If you can ignore a few minor issues, this game is a good shooter. Watch out, it's 478MB and $9.99.
-Mark and Execute
-Last Known Position
-Cover System
-Voice Acting and Music
Cons:
-Bad AI
-No real lighting
-More shooter than stealth
-Inconsistent Cover System
Unfortunately, my computer can't run the latest Splinter Cell, so Splinter Cell Conviction for the iPod Touch is the only version I'll be able to play for a while. Fortunately, this game has been done rather well, despite a few problems.
While my list of problems with the game might be long, they're rather simple issues. The first is dealing with cut scenes. If you begin an interrogation or go to a waypoint, a cut scene will be triggered. Normally, this works great, except when there are other enemies still shooting at you because you can't skip interrogations and some cut scenes. My second problem is the cover system. It's not that the cover system isn't good, because it's fantastic. My only issue is that it's inconsistent. It's frustrating when you try to get cover at a corner, only to find yourself ramming your head into the wall. Another minor problem is that I would have liked a little icon showing when I have achieved a Mark and Execute. I know the circles appear over the enemies heads, but still. Another is that you can't kill enemies unless the crosshairs turn red. So you might give away your position in order to get a shot. The AI is also as intelligent as Sheva from Resident Evil 5. I feel like I'm killing people who have 10/20 vision and are partially deaf. I never really felt overwhelmed by enemies. In normal mode, you can stand right in the line of fire for ten seconds, and you won't die. This really takes away from the game. Sadly, there aren't as many gadgets as I would have hoped. I found myself never using the sticky camera, because they were only cameras. They didn't blow up, or draw attention, or anything.
Another problem is the lighting, in that there isn't any. The only way you really know there's lighting is that there's an icon in the top left that lets you know if you're hidden or not. Lighting is crucial in a stealth game. That leads me to my last issue. Splinter Cell is probably my favorite video game series I've ever played. Sadly, the biggest letdown for this game is what type of game it has become. Most online reviews say that this is Gameloft's best shooter, but Splinter Cell isn't supposed to be a shooter. It's a stealth-action series. When people say they can't play Splinter Cell because they're bad at shooters, I tell them, "It's only a shooter if you suck at it."
Now for the good parts of the game, which are what make up for most negative aspects. I'll just walk you through playing the game in a generic level. After the game starts running, you are greeted by a loading screen, followed by the main menu. This depicts Sam in the middle of a firefight fully rendered within the game's engine in the last level played, similar to the console versions. The camera is flying around the scene as if on a dolly, giving this game the best main menu of any iPhone game I've seen.
While the cover system is only there around 60-70% of the time, it works very well. When it's actually there, running from cover to cover is a breeze as long as you stay hidden.
The melee attacks are very entertaining, especially when there are two enemies near you because Sam will automatically take out the other enemy either with a headshot or with a kick to face.
The voice acting from previous installments is still there, and the background music is very good.
The three new features for Conviction, Mark and Execute, Last Known Position, and projected text were actually done well. The use of Mark and Execute is also well done, with the exception of knowing when you've earned one. In the console version, a little icon shows when you've earned the ability to perform a mark and execute. While there is no icon, you know when you can perform one once you have multiple enemies within range. This only happens after you perform a hand to hand kill, like the console version. You then tap the "Mark" button followed by the "Execute" button when you decide that you'd rather not deal with that many enemies at once. Last known position wasn't always existent, but it was a nice touch that carried over from the console version. The projected text to convey objectives was used well, and maintained the flow of the game.
Lastly, this is still a Splinter Cell game. The stealth portions are much more fun than the shooter portions (I'm just going to ignore the Iraq levels), and the core elements are still there.