Conviction, the latest in the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series, once again follows the story of Sam Fisher. With a completely new reimaging of both the style and the gameplay it is easy to be sceptical of Ubisofts latest release. Fans of the original may be a little put off but Conviction is quite clearly one the best in the series.
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction makes it known from the start of the game that you are going to be a completely different Sam Fisher to the previous games. Sam is now retired and off the radar but is found and contacted once again by his old ally Anna Grimsdóttír who quickly informs Sam of the hitmen on his trail and walks him through a route out of the market place. By the end you learn, through a brutal interrogation, that Sam’s daughter, Sarah, is still alive and so begins Sam’s involvement in the plot. Gone are the stories that place Sam with the backing of the secret government agency Third Echelon, this story is about Sam’s quest for revenge. The rest of Sam’s vendetta plays out smoothly, narrated in past tense by a hitherto unseen character being interrogated by ominous figures. This Splinter Cell story, while short, is easily the most emotional and involving. While the other Splinter Cell stories left you almost unmoved this one has you questioning and even caring about Sam Fisher and his daughter. There are a few flashbacks, which normally keep the pace and also keep you guessing and intrigued. That said, the game deserves to be a little longer. The best missions are near the end and there a few missions purely there to progress the plot, which, while fun, will have fans wanting to swap for more stealthier missions.
The graphics of Splinter Cell are top notch. They may be running on an old engine, and in some places it may be noticeable, but you never feel like the graphics are really suffering because of it. There’s occasional screen tear and a few bad textures, particularly with on the characters hair, but the game itself is so immersive it is hardly noticeable.
The new style seen in this Splinter Cell is a gritty one, trying to focus on a far more realistic and brutal theme. When in shadow Sam’s opponents are lit up in full colour while the environment fades to powerful monochrome. While a gameplay feature, useful for the player to highlight their opposition, it is a stylish choice to implement into the game without it feeling too tacked on. The style is also seen in the cutscenes, the interrogations, and anytime the camera moves. The new visual direction does a good job of placing you in a fast paced action thriller without feeling like style over substance.
Style and graphics would be let down if the sound did not also live up but thankfully it does. Though the sound track can sometimes get a bit repetitive the rest of the sounds in Splinter Cell really highlight the movie feel. From the gun sounds and explosions to the dialogue, you are fully immersed in the Splinter Cell universe. Michael Ironside reprises the role of Sam Fisher and is joined by old cast members giving the dialogue an emotive and movie like feel, even if some of the lip syncing isn’t up to scratch.
Another style choice is the use of the projected objectives, where Sams missions or flashbacks are lit up on the sides of walls and buildings. Though not a startling new feature it does blend seamlessly into the rest of the game. There is one scene, however, where Sams emotions are flickered across the walls, which is a little too cheesy and really doesn't fit with the rest of the game.
In terms of Gameplay the Splinter Cell formula has been redesigned. Conviction still has its use of stealth, though rather than simply waiting in the shadows you are now stalking your prey. Gone are the use of non-fatal attacks, Sam is all about revenge and quickly kills all in his path. There is emphasis on speed with the new gameplay direction. In his old age Sam appears more agile, climbing walls and pipes quicker than before, and with some, often brutal, quick takedowns at the press of the button. With this concept of speed there is the new and innovative feature of ‘Mark and Execute’ which is likely to split the fans. By performing a hand to hand takedown Sam gains the ability to ‘Execute’ where he can ‘Mark’ up to 4 targets and kill them swiftly with the press of the Y button. While some fans of the original slower paced games might see this as a mere ‘kill’ button, where the last of the guards can be taken down in a matter of a second, there is really nothing like setting up a couple of kills and pouncing on a guard, providing a fulfilling and cinematic way to dispatch your opponents. This experience is sometimes ruined, however, when the execute has Sam shooting through walls at Guards clearly not in his line of site, these small glitches though are allowable and hardly frequently.
Conviction also boasts some of the fastest and most efficient cover seen in a game to date. While holding the L trigger a player can stick themselves to a wall to use as cover. From here they can hide, blindfire, or peek round corners. Its easy to get a hang of and mistakes are rarely made allowing you to conduct your stealth missions with smooth efficiency.
Despite Convictions short single player there is a co-op campaign designed to be played with a friend. The game easily boosts the story by a good set of hours and its almost as though the developers simply chose to focus their attention here, what with the current move of co-op and multiplayer gaming.
The co-op is where the game really deserves high marks as the fun experienced here is not quite comparable to other co-op games currently on the market. All the single player features are here and while lining up a few kills in single player is a fulfilling experience there is nothing like a co-op plan coming together with the two of you working fully in sync.
There are also a few extra game modes in the co-ops repertoire, with the Hunter, Last Stand, and Face Off challenges. Hunter has you playing through the campaigns levels, taking out a set amount of enemies while the Last Stand feature has you holding out against wave after wave of opponents. Within the Face Off feature a small area is designated for you and your friend to take out the opposition. In this scenario, however here friendly fire is enabled, and in fact promoted, as you battle to see who can take out the most enemy guards. Original fans may be dismayed to see the removal of Spy VS Merc and it is the only thing that really lets this co-op package down.
At the end of the day Splinter Cell: Conviction is a fantastic reboot of the series that’s only real flaw is that it leaves you wanting more. The story is more emotional and less forgettable than the previous titles and for once has you caring about the characters. From a gameplay standpoint fans will either love or hate the new direction, with less emphasis on stealth and more on action. There’s actually no real Punishment and reward for playing through the game as stealthily or aggressively as possible, which may not be what fans are truly after. However the new blend of action and stealth together keeps a good balance which is likely to appease all but the most steadfast of fans.
Shaun Kellett
Clockwork Musings
Authors note: I’m a fan of the original splinter cells and I thoroughly enjoyed Splinter Cell: Conviction. Though its really not as stealthy as before I think the new direction is a positive one, with a really good balance. I had a lot of fun playing through the campaign, though I really felt it lacked a few extra levels. I’ve also had a lot of fun playing it with my housemate but still haven’t fully completed the co-op (one of the reasons I put off doing this review so long).
