![Image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Tom_Clancy%27s_Splinter_Cell_Conviction.jpg)
Now, I’m usually not one for many stealth games, Metal Gear Solid being the only real exception to the rule, mostly because I feel like I suck at playing Stealth games. I decided, after watching some of the gameplay videos for Splinter Cell: Conviction, to get the game on Steam with one of their sales. Needless to say I am quite happy with that decision. The past Splinter Cell games, never really interested me much, but something about this one made me want to try it out, so I did.
In Splinter Cell: Conviction, you play as an older Sam Fisher, the main protagonist of the series, years after he’s left the spy agency, Third Echelon. I hope I’m not spoiling anything by saying he’s going to figure out why someone killed his daughter only after being contacted by an old associate, Grim.
A note I have to say before moving on here. The usual DRM of requiring an internet connection for the entirety of play is gone now. All they do now is check to see if you have a connection in general and then you’re free to go. That, from what I’ve seen from other PC reviews, is what’s given the PC version such bad scores.
Story: As a Stealth-based game, the story is perhaps a good 5-10 hours long depending on how fast you play. Being someone who has played the Metal Gear Solid games and the ridiculously long playtimes those games ask of you, this game feels a bit short, story-wise. That is, however, one of the things Conviction has going for it. The story is as short, sweet, and to the point as the older Sam Fisher. Maybe it’s just something they like to do in games with a recurring character, but age makes the protagonists even more brutal/kickass than they were before. Prime examples are Solid (Old) Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Assassin’s Creed, and now Sam Fisher.
While the story feels short, it fits the life of Sam after he’s already left Third Echelon and tried to move past his daughters death. He is contacted by an old Third Echelon contact, Anna Grimsdottir, shortened to “Grim”. She sends him a phone and tells him to move since there are people coming to get him. Apparently this all ties into his daughter being killed in a car crash in the last game before this one, Double Agent. A good comparison to this game would be the movie “Taken” with Liam Neeson. There are some definite times it feels close to that, but it’s not the same, of course.
Alongside the main story with Sam Fisher in all his badass-ery is the Co-op story with Splinter Cell Agents, Kestrel and Archer, of Third Echelon and Voron respectively. I’m not one to tout the multiplayer/Co-op aspect of a game, but this is one of those times where I give it a plus. The story with these two characters is quite interesting, some claim more so than Sam’s, and has kept me interested through my playtime. This story, which you can play alone, is set several days before Sam is even contacted and Archer and Kestrel have to go in and find EMP’s that could be used for a mission later on in Sam’s story. The fact that the Co-op campaign is actually tied into the main story of the single player is quite a plus to me.
Gameplay: First of all, I’d like to say right off the bat that the game is not easy. Even “Rookie” (easy mode), has its particularly challenging sections. I feel, though, that Sam’s story is easier than the Co-op missions since those like to throw a good deal more enemies at you at once, along with unending waves of them in the process. Moving on from that, the actual gameplay is quite good. You have Cover controls, crouching, third person shooting, CQC (Close Quarters Combat), as well as holding people for human shields. In short, you get the full stealth experience as well as feeling like Sam Fisher is at the top of his game. You also have to dodge cameras, lasers, and deadly machinegun turrets. Sam Fisher, nor the other two agents, are bullet shields, so you’d do well to avoid gunfire the majority of the time.
Another aspect they have added to the game is the “Execute” ability. In a sense, (after you take someone down with CQC) it is an instant kill ability where you “Mark” targets (up to 4 depending on your weapon and upgrades), and “Execute" them in professional spy fashion. It, to me, is a welcome addition to the game since Sam Fisher IS the best spy Third Echelon has put out. It makes sense that he would have practically perfect aim at times, so I’m fine with the system itself. As mentioned above, it’s not always available so your own aiming skills come into play.
The game never gets dull or boring, though, even if you’re picking off enemies like flies, it keeps moving and thrusts you into rooms full or enemies at times with minimal cover. It’s always fun to circumvent moments like that by jumping out a window and pulling the bad guys out of the same window to their deaths below.
Before we move on, I feel the need to touch on the Co-op mode in this aspect. It is, pretty much, the same controls and such as the regular mode, but the fact that you can take down enemies with a partner greatly adds to the enjoyment of the game. On top of an already solid system, they give you the option for a “Double Execute” in the game. Basically, if you thought it was cool to see just Sam take out guys with it, add another person to the mix and it’s even more enjoyable to watch. I also noticed that there was hardly any real lag between me and the friend I played Co-op with, which is a biiiiig plus in something like this.
Added to both the Co-op and Main story is the “Deniable Ops” part of the game. In essence, you have the basic bits of the co-op mode, without the partner. In this, however, you have everything but the Co-op Story. You have Hunter, where you go through the map and take out as many enemies as possible. Being caught or seen adds more enemies to take down, so it’s a bit of a challenge. Then there is Last Stand, where you fight off waves of enemies trying to destroy an EMP you’re protecting. We move onto Infiltration Mode, which is the stealthiest of stealth modes you can get. If you are discovered, the mission ends. This doesn’t mean you can’t kill anyone, but you have to put your stealth skills to the test.
The amount of modes, as well as various “trophy challenges” to “level up” your spy-ness adds to quite a bit of replay value for the game.
Graphics: Supposedly this game runs on the Unreal Engine 3. While I take issue with the fact that UE3 hasn’t aged particularly well, Ubisoft has done some serious overhauling in order to bring the games graphics up to snuff. Adding in (since I have the PC version) things like 8X Anti-Aliasing, 16X Antiscopic Filtering, Ambient Occlusion, as well as their own custom lighting settings to make things more movie-like, and Ubisoft has made a game who’s graphics are quite an upgrade from what the usual UE3 game looks like. That being said, actually utilizing all of those settings can be a bit of a drag on your computer without the right hardware, so be forewarned. That’s not to say it’s like Crysis (when the game first came out), but having things maxed out can add a bit of lag to the game.
Music: You know me, I’m a big music buff when it comes to games. The moment I saw that Amon Tobin had a hand in it, I smiled. However, while he only has a few tracks, the two other composers, Kaveh Cohen and Michael Nielson, show their prowess. The soundtrack fits the feel of “Spy out to take revenge” perfectly as well as mixing in some nice action-based tunes to the mix for those hectic times. I’ll show a few examples below.
Splinter Cell: Conviction Main Theme – Kaveh Cohen and Michael Nielson
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1okx_ijyf34
- A mix of sadness, action, and yet power flowing through this tune is enough to make anyone smile.
Museum – Kaveh Cohen and Michael Nielson
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfwGKQAAwdU
- This plays, obviously, when you’re walking around the museum. It fits the feel of the place quite well.
Flashback Coste – Kaveh Cohen and Michael Nielson
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYUv17BmlnY
- A sad, kind of plodding piece, but still very powerful. The emotions through this song really leave you with a feeling of being alone. It also includes the “battle” sections of the tune which ramps up things quite a bit.
Windowless Building –
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OItjBLXDZN0
- Action packed from the get-go, it fades into a more background-based song.
Whitehouse – Amon Tobin
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exVr1xEDqjw
- If you heard anything from Amon on the infamous soundtrack, his distinct style shines through here. It, however, works amazingly well in the game.
Menu Theme – Amon Tobin
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQkJJMzhf3U
- Leave it to Amon to have one of the tracks you hear most often in the game, and have it be such a nice kind of… flowing piece.
The rest of the music in the game is quite stunning as well. And only does to show just how much they have invested in the game. If you wanted good music in your action, spy game, then you’ve found it here.
Overall, Splinter Cell: Conviction has proven more fun than frustrating. Sure, you can die fairly easily, but the joy is in taking out that room of guys without them ever knowing what happened. That, to me, is what makes a good stealth game. The stealth elements in this game are still strong, and though you won’t be going through air vents, you’ll be traversing outside windows, behind walls, into sewers, and on pipes. Sam Fisher is all the badass you expect after years in Third Echelon, and Archer and Kestrel show their stuff in the Co-op mode just as well. While Sam’s story feels a little short, it’s by no means bad, and if you mix in the Co-op story mode along with Sam’s main story, it really lengthens the playtime of the game.
All in all, Conviction has proven far more enjoyable than I originally thought and is well worth the money. It’s fun alone as Sam or in Deniable Ops, but grows even more in the co-op campaign. So if you have an inkling of interest in a stealth-based action game, this is the one for you.
Main Story: 8.5/10
Co-op Story: 8.8/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 8.8/10
Music: 9.8/10
Overall Score: 9.5/10