Hands-On: Splinter Cell Conviction

[Emabulator]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/SplinterCellConLogo.jpg

Joystiq got some hands-on time with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, at the Tokyo Game Show, and posted a preview (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/tgs-2009-hands-on-splinter-cell-conviction/) of the upcoming action game from Ubisoft Montreal.

Interrogations are a returning concept in Conviction, but work differently than in previous Splinter Cell titles. As Sam holds an enemy hostage, the pair automatically exchange dialog. Once all of the necessary information has been extracted, and the hostile has been beaten and bloodied, Sam will dispose of the enemy in a unique way. According to Parizeau, this particular encounter always ends the same way -- with Sam sticking a knife through the reluctant informant's hand.

[Dag-Sabot]

Sticking a knife through the reluctant informant's hand? Man what are they on? Totally ruins having to hide the body mechanic. That was part of the fun of the others in the series. I'm guessing this will probably bomb, not because of the lame hand stabbing action but because its trying to be like "Batman". Unfortunately: Batman is out, it's good, has more gadgets, and a much better storyline.

[the soUL TRAder]

Ha Ha Ha, how precious :)

Is that like saying saying Inspector Gadget has a better story than Bourne Conspiracy?

Considering everything good about Batman:AA was a complete ripoff of the classic SplinterCell gameplay, it's success probably means that Conviction will gain new fans. Added to the fans it had before it'll be successful. Not to mention it'll be longer than 10 hours and have replayabilty. ;)

[Anenome]

How come I can't rent PC games before I buy >_> Is there a SC-C demo out yet? <_<

[randir14]

Ha Ha Ha, how precious :)

Is that like saying saying Inspector Gadget has a better story than Bourne Conspiracy?

Considering everything good about Batman:AA was a complete ripoff of the classic SplinterCell gameplay, it's success probably means that Conviction will gain new fans. Added to the fans it had before it'll be successful. Not to mention it'll be longer than 10 hours and have replayabilty. ;)

Splinter Cell had free flow combat?

[the soUL TRAder]

Splinter Cell had free flow combat?

No! Thankfully!
I find button mashing the worst gameplay mechanic ever.

[Anenome]

Free-flow combat is a mechanic primarily designed to make you look cool and only punishes you for poor timing. It's the 'Parappa' version of combat. If Nintendo ever made a game with free-flow combat it would be perfected, because N knows how to builds layers of depth into a deceptively simple mechanic, ala Smash Bros. At the very least, Batman's combat feels super-slick and responsive, making it pleasant and enjoyable. But, it's a stealth game, you're not meant to be able to solve every problem with the knock of your knuckle.

But, on another level, aren't all game essentially free-flow? Most games are:
"button-press = action"

Free-flow simply extends that metaphor a bit longer:
"button-press = series of actions"

The former also is independent of a time context, while the later requires a button press within a certain window of time to get the desired action. The former is also quite specific: press this and this happens, while the latter is more abstract, "press this to do X-category-of-action (such as dodge)" but you don't get to decide in which direction you go.

It could be argued that Square's 'Last Remnant' game takes this even further where you have two groups of ten individuals all commanded as a group. You can complete combat between a few dozen individuals with as little as three button presses.

Abstract up further and you end up with Warcraft-style gameplay, commanding whole armies of units with free-form selection.

On the opposite end is the time-stop RPG mechanic, where you can really micromanage a character or small group fo characters. This feels the most RPG-like to us, and actually includes Bioware's KOTOR in its modern incarnation.

While Splinter Cell and Batman both have a stealth component to their gameplay, it's unfair to call either a ripoff of the other. The first Splinter Cell had a lot of class and soul, and arguably followed in the footsteps of Thief. As for Batman, I think it's appropriate that we've now gotten the first -real- Batman game to have ever been produced, not too long after we saw the first -real- (as in true to form) Batman movie (Dark Knight) that has ever been produced (although the first one came close).

There's enough room in the market for Splinter Cell and Batman both to survive and thrive. I love the stealth genre and hope to see much more from the makers :)

[Silverbaine]

Well I for one am looking forward to this game.
1. I like stealth games
2. the story sounds great
3. I like the idea mark and execute game play. it makes you feel badass like an action movie character.

[Anenome]

Is this still a stealth game? All the previews and videos I've seen largely removed the stealth element. If we rate stealth on a scale, previous SC's were between 8-10, while this game looks more like a 3-4. Someone noted that in the previous Splinter Cell, they actually completed every mission except one without being forced by the game to kill an enemy. That's a true stealth game. This one appears calculated to appear much more like an FPS, like some Jason Bourne clone, that we've all played a million times before. The story sounds okay, sure, but still a bit pedantic. Even 'mark & execute' has been done before. I just mourne the stealth focus. There's tons of shooters out there, why did they abandon stealth?

After all, if Metal Gear can be outrageously popular, so can any stealth-focused game. They merely mistook flagging sales for an unpopular genre. This isn't unusual, but they're blaming the element. The last SC wasn't incredibly popular not because of the genre they chose, but because the game wasn't as good as it could've been--it somehow didn't tap into the magic of the player psyche in a way that creates legendary games.

In the first SC's you were a modern ninja, and reducing it to an ordinary FPS 'with mark&execute' demotes you to private first class foot soldier, in a sense. Only suckers fight face to face. Do I sound bitter? :P

[bean19]

This looks great and it's been too long since Double Agent (which I really enjoyed).

[Froggy]

I keep forgetting that Ubi made Assassin's Creed. I have a picture in my mind now as to why AC2 isn't in the modern setting foreshadowed in AC1.

[bean19]

Is this still a stealth game?
Splinter Cell has always been a mix. You can do better by being stealthy but if you want to go commando then this was always an option (except for certain missions that required stealth).

This one is simply adding a new mechanic that lets you take out a room of bad guys if you stealthily mark their locations and then are able to kill at least one of them by sneaking up on him. So you stealthily mark all targets and then like a real spy go in and take out the whole room in a highly prepared set of motions. That looks awesome to me.

[Dag-Sabot]

I really wish they would revive the hitman series.
-(Obviously nothing to do with ubi or this game. )

[Anenome]

I suppose I just prefer the grace of true stealth ;) Playing Splinter Cell as a straight shooter is so--ordinary.

[bean19]

I suppose I just prefer the grace of true stealth ;) Playing Splinter Cell as a straight shooter is so--ordinary.
MGS works the same way. You can choose to play it as stealthy or as a shooter and it rewards stealth play. What is more "true stealth" than these two games?

[Anenome]

Tenchu :P
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