lost
04-20-2010, 10:41 AM
Title: Splinter Cell: Conviction
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC
Platform Reviewed: Xbox 360
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal (http://www.ubisoft.com)
Publisher: Ubisoft (http://www.ubisoft.com)
MSRP: $59.99
Writer: Martin 'lost' Perry
Splinter Cell: Conviction Review
Pewwww. That was my impression of night-vision goggles.
It's been a long, long time since we've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Sam Fisher. He left us in 2006 with the enjoyable, if slightly concerning Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Why has it taken nearly four years to deliver the next in the series? It would appear that the delays have been the consequence of change. You'll all know by now that the game's development saw a reboot after this change proved too much for the development team, however, you'd be foolish to think they have stayed away from it entirely on this second time around.
As a rogue agent Sam has gone off the grid, angered by the death of his daughter, but finds himself drawn back in with promises of discovering the truth about her fate. He's an angry guy, understandably, and this anger has made him a more deadly, ruthless opponent for his old employers and the hapless guards you'll dispatch. To the game's detriment, life has become rather cheap in the world of Splinter Cells. You are now actively encouraged to kill rather than immobilize or avoid the enemies that fill the levels. This development team are keen on the works of their colleagues with 'Death From Above' moves being introduced. It looks like Assassin's Creed has been of significant influence and not just when it comes to dealing death – the movement mechanics feel extremely familiar and Sam now moves quickly across building ledges.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction1.jpg
Sam may have been spending his time away from the spy game to hone his marksmanship. You can now execute tagged enemies, tagging returning once again, with a single button press should you build up the right to do so through hand-to-hand combat. The executions look cool, with slick animation placing bullets cleanly into the skulls of enemies, but including them as an incentive for successful stealthy behavior feels odd. If you are successfully moving from shadow to shadow, eliminating enemies without raising an alert then exactly why would Sam resort to firing his weapon? Unfortunately Mr Fisher's change in mentality results in more features being removed from the franchise than being added.
The team have added these executions and made assassinations from above much more like those of Ezio or Altair but the list of absent features is extensive. Ready, set, go: split jumps, inverted kills, hiding dead bodies, lock-picking mini-game, hacking mini-game, bomb diffusion mini-game, night vision, thermal vision and don't expect a sniper rifle to enter your hands. Leaving all of these features out, and failing to replace them with anything significant, leads to the game feeling like a step back for the franchise – albeit a very smooth step thanks to the new movement mechanics. Developers might dispute the comment that thermal and night vision have been removed because they, at least, have a replacement, however, the new sonar goggles are a disorientating jack of all trades, master of none.
Narratively the game doesn't succeed in either the single or multiplayer modes. The latter's story is a prelude to the former and is fairly forgettable in all regards. When dealing with Sam directly his character motivation drives things forward, constantly pursuing the truth about his daughter, while political and military chaos erupts. It could have worked and the new method of projecting story elements into the environment gave the developers the scope to deliver a lot of information without disconnecting the player with more frequent cutscenes. Unfortunately it's the facial animation that lets things down. Fisher has a pretty static expression, even when he is rather upset, and so it is impossibly difficult to feel sympathetic toward him.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction2.jpg
That would be the extent of my negativity toward Splinter Cell: Conviction as it does a lot of things right. The new cover system is excellent, once you've got used to it. With a pull of the left trigger you'll snap into cover and releasing it frees you from its grip – much smoother than requiring a separate button press to move away from an object. While in cover you can move quickly between objects with the speed of movement being facilitated by an easy, accurate targeting system, just look in the right direction. Sam's agility is similarly accurate, it now being a far rarer occurrence to find yourself frustrated by his sense of direction. Weapons have a sturdy feel and obvious pros and cons for each of their uses although the sticky cam will now be used far less than the frag grenade.
The game features some brilliantly varied locations too with particular highlights being a fairground, a major obstacle course for a fan of the shadows, and an incredibly vertical industrial complex. Not every level is a hit though – the White House feels cliché and a flashback sequence in Iraq, complete with gung-ho attitude, is particularly unwelcome. The generally strong level design really sells the game, the variety they offer giving some consolation to those, like me, who are bothered by the developers ripping out so much of what makes Splinter Cell special.
The point is that when you are entertained it doesn't matter particularly that so much has disappeared and that makes the game worth renting at least. The difference being, of course, that Splinter Cell used to be a 'must buy' franchise, and that attribute could, especially in the latter titles, be awarded on the basis of the game's multiplayer. Conviction features multiplayer, but its all co-operative, bar a one-on-one mode, and the exclusion of Spies vs. Mercs is the game's biggest crime. With the single-player being short, the co-operative story shorter, the game struggles to assert its value. The 'Persistent Elite Creation' challenges will pass most players by – they may well complete actions that offer reward and never know about it.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction3.jpg
Splinter Cell: Conviction is an enjoyable game thanks only to its pedigree, although it often feels as though that rich history of success never happened. Given the fractious development cycle fans should maybe just be pleased with the fact that Sam finally made it back to games consoles. If this game needed to happen in order to get the series back on track then it is a pleasant way for such a 'reboot' to be done. Perhaps many of the game's failings can actually be attributed to the general dumbing-down of the Tom Clancy branded titles. Who knows, but that doesn't stop this being the weakest entry in a franchise that used to out-stealth Metal Gear Solid.
Score: 3 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/3.gif
The Good
Good level design with some interesting locations.
The Assassin's Creed style movement works well as does the brilliant new cover system.
There's still enough of that stealthy magic to be found for the game to be enjoyable.
The Bad
The long, long list of lost features.
I really hated the Modern Warfare level.
The sonar goggles are a poor replacement for night and thermal vision.
Likewise the new black and white effect used to tell the player where they are hidden can be disorientating.
The Ugly
It took this long to deliver a step back in the series.
Platform: Xbox 360 / PS3 / PC
Platform Reviewed: Xbox 360
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal (http://www.ubisoft.com)
Publisher: Ubisoft (http://www.ubisoft.com)
MSRP: $59.99
Writer: Martin 'lost' Perry
Splinter Cell: Conviction Review
Pewwww. That was my impression of night-vision goggles.
It's been a long, long time since we've had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Sam Fisher. He left us in 2006 with the enjoyable, if slightly concerning Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Why has it taken nearly four years to deliver the next in the series? It would appear that the delays have been the consequence of change. You'll all know by now that the game's development saw a reboot after this change proved too much for the development team, however, you'd be foolish to think they have stayed away from it entirely on this second time around.
As a rogue agent Sam has gone off the grid, angered by the death of his daughter, but finds himself drawn back in with promises of discovering the truth about her fate. He's an angry guy, understandably, and this anger has made him a more deadly, ruthless opponent for his old employers and the hapless guards you'll dispatch. To the game's detriment, life has become rather cheap in the world of Splinter Cells. You are now actively encouraged to kill rather than immobilize or avoid the enemies that fill the levels. This development team are keen on the works of their colleagues with 'Death From Above' moves being introduced. It looks like Assassin's Creed has been of significant influence and not just when it comes to dealing death – the movement mechanics feel extremely familiar and Sam now moves quickly across building ledges.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction1.jpg
Sam may have been spending his time away from the spy game to hone his marksmanship. You can now execute tagged enemies, tagging returning once again, with a single button press should you build up the right to do so through hand-to-hand combat. The executions look cool, with slick animation placing bullets cleanly into the skulls of enemies, but including them as an incentive for successful stealthy behavior feels odd. If you are successfully moving from shadow to shadow, eliminating enemies without raising an alert then exactly why would Sam resort to firing his weapon? Unfortunately Mr Fisher's change in mentality results in more features being removed from the franchise than being added.
The team have added these executions and made assassinations from above much more like those of Ezio or Altair but the list of absent features is extensive. Ready, set, go: split jumps, inverted kills, hiding dead bodies, lock-picking mini-game, hacking mini-game, bomb diffusion mini-game, night vision, thermal vision and don't expect a sniper rifle to enter your hands. Leaving all of these features out, and failing to replace them with anything significant, leads to the game feeling like a step back for the franchise – albeit a very smooth step thanks to the new movement mechanics. Developers might dispute the comment that thermal and night vision have been removed because they, at least, have a replacement, however, the new sonar goggles are a disorientating jack of all trades, master of none.
Narratively the game doesn't succeed in either the single or multiplayer modes. The latter's story is a prelude to the former and is fairly forgettable in all regards. When dealing with Sam directly his character motivation drives things forward, constantly pursuing the truth about his daughter, while political and military chaos erupts. It could have worked and the new method of projecting story elements into the environment gave the developers the scope to deliver a lot of information without disconnecting the player with more frequent cutscenes. Unfortunately it's the facial animation that lets things down. Fisher has a pretty static expression, even when he is rather upset, and so it is impossibly difficult to feel sympathetic toward him.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction2.jpg
That would be the extent of my negativity toward Splinter Cell: Conviction as it does a lot of things right. The new cover system is excellent, once you've got used to it. With a pull of the left trigger you'll snap into cover and releasing it frees you from its grip – much smoother than requiring a separate button press to move away from an object. While in cover you can move quickly between objects with the speed of movement being facilitated by an easy, accurate targeting system, just look in the right direction. Sam's agility is similarly accurate, it now being a far rarer occurrence to find yourself frustrated by his sense of direction. Weapons have a sturdy feel and obvious pros and cons for each of their uses although the sticky cam will now be used far less than the frag grenade.
The game features some brilliantly varied locations too with particular highlights being a fairground, a major obstacle course for a fan of the shadows, and an incredibly vertical industrial complex. Not every level is a hit though – the White House feels cliché and a flashback sequence in Iraq, complete with gung-ho attitude, is particularly unwelcome. The generally strong level design really sells the game, the variety they offer giving some consolation to those, like me, who are bothered by the developers ripping out so much of what makes Splinter Cell special.
The point is that when you are entertained it doesn't matter particularly that so much has disappeared and that makes the game worth renting at least. The difference being, of course, that Splinter Cell used to be a 'must buy' franchise, and that attribute could, especially in the latter titles, be awarded on the basis of the game's multiplayer. Conviction features multiplayer, but its all co-operative, bar a one-on-one mode, and the exclusion of Spies vs. Mercs is the game's biggest crime. With the single-player being short, the co-operative story shorter, the game struggles to assert its value. The 'Persistent Elite Creation' challenges will pass most players by – they may well complete actions that offer reward and never know about it.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y242/LostGames/conviction3.jpg
Splinter Cell: Conviction is an enjoyable game thanks only to its pedigree, although it often feels as though that rich history of success never happened. Given the fractious development cycle fans should maybe just be pleased with the fact that Sam finally made it back to games consoles. If this game needed to happen in order to get the series back on track then it is a pleasant way for such a 'reboot' to be done. Perhaps many of the game's failings can actually be attributed to the general dumbing-down of the Tom Clancy branded titles. Who knows, but that doesn't stop this being the weakest entry in a franchise that used to out-stealth Metal Gear Solid.
Score: 3 out of 5
http://evavhost.com/public/3.gif
The Good
Good level design with some interesting locations.
The Assassin's Creed style movement works well as does the brilliant new cover system.
There's still enough of that stealthy magic to be found for the game to be enjoyable.
The Bad
The long, long list of lost features.
I really hated the Modern Warfare level.
The sonar goggles are a poor replacement for night and thermal vision.
Likewise the new black and white effect used to tell the player where they are hidden can be disorientating.
The Ugly
It took this long to deliver a step back in the series.