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Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction Review for Xbox 360

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction Review for Xbox 360

Hey, I Called Shotgun!

The Splinter Cell series has always been known for its methodical take on stealth-deliberate pacing, cadaver-hiding, and trial-and-error were well-worn hallmarks of the franchise. As you might have noticed, I used the past tense to describe those tropes. That’s because Sam Fisher’s latest romp, Splinter Cell: Conviction, has abandoned the plod in favor of an almost, dare I say, run-and-gun style. Without a doubt, the series’ hardcore will be initially dismayed by the completely overhauled game mechanics, but once settled in, I can’t see how anyone wouldn’t enjoy the ride.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot

Now, run-and-gun isn’t quite accurate, but when compared to its predecessors, Conviction is extremely loose and free-flowing. The biggest reason the game feels so quick is due to the new cover system. This is perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game, and it’s certainly one of the best-executed cover systems in any game to date. Rather than locking players to sticky cover, Conviction’s use of cover points is completely user-controlled. By holding down on the appropriate trigger you’ll snap-to cover, but tilt the analog stick just a bit and you’ll effortlessly shimmy away from it while still in a defensive crouch. Never once did I feel like cover points were hindering my progression.

Better yet, getting from one covered position to another is extremely easy. From cover, players simply aim the onscreen reticule at the position they want to take up, tap the A button, and watch Sam lithely scramble to the next cover point. While several titles have tried this in the past, no one has done so with such quality. It truly is a thing of beauty hopping from spot to spot, using the terrain, debris, corridors, shadows, and nooks and crannies to your tactical advantage. If there is one minor complaint I can manage, it is that often cover positions are too far away from Sam to be engaged. This means you’ll have to get there yourself, but Sam simply doesn’t move as quickly and as gracefully as he does when the cover mechanic is active. I don’t expect to be able to use the cover mechanic to help me traverse a 50 ft. piece of open ground, but there were constant circumstances when I couldn’t use the auto-cover to take up a position that was just 5-10 yards away. Despite this quibble, the cover mechanic in Conviction is without peer.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot

Another couple reasons why Conviction feels so fast-paced is that you’ll always be guided by objective markers, or objective projections on the walls, that keep you headed in the right direction. Furthermore, creeping up on guards and the like is a snap. As such, getting hand-to-hand stealth kills is a big part of the game. This is especially so because you will be rewarded for your daring by powering-up your ‘Execute’ ability.

Depending on the weapon, and whether it has been upgraded or not, you will have a specific number of ‘Marks’ you can issue on baddies. As long as these marks are red (unfortunately, this is true even if one of the foe ambles behind a wall after being initiated), you will automatically rack up execution kills. This is used to great effect throughout the game, so you’ll want to take out lone gunmen with a wicked melee attack, hop back into cover, and then mark the other 2, 3, or 4 virtual meat-bags, clearing out the rest of the room in one fell swoop. Some may find the ‘Mark and Execute’ mechanic to be too effortless, but I found it to be enjoyable, as it heightened the immersion. Besides, once you’ve used the ‘Execute’ command, the power will be drained until you make your next stealth melee kill. This, for the most part, balances out the ability’s extreme efficacy by making it a somewhat limited commodity.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot

Of course, if you use ‘Execute’ and still have bad dudes to deal with, it’s not the end of the world. Scoring stealth headshots is very easy, so you’ll be able to deal with remaining enemies quickly, regardless. In fact, Splinter Cell: Conviction, in general, is surprisingly simplistic. While this may seem like a knock against the game, it’s actually a testament to just how bad-ass Sam Fisher is (and feels) and keeps the game from ever bogging down. Still, any serious gamer should be playing this title on Realistic difficulty in order to get the true experience-unlike most titles, Normal is not the most balanced difficulty setting. If truth be told, enemy AI doesn’t really pick up to the level it needs to be at until you rock it on Realistic. Even so, you’ll still run roughshod through the opposition and finish the single-player portion of the title in 5-7 hours.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot

Thankfully, the single-player story is just one aspect of Conviction. In fact, Sam Fisher’s tale, while full of great gameplay moments, doesn’t really recount the most enthralling story and serves more as a lengthy tutorial for the endlessly playable multiplayer side of the game. Splinter Cell: Conviction lets you play through several different game modes with friends on the couch, via LAN, or over LIVE. There is even an interesting prequel co-op campaign that will have you and a friend take up the role of Third Echelon’s ‘Archer’ and Voron’s ‘Kestrel’. Playing as these two operatives is essentially the same as playing as Sam Fisher, but the lone wolf tactics are now supplanted by team-driven challenges and scenarios.

Presentation in Conviction is outstanding-the environments are all perfectly detailed, you’ll never really feel like you’re taking on clones, and the resolution is very crisp. Animations really shine, too. Whether you’re going in for a melee kill, brutalizing a hood during an interrogation sequence, or plinking shiny domes with lead kisses, the characters react naturally and believably to the world around them. Heightening the visual experience are the superb sound effects, the goofy, mid-battle goon taunts, and the excellent main cast voice acting.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction screenshot

Splinter Cell: Conviction may not be what the series’ following expected, but it’s definitely a great game that’s worth any Microsoft gamer’s time. Whether it’s worth your money or not depends on what you’re looking to get out of it. Paying $60 just for the single-player campaign might not merit a purchase, but getting all the in-game challenge awards, unlocking the U-play rewards, upgrading all your weapons, enhancing your multiplayer agent, and teaming up with buddies to take out baddies rounds out the package nicely, giving it my seal of approval!

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
This is a stunning game that’s only surpassed by an elite handful of next-gen titles. 4.8 Control
It took a little while to get used to the default button layout. The cover mechanic is exceptional. 4.3 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The sound effects and voice acting are quite good. I often giggled at the silly comments made by victims just before their inevitable demise. 4.2 Play Value
The single-player story is short, but it’s filled with a lot of great moments. The co-op multiplayer helps to give the package a lot more bite. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • New Level of Action for Splinter Cell – A full arsenal of cutting-edge innovations allow you to outflank foes with the Last Known Position system, tag and eliminate enemies using the Mark and Execute feature, and much more.
  • Blockbuster Experience – A unique storytelling style keeps you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the explosive world of a renegade agent where trust is impossible and justice requires you to go above the law.
  • Jaw-Dropping Visuals – A revolutionary new graphic direction delivers an utterly seamless gameplay experience that’ll keep you totally engrossed in the story of Sam Fisher.
  • Explosive LIVE Gameplay – Brand-new addictive multiplayer modes amp up the dramatic intensity like never before.

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