Ubisoft Montreal decided that the fifth installment in the story of super-spy Sam Fisher would be a good time to change up the formula that had brought them such great accolades. What could have been a recipe for disaster turned out to be a recipe for some sort of delicious action/stealh soufflé.
Also, it has a fantastically well done trailer.
As you might have gleaned from the main character's decision to not affix a silencer to his rather large rifle in the above trailer, Splinter Cell: Conviction does away with some pretty key parts of the past games' formula; notably "don't be seen" and "silently." While the game still wholeheartedly encourages stealth, the penalties for being detected have been severely lessened. Drawing on heavy inspiration from the Bourne trilogy, Ubisoft Montreal has turned Sam Fisher from a methodical, patient ninja master to a blindly driven, furiously paced takedown machine. The game's story, before delving into relentlessly over-the-top Tom Clancy gobbldigook, actually provides a perfect narrative explanation for Fisher's newfound aggression; a fact that comes as something of a surprise for a series that has repeatedly supplanted a plot with militaristic-techno-jargon.
In order to imbue the player with the brutality and efficiency displayed by Matt Damon's Jason Bourne, the game plays host to a bevy of new features. While the new cover mechanic is definitely worth mentioning, the "mark and execute" feature is clearly the game's centerpiece. It allows the player to silently tag multiple enemies before taking them all down with a single button press, and is responsible for some of the coolest moments in the game. Initially, it may seem cheap, but when you take down a room of eight guards in two seconds, all complaints will be overpowered either by amorous feelings of badassery, or by the volume at which you are telling the nearest person to you what a badass you are.
Complimenting the single player campaign are a single player challenge mode and a co-operative mode that may be the best any game has to offer; a fact that should come as no surprise to anyone who played through Chaos Theory's outstanding co-op campaign. It also really must be noted that end of the co-op campaign, to refrain from spoilers, is absolutely perfect and will through players for a loop and a half.
While not without the same frustrations that plague any trial and error based game, Splinter Cell: Conviction is the definitive example of how to revive a franchise bordering on stagnation. Nearly all of the chances taken pay off, and make this one of the most innovative games of the generation.
Although I will always wonder what would have happened if the game's initial version hadn't been scratched...
I just want to be able to flip a table!!!
9/10
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