Splinter Cell Conviction: Review

Format: Xbox 360 (version reviewed), PC
Unleashed: Out Now (PC version out 30/04/10)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Players: 1 – 2
Site: http://splintercell.com

Splinter Cell: Conviction – Launch Trailer

If you read or saw details of the early version of the game you will remember that “Conviction” was to be more of a sandbox game than previous entries in the series. Sam Fisher also had a much different appearance. His hair was considerably longer, he had a full beard, and he did not have any of his trademark stealth equipment. Another important feature of the game was going to be dynamic environments in which Sam could interact with many objects by picking them up, pushing them, or throwing them. Lighting and shading in the game was vastly improved since Splinter Cell: Double Agent. In 2008, it was reported that Conviction was on hold for the time being as the team went to re-work the game, fearing that the game was too similar to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed and deviated too much from the rest of the games in the Splinter Cell series. The early version of Conviction was essentially thrown out, with the current version featuring almost no similarities to it. Well this game is nothing like that, read on for more details.
I’ll be honest and tell you now that the last Splinter Cell game I played was Splinter Cell Essentials on the PSP but I never got to finish it as the PSP was stolen in a burglary. I did find it fun though and with the Uplay feature implemented it made the game a little bit better as not only do you get the XBOX Achievements but you also get points from UBISOFT also which you can redeem for an extra weapon, different costume or even a new theme for your XBOX Dashboard.
The point of the game is STEALTH which is the aim for most games like this but what I found was ace was the ability to mark & execute enemies and that can range from 2-4 depending on the weapon and when you’re ready you hit Y and in a flash those enemies are gone. Also you will need to factor in an escape route just incase someone spotted you…..so take cover elsewhere but when someone comes to investigate your last known position you can gain extra points for taking them out.
There is also in-game challenges that you can do as you progress through the well planned story these are stuff like take out 10 people in a row without being detected, get through a stage without being spotted or retrying, so it makes you wanna pick the game up again and again just to see what you can achieve. There is also a co-op mode but at the time of writing this I had not tested it out fully,

Joystiq.com did an article last year that sums up the multi-player/co-op features perfectly so I will quote them here:

Everything you may have heard is true: The main co-op mode (either online or local / split-screen play, with a human partner or A.I.) is a prequel to the events of the game and doesn’t star series staple Sam Fisher. Instead, the estimated 5- to 6-hour campaign focuses on two networks operatives — one American, one Russian — who must work together to recover stolen nuclear warheads before they’re sold on the black market.

The game will also feature co-op play in what are being called “deniable ops” — more conventional intrusion missions and the like — as well as a player-v-player-vs-CPU “duel” mode. What I played was part of the the prequel campaign: an admittedly brief but eye-opening mission set in Moscow’s fortified metro system.

I am really glad I gave this game a whirl and it was a blast, and continues to be. There is quite a few stages that had me finding patience and perseverance but in the end it paid off well. The story as mentioned is very well written, kind of like a Bourne film but without the constant annoyance of Matt Damon mixed in with a little of 24 for good measure. Also some of Americas biggest landmarks have been recreated brilliantly such as the Whitehouse and Lincoln memorial.

If you are looking for something like Splinter Cell: Double Agent then you are not going to find it in this game. Sam Fisher no longer uses Multi-Vision Goggles as in previous games as the game uses a new stealth mechanic. The game also introduced a lot more features such as “Storyline Environment” this gives Sam flashbacks or hints of new characters or situations appear on the foreground of the game environment. Enhancing the storyline in real time. Clues will also be represented within the game such as names of people or mission objectives. The “Last known position” feature I mentioned above is shown via a silhouette of the player character which will appear to where the enemy last saw them. The cool thing about this again is that it can easily be used in conjunction with Mark and Execute to arrange easier executions. Amongst other new game-play features I found one of the better ones called “Persistent Elite Creation (P.E.C)” this lets you pick up weapons and ammunition from fallen enemies and fully customise them at weapon stashes placed throughout the game. It is also possible to edit the appearance of your avatar and increase his amour and the amount of ammunition and gadgets you can carry, plus the efficiency of your weapons and gadgets.

If you want to test this game before committing to buy it then on March 18, 2010, the demo was released for Xbox 360. The demo includes an interrogation scene, and a game play scene which allows the player to fully get a grasp of the game’s new features.

I don’t think I have ever played a game that has so many options for take downs as this does, whether that be silently taking out a lone gun man to get the point needed to use mark and execute or dragging someone out of the window its all fun. You could even hang of a ledge and open and close a window constantly if you get too into the story line and want to get bored easily. I prefer to open a window throw in a flash bang and then take everyone down by using the B button and get the tokens for more complicated stages. During some cut scenes you will get to choose how to interrogate certain people too, whether that just be a punch to the face or a head through a window so the game is far from any other of the Splinter Cell ones. I also mentioned that the goggles had been removed, this is so you can now use Sonar Goggles instead which allow you to spot enemies behind walls, you can also mark them for the mark and execute manoeuvre to quickly empty a room, or you can just choose to drop an enemy from above by landing on him and when used with marking you can see where his team mates are at all times so you can always be ready for the next idiotic soldier.

This game leaves you wanting more and just hoping that Splinter Cell 6 keeps some of its new features without getting rid of the stealthy evasive combat I started to love in this game.

Its definitely worth buying but if you want to see how great it is first then check out the demo.

Well done to UBISOFT, you made me a fan again

For more info on all of the other Splinter Cell games and the characters check out http://splintercell.wikia.com The site also gives you all the info you ever need on Splinter Cell games and clearly has been built with the fans in mind.

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