So, after four years we finally get our new Splinter Cell game. But how is it? More importantly, was it worth the
It has been four years since we received our last Splinter Cell game. But the new is finally here. But was it worth the wait? The short answer is, "No."
Splinter Cell Conviction is a really good action game, but as a Splinter Cell game it suffers greatly. While the game has exciting set pieces and a tight story that sees main character Sam Fisher come out of hiding to find out who killed his daughter, it departs from the complexity that made the other Splinter Cell games so amazing. It does this by simplifying to game's mechanics a great deal.
No longer can you choke a guard while hanging upside down from a pipe. No longer can you split-jump. No longer can you use either a combat knife or a less-than-lethal take down on an unsuspecting foe. But worse than those sins of omission is the fact that you can no longer hide in realistic shadows. Now, shadows are completely binary. No meters, no shades of gray, you are either hidden or you are not. Plus, the way the game registers how you are hidden is rather annoying. If any part of Sam is not in the shadows (like, say, his foot) he become visible.
The game's greatest transgression, however, is the way the Mark & Execute system is integrated. Basically, M&E allows you to survey a room and "mark" up to four targets depending on which weapon you have. Then, once all the targets are in range and/or not obscured by any objects, you just press "Y" or Triangle and tap, tap, tap, tap... they are all dead. This concept is great. In an interview, one of the designers stated that M&E was based on how characters like Jason Bourne and Jack Baur can peek under a door or over a window sill, bust in, and shoot all the target in the blink of an eye.
The problem lies in the fact that while that makes for good film action, it does not make for good game actions. It is essentially a win button. All you need to do is get into position over one target, tag four other guys, use the "Death From Above" maneuver and presto, the room is clear.
What might have worked s if the Execute portion of M&E was actually interactive, allowing you to control Sam. Basically, if the game went into bullet time so that you had to aim then the Execution would require at least some skill and at that point could be a positive addition to the game.
Oh, and there is this Last Known Position system in the game but it is a complete crock. If you are seen and hide again, your enemies will investigate where they last saw you, which is marked by a white silhouette of Sam. Most of the time, they are not going to live long enough to actually make it to your LKP because you will kill them long before then. Also, this is not a new system. Enemies in previous Splinter Cell games would do the exact same thing, it is just that now you can see where you were ten seconds ago in case you have attention deficit disorder and forgot.
And I am not even going to mention the Environmental Text/Video Projection thing because it simply does not add anything but it does not take anything away either, it is just there. Honestly, I did not pay any attention to it half the time because it is no more immersive than text bubbles appearing in the corner of your screen.
On the plus side, Conviction features one of the best cover systems in games right now. It is a lot like Rainbow Six Vegas' (hold Left Trigger to stick to cover, let go to detach) but you can also slide from cover to cover or vault cover with the press of a button. Neither of these additions are new but they work extremely well here. Also the shooting feels really good and head shots are easy (whether that is a plus or not is up to you.)
Oh, and the multiplayer, it is good fun but suffers from the same issues as the single player.
So is Conviction worth the wait? If you have been waiting for four year like me, then the answer is a resounding "No." If you have been waiting since last fall or so, then I would say yes. It is a really good cover-based action game, just not a good Splinter Cell game. If you've been waiting for the return of Mr. Fisher then chances are you've already bought the game and know for yourself or you decided not to buy it and in either case this review isn't really for you. But if you're looking for a solid shooter with pretty good conspiracy or always wanted to try Splinter Cell but found them overly complex, give it a shot. For me, Conviction is too dumbed-down from the previous games to really shine.
Here's to hopping SC6 will return to its roots.