Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Essentials [PSP]

It sounds like a greatest hits package: Splinter Cell Essentials. But Sam Fisher's PSP debut is more like a cover version of the stealth blockbuster. It tells the story of Fisher's past -- packing in plenty of espionage and quiet killing, of course -- but without the style and verve we've come to expect from Ubi's flagship franchise.

When Essentials lives up to its name, it's fantastic. The moment where you manage to down one guard, then scurry away as another investigates his friend's cry is just as tense as in any other episode. And while many of the game's textures -- including Fisher's face -- are grainy, the animations are fluid and convincing. But the moments of true grace are few, and most of Essentials is rather routine.

Chalk some of the issues up to a new control scheme, which requires pressing a button to move the camera, and which has a general feeling of inelegance. In Syphon Filter, simply butting up to a surface flattens the character against it; here, you've got to face the wall dead on, then hold down the left d-pad button, which also doubles as the vision mode toggle.

Much of the game is often too dark, and to compensate for players having to squint, the AI isn't terribly sensitive. And while the standard Splinter Cell light and sound meters are present, the graphics engine isn't able to deliver the same lighting seen on consoles, requiring more attention to be paid to the meters than the actual environment.

In addition to the ways in which the PSP can't capture what the Xbox always delivered, there are basic camera and graphics issues. Even when controlling the camera, the lens will often jerk around to a bad angle when Fisher gets close to an obstacle. And while sneaking along walls, you'll frequently be able to see inside the buildings as the texture mapping fails.

Issues like that are big disappointments in a series that's always been notable for polish. They make the game feel rushed, as do the chunky, ugly blocks of text and subtitles, and the inelegant load screens. And why does a simple checkpoint save require a couple of confirmation screens, drawing us out of the game?

The multiplayer game adds value, since it sidesteps the thin AI. But it's still hampered by the thick control, which makes simply navigating the maps a challenge, before combat even enters the equation.

If we hadn't spent so much time recently with the superb Syphon Filter, maybe the deficiencies wouldn't be so glaring. But once you've seen PSP stealth done right, there's no going back. In a rare lapse, this time around Sam Fisher is a little late to the scene and definitely not on top of his game.