Game Info
GAME NAME: Splinter Cell: Conviction
DEVELOPER(S): Ubisoft Montreal
PUBLISHER(S): Ubisoft
PLATFORM(S): Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Mobile
Ya know, when I heard that Splinter Cell was going all action movie, I got worried. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft, Conviction assuaged my fears.
Picking up years after the death of Sam Fisher’s daughter, the game opens up with action and never stops. The story was actually really deep and drew me in. The thing I actually found an improvement was that everything is displayed as part of the game. For example, objectives or sprawled across walls or floors, which I found to be a really cool game device. There is a veritable slew of crap to do, here. There’s a co-operative prologue to be played with a friend, there are instant action missions of all types, and of course multiplayer as well. I was missing the beloved Mercs Vs Spies mode that was in the last few games, but the changes they made to multi were well worth the loss. Ubisoft has changed a lot here, but the changes were for the better. A lot of new gameplay elements here.
The controls are easily the best in the series. The controls have only gotten better with each game, and this feels like the most fluid Splinter Cell yet. Once you get used to the controls, you’ll become a stone-cold stealthy killing machine (all over again). Running for cover, pulling guards off of scaffoldings, the new Mark & Execute maneuver, it all feels really good. One word of warning, however. I’ve been told the PC version is glitchy as all hell.
SC Conviction is certainly a pretty, shadowy game. The lighting effects are topnotch, which is good, given that the game’s stealth elements directly involve light. Things look quite good, though. As far as the sound goes, I’m not sure what they were going for. Some of the compositions are taut, instrumental, and tense. Others seriously sound like something you’d hate to hear at a rave. Overall, the soundtrack is good, but it could have been better. Now the game shines in it’s voice acting. It’s all topnotch. When Sam Fisher screams at a dude, he really screams. All of the characters display very fine voices, really.
Splinter Cell: Conviction is a step in the right direction, and I applaud Ubisoft for having the balls to change the formula. Had they not, the series might have started to feel stale. It’s a phenomenal game with a ton of replayability, but it’s a bit short in both story modes. All in all, it deserves a 9 out of 10.
