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Splinter Cell: Conviction
Long time Splinter Cell fans will notice something of a difference to the overall feel of the game when they try out Splinter Cell: Conviction. Historically, darkness and stealth were Sam Fisher’s weapons but, in this latest installment, he steps out of the shadows and takes his enemies on directly. Well, at least more directly than he used to.
Those that have been following Fisher’s story will be able to see that this makes perfect sense – betrayed by his former employers and grieved at the death of his beloved daughter, Sam is pulling out all the stops to get through this tale. He no longer has the luxury of full support from Third Echelon, and his anger has made him bolder. Sure, Sam is always angry, or at very least grumpy, but this time around, things have got personal. We see a very different side of the main character is this game, because he isn’t acting on orders anymore… he’s acting on impulse, instinct and emotion. And I, for on, love it.
There has been some criticism leveled at this installment of the franchise, generally along the lines of the fact that the spirit of Splinter Cell has been stripped from the title. That’s just not true – the game has evolved, yes, and is far less reliant on stealth than before, but using stealth tactics and low light conditions are still to the player’s advantage.
Sam never was, and probably never will be, the superhuman hero we see in other video games. He is a tough warrior, yes, and a clever tactician, but he is also a very human character, both emotionally and physically. The kind of damage that other game characters would shake off will put Sam in an early grave, so the clever player will still need to use elements and ideas from the previous Splinter Cell games to succeed in this most dangerous of Fisher’s missions. Stealth and darkness are still Sam’s allies. It’s just that he isn’t necessarily a sitting duck in a stand-up fight. In a way, it’s more realistic than previous games, which saw Fisher’s goose neatly cooked if he was spotted.
I couldn’t help thinking of 24’s Jack Bauer while playing this game. The situation that Fisher finds himself in is so similar to the plot lines of the TV series. He has an apparently impossible goal to achieve in Conviction, but he has the guts and determination (and the player) to see it through.
Another criticism that has been raised is that the game is very short. Granted, it’s not as long as other Splinter Cell games, but only the best of the best will get Fisher from start to finish in a short time. Other players will realistically be looking at eight to ten hours of single player gaming, without touching the deniable ops missions or multiplayer. Even though Sam is now a more able fighter in terms of face-to-face confrontation, the game still retains some of the challenges that made Splinter Cell such a great experience in the past. There is only minimal linearity in the title, for one thing. Yes, the story follows prescribed missions, but it is very seldom that the player is funnelled into a ‘right way’ of tackling individual areas.
Many are quite large and free-form, allowing the player to use the environment the way they see fit, and throwing out numerous options for tactical approaches. This also means, though, that enemies aren’t always directly ahead. They will be coming from all sides, particularly in some of the more intense fire-fights. So the player will need to weigh up numerous strategic options when undertaking missions, just like before, and will have to find the best way to handle situations. The scouting of locations and careful examination of enemy positions may seem pedantic, but it once again panders to the spirit of the series, and allows the player to meet a greater degree of success. This is reinforced by the idea that Sam is virtually alone during his missions, and the fancy equipment that made his job easier before is, for the most part, unavailable to him.
Graphically, Splinter Cell: Conviction is a real treat. The character models are well handled and feature excellent animations. The environments are rich and detailed. But the best of all is the way the game handles light. See, Sam still works well in shadows, and virtually any light source can be destroyed or turned off by the player. This means a lot of changes in the lighting of the levels. Additionally, there is a smooth transition between colour graphics and black-and-white. The latter is used to indicate that the
player is hidden in shadows. On the sound front, the game is a little more disappointing – not, mind you, because the sound or voice acting is bad, but rather because AI enemies will utter the same phrases repeatedly. While this isn’t usually a bad thing, the rather verbose bad guys will often repeat a phrase far too much, taking away from the increased realism that the game offers.
Not that the enemies are stupid. They will hunt Fisher when they become aware of him, and they are tipped off about his presence very easily. A light going out suddenly or, even worse, a dead body, are sure signs for them that there is trouble afoot, and they will hunt the player down almost mercilessly. Not, mind you, if they are alone. Then the AI enemies will rather hold a position and try to coax the player into making a mistake.
To help deal with the enemies, the player has been given an indicator of where they believe Sam to be. A ghostly image will indicate where he was last spotted, and serves as a great tactical tool. Causing a distraction and then circling round to flank enemies is great fun. The controls take a little getting used to, because they are slightly different to the run-of-the-mill. However, once the player has the hang of them, getting Sam to execute stealth kills while hanging from a window ledge or pop a bad guy in the head are simple.
To add to the game, several multiplayer options exist. Even played split-screen, the co-op missions within the game are great fun. None of the multiplayer missions feature Sam, but they all have that same Splinter Cell feel to them. In the end, this breaks down to a more accessible Splinter Cell, but one that follows the progression of the series logically and beautifully. This is a great game for action fans who like their games with a little thought required, rather than a guns blazing affair. The challenge level can be quite high, and the multiple paths through the game even allow for a degree of replay ability. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest Splinter Cell games ever.
At A Glance
Sam Fisher steps out of the shadows and into one of the finest Splinter Cell games ever.
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Distributor: Megarom
Platform:
Xbox