Splinter Cell: Conviction

As a long-time fan of the Splinter Cell franchise since its launch on the original Xbox, I've had a love-hate relationship with the series. I remember being awestruck by the groundbreaking lighting mechanics and stealth gameplay, but I also had my share of frustrations with clunky tank controls and lackluster storytelling. After giving up on the series post-Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, it took me a while to warm up to giving it another shot-especially when Splinter Cell Conviction was released.

Initially, I brushed off Conviction based on early impressions and reviews. It wasn't that it looked terrible; I just found myself hesitant to invest in a game that seemed short, particularly when my budget was tight. However, curiosity got the better of me, and when it dropped in price, I figured, why not? And boy, am I glad I did.

Splinter Cell Conviction might just be the best installment in the entire series. While it is indeed short, it more than makes up for it with a captivating story, tension-filled gameplay, excellent level design, and a much simpler, user-friendly control scheme. The game draws clear inspiration from the pulse-pounding narratives of shows like *24* and the *Bourne* films, effectively immersing players in a world where every decision counts, and stakes are immensely high.

The plot revolves around former agent Sam Fisher, who finds himself entangled in a conspiracy surrounding his daughter's death. This leads him to uncover treachery within his former agency, Third Echelon. As a now-renegade operative, Fisher races against time to stop a looming terrorist threat that puts countless lives at risk. The focus on a personal vendetta elevates the story and keeps players invested in Fisher's journey.

Gameplay is primarily about sneaking through darkened environments and eliminating mercenaries one by one, a method that plays nicely into the game's overall pacing. There are moments when you can accumulate bonus points to make more spectacular moves against multiple enemies, which was quite popular for its time, but the game encourages moderation to maintain your stealthy edge.

Visually, Conviction holds up well, primarily because its dark aesthetic lends itself to the era's graphical capabilities. Animations are smooth, and the streamlined stealth mechanics make it easy to maneuver through the shadows. Notably, Conviction introduces the Center Axis Relock system for weapon handling, which, while flashy and cinematic, feels less relevant in real-life application but works well within the game's context.

The sound design excels, with realistic sound effects that enhance the military stealth experience. Michael Ironside's voice work as Sam Fisher is standout, reinforcing his iconic status, and even years later, it's hard to imagine anyone else taking on that role.

In conclusion, Splinter Cell Conviction is an entertaining experience that can be completed in a couple of days, making it a solid choice for anyone seeking an engaging stealth-action title. It's refreshing to see a franchise reinvent itself while retaining its core elements. I'd rate it an 8/10 - a must-play for franchise veterans and newcomers alike.

10 out of 10 - A Ruthless, Fast-Paced Evolution for Sam Fisher

The Fugitive Has Arrived

Splinter Cell: Conviction is the raw nerve of the franchise. It's not about cold missions or surgical strikes anymore-this is personal. After the death of his daughter and betrayal from within, Sam Fisher goes rogue. He's not sneaking around to follow orders. He's hunting for the truth. And when Sam's off the leash, the game becomes something entirely different: faster, meaner, more emotionally charged-and absolutely unforgettable.

Gameplay: Brutal Efficiency with Style

Conviction trades in the slow, methodical pacing of earlier entries for a more aggressive, fluid stealth system that still demands intelligence but rewards decisiveness. You're no longer a shadow in the dark-you are the darkness, moving fast, hitting harder, and leaving no trace.

Key innovations: Mark & Execute: Tag multiple enemies and drop them in one cinematic motion. It's smooth, satisfying, and deadly.

Last Known Position: A genius mechanic that shows where enemies think you are, giving you room to flank and outsmart them.

Interrogations: Brutal, immersive, and unflinching. Sam uses the environment as his weapon, slamming heads into mirrors, car doors, or pipes to extract intel-and these aren't cutscenes; you're in full control.

Every moment feels like a Jason Bourne fever dream filtered through Sam Fisher's calculated fury.

Tone & Story: Personal, Ruthless, and Raw

This is Sam at his most dangerous and most human. He's not saving the world-he's chasing down lies, ghosts, and betrayal. He's mourning, he's angry, and he's out of patience.

The story blurs the line between spy thriller and revenge tale. There's conspiracy, corruption, and high-stakes deception-but what drives it all is Sam's grief and rage. You're not just playing a super-spy; you're playing a man who's lost everything and is now hellbent on making the truth bleed.

Visuals & Presentation: Sharp, Cinematic, and Clean

The UI bleeds into the environment: objectives are projected onto walls, flashbacks spill across scenery, and interrogations are messy, real-time explosions of violence. The presentation style is bold and unique-you're not just playing a game, you're watching it unfold like a high-stakes thriller without ever losing control.

Multiplayer: Deniable Ops & Co-op Mode

Conviction also introduced a strong side package with Deniable Ops-focused stealth scenarios-and a Co-op campaign with Archer and Kestrel, two agents from opposing agencies. It's not filler-it's some of the best co-op stealth gameplay ever designed.

Verdict: A Bold Reinvention That Pays Off

Some longtime fans missed the old, ultra-stealthy feel. But make no mistake: Splinter Cell: Conviction wasn't a betrayal of the formula-it was an evolution. A raw, emotional, high-speed version of Sam Fisher that still demanded brains but added fire and fury.

10 out of 10 - A cinematic, aggressive, and unforgettable experience that put the world on notice: Sam Fisher is still the king of stealth, even when he's on the warpath.

Even though Sam had dropped off the grid, Grim finds him and he discovers that he doesn't know the truth about his daughter's death. He is soon thrust into the middle of a conspiracy, making things considerably less "personal". And yeah, you're still following someone else's orders, using gadgets(if less than usual) and communicating with back-up over an earpiece. This isn't very like the others. The gradual expansion of features in the first three left little, if any, room to change(Chaos Theory almost got to be too easy), the fourth then made you, like the title of it implies, a double agent to keep things interesting. And I don't think they really had any ideas after that point. I don't blame them, I couldn't think of where to go from there. And yet they kept moving, changing the direction they took a bit. I'm not really against something like this, I merely don't think Splinter Cell is a fitting franchise for it. The things left over from the others seem out of place here(you barely look under doors or use the sticky cam in this), there isn't a satisfying explanation why you sneak so little, and while it sets up a revenge kind of thing, it doesn't particularly go through with it. Story has been a key aspect to this series from the get-go, and this one is paperthin, the twist is obvious right off the bat and the political intrigue that we've grown addicted to is essentially gone, replaced with cliché. The game-play is action-driven, with you taking out the enemy without them getting you(one thing that they do keep to is the challenge, you'll die from just a few shots). Don't worry about being seen, in fact, it can be an advantage, as long as you hide right away. I like that you can use this to trick the NPC's into focusing on one spot even after you leave, but they push it too far, with the AI leading others to point blank attacks on *nothing*. You move from one cover to another constantly, and this does have an excellent system for that, one of the best I've seen. Use the cursor to indicate where you want to go next, press Space, and you'll hurry there, making yourself as small a target in the process, and *everything* can be used(in the few instances where it can't, it won't let you move to like that). Get close to someone and press C(hold it to use that person as a human shield) and you'll dispatch them instantly(unless they block you, if they spot you first… then just do it again… yeah). Yup, just like that, no skill to it(that's a theme in this one). Doing so will get you the right to use Execute(once, until the next time you do so), letting you instantly knock off anyone you've Marked(there's a very limited number of these, and yes, each time you can only do in this small amount… if they remain within range, and it'll let you know if they aren't). If you can see someone, even if it's through a wall using the new Sonar Goggles, you can do this, so you can, indeed, bust into a room and clear it. Not only does the single player portion of this not produce any truly memorable situations(other than perhaps when you have to move directional microphones into position to keep up with a conversation… and then beat up a black guy right in front of the statue of Lincoln at the memorial… I have a feeling he's turning in his grave), it's exceedingly short. You can complete this in a single day, if you really apply yourself. One and a half, at the most. The end credits last longer than that! The three difficulty settings certainly don't provide replayability(note that this, like the others, has no freedom of movement, and it doesn't have choices that shape it like DA did), so afterwards, there's only MP. It is fun, I'll give them that, if the co-op thing limits it. Yup, you can only ever play with one other person. Some of the earlier entries allowed for teams to go up against one another, y'know. There's a prequel to the main campaign, Hunter(about the same as SP), Last Stand(defend an object), Face-Off(vs., with opposition) and Infiltration. This finds its own server(you can determine the rules, unlike BioShock 2), and I think you can find people you know to play with. And yes, you do need a permanent internet connection to even play this. It stores your savegames online, not sure for what purpose(backup copy?), and if you force shutdown it, those won't be up to date. This is quite streamlined, taking away much of the potential risk(the guns, bullets(as in "running out of", and "dodging") and aiming ensure that it isn't all gone, same as BS2 and Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, and unlike the Assassin's Creed games), and, well, taking away your choices. You interrogate, for example, only it's nothing other than "activating" it, you don't control the flow of it(remember The Punisher, from '04? That one, you have four options for it at any time, and then there are specific ones, locked to locations!). Well, you can upgrade your arsenal(three times per piece, it seems), with PEC points, gotten for doing exact tasks over the course of playing. You can still only carry two, a pistol and something heavier(that you can replace with any that you find on bodies and the like), and you can exchange them at boxes you find throughout. This shows memories and such on walls sometimes, I guess for the psychological touch and to dispense with menus of text. You'll either like it or you won't. Why does this put EMP in so much? There is bloody violence, disturbing content and strong language in this. I recommend this to fans of the Bourne trilogy(this is about the closest thing to a proper one we've gotten so far). 7/10

Its all over the internet any gaming forum or anything you have heard of this title is flooded with comments saying 'splinter cell same no more'. Well as a fan i too will agree to this but fans must accept reality and this is the final package that is available in our hands. You want to play splinter cell this is your only option. Starting off with my review i would not give away any spoilers. I will just leave it at the story is interesting. However i can tell you this the entire story is played like one giant mission. It takes place in a 3 day period and it is narrated beautifully just as how Morgan freeman narrates "The Shaw shank redemption", intense and kept alive to know what the hell is actually going on. In terms of game play a lot has changed. No more meters for sound and light. Yup you just hope for the screen to turn into a black and white sketch to know if you are visible or not. The minute any light is shined upon you the screen reverts to color. An amazing and trippy concept to be placed in games kudos to the person who gave in this idea but here lies the frustrating bit. for one its hard to know if the far off enemies are in a well lit spot or not. Also the color change is not perfect. Sudden color changes do happen and to me this was extremely frustrating. The mark and execute system is interesting and as self explanatory as it is it lets you take down enemies in a quick sharp style without even letting the enemies around knowing. Major game play disappointing features are the inability to lift bodies and hide them and the lack of a sensitivity option. Also Rambo fans will be disappointed trying to run and gun just wont work, at least until the fix the sensitivity issue. Next up the sound department. Ill just tell you this. I wish i could personally handshake everyone in this department and the music department as this is the first game i have enjoyed the concept of sound in my almost 11 years of gaming. Its simply amazing and top notch. You actually tend to feel you are in charge of the music. The only way i can explain this without telling you to play the game is by imagining a nice slow ballad which is played when you are in the shadows safely hidden. The minute an NPC (non playable character) appears close to you the same ballad gets added layers of music which results in a super high octane tune which again goes away when Sam is hidden in the shadows. phew!!!...Sam fisher voiced by Michael Ironside still rocks but i got so lost in the music i forgot he even talks during the game. Lol. Closing comments would probably be do get this game as this is the only package of Sam Fisher you will ever get. The multilayer is amazing although I haven played much of it I can tell you it does have its own story. So there you have my review of conviction. The change well not perfect is still something i have embraced and enjoyed. If only ubisoft had though of putting in some of the old missions from previous Splinter cells again as a bonus i would have loved it. And those of you who say the game is lost its stealth values do try to finish a mission without being alerted even once. That is surely a challenge. Please return with a sequel soon and not another 5 years.

Yes, there is a lot of bland cover based shooting and not enough sneaking, but it did not bother me too much. The single-player story is like a typical action movie - sweeping soundtrack, big scripted set pieces, fancy cinematics, implausible but gripping plot, and a bit too short. It was a bit confusing and difficult to follow, but that's no big deal.

Gameplay is solid but a bit formulaic, with tight linear levels lacking multiple approaches, and dumb AI that would do well to eat more carrots (they can't see in the dark). The stealth mechanics based around shadows and "last known position" work fairly well, but are a bit too arcade for my tastes. Multiplayer matchmaking is dead, which is sad as co-op missions seem like fun.

As for those who keep saying this is much worse than the old games like Chaos theory, I slightly disagree, its not significantly better or worse. I am OK with the slightly more streamlined and faster paced direction they have taken, the difference is not as big as many make it out to be.

As a console port, this is fairly good. There is sadly a checkpoint save system, but it is not as bad as in many other games. Otherwise, there are enough settings, no mouse acceleration and skippable cutscenes. On a geeky side note: the unreal engine used here is excellent as usual (allowing me to sleep my pc while fullscreen and later resume right back into the game in 1 sec).

Worth getting in a sale.