Tom Clancys Splinter Cell Conviction

Ubisoft present the latest instalment in the Splinter Cell series, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction. This time Sam Fisher returns minus Third Echelon, his former employer. The super sleuth spy goes it alone to seek revenge and find those responsible for the death of his daughter.

Throughout the game a wide variety of weapons are available to help Fisher on his journey and he'll go to any lengths and let no one get in his way, however brutal the outcome, as he seeks clues to lead him to the terrorists.

• Josh Crowther May 27, 2010 360

  ****

  Splinter Cell conviction is the latest in the series and it is by far the best one yet! The game has a dark feeling towards it as the game is mainly focused on stealth, however, you can take the 'guns blazing' approach, but it doesn't always pay off. The game has an excellent story line that is full of twists, but unfortunately is quite short - considering you play it on the lower difficulties.
  
  The game also features a 'multiplayer' this in my view is the downside to it; when I first picked up the game I was expecting the multiplayer to be more like splinter cell double agents as that multiplay is stealthy and would tie in with this game. However, I was disappointed to find that it is mainly co-op multiplay where you can 'face-off' against an opponent in a 1 on 1 match or do other various game types together.
  
  All this said it is still a MUST buy, it is a great addition to the splinter cell series (story wise) and I guarantee you will NOT be disappointed!
  

• Jake Hymas May 14, 2010 360

  ****

  Splinter Cell: Conviction is a brilliant stealth action game that has an engaging storyline with a few twists. Although drastically different from its predecessors it still retains the feel of a Splinter Cell game that allows you to hide in the dark and track down your foes, however Conviction is much faster paced than the others which seems to have introduced a lot more people to the series.
  As a fan I have followed the series from the start, although different I am not disappointed with the new game and find myself coming back to play over and over more so than with the originals. The new multi-player modes also give the game re-playability.
  
  The only downside to the game is the fairly short story, although the multi-player modes, including a co-op campaign more than make up for it.
  
  I believe Splinter Cell: Conviction is a must buy for fans of the series or action games in general.
  

• Paul Martin April 28, 2010 360

  ****

  You are Sam Fisher and you are a.... Convitct? Ok, so it doesnt have the same ring to the motto as previous outing Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, but has Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction improved this time round.
  
  Tom Clancy is known for having multiple gaming genres under his name, but it would be a fair statement to say that the Splinter Cell series is one of his biggest selling titles. The gameplay is renowned for its striking from the shadows with cunning silent takedowns and providing edge of your seat action packed drama. The previous outings include titles Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The first Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell made its appearance in 2002 from developer Ubisoft providing a stealth action like never seen before. The game provided a never seen before 3 dimensional view on tactically eliminating your foe by the likes of being able to hang from pipes scattered across the ceilings of levels. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow soon followed in 2004 after the first instalment received high praise. Ubisoft improved on what was already a hit with the public and made it more so with the iconic online multiplayer Spy vs Mercs mode, which set a new bar in online gaming. After more praise Ubisoft followed the series up with another instalment in 2005 with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory giving fans a better package than both previous outings. The game had lifelike graphics and gameplay that any gamer would die for. The online multiplayer also improved dramatically taking all that was loved and adored and providing a better more whole experience. The game was a massive hit and became Xbox's "Game of the Year" 2005. Fans of the series began to question Ubisoft with "What's next?" and "How can you improve on a game like this?". Ubisoft responded with a new style of gameplay in 2006 with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent. The game received great reviews, but given the expectation of the game it didn't meet the standards of the previous outing. Multiplayer was revamped with 3 v 3, Spy vs Merc mode with a lot of features removed and only a small amount of new features added. Stealth was now a secondary thought in the storyline as you had to infiltrate a terrorist group and make choices that would define how the game would play out. Ubisoft then released Tom Clancy Splinter Cell: Conviction in 2010, again providing a new style of gameplay.
  
  You play as Sam Fisher (voiced fantastically by Michael Ironside probably most renowned for his appearances in Total Recall, Starship Troopers and Terminator: Salvation) a spy turned convict by the very government he sworn to defend. Hunting him down is his old agency Third Echelon, a division within the government that isn't known to exist by public knowledge. Sam is pushed against all odds to overcome an unknown terrorist threat from within the United States government and to do so he must revert to his old ways to save the lives of millions and bring those responsible for his daughter's death to justice.
  
  The Gameplay has changed slightly from the previous games. The stealth again takes more of a secondary role in terms of looking at the overall picture of the game. Although stealth is still an option its not the backbone of the game unlike the first three outings in the Splinter Cell series. The game moves at a faster pace making confrontations via your weapon more likely. This is mainly because instead of being opted against taking down 3 or 4 enemies silently in a large space its bulked up to maybe 12 or 14 enemies. The AI in the game is realistic, you will find enemies making a distance between themselves and the corners to check for any suspicious activity leaving the ability to jump out and grab them no longer an option. Although that said one of the most annoying downfalls of the game is the enemies dialogue. They seem to repeat the same phrases over again "You think I am stupid?".... well yes, since you've said the same thing five or six times in a row now. It does give you less respect for your foes although it isn't wise since they are capable of downing you easily, especially on the harder difficulties the game has to offer. Most of Sam's gadgets make a return with sticky cameras, flashbangs and remote mines making the cut. The new features have slightly tweaked the gameplay, enough so that the series has no longer continued to provide the highly anticipated Spy vs Merc online mode. You now have sonar goggles instead of night vision this allows you to see your enemies through walls within a certain proximity. It also allows you to mark your targets, in doing so you have the option to mark up to 4 targets depending on how much your weapon has been upgraded as you play through the game. With marking your targets you can then execute them with one button providing there within a certain range and are in your line of sight. This provides some adrenaline especially if you kill all 4 targets inside a small confined environment. The only negative about this feature is that it sometimes leaves the game easier than it should be leaving Sam to clear some rooms that would have provided a challenge within seconds. Luckily Ubisoft have tried to control the feature making it only available if you stealth kill an enemy before hand, although this is an easy feat to do within a Splinter Cell game you will find that using the Mark and Execute feature too early may cause the challenge to increase in the next area or room. You can however gain another Mark and Execute by performing another stealth kill with no limit to how many Mark and Executes the player can receive in one level. This does make it easier, but with the stealth kill needed to performed it has broken the ability to just keep doing the same thing over and over. The games controls are tidy, responsive and comfortable, although they do come with a learning curve for those who will are not familiar to the previous Splinter Cell games. The online modes as mentioned above does not feature the world renown Spy vs Merc mode. Instead Ubisoft have offered the gamer co op gameplay instead. There are several modes you can play in co op including Hunter (Clear all enemies from level), Last Stand (Protect an EMP device whilst surviving an onslaught from incoming waves of enemies), Face Off (1 v 1 or Spy v Spy the winner is the Spy with most points at the end of a time limit) and finally the most anticipated Story mode. The story mode is a prequel to the events that happen in the main single player storyline. You and a team mate will play as Archer and Kestrel. Both characters are highly trained spies and have to work together as they are pitted against near impossible odds throughout the game. All modes including story in Multiplayer can be played online or local split screen with a friend. Overall the gameplay is fun and addictive to play. The P.E.C Challenges provide a goal for players to use variety in taking down your foes and there is moments that are challenging especially on harder difficulty settings. Unfortunately Conviction's main storyline only clocks up to around 7 hours of gameplay. The game does miss a Spy vs Merc online mode even though the co op element is well designed and fun to play, however once completed doesn't have as much replayability as you would have hoped for. Still the storyline's are excellent and will provide the gamer with more than 15hrs of gameplay to complete the both storyline's, all the P.E.C Challenge's and all multiplayer modes.
  
  The graphics in the game are good, unfortunately though they don't hold up with best looking games on current generation consoles. This will most likely be down to the time the game has been in production. There are small clipping issues when grabbing pipes or enemies and characters mouths especially in cut scenes don't seem to move with the dialogue. These are small issues, but issues that result the overall game being a good game rather than a fantastic one.
  
  The audio is amazing through Splinter Cell: Conviction. The game provides fantastic voice acting, which sucks the gamer into the story more than it should. Michael Ironside does a great job in the role of Sam Fisher, he seems to hit all the right emotions especially when Fisher gets angry. Objects in the game sound as though they would in real life whether it be glass smashing or doors exploding its all believable. Ubisoft seemed to have spent a lot of time perfecting the games sound effects. The background music is well implemented, providing gamer with adrenaline, especially in tight and action packed moments it seems the background ambiance seems to hit all the right notes making the scene more memorable. Overall there can be no complaints about the audio aspect of the game.
  
  Overall Splinter Cell Conviction delivers what has been expected of the series. Although the delivery is different and hardcore fans of the series may not like the final package with the changes that have been made. The game does lack replayability after all is completed and Ubisoft maybe should have thought about adding some kind of versus system that compliments the new features rather than not having it at all. Although Face Off is included it seems rushed and doesn't provide the same thrill as the Spy vs Merc mode in the previous games. The audio is fantastic and there can be no complaints about the voice acting throughout the game although the enemy dialogue could have used more work. Still the game runs smooth with all controls being responsive and well thought out given the amount of options the player has at his/her disposal. The graphics aren't that bad if anything there good just not amazing leaving the final outcome a decent return for Sam Fisher, although it could have been and should have been better given how amazing Splinter Cell Chaos Theory was leaving the series taking a step back from the perfection that was presented in 2005. 8.3/10
  

• Splinter Cell Conviction: Amazon Exclusive Trailer 360PC | 01:42 Play Trailer
• Tom Clancy 360PC | 03:17 Play Trailer