Stealth is the name of the game. (Okay, Not literally...) You are Sam Fisher, a returning NSA operative. You have been recruited to the Black Ops division, Third Echelon. You can go in just shooting wildly, but it is actually meant to be played with little shooting, and lots of take-downs. (Stealth take-downs specifically.) This is the game that almost did happen, but I am happy it worked!

Graphics: For a game made in the year 2003 it has amazing graphics. There are a few things that seem odd, but it's 2003. I've played games made later with worse graphics. Not only are they good for a game from the year, but they have held up VERY well. There are crisp colors, good animations, realistic movements, and great textures in the scenes. It's really remarkable. If you haven't played it, you most likely don't know how good it looks, but still, you should get the idea that for a game this old, it's one of the best graphics of the year.
I give the game a 9/10 for graphics. 

Sound: Good Voice Acting, realistic gun sounds, and most importantly, noise you make. It's all there, and it's important to stay low, and make little to no sound. This is hard, because sometimes you need to run to get over a gap, or something, but noise makes the guards spot you. It's not a stealth game for nothing, as they captured the entire sound idea with amazing detail. The voice acting has conviction behind it. (I'll explain what I mean by that.) They talk as though what was happening was really happening. They make all of the instructions clear, but with good intonations, grammar, and realistic tones. Overall the sound is amazing!
Although the sound is awesome, it wasn't the best I've heard, so I give it a 9/10. 

Addictiveness: Do you like playing a game your own way? Well, that's pretty much a stealth game. They suggest ways that you can play it, but you don't have to play it that way. That's what makes this game fun; play the way you feel like playing. I love playing it, but at first the menu seems a little odd, but don't let that drive you away from the game. It has a retro look (early 2000's look.) but it keeps the cool factor! The coolness/ addictiveness doesn't stop at the menu and non-linear feel, but it also has style! The game has great character designs, which makes it more fun to play for a longer time. Overall, I LOVE THIS GAME!
It's really addictive! I give it a full 10/10. 

Story: The game has you run around as Sam Fisher, former CIA operative. You get recruited to the newly founded Black Ops division, Third Echelon. You are tasked to track down some missing CIA agents, and this turns up bad! Does that sound good enough? Well, that's just the beginning of the story! There's a reason that the series has become popular! The story is really amazing. I loved the entire premise of the game. It has intrigue, great presentation, and everything that makes a story good!
I give the story a solid 8/10. 

Gameplay/ Controls: Some of the controls are a little unconventional. The mouse wheel changes the speed of your walking, which is odd. Otherwise, all controls are normal, but not only normal, but well done. They made the key layout quite logical. The game plays smoothly, which for a game in the early 2000's is much more rare. I really am amazed at Ubisoft... They did a good job of making the game good.
The game plays smoothly, and the controls are sometimes odd, but still good. I give it a 7/10. 

Depth: The game has much to do. You can play the game anyway you want. That's what makes it so fun to play. You can take out all of the guards, either by stealth, shooting them, or some select other ways. You can also go several routes. This makes the game much more fun, because you can play several ways. There are no side quests, no bonus levels etc. It's just a simple story, but that doesn't make the game not fun, it's really fun to play.
I give the game an 8/10. 

Difficulty: This is really hard to rate, because there are multiple ways to play. If you go run and gun, it's hard. Stealth is hard too, but you won't die as fast. This game is meant to be played with the hide in the darkness and wait for the guard to pass strategy. It sounds simple, but it really isn't because if you aren't deep into the bush, you will get spotted. That makes the game hard, but fun, while still keeping it's challenging aspects. I love it!
I give the game an 8/10 for difficulty. 

Overall: The game is awesome! I love it. The stealth is a step above Assassin's Creed, and is much more fun to do. You really need to analyse your situation before you react, which makes the game tactical. This plus a good story, great voice acting, awesome controls, and graphics that rival some of the games made after it, this makes the game one of the best 2003 games out there! Overall I give the game a 9/10, which is really high!

darthyoda : Dang it... looks like there's a heck of a game I missed out on back then. I heard about the game, I just never bought it now I feel kinda bad about it...oh well...

darthyoda : I have never played this game, but the way you make it sound makes me want to play it. Just the fact that you gave the Sound a 9 makes me a bit curious because I love media that has good sound and music, and if a game can be that addicting, then it looks pretty easy to fall in love with, though I doubt I would be able to afford more games for a while.

The review itself is really well written and I love the bolded overall at the end of each category to make it stand out.