Splinter Cell: Conviction is one of the most anticipated titles for the Xbox 360. Originally scheduled to ship in 2007, the game received a lot of delays (and redevelopments) but finally, Sam Fisher is ready for another round of stealth-action that fans will hopefully love. As with every Splinter Cell game, the well remembered aspect of the franchise is the stealth-action style which was made famous by the Metal Gear Solid games back in 1998. While Japan holds credit for the Metal Gear Solid series, North America rivals this with Splinter Cell.
Firstly, playing through the single player of Conviction reminds me of two things; 24 and Jack Bauer. As an avid fan of 24, Sam Fisher is like Jack Bauer. His brutality in interrogation, his skills in gunning down enemies and saving the world before bedtime are the three things that both Sam Fisher and Jack Bauer have in common. The drama that Jack Bauer experienced through the eight seasons of 24 are also experienced by Sam Fisher but in all honesty, is Splinter Cell: Conviction a really good game? Does it deserve to be called one of the best stealth-action games in the genre?
Let’s take a look in the HOTs and NOTs of the game:
HOT
Light and Dark
Sam Fisher’s lifesaver in Conviction is the darkness. Whenever Fisher is under a dark room, he is almost invisible but he can see his enemies. With his ability to see in dark places, it is the perfect time where he can execute one of his stealthy kills. Throughout the game, you will have to learn how to use the lighting around you to successfully proceed to the next mission. You cannot just go walk under a bright room filled with enemies because you’ll be headed to an ambush. To fully master the game, planning your attack carefully is highly recommended. Remember when you ever see lights around you, shoot it or switch it off so you can have the advantage.
Whenever Sam Fisher is detected by his enemies, a wave of more soldiers will attack you. The good thing about the new light and dark feature in Conviction is that you can fool the enemy into attacking your shadow, then you can sneak behind and do a stylish kill. This works all the time but it is best that you stay and master the element of stealth because one mission in the game will require you to be left undetected.
Tag Your Enemies
Another feature that I admire about Splinter Cell Conviction is that you’re able to tag enemies down and kill them all at once without any worry of being detected. This feature was done recently in Rainbow Six Vegas but in Conviction, you have to perform a hand-to-hand kill first. Whenever you see an enemy that you can grab on, do it because it will give you the ability to perform an execution skill, killing multiple enemies simultaneously.
Interesting Plot
The story of Conviction revolves around Sam Fisher finding clues on the death of his daughter Sarah. His clues will lead him not only to his revenge but eventually a plot to save the world. The game isn’t really that in-depth to the story but you can expect the plot twist of this game to be similar to 24. Sam Fisher will have to go through numerous interrogations with the terrorists, find moles in the company, and other stuff we’ve already seen on TV. The best part is, it’s unpredictable.
Co-Op Multiplayer
This is where Splinter Cell: Conviction truly shines. Despite the short campaign mode, you can spend a decent amount of time in the co-op multiplayer mode. Both the single player with Sam Fisher and the Co-Op has a different story but if you prefer to go through the single player missions and play co-op you are free to do so. There are four missions available for co-op and it’s arguably better than the sigle player campaign as your skills will really be tested on this one.
Upgradable Weapons
Throughout Sam Fisher’s death wish in Conviction, you can have your weapons upgraded. The challenges that you unlock by performing a certain skill will give you points that you can use. You will have a variety of weapons to choose from but for me, I only used one gun throughout the entire game. The weapons can all be upgraded to make it more stronger and effective when you are in the middle of the battlefield. Don’t forget that you can also upgrade the gadgets that Fisher possesses to improve his effectiveness. Thanks to the EMP bomb, you can disable all lights in a room for a certain amount of time and do the kill.
UPlay and DLC
Ubisoft recently launched UPlay. This is their own in-game site where you can earn points after completing each task and use it to unlock some goodies in the game. In Splinter Cell Conviction, there are a tons of things to unlock via Uplay or the Extras but it all depends on Ubisoft as to when they’ll release it. A free DLC is expected to arrive starting this week and I am sure it will add more value to the game. Ubisoft promised that DLC will vary from maps for online, costumes, or weapons that can be used on both single player and co-op.
NOT
Short Campaign
One of the biggest letdowns in Conviction is that the game can be finished in five hours under a normal difficulty setting. If you choose to play on easy, there’s a chance you can finish it in three hours. Since I am a pro gamer, I tried both normal and realistic. Of course, the realistic difficulty is hard and you can expect at least 7-8 hours of game time. As I guarantee that you will need more time to plan and think your strategy in this difficulty compared with the easier settings. However, to make it all up with the short campaign, there’s a a co-op multiplayer that you can play both offline and online And personally I feel that the co-op mode is better than the single player mode.
Pricetag
I don’t think the $59.99 price tag for this game is justified. For the most part, you can play this game in just one sitting and probably never play it again. However, if you love playing games with other people, then the co-op mode might appeal to you. But for a campaign that is roughly five hours long, $59.99 is unacceptable. The game is worth a rental but it is questionable whether it is worth a purchase. If you’re a die-hard fan then maybe but if you’re not think if the $59.99 is worth the short amount of gameplay.
VERDICT
It is no doubt that Splinter Cell: Conviction is one of the best stealth-action game this generation. The use of the light and dark in the environments is a neat idea that I find very useful in executing attacks. Fans of the Splinter Cell series or even Metal Gear Solid fans have to purchase this game. Just remember that the campaign is too short and this might be the game’s biggest turn off. For the price of $60, it’s kinda hard to recommend it since the campaign is short but nevertheless, the game is great hands-down. Give it a rental if you’re only interested in the campaign.
