 |
Hot Stories
Splinter Cell Conviction: Better Than You Might Think
Jason Trent, Associate Writer
March 18, 2010
Splinter Cell: Conviction has been in the making for quite some time. Originally intended for release in May of 2008, the game was delayed, and some questioned whether or not it would ever come out. Well, wonder no more. The demo has dropped exclusively on the Xbox 360, and after playing through it a few times, I'm confident that this is a Splinter Cell for the record books.
I'm not really into action movies or spy movies, but when I saw Taken starring the incredible Liam Neeson, I changed my mind. Liam had a very particular set of skills--skills he had acquired over a very long career--skills that consisted of kicking ass in every way possible. Well, I'd reckon that Ubisoft also saw this movie and thought to themselves, "What if Sam Fisher did this kind of thing?" If I had any gripe with previous Splinter Cell titles, it was that they were a bit too slow going and too calculated. You might as well pretend that those games never happened, because if this game does anything, it keeps things fast. For those of you worrying that you can't be a sly and cunning spy, don't fret. You can still spend all the time in the world finding enemy positions, climbing on pipes, dropping down unexpectedly, and dispatching your targets methodically, but you can also rely on firearms to save you from sticky situations. The best part of this is how shooting action connects to the stealth action. You may have heard of the mark-and-execute mechanic by now. The idea is that by killing someone strictly using hand-to-hand combat, you'll then gain the ability to mark-and-execute targets. This involves lining up your targeting reticle with an enemy, hitting the right bumper to mark your target, then hitting Y to execute. This will instantly shoot and kill anyone marked, as long as they're in your line of sight. You're also not limited to only one target. You can, as far as I've seen, mark up to three in any and all directions. It's makes for very fun situations where you feel that you're actually playing as a spy with skills far beyond your own.
Another big change I think everyone will be interested to see is the narrative. The story takes a significantly darker turn than previous titles, with Sam Fisher trying to find out who killed his daughter. For now, it seems like a simple revenge story, but I'm sure it will evolve into something more. As you have conversations that offer additional insight to past events, you'll see memories projected on your surroundings.
The demo opens up with Sam interrogating (rather brutally) someone looking for additional details on his daughter's death. You'll drag this guy around a bathroom, shatter urinals with his head, and throw him through doors to get him to talk. As he becomes more and more injured, he begins to tell you about how your daughter died, and as he does this, you'll see a video of the events he's describing cast on the walls behind him. It's a very unusual but very fun way to give the player information. Beyond seeing story elements projected on your environment, you'll also see mission objectives. You'll run towards a warehouse, and in big white glowing letters, you'll see "enter warehouse" written on the side of the building. It really helps the player to know what they need to do, while keeping the UI clean and uncluttered.
I'm more excited than ever to play the full version of this game. It's apparent that Ubisoft has been working feverishly to create something new and fresh. Do yourself a favor and check out the demo. You won't be disappointed.
