Splinter Cell: Conviction is Easy, Stealthy Fun

JudoChinX

April 16, 2010

When changing the way a series is played, developers always run the risk of alienating their loyal fans. Prior to the release of Splinter Cell: Conviction, many were worried that rather than stealth, players could rely on run-and-gun tactics that are found in many other third person shooters. Having played through over half of the game at this point, I've found that these concerns are somewhat valid. The stealth mechanics that made Splinter Cell a popular game are still intact, and more intuitive than ever, however the game's developer has made some interesting changes that can oftentimes make the game a little too easy.

I was intrigued with the idea that the game might be more forgiving than previous Splinter Cell titles. I always felt that there was a bit too much trial and error, and felt that the series gave me a more frustrating experience than an enjoyable one. To me, a spy shouldn't just excel at planning and executing elaborate and stealthy ways to achieve their goals. A spy should also improvise their way out of sticky situations. That's exactly what you're now able to do in Splinter Cell: Conviction. You're encouraged, and rewarded for using stealth, but when push comes to shove, you can usually gun your way through different sections of levels. I'm fine with using a gun to get myself out of harm's way, but oddly, your primary weapon (a pistol) has unlimited ammo. This defeats the purpose of conserving ammo for shooting out lights, performing executions, and when in a bind, outright unloading clips on enemies. Had they made ammo a commodity, I would have felt more like a spy than a soldier.

As for the stealth mechanics, I've been having a blast. My new favorite feature is the last known position mechanic. In the event that you've been detected by your enemies, a silhouette of Sam Fisher is left at your last known position. This serves as a visual indication of where enemies be look to find you. Using this information, you can then retreat to the dark, create a distraction elsewhere, or even choose to flank your enemies or approach them from behind. It seems like a little thing, but it really creates a fun cat-and-mouse style situation where you truly feel like a spy who preys on his enemies.

An important part of sneaking around is knowing when you are or are not visible to nearby persons. Splinter Cell: Conviction accomplishes this by changing the color palette from color to black and white when you're unable to be seen. Many games have a little icon or something in the corner of the screen that shows this information, but focusing on your character while not having to look away to know whether or not you're being stealthy is very nice.

The story is pleasantly coherent. If I have one gripe with games having Tom Clancy's name on them, it's that more often than not, the stories are a mess of locations, people, and politics that I never follow. Splinter Cell: Conviction avoids this by greatly reducing the number of names and locations you have to keep track of. That's not to say that the game's story is overly simplistic or anything, it's just that it makes sense, and that's definitely a good thing. The narrative is told in a Lost style flash-back, flash-forward manner that creates satisfying cliffhangers, which leaves you wanting closure: a good motivation to continue on with the story.

All in all I'm having a lot of fun with this game. There are some glaring issues that certainly detract from the overall experience, but even then, I think the great stealth elements more than make up for them. I still have a bit to go on the campaign, but I hope to have this game completed shortly, at which point I'll spend some time with the game's other modes. Be sure to look for a full review shortly.

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