Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(74)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I have been a fan of the splinter cell games for some time. The reason I like them? The sneaking, the waiting, the timing, the planning, the gadgets, the overall experience. While Conviction is fun and I do not regret buying it, they really dumbed down the experience and it lost something in the translation.

For example, previous games allowed you to kill a guard (though your stealth score was penalized for that) and then move the body someplace where it is less likely a guard will find it. That's gone in Conviction. Kill a guard, his body stays right there likely to be discovered. As a whole, the "remain stealthy" part of the splinter cell series was out and out ignored in Conviction (unless a mission specifically requires it, and that's not very many). Being stealthy is why I like this series!

In that regard, the whole stealth score is gone. Getting spotted doesn't do anything except make you have to either deal with the guards right there or find a hiding space (again for the missions that don't require stealth).

Granted, the simpler control mechanism is nice, but if the trade-off is losing a good portion of the previous style of gameplay, I'd rather have to deal with the more complex controls!

Also, they give you pointers and highlights in-game which help you maneuver in cover. The addition is nice, but I feel like they're babying me through the experience the whole way. I'd rather be able to disable this as an option, because as an experienced splinter cell player, I think I can determine without the help what I can and cannot use for cover. The only plus to this is the ease at which you can move from cover to cover just by hitting a single button/key press.

There are some other things about the game that are nice. The P.E.C system is cool and gives me as the player some things to try to accomplish while also playing the game. The 'execute' system is pretty cool, too... if you perform a hand-to-hand kill, you can then mark/tag enemies and perform a single button/key press execute on them (instant death/headshot, but how many and the range depends on what weapon you're using and how upgraded it is).

I don't like the way they force the interrogation stuff, which is much different from previous splinter cell titles. I always liked interrogating a guard while taking him to his grave. The interaction with the environment in Conviction is okay I suppose but it's more like watching a cut scene where you press a button/key once in a while.

Definitely lost something in the translation.

Great game, been playing the story since I got it. Half-way through. Some observations:

- Great sound, really moody, adds to the atmosphere, reacts to being detected, good for a cue. Great sound acting.

- Story is well written, engaging, Sam Fisher is the supreme badass.

- Very good graphics, despite the aging and ubiquitous Unreal engine. Very good level design. Lots of places to flank, cover, hide, and come up from behind.

- Lots of screen tearing, not too bothersome. Noticeable, though.

- Control system is awesome, you can pretty much take cover anywhere, even when not up against anything. Moving from cover spot to cover spot is slick, with arrows that point in the direction you're pointing and slick animations when you move. Controls rival/exceed my personal favorite, the Rainbow Six Vegas series.

- Shooting is crisp. Headshots kill, enemies sometimes require multiple shots in vitals (neck, torso) to die.

- Grenades and toys are fun and have good placement when thrown. Good explosions and sonic reverberation, especially with 5.1 surround.

- Good platforming. Sam moves smoothly, not like an idiot.


The new game mechanics are sweet and I'm hoping to see them in future games. I think they're all good. That would include:

- the projection of current goals (with cool lighting/shadow effects)

- the projection of backstory effects during cut-scenes (which are not really so cut, they flow with the gameplay well)

- last known position (i think i've seen this in a couple games, not sure) great for creating a diversion, then flanking.

- tag and kill executions. There is a strange bug where if a guy is tagged, he can be shot, even through solid objects.

Overall, the game is really fun and a step forward in the right direction. The flexibility of choosing your path to kill made me want to replay a couple levels multiple times to see how cleanly I could clear each room. It's possible to run and gun, but there's a good sense of satisfaction to a well-executed kill. Playing on normal mode right now and looking forward to playing on realistic mode. Guessing the story mode is somewhere between 5-7 hours. Supposedly the infiltration and deniable ops mode add quite a bit of gameplay to the package.

I have been a long time fan of Splinter Cell games. In fact, they are among my all time favorites. I still enjoy playing through the original four and probably will for years to come. Sadly, the fifth is a different story. The first four Splinter Cell games built on each other, improved weaknesses, added new options, took what was a remarkable and successful style of gameplay to the next level with each new addition. Now, for some unknown reason, they decided to completely toss everything out the window. When I first heard that Sam Fisher would be a rogue agent in the fifth installment I was thrilled. I thought the possibilities of the character and the classic gameplay with a new and unlimited story would be amazing. Sadly though, the gameplay doesn't resemble the classic Splinter Cell games in the slightest. The controls are totally different. No more hiding unconscious enemies. No more googles. The gadgets are completely gone until later levels, and even then they are hardly the same. Basically, nothing is the same. Even the look and feel of the series is unrecognizable. The voice actors are back, which is really the only consistancy, but it's very sad to see these great talents and their beloved characters so far away from what they used to be, i.e. what they were originally designed to be. The premise of these game used to be based on stealth action. That is what made them unique and that is why they were so celebrated and admired. There are a number of levels in this game where stealth is an option, but even then 'stealth' is a very relative term. In the originals, stealth meant to avoid being seen and leave little or no trace of your presence and even when that rule was bent or broken it worked naturally within the context of the overall experience. In Conviction however, 'stealth' is to hide for a moment, then shoot the place to pieces and walk away. Sam blows things up, blows away all enemies and doesn't try at all to remain a 'splinter cell'. Now, this may fit the story but it does not fit the series. There were levels in SP: Double Agent where stealth was pushed to the background but it worked because it allowed other aspects of the series to shine, such as the great controls, Sam's gadgets and moves, ect. But now those aspects are nonexistant.
These games used to involve strategy. They used to have intelligence. Now, when you have to shoot an enemy you just push a button, no aiming, no strategy. This is the new 'mark and execute' feature. Also, when you actually are using stealth, all of the effort is taken out of your hands. Want to move from cover to cover? Just press A. Sam will sprint and slide there without any strategy or actual work on your behalf. It seems that the makers of these games decided to willingly give in to the hoards of GTA loving junior highschoolers that generally crave nothing more than mindless violence. SP is now just another dime 'a dozen shoot 'em up game. The only things that make it original are lackluster and pointless. The new 'interrogation' sequences are mindless. Push a button and watch Sam smash a dude into a urinal. Is this exciting and groundbreaking gameplay???
Now, I'm not saying Conviction is an awful game. It may be a decent action/shooter but that is not what this series is supposed to be! Chaos Theory was rated the best XBOX game ever... and now all of a sudden the series is rebooted??? Imagine how awesome a Chaos Theory-like SP game would have been on the 360. The potential was unlimited. I can only imagine what this series could have and should have been. Some reviewers rejoice: "Finally! A Splinter Cell for the rest of us!" ... Well that's great. I'm happy for you... but where's the Splinter Cell for those of us who have loved and supported this series all along? Apparently we don't matter as much.

I just purchaced my first XBOX 360 {*the 250gb version*}, mostly because there are several XBOX exclusives I've been interested in checking out. Truth be told, I've always been a huge PS2 / PS3 system supporter, but since the XBOX has been making solid strides recently, I decided it was finally time for something new. First, I wanted to check out the classic game "Mass Effect", and never playing many "role playing" titles in the past, I wasn't particularly drawn in right off the bat. I'm sure I'll go back to it eventually, but let's get to the real gaming masterpiece here, the new "Splinter Cell Conviction"...

I've never played any of the Splinter Cell series games before now, and I must say that "Conviction" is one of the coolest, and most addictive stealth related games I've ever had the pleasure of playing / owning. This game will have you on edge the entire time, blending various rescue / stealth missions, where reaching your objective requires all kinds of ways of going about accomplishing it. Being extremely stealthy is the coolest for me, but using precise gunfire {headshots} can also be quite rewarding. Finding the right hiding places is a breeze, and the way you use your surrounding cover is extremely easy to pick up on. Don't get me wrong now, this game is anyting but easy, YOU WILL DIE, A LOT. The AI in this game are smart, not ultra smart, but enough to where you can't play recklessly either. All in all, I found "SC Conviction" to be an extremely exciting / intense gaming experience from start to finish. I'm addicted, and I simply can't get enough of this game!!...

~MJ~

This game was purchased for my husband and reviewed by him.
As a big splinter cell fan, I was excited to see the new one coming out. Dispite all the bugs we purchased the game right away. So far, no freezing. But overall the game has been a HUGE disappointment! It's as if in an attempt to simplify the actions they have made too many things work off the same button and you constantly have to watch what you are doing before you press anything. On top of that you have lost so many of the things that added to the stealth of the game and made it enjoyable.

Examples:

-You can't throw items to distract enemys. Such as cans, bottles and rocks, like you could in the last two.
-You can't whistle to get someones attention.
-You are missing your night vision and infrared.
-Can not taser or shoot rubber bullets.

Other Cons:

-When you open a door, he stands in the doorway making you totally visible to enemies.
-If you are standing close to any pain of glass or breakable object, when you jump down from something it will break and you will become detected.
-Walking next to windows it will give you the option to "open the window", then all of a sudden it will change to "jump". Why would you want to jump through a window! So, of course the window breaks and they detect you.

After reading site reviews, it just seems as if this games objective is TOTALLY different than the first. But they really should have released this under a different title. If you are looking to buy this game because you enjoyed the previous additions, then don't. You too will be disappointed. Even that being said, it was very poorly written and the glitches make it very hard to play through smoothly.

Over all you just have to REALLY watch your EVERY action! The first two games you felt like you were playing a game with character that knew how to act like a spy. You were still in control, but his moves made it easier to move through the game stragicly. Now he just acts like he's never done this before. Sometimes he jumps off something and stays in the crouching position and sometimes he stands up right in someones line of sight. It make no sense and with limited actions, it makes it very hard to control. Also whoever designed the layout of the game, how the maps are configured and where you can hide or be seen, really had no idea what they were doing. It's really very sad. Needless to say this game will be traded in, probably before completion.

This Splinter Cell is a lot more action based than previous Splinter Cell games, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun!

Story: 5/5 The story feels, to me, a lot more like a Tom Clancy movie than some of the other games in the series have. Splinter Cell 1, and 3 were the best games in the series (story wise), with this coming in at 3rd best in my opinion. The co-op story is also a nice addition to the game.

Graphics: 5/5 Just what you'd come to expect from a Splinter Cell game. I actually like that it goes black and white while you are hidden from the enemies, but this eliminates the need for night vision, which might put fans of the series off a bit.

Gameplay: 4/5 This is where the game hugely differs from previous games. The gameplay is a lot more action based, with the ability to "mark and excecute" enemies. This only happens once you've done a close up kill. So you can't just run in and mark and excecute everyone. You have to earn it. Other mechanics that have been changed are how you interact with everything. There are little texts by each object you can interact with, which probably is to make it easier for people new to the series to know what they can and cannot interact with. Veterans know that pipes can be climbed, walls can be ran up, ect. Some people may hate the changes. Others, mainly new to the series, may welcome it.

Game modes: 5/5 While the single player is fun, the co-op is where you are going to spend most of your time. There are many different co-op modes including a story, a "horde" type mode where you have to defend an object for wave after wave. As well as a hunter mode where you go though a level, eliminating enemies, and cannot be seen at all.

Overall I would recommend this game to any Splinter Cell fan, or action game fan.

Sam Fisher is back, and he is not in a good mood. Of all the smart decisions made in crafting a new Splinter Cell title, this might be the best one developer Ubisoft Montreal made. Sam's angry and you hear it in every grunted line of dialogue, can see it in the brutal takedowns and interrogation moves and feel it pulsating through Sam with every step. That anger, that aggressiveness is built not only into the story but the gameplay changes as well. It was a huge risk deviating from the trial-and-error style that made the series famous, but it paid off. Splinter Cell Conviction is awesome.

The story takes place a few years after the end of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Don't worry, if you never finished that game, you'll get caught up quickly as to what's going on. Sam's daughter was killed, he murdered his best friend Lambert, and he split from Third Echelon, the government agency he'd called home for years. With new evidence leading to his daughter's killer, a tormented and semi-retired Sam Fisher is called back into action. Turns out the people responsible for his daughter's fate are planning a major terrorist attack on Washington D.C. This is going to be one long day for Sam Fisher.

Conviction sets itself apart from its predecessors with its pacing. You're always being pushed forward, so much so that I played through the entire single-player campaign in one sitting without even realizing I'd been up all night. Ubisoft pulled off a few magic tricks to make this happen.

There are no in-game loading screens unless you die. From the moment the game starts, you never sit around waiting for something to happen. Levels are loaded while you're watching slickly presented cutscenes. Fancy new projection technology integrates text into the scenery to point you towards your goal, and back story is shown with movies playing out on walls as you progress through a level. These things aid in keeping players immersed in the world, but the real reason things feel so fluid is the change in approach to stealth.

In Conviction, stealth is about speed.

Sam moves fast. Really fast. He can get in and out of cover quickly, shimmy across ledges faster than the Prince of Persia and beat a hasty retreat if he gets into trouble. Sam's codename used by Third Echelon is "panther," and that's fitting. In past Splinter Cell games, enemies were meant to be avoided; in Conviction, Sam is a hunter. He isn't avoiding enemies, he's stalking them.

Sam lurks in the shadows, finds his moment to pounce and strikes with deadly efficiency. There may be a dozen men, fully armed and with extensive combat training closing in, but they're the ones who should be worried. You feel like the ultimate badass thanks to some generous aiming assists that let you easily put bullets into approaching enemy noggins.

Rather than force players to eyeball a variety of meters to determine their level of stealth, Ubisoft made things very obvious. If you're in the shadows and impossible to see, the color bleeds out and things go black and white. The minute you're in the light, the color comes back. This easy sense of whether you are hidden or exposed enables you to move quickly through the environment and plan your route of attack on the fly.

Shadows and light are just half the stealth equation. The other half is the cover system. The cover is not at all like Gears of War, where you're sucked against a wall. Squeeze the left trigger and if you are near an object, you'll take cover behind it. Release the trigger and you immediately disengage, or you can hold down the trigger and move away from cover with no problem. You're never attached to a surface. In fact, you can hold down the trigger when out in the open and Sam will crouch, doing his best to minimize his visibility.

Should you be spotted, the best thing to do is retreat. Get out of sight and a white silhouette appears, marking your Last Known Position. The AI will focus on this spot, because it's where they think you're hiding. They'll unload some shots, maybe toss a grenade and then make their way towards the spot to see if they got you. On Realistic difficulty -- the only way you should play Conviction -- the AI is very sharp and won't be fooled for long. You can use the Last Known Position to your advantage. Flank your enemies when their attention is on your silhouette, then take them out before they realize what's going on.

Using shadows and cover, you stalk your prey, and when you're close enough, you can perform a hand-to-hand takedown. There are dozens (probably more than a hundred) of these. They're an excellent reward for being sneaky. My favorite is shooting a guy in the leg and as he crumples downward, popping him in the chin with my silenced pistol. But the system isn't perfect. You bash in a door with the same button as a hand-to-hand takedown. Attempt to quietly kill an enemy near a door and you may end up kicking in the door and causing a ruckus. Occasional glitches aside, stealth kills look cool, avoid attracting attention and earn you the ability to execute.

The Mark & Execute system is probably the most controversial change to the Splinter Cell series. You can tag or "mark" enemies, putting a big arrow over their heads and then executing them with the press of a button. So long as the mark is red, you are guaranteed a kill. As it's described, this would seem like a "win" button that would make Splinter Cell too easy. Far from it. You have to work to earn the right to execute. Use it once and you must perform another stealth takedown to activate the execution option again. More importantly, executing does not equal "stealthily execute." If you aren't careful, you can easily expose yourself to enemies when you enter execution mode. There are often more enemies than you could ever mark, so it's not as if you run through tagging and killing with ease.

Conviction is a Splinter Cell game in name more than anything else. You could easily swap Sam Fisher for Jack Bauer or create an all new character and no one would give it a second thought. The gameplay is fast, and Sam has been transformed into the ultimate killer. It's an amazing game, but so different from its predecessors you might not recognize it.

Despite a few questionable level design choices, Splinter Cell Conviction is a great addition to the series. There's no way I could go back to a stealth game as it used to be; I've been converted. The only reason to hesitate and pick this up is if you only care about the single-player story and want nothing to do with anything else Conviction has to offer. If that's the case, then there's not a lot of game to be had. And also, you're nuts. The best parts of Conviction are the experiences you have long after you've left Sam Fisher behind. 9.6/10

Even on the hardest setting, the only real challenge is taking out the enemy without them seeing you. No more stealth, no more hiding bodies and avoiding lights altogether. No more timing the rounds of the guards so you can take them out at the right time. The AI is intentionally stupid. Instead of trying to find you or using any logical pattern, they mostly ignore you while shouting curse words about what they'd like to do to your mother.

It's a fun play, but only if you can get the game for cheap or free. It's not the splinter cell that built the franchise.

Definetely one of my favorite games, the story line is perfect and the coop campaign is just as good. the deniable ops feature is good for people who wanna do it solo but on different maps. the matchmaking is slow and you dont always gett the game types you want but in the long run it doesnt matter. the people that gave it bad reviews are most likely run-n-gun guys. If the game is played the way it is supposed to be played (slow, stealthy,strategic) it is absolutely fantastic. If you just try to run in youl find that it is hard to kill them and youl die. If you just cant tear your self away from loud automatic weapons then you should prob not play this game

Tweet: Deniable Ops and CO-OP shine whereas Single Player is a huge disappointment!!!

Recommendation: BUY @ $30 (discounted)

Pros:
. Deniable Ops makes up for Single Player
. CO-OP a good addition
. Still in some ways a unique experience
. Michael Ironside voicing Sam

Cons:
. Destroyed unique gameplay that is key to the series
. Missions that force you to run and gun
. Cheap gimmicks that ruin the game such as Mark & Execute
. Weak story with poor mission design
. Iraq mission?! OMG
. Sales people should not make design decisions PERIOD

A few words (rant?):
As a huge fan of the Splinter Cell series, I had really high expectations especially for the Single Player mode. Unfortunately, Ubisoft decided to take the sales/marketing rep's advice rather than a designer's perspective. The result is an utterly disjointed single player campaign that destroys what made Splinter Cell this outstanding unique experience that we (better known as the Darksiders) were waiting for.

For the record, the pinnacle of the series, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was one of the most successful and most played game on the original Xbox so why destroy it is beyond comprehension?! Pure incompetence is the only answer... So they decided to go for the Modern Warfare / Gears of War trigger-happy crowd and seemed to have failed if we look at the numbers. Worth mentioning they brought on one of the Ghost Recon designers "Beland" to the series which probably didn't help in any way shape or form.

Simply put, I start my mission and expect to stealthily go around enemies/AI like the good old days, I soon find out that in most missions that's just impossible!!! So I have to run and gun and since the odds are stacked up against me they introduced a mark-execute mechanism that (depending on the weapon) can auto-kill up to 4 enemies with just a tap, how entertaining!?! Absolutely horrible!

Ok enough ranting.

Deniable Ops makes up (sort of) for the Single Player since you can play through the missions the old stealth way but there's no story at all, still it keeps you busy and has a few different modes; Last stand is a Gears Horde-mode clone but not as entertaining and very un-Splinter Cell. For the hardcore, there's an infiltration mode that can be played on Realistic so you have to remain undetected, they added this mode to make up for us Series fans but without the story element it's quite boring. CO-OP is similar to Deniable Ops plus a mini-story, it's rather entertaining and some additional missions are available via DLC. There are multiple costumes and weapons with an ok upgrade system as well as an internal list of achievements that could keep you busy if you're into completing everything.

The next game is in the works, hopefully they learned their lesson and listened to the feedback, you can visit the official forums to see some of the reaction if you're interested, it ain't pretty!