16 Best Video Game Trilogies Of All Time

16. Splinter Cell

Hideo Kojima may have invented stealth with Metal Gear on the MSX, but it was rival 3D franchise Splinter Cell that helped bring a much more serious take on the genre. Where Metal Gear had bombastic characters and ridiculous anime-styled cutscenes, Splinter Cell dealt specifically with the most realistic scenarios possible.

Realistic in an action-movie sort of context sure, but hero Sam Fisher easily stood toe-to-toe with Solid Snake in the gravel-voiced stakes thanks to veteran actor Michael Ironside, not to mention he was equipped with all manner of gadgets including the now-iconic triple-green light goggles, and the multifaceted SC-20K assault rifle. This was essentially Microsoft's answer to Kojima's revolutionary masterpiece, and through a fantastic sequel in Pandora Tomorrow it was with Chaos Theory that truly delivered one of the best games of all time.

For 2005 the graphics were unbelievable (and still hold up very well), Ironside's quips were plentiful, Sam's moves were expanded and the animation for everything was given an overhaul, making for an amazing sense of replayability that wouldn't return to the series until 2013's phenomenal Blacklist.