[14] The Splinter Cell series, endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, follows Sam Fisher, an agent employed by a black-ops division of the National Security Agency (NSA), dubbed Third Echelon.

Before the events of Splinter Cell: Essentials, Sam Fisher must deal with the recent loss of his daughter to a drunk driving crash.

But he has little time to mourn, as he soon has to go on an undercover assignment which requires him to pose as a criminal in order to infiltrate a terrorist group based in the United States.

The NSA stages multiple bank robberies and killings to set up Fisher to infiltrate a domestic terror organization known as John Brown's Army (JBA).

He is planned by the CIA to be sent to Ellsworth Prison in Kansas where he is placed in the same cell block as Jamie Washington, a JBA member, and begins digging a tunnel for escape.

He is then sent on a mission to take over a Russian oil tanker in the Sea of Okhotsk, while receiving radio contact from Enrica Villablanca, the JBA's weapons expert.

CIA operative Hisham Hamza, who has infiltrated Yussif's organization, orders him to record a meeting between Emile and a Pakistani nuclear scientist, Dr. Aswat.

During the meeting, Aswat sells Emile several kilograms of red mercury, an explosive material that can detonate with the force of a thermonuclear bomb.

While he does this, Carson Moss, the JBA's head of security, radios in and orders him to steal notes from Aswat's hotel room.

Enrica, if she is still alive, discovers Fisher's NOC status, but allows him to pass into the labs underneath the HQ, even giving him his equipment if he does not have it already.

In January 2008, Sam and CIA agent Hisham Hamza are being flown to Iceland to investigate suspicious activities at a geothermal plant.

However, the mission is aborted, with Irving Lambert activating a two-man Splinter Cell team to destroy the plant.

Acting in multiple staged bank robberies and killings, Fisher becomes an infamous criminal and is incarcerated in Ellsworth Prison, Kansas, where he befriends cellmate Jamie Washington, a JBA member.

Sam is then sent to hijack a train in Grand Central Station, carrying a large sum of money, gold and jewelry.

After the JBA constructs a bomb using red mercury, Emile sends Fisher to Cozumel, Mexico to test it by blowing up a cruise ship.

Two computers on the tanker have an e-mail to Emile from an anonymous sender who intends to blow Lambert's cover as an arms dealer.

Emile then goes to a meeting in Kinshasa with Alejandro Takfir and Massoud Ibn-Yussif, allies of the JBA, to buy more red mercury.

Fisher uncovers information that sets up a mission for a Splinter Cell team to sabotage a chemical bunker owned by Takfir.

Assistant Director Williams authorizes the Fifth Freedom and orders Sam to kill all the top-ranking members of the JBA, while another Splinter Cell team disarms various Red Mercury bombs headed for Los Angeles by tanker.

Next, the spies go to Ellsworth Prison to start a riot, providing a distraction to allow Fisher and Jamie Washington to escape.

Thanks to intelligence provided by Fisher, the spies are able to sabotage the chemical bunker in Kinshasa owned by Tafkir and Massoud, as well as getting valuable intel.

The Splinter Cell duo, under the command of Assistant Director Williams, sabotages multiple Red Mercury bombs on a cargo ship heading for Los Angeles.

"[67] The Times gave it a very favorable review and called it "sweaty-palmed fun, teaming the adult joys of a well-paced thriller with the childish delight of playing hide-and-seek in the dark.

"[69] USA Today gave the game nine stars out of ten and said, "Regardless whether he's the hero or villain, Sam Fisher is impressive, and should have fans yearning for another sequel.