Where to start?

Hello all. I’ve never played a splinter cell game before and i would really like to dive into the series. Is story/lore a big part of the series or is it just gameplay focused? Should I play from the beginning or is there one game that’s goated?

I’m a huge fan of the Metal Gear series so I’m no stranger to stealth focused games. I’m also familiar with echelon and Sam Fisher from other Ubi games, primarily Ghost Recon. From what I’ve seen it looks like Chaos Theory is the best one?

Any pointers would be appreciated on what to play and what console to play on.