Splinter Cell Is Still About The Shadows, But…
Firstly, let’s get my Splinter Cell history out of the way. Prior to Conviction, I had only played Sam Fisher’s 360 debut, Double Agent. It was hard. Very hard. Y’see, stealth isn’t my strong point. If I have a gun, I’ll use it just because I can. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the idea of stealth games, and the 360 seems to be sparse with games of the peepin’ and creepin’ variety.
Unfortunately, Conviction doesn’t fill this gap. Splinter Cell has changed direction, and from as much as a relative newbie can tell, it doesn’t feel like your typical Sam Fisher game. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does take some getting used to.
I tried approaching every scenario in as low key a fashion as possible; avoid detection, clean headshots, hand-to-hand take-downs where possible… But it seemed there were some situations where creating massive havoc was simply unavoidable. Disappointing.
Maybe this is justified by the story. Fisher has been alerted his daughter’s death was in fact faked, and after having spent years grieving her death he’s now on a mission to find her alive and well. I guess this means cutting out the sneaky bullshit and doing whatever it takes. Pretty understandable, right?
While I thought Conviction would be a slow paced game that requires you to carefully map every move, it is in fact action packed and paced surprisingly well. Its cinematic nature is only emphasised by the narrative of the opening sequences to each of the levels, as was the fashion in which mission objectives were displayed (text and ‘cut scenes’ projected onto the surroundings) and the ability to interact with your environment when interrogating enemies (interrogating an enemy over a hot stove? Fry his face!).
The campaign is short and sweet, but Ubisoft have carved a whole new co-op experience with different characters and story. I’m playing through the co-op mode right now, and whilst it doesn’t feel as meaty as the single player (four short campaigns), it gives the game much needed longevity. Unfortunately, as with all Ubisoft games, I’ve experienced some connectivity issues. That aside, though, it’s a lot of fun planning the best means to advance with a partner by your side, and you can often work together to pull off some fancy moves. How about distracting an enemy while your partner shoots the chandelier, timely toppling to the ground just as said enemy comes to investigate your last known position?
It’s hard for me to summarise my enjoyment of Conviction considering how inconsistent it was. There were some moments I was fully enthralled in my mission and would have recommended the game in a heartbeat, but having spent more time with it I find myself telling people to “give it a rent”. The campaign is over prematurely, but what there is of it is a lot of fun. I’m just not sure how hardcore Splinter Cell fans will take to Fisher’s new, less stealthy approach.
Hmm. Uhh. Yeah. Skyrim. It’s massive. The quests are never-ending. My character has a mohawk. My class is Breton. Don’t
Arnold Sideways