gas bombs are just a few of the toys at your disposal.
In this game, it is generally better to knock an opponent out with a sap than risk a fight, or worse, an alarm, and the items are designed with this strategy in mind. Magic water arrows can be used to extinguish torches, creating pools of concealing shadow. Moss arrows create a blanket of soft fungus to deaden footsteps. This subtle change in available equipment makes all the difference; the shift in character from the marauding death machine of most games to silent burglar heightens game tension and adds a tang of adrenaline.
The graphics are dark, bland, and moody--perfect for a game set in a damp medieval metropolis. You'll want to play Thief in a quiet room with the lights out, as the faintest footstep or dimmest torch flicker may be just the clue you need to find your prize and escape with your life. In fact, paying careful attention to your surroundings is crucial to success; by eavesdropping on some guards' conversation, you may learn that a passage is trapped, or the location of a key. Clues like these will enable a well-equipped and cunning thief to slip in and out of a target building without being seen, without bloodshed--and with the goods.--Rob Lightner
Hitman: Codename 47 (PC CD)

Sold Out Software
Thief 2: The Metal Age (Sold Out Range)

Sold Out Software

The sequel to the original adventures of Garrett the thief, Thief 2: The Metal Age once again sees our stealthy anti-hero trying to uncover the evil doings of a sinister cabal of technology users and find out more about his purpose. From the outset you realise that this isn't just another first-person shooter: here, all-out violence is more likely to get you killed and it's much better to avoid conflict than seek it. As well as this twist, you get a fantastic narrative story, brilliant mission design and some really immersive gameplay.
Your priority is to stay unnoticed as you go about accomplishing your objectives within each scenario. Garrett can stand very still and becomes effectively invisible if he stands in darkness. He's easier to detect if he draws his weapons or moves around, and even when he can't be seen he can still be heard if he makes a lot of noise. You can gauge just how noisy you are by listening to your footsteps echoing around the corridors and how visible you are by means of a colour-coded gem.
Like its predecessor, Thief 2 also sounds incredible. Plug in your earphones and immerse yourself in the atmospheric ambient sound. First-rate voice acting also brings the game to life. The cynical Garrett is never at a loss for smart remarks, but he knows when to be silent so that he can listen to the guards bantering, to religious fanatics whistling hymns and more. Garrett's inhuman enemies, including all manner of undead and man-beast hybrids, sound positively terrifying.
Sneaking and climbing around won't be enough to keep Garrett out of trouble, so he is armed with a sword, blackjack and bow. But the emphasis is on subduing the enemy before they even know he's there rather than on all-out combat. Garrett's most versatile tool must be his bow: as with almost every play mechanic in the game, the archery strikes the perfect balance between great control and just enough realism. Thief 2 is one of the most atmospheric games that you can play. It looks great, sounds fantastic and offers a real antidote to hack and slash action. --Iris Headley
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (PC CD)

Sold Out Software
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (PC)

Ubisoft

Sam Fisher, the covert agent who makes Solid Snake look like Basildon Bond, is back in Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, the all-new sequel to the 2003 hit. Once again it's down to Fisher alone to rid the world of terrorists and various other enemies of Uncle Sam.
At first glance Pandora Tomorrow looks pretty much identical to its predecessor--which is to say it's one of the most graphically impressive video games ever made, with a particularly nice line in atmospheric lighting and insanely detailed environments. It's true that in straight gameplay terms things haven't changed very much, although there has been a concerted effort to make things less linear this time around--which was one of the main complaints levelled against the first game. Now though, there are multiple solutions to almost every situation you find yourself in, and this isn't limited merely to a simple choice between wading in guns blazing or sitting in a corner for 10 minutes being stealthly.
There are also a few new moves and gadgets to play with but probably the most important new feature for Pandora Tomorrow is the multi-player mode. This is no simplistic death-match mode but instead pits spies (using the single-player game's standard third-person viewpoint) against mercenaries (using a more traditional first-person view) where the completely different abilities and weapons of each team makes for some highly engaging and inventive action. This immediately stops Pandora Tomorrow from being yet another mission disc sequel and alone justifies the price of admission. --David Jenkins
Thief: The Dark Project

Eidos
Thief 2

Eidos
Eidos and Looking Glass Technologies advance the shifty gaming style they introduced in Thief: The Dark Project as they continue the adventures of Garrett the master thief. In Thief II, Garrett faces tough times. Machines and their Mechanist creators have emerged as the new sinister force in the city, replacing the Hammerites of the original game. Initially unconcerned with these mechanical abominations, Garrett sets out to pilfer enough to make his next rent payment when he makes a startling discovery: someone is trying to kill him. With thoughts of financial troubles set aside, Garrett must find out who is trying to eliminate him--and why.
Through 15 gruelling missions, you lead Garrett through the shadows as you attempt to accomplish a variety of intriguing objectives. In one scenario, you'll be trying to frame an innocent man by planting evidence, while in another you'll have to break into a heavily guarded bank. All the while, you will rely on moss arrows, water arrows, flash bombs, and invisibility potions to get you past the city watch as well as the Mechanists and their walking iron beasts.
The gameplay in Thief II is very much like that of its predecessor: Garrett is forced to rely on stealth and cunning rather than brute force. Each successive mission will put those stealth skills to an even tougher test than the last, as you try to slip past a seemingly endless array of guards, traps, robotic sentries, and innocent bystanders. You'll certainly get your money's worth, as each mission can easily take an hour or two to complete.
Essentially, Thief II is everything the original Thief was and more. Better graphics, superb mission design, and even better virtual thievery make Thief II a must-have for fans of the original and for any action enthusiast who is tired of the same old shoot-'em-up theme. --Michael E. Ryan
Pros:
- Excellent level and mission design
- Great graphics
- Cool array of tools to make any thief's life easier
- Challenging missions that will last 1 to 2 hours each
Cons:
- Some missions incredibly difficult
- No multiplayer
Hitman: Blood Money (PC)

MAD
Spycraft: The Great Game

Activision

Rudyard Kipling made people aware of "The Great Game" in his novel Kim. It told of Russia and the UK's spying in and around Pakistan and India. Spycraft--The Great Game has updated this idea and put it in the modern world.
Developed in collaboration with an ex-director of the CIA and ex-major general of the KGB, it is an exciting game that requires all the gamer's intelligence. Weapons training, actual CIA footage and many Hollywood actors bring stunning reality to the gamer's mission of leading special forces to bring peace to the world.
The graphics are excellent and the databases extensive. Kipling would have approved of its authenticity. After all he wrote exceedingly good spy books. --Paul Munford
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (PC)

Eidos

If you are looking for the ultimate in stealth gameplay then you should look no further than Hitman 2. Based around 21 missions you play a hitman trying to save a friend who's been kidnapped.
Immersing you slowly into a story that moves between Russia, India, Japan and other locations, you have to use your wits as you sneak through deadly exercises.
Continuing on from the original game, Eidos has done a lot to improve the games control mechanism as well as some of the features that where criticised in the first instalment. Unlike the original, a save option has now been included, though the number of saves you get (and the number of bad guys and the degree of their intelligence) will be determined by the difficulty level you choose.
While the graphics have been noticeably improved since the first game--the snow is very impressive in St Petersberg--neither the sound nor the gameplay have been forgotten: there is now a 60-piece orchestra and 50-member choir soundtrack; and now you don't necessarily have to complete the missions in a specific order.
Eidos has managed to do a rare thing with Hitman 2. It has taken a game that was by all accounts mediocre, listened to the criticism and tried its best to address the problems with an effective response--and produced a high-quality game which, although still difficult, should give you plenty of late nights and annoying puzzles to solve. --Jason Denwood
Velvet Assassin (PC)

Mastertronic Ltd
Stolen (PC)

Hip Interactive
The Ship (PC/DVD)

Focus Multimedia Ltd
Hitman Contracts (PC CD)

Mastertronic