Been playing lots of older games on my new 360 this week, one of the more recent of which, however, was Splinter Cell: Conviction. And It's a 360 exclusive, something that I didn't used to have access to. But now that i do, I think it's high time I did a review of this stealth action game.
STORY
Splinter Cell: Conviction takes place after the events of Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and the events of the game are framed by the interrogation of Sam Fisher's former squadmate Victor Coste. Victor informs his interrogators of Fisher's search for the truth about his deceased daughter and his attempts to unravel a nation threatening conspiracy.
The story of Conviction isn't the most stellar piece of writing you'll see in a video game. A lot of it is actually pretty cliched. And even more of it was just plain stupid. Tell me how this sounds: You've constructed a brilliant plan to take control of the US government, and the only person who can stop you isn't even in the country and doesn't care. So clearly, you should try to kill him. How retarded does that sound? No wonder Sam Fisher is considered so fantastic if this is the sheer retardation that he comes up against.
PRESENTATION
As a whle, the game looks really good. The graphics are slick, the animations are fluid and the environments are varied and interesting. At one point I was sneaking through a villa in Malta, then later I was killing trackers at a carnival in Washington, and it still felt like it fit.
The voice acting is rather bland, on the other hand, with Fisher sounding somewhat like a bear when he speaks. I exaggerate, but it was seriously difficult to tell what he was saying without subtitles. In the other sound design departments, gunshots and explosions all sound suitably powerful.
A quick mention for the cutscenes too; they use a feature that looks almost like a projector, to flash information clips and directions on the walls. It's certainly an interesting way to keep track of objectives.
GAMEPLAY
Splinter Cell: Conviction continues to be a rollercoaster of good and bad design choices. The "hold button to take cover" system works and is quite comfortable, and the shooting is solid. But like I said, it isn't all good.
Conviction uses a context sensitive button, which would be fine in most games, but this time requires you to stare directly at the 3 square inches of wall where the context command is placed. I found myself going to turn off a light, and instead barged into a room full of guards, where I proceeded to get raped by bullets.
Then theres the fact that while Sam Fisher does some awesome things in this game, it doesn't feel as if the player is that involved. Take a guard down with CQC and you gain the ability to mark and execute. It looks pretty awesome, but the lack of player input is worrying. It's almost the same as having a quick time event, but without it needing decent reaction times.
While it was enjoyable enough systematically taking down guard after guard, it didn't feel like my skill was actually being put to the test, besides perhaps my problem solving skills. As far as stealth games go, picking which target to take down first at close range isn't the toughest thing ever.
REPLAYABILITY
SC: Conviction allows enough freedom for you to play through the campaign multiple times, trying different strategies each time. However, if you're the type who plays a campaign once only, then good news for you, theres also multiplayer modes and challenge maps. The challenge maps are reminiscent of Arkham Asylums "Silent Predator" maps, and the multiplayer... well, I havent tried it. However, theres also a co-op storyline, and if you can find a friend to play with, then it's a great way to spend an hour or two.
OVERVIEW
Splinter Cell: Conviction seems good on paper, and it works well enough in practice. It just lacks the challenge that I would find with other stealth games like Metal Gear Solid. Allowing the game to "Mark and Execute" for me is all well and good, but then wheres my challenge? Aside from that, it's certainly one of the better stealth games out at the moment; despite annoying context sensitive buttons and the lack of challenge on a normal setting.
Next week, Deus Ex Human Revolution, perhaps? or maybe Catherine, if I can find a copy! See you next time!
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