Tom Clancy’s novels for the most part have always managed to make for some great games and the Splinter Cell series is no exception. Finally, after much waiting, the latest installment to the Splinter Cell saga has arrived to the Xbox 360, exclusively. Will this highly anticipated title manage to sneak into our hearts or will it come out guns blazing and blow us away? We’re about to find out.
Taking place some years after the events of the previous installment, Splinter Cell: Conviction doesn’t waste any time as it starts off at quite a pace. This time around Sam Fisher is back in an attempt to discover the one responsible for his young daughter’s murder and to unravel the conspiracy behind his former group: Third Echelon. Overall the story is quite entertaining and rather interesting as the pieces are put together via a mix of old memory sequences and present events taking place within the game.
For those who are new to the series, Splinter Cell: Conviction is a third-person stealth action title. The first thing that players will notice instantly is the incredible cover system that’s on offer. With the press of a button Sam will take to cover ever so fluidly whilst filling baddies with bullets. Players have the ability to choose where to take cover next as well as their exact position in relation to the object which will be concealing them. To aid you in your stealthy activities you will also be able to climb on pipes, ledges and walls. In order to get the upper hand on the enemy, you’ll have to use the darkness to sneak up on them. Shooting out lights, and hiding in the shadows allows for Sam to remain unnoticed as you plan your attack on the enemy.
The beauty of Splinter Cell: Conviction is that players can play the game as they choose. If you’re not the silent type, you can always go out Rambo style and make some noise. To make your life a little easier, there are a number of adrenaline pumping unsilenced weapons as well as some cool gadgets such as EMP grenades and remote mines.
Completely new to the series is the ‘mark and execute’ feature in which players will be able to use after completing a stealthy takedown maneuver. Once this is done, you will be able to mark up to four enemies and take them out with headshots in one quick motion. Slow-motion in combination with stylish moves never fails to put a smile on your face, and SC:C brings it all. Players will also be required to squeeze out information from targets by smashing their brains out using objects in the environment. Its brutal yet tons of fun, as you walk around looking for the most ridiculous thing to beat your foe with.
Visually, Splinter: Cell Conviction is very impressive and carries a great amount of detailing. The character models are well designed with great facial and interactive animations. The environments are superb and offer a lot of variation in their design as you move through theme parks, streets and offices. Their design is also worth mentioning as there are always a number of different entry points use can use to approach the various situations you encounter.
To extend the experience in a more social direction, there is also a co-op feature which allows for an offline or online friend to join you in a story which is a prequel to the events of the main game. It really is a great addition as you will get to ‘duel execute’ enemies with a friend and scream like girls when you die. If you’re bored of that you could also play the ‘Deniable Ops’ mode, whereby you’re tasked to clear out areas full of enemies without causing too much attention, or else backup will come teach you a lesson.
Splinter Cell: Conviction is a phenomenal title. It has a great story, action-packed gameplay as well as solid visuals. With the addition of two other game modes it really does offer the player tons of replay value long after the single player campaign. Sam Fisher is back, and we couldn’t be happier.
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