Splinter Cell: Conviction Review

By Simon Parkin Published 15 April, 2010

Courage?

Version tested: Xbox 360

The irony in calling the reinvention of a long-established series Conviction, only to flip-flop on what exactly that reinvention should look like, is writ large across Splinter Cell's recent history. We're now three years on from Ubisoft's original release date for Sam Fisher's fifth outing, a development hell seemingly spent groping in the dark for exactly what a stealth game should look and play like, post-Kojima.

The answer, it appears, is nothing much like a stealth game at all. Fisher has found alacrity in his middle age, his sneaking now less about cowering from torch beams than dashing, Dark Knight-like, from silent takedown to takedown. There are still echoes of the series' tradition of planning and executing skulk attacks, but new-found pace and accessibility makes this more of an action game than ever before.

Where once Splinter Cell was the primary preserve of the patiently cruel - those players happy to memorise enemy patrol patterns, lay elaborate traps and find thrill in the crumple of a single adversary - Conviction invites Jack Bauer into its lead role, then dresses him up like a ninja.

Now on the run, Fisher has no access to the raft of gadgetry once provided by former employer Third Echelon, the lack of night vision goggles placing new emphasis on movement and blunt power (and eliminating the dull green wash that characterised the visuals of the earlier games). No longer is the game about laying traps in the dark and hiding in wait. Rather, darkness acts as a superhero cape, empowering as it gives you, the unseen, deadly power over them, the seen.

Is it really possible to reconcile creeping stealth with fireworks and fury? Even within the last two months, release dates publicised in magazine advertisements have passed Splinter Cell: Conviction by, reconfirming the impression that this is a game more often defined by uncertainty than the confidence of its assured name. Why mention the difficult gestation here? Because, despite the classy visuals and the neat set-piece mechanics, the conflict around the game occasionally spills inside the game; and while the developer has done its best to paper over the cracks, your eyes soon adjust to perceive the fault lines, particularly in the single-player storyline.

'Splinter Cell: Conviction' Screenshot 1

After you clear a room of enemies Fisher will offer an assessment on his/your performance.

Not at first, mind you. The bold, stylised visuals and careful pacing of the excellent first hour or so of play make sure of that. As you creep from cover to cover through a continental night-time market, shooting out light bulbs with a silenced pistol to create pockets of dark safety, new ideas come thick and fast. When safe from enemy detection the world drains of colour, only refilling with warm hues and tones when you step out into the light. The technique allows Ubisoft to keep the screen free from clutter, while communicating everything the player needs to know at any given moment.

Fisher's thoughts and memories are projected as grainy black-and-white video onto whichever nearby wall or ceiling can act as a screen. Likewise, the daring choice to project game instructions, directives and mission overviews directly into the game's environments as stark, white light lettering is a triumph. The technique of placing fourth-wall-breaking text into the world is borrowed from title sequences to films such as David Fincher's Panic Room and Saul Bass' work on North by Northwest, again eliminating the need for intrusive menu pop-ups or HUD text elements.

The technique's at its best when it's used at set points, telling you to infiltrate a mansion by placing 30-foot high words to that effect along the shadowy side of the building itself, or as a stress-heightening countdown timer repeated on every wall around. However, a click of the select button will project your current objective onto whatever surface you currently have the camera pointing at, so you're never at a loss as to what you should be doing.

During the tutorial stage, Ubisoft casts Fisher back into a seemingly mundane flashback: a conversation with his daughter encouraging her not to be afraid of the dark since, when one is in the dark, others should be afraid of us. Then, zipped back to the marketplace, creeping death along straightforward corridors of interaction, the new panther-like Fisher demonstrates his argument. He's lithe and deadly in the dark, a character comfortable in his polygons.

This inventiveness is also found in the basic systems, although with mixed success. Fisher's new mark and execute auto-kill feature, a cross between Rainbow 6's target mark-up and Fallout 3's VATS, allows you to light up multiple targets and then, at the squeeze of a trigger, automatically execute them in bullet time. At the start of the game, where set-pieces are arranged to teach the mechanic, it appears intuitive.

However, as you can only execute a mark attack after performing a stealth melee kill (one time per kill), it's often a better idea in principle than in practice. Once levels begin to open up, it never quite feels natural to go out of your way to melee kill a target simply to earn the right to use the auto-kill feature at a later stage. More often, you rely on silenced weapons and various grenade types, Fisher deadly enough to tackle most situations without the need for the feature.

Soon after the first few missions, the game's schizophrenia reveals itself, as in a playable flashback you find yourself wearing Marine's khakis in a sunlit Iraq, fighting amongst the rubble of a bombed town. Stealth is possible here, but without the cover of darkness, the game devolves too quickly into sub-Modern Warfare firefights, each side taking potshots at the other from around low-level cover.

Later in the game, whenever cover is blown amongst a large group of adversaries, you are supposed to seek cover in new pockets of darkness, flanking enemies as they line up shots on your last known position (represented as a ghostly silhouette). But here the scrappy open play is at odds with the more considered approach when you're undetected, leaving both you and your opponents racing around in an incongruous game of kiss-chase.

'Splinter Cell: Conviction' Screenshot 2

The palette of enemy animations is unusually small - the wide lunge around cover move is almost comedic.

That may be somewhat realistic, but too often it feels as though your punishment for being spotted is that Splinter Cell: Conviction becomes a far worse game. By the end of the short single-player campaign, the heavy emphasis on unavoidable shoot-outs ensures that its best moments were experienced hours earlier.

The stylish, foreboding stealth set-up is also heavily undermined by some of the most intrusive and inappropriate enemy voice acting in recent memory. "You're not the only badass on this airfield", screams one soldier as he angrily swipes a flashlight around in search of you. "Come on LITTLE GIRL. Show your ass," barks another. The dialogue is bad, but it's the performances that truly grate. While Fisher, played by Michael Ironside, is gruff and understated, his opponents are Batman-villain caricatures, their interminable screaming destroying all sense of tension and tautness to the atmosphere.

The game's only economy comes in the form of P.E.C. points, which are used to upgrade Fisher's weaponry, increasing their accuracy and power. Points are won by completing P.E.C. challenges, in-game achievements that work in a similar way to Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer challenges. P.E.C. Challenges are divided into three categories and involve taking out an enemy in a specific way without being spotted, performing specific feats after being spotted, or more general in-game achievements, such as completing a level without being spotted or retrying.

Some P.E.C. challenges have multiple levels, with scaling rewards as you complete them one by one. Feeding these rewards into upgrading your weaponry and gadgets is an effective motivator, encouraging repeat play-throughs at each of the three difficulty levels in a more persuasive way than trophies and achievements might manage.

Some of the game's best moments are to be found outside of the main story. Conviction features a substantial and assured co-op campaign allowing two players to take on the role of Russian and US agents respectively in split-screen, system link or online, in a welcome revisit of one of the better features of the series' formative days.

In this prequel to the campaign story, Third Echelon Agent Archer and Russian Voron Agent Ketrel are charged with working together to find some missing WMDs in a mission spread across four sizeable chapters, each with multiple objectives. Both agents share the same moves as Fisher himself, including the ability to mark and execute in conjunction with one another. It's a smartly-executed addition to the single-player campaign, the stakes being raised as the death of either player leads to mission failure, forcing levels of trepidation often unnecessary in the main game.

Deniable Ops adds further value in the form of a suite of four challenge modes playable for one or two players across six maps. Each of these emphasise the more puzzle-like subtext to the game in forcing the player to balance silent takedowns with situations that require carefully planned mark and execute attacks to pass undetected.

'Splinter Cell: Conviction' Screenshot 3

The game is dedicated to Pierre Guillonneau, a team member who also worked on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory and was killed in a car accident in Montreal last year.

Hunter and the unlockable Infiltration game modes require the elimination of all enemies in an area while avoiding any detection, while Last Stand has the team protecting an EMP bomb against increasingly testing enemies. The best of the bunch, however, is Face-Off, in which two players attempt to outwit one another, Spy vs. Spy-style, across a map filled with enemies hostile to both parties. Co-op and Deniable Ops buttress what is otherwise a rather slight single-player campaign, and in their balance and creativity, add true value to the package.

The main story chugs along with moderate interest, and enjoys a neat twist in its climactic sequence (OR DOES IT?), but the lip-syncing and animation is simplistic. The lack of subtlety in the storyline, amplified by some blunt QTEs that have you bashing buttons to cave in skulls during impromptu interrogations, mirrors Fisher's new overt approach. The speed and flow of the game may be more suited to mainstream tastes, but there's no escaping the cramping of tactical potential that has come with the change.

Where once players were free to tackle Splinter Cell's enemies in myriad, improvised ways, now the options are more limited, traded for an upped tempo that's more Arkham Asylum than Metal Gear. At its best, Conviction is played as a high-stakes puzzle game, taut and thrilling when everything is going your way. But when cover is broken, the floodlights go up to reveal a mediocre shooter. Perhaps the greatest irony of all is that Splinter Cell: Conviction appears brightest in the dark.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A regular contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, his work has also appeared in Edge, The Telegraph, Gamasutra and Boing Boing.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (172) Latest comment 6 months ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AtomicBanana #1 2 years ago

    So erm, I feel like I shouldn't be here yet :p

  • George-Roper #2 2 years ago

    This was never going to be a AAA release. It had mediocre written all over it.

  • Markitron #3 2 years ago

    Glad someone gave this game the score it (seems to) deserve. Played the demo and though it was, at best, slightly above average. I dont see how non budget games with 4-5 hour campaigns are worthy of scores over 9
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 15:30

  • woodnotes #4 2 years ago

    EG clearly showing their PS3 bias yet again.

    Or, was it 360 bias? Can't remember.

  • super_monty #5 2 years ago

    I am skint so I was only ever going to get this when it hit the bargain bin anyway.

  • dsmx #6 2 years ago

    Not that surprising really. Soon as I saw they were simplying it to make it more accessible I knew that this game wasn't getting anything above an 8 here. Simplifying something takes away all the depth to the game and when the games single player is criminally short it only makes it worse.

    And as I said months ago games with protracted development periods rarely live up to the hype that surrounds them.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 15:29

  • cianchristopher #7 2 years ago

    Yeah, I agree with C3PO - the 360 is doomed. Doomed. DOOMED, I tells ya.....

  • mingster #8 2 years ago

    I knew this would be Meh. That's why they took so long bringing it out.

  • Zidargh #9 2 years ago

    Ive never liked the Splinter Cell games. Ive always found the execution of the gameplay mechanics far too clunky.

  • karooo #10 2 years ago

    IGN 9.3?

    while gamespot gives it an 8 and Eurogamer a 7? Wierd.

  • jag10 #11 2 years ago

    @woodnotes

    don't you mean bias to Kojima?

  • clearblue #12 2 years ago

    Ah shucks

  • MiniAmin #13 2 years ago

    @ Karoo

    IGN giving bloated scores to mediocre games? Yeah, weird...

  • sneetch #14 2 years ago

    @karooo
    IGN 9.3?

    while gamespot gives it an 8 and Eurogamer a 7? Wierd.

    Yes, very strange, I've never heard of three different people having three different opinions in the past.

  • Widge #15 2 years ago

    so 7 is mediocre, this makes 8 above average and 9 merely good?

  • menage #16 2 years ago

    Wasn't wowed by the demo, and the gunplay seemed crap while out of cover indeed. Great 20 buck game.

  • cianchristopher #17 2 years ago

    Given that the delay in publishing the review was due to the desire to spend an appropriate amount time with the multiplayer modes (see Tom's explanation on the "New PAL releases roundup";) - there's actually very little written about the game's multiplayer modes...

    Did you just get sick of it, Simon?

  • CaptainQuint #18 2 years ago

    Anyone else notice how Michael Ironside's gravelly tones sound way too old for a visibly younger Fisher?

  • karooo #19 2 years ago

    @miniamin, its not a mediocre game, so stop bsing.

  • Bloodhunter #20 2 years ago

    @ widge

    shows how skewed review scores are now...

    I feel like this is the most honest review i've read, other places have picked up on all the points mentioned in this review but merely said "you'll finish it in 5 hours, but it doesnt matter".. etc

    was gonna get it on pc, decided not to the moment they announced the drm.

  • Shinetop #21 2 years ago

    I love how people kept going "Of course it's not going to be a mediocre shooter, it's still Splinter Cell and there's still going to be stealth!" And now we know that there's no non-lethal combat, no way to infiltrate without ever being seen, and not even a way to hide bodies.

    But hey, it's still Splinter Cell! The wise comments section elders said so!

  • The_Inquisitor #22 2 years ago

    I enjoyed the demo, maybe because I'm a big fan of Arkham Asylum and I played the demo in the same vein... like Batman.
    Got the game anyway and can't wait to play it.

  • RodHull #23 2 years ago

    That's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Comviction to you, EG.

  • karooo #24 2 years ago

    Why are people neggin me? is it WRONG to love a game :(

  • JunglistVIP #25 2 years ago

    If it aint broke, dont fix it.

  • Mughes #26 2 years ago

    Ah well. More money for Alan Wake and/or Red Dead.

  • Sonic_D #27 2 years ago

    I'm not saying this game is great, but in the truly excellent Batman:AA whenever your cover was blown in a stealth room you were pretty much going to die. How does this differ with this game? You are saying where it fails is where your cover is blown and the poor shooting come to the fore.

  • Deckard1 #28 2 years ago

    still getting it tomorrow. Was a bit nonplussed by the demo, but the more I played it the more I like. Its addictive trying to work out the coolest looking way to complete a level. Plus the3 coop is a big selling point for me.

    Had a feeling eurogamer would be the lowest score on metacritic for this.

  • butler` #29 2 years ago

    Played the demo for about 3 minutes. Laughed, bailed out to the Dashboard and deleted it.

  • ParanoidZombie #30 2 years ago

    SCC becomes a mediocre game once you're detected - hmmm, same thing can be said of all stealth games since the beginning of the universe, methinks? And a "criminally short campaign" didn't prevent MW2 from getting a 9.4 metacritics average either. And said campaign had no replay value at all. Opinions, opinions...

  • Der_tolle_Emil #31 2 years ago

    I only played Double Agent but found it to be good fun so was somewhat looking forward to this. I haven't played the demo yet but it doesn't look like I have to hurry. It still sounds interesting and I'll probably get this but I doubt it will be a day 1 purchase.

  • ChthonicEcho #32 2 years ago

    I've been waiting specifically for EG to review this. As it happens, I trust Parkin's reviews, as well.

    Wish I didn't, though. I secretly wished this to be good and prove me wrong about Ubisoft. Oh, well.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 15:54

  • glaeken #33 2 years ago

    Sounds alright but its definitely a game I won't pick up until its in the bargain bins as full price for 5 hours game is not something I would consider. The co-op and multiplayer don't interest me so it seems with such a light single player offering its really not a full price title for me.

  • wizlon #34 2 years ago

    Every review I read knocks down the time to completion down by an hour, first it was 7, then 6 and now 5, which speed-running madmen are reviewing these games? But really, I always find that it takes a lot longer to complete games than the press suggest that and the multiplayer sounds good enough to add enough value to the package. Oh yeah, and ASDA are doing it for Ģ30 apparently.

  • Rajin #35 2 years ago

    I already had a feeling after double agent that they wouldn't get back on the right track(this serie more or less follows prince of persia)

    Though the mark/excecute seems to work in movies, but relies heavily on quick thinking and responses(it makes me wonder whether it works as bad as EG says). To bad that i lack a 360(no idea whether there's a demo for the pc), i really think i should at least try this out.



  • sneetch #36 2 years ago

    @CaptainQuint
    Anyone else notice how Michael Ironside's gravelly tones sound way too old for a visibly younger Fisher?

    Yeah, he's supposed to be 50 something isn't he? Surprisingly sprightly, I credit Just For Men. ;)

  • peteb #37 2 years ago

    Seems a bit harsh, it's definitely an 8-9 for me.

    It's definitely better than Double Agent.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 16:08

  • Power_n_Glory #38 2 years ago

    Decent scores on metacritic and I played the demo for hours on end trying out different kills, routes and weopons. I think I'll get more then 5 hours out of the campaign mode. I think this is one of the lowest I've seen but I'm still getting the game tomorrow. This isn't a game for everybody but I think it would have scored higher if it was simply called Conviction and wasn't a Splinter Cell game featuring Sam Fisher.

  • peteb #39 2 years ago

    @Power_n_Glory

    I'm having a blast with it, don't worry, you should too!

  • andywilkie35 #40 2 years ago

    Got my copy ready for some co-op action tonight, gonna murk some mercs

  • morriss #41 2 years ago

    Weird review. not liking a game on principle.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 16:18

  • max75 #42 2 years ago


    i will wait couple of weeks and pick this up in the bargain bins.

  • Zerobob #43 2 years ago

    Great, another bland, slow and tedius Splinter Cell game.

    This really is still a game, and always has been a game for people who like gun porn and like shouting "Go go go!" and "Cover my 6!", rather than having fun with a game.

    Bring on the negatives.

  • Markitron #44 2 years ago

    Am I one of the only people here that actually liked double agent?

  • GamesConnoisseur #45 2 years ago

    Football Manager on iPhone, Sakura War and Conviction all getting 7/10 from EG and when I m planning to get them all this week. Either a damn miserable week or at least a reasonably fun and passable way to tide me over until Alpha Protocol, Alan Wake and Lost Planet 2 get released.

    I still suspect I would enjoy SC5 especially the co op mode.

    Still a pity that the latest iteration could have been more.

  • darc #46 2 years ago

    It sounds like it will be worth picking up for the co-op elements alone, but only after the price has come down a bit.

  • peteb #47 2 years ago

    @Zerobob

    I plussed you because I completely disagree and wanted to do the opposite of what you suggested. So there.

    There can be a lot of fun with sneaking in the shadows and taking out unsuspecting bad guys. If anything its a bit of a relief playing something a tad slower paced than the hoarde of bland shooters and FPS's out there.

  • SwashbucklingStuff #48 2 years ago

    "But when cover is broken, the floodlights go up to reveal a mediocre shooter."

    It sounds like Mirror's Edge: Stealth edition.

  • Iain815 #49 2 years ago

    Ack, shite.

    Still might get it though, I enjoyed the demo enough and as Deckard1 mentioned it's addictive to try to pull off the best and most badass moves to complete a mission.

  • TitusCrow #50 2 years ago

    This is how empires die. This is how franchise ends: never with a bang, usually not with a whimper, but just with a mediocre game soon forgotten. Farewell splinter cell - we hardly new ye!

  • doragor #51 2 years ago

    Started this last night and I have to agree. It just feels too different to previous SC games for my taste.

    The need to melee enemies before earning an execute mark feels odd too... and annoying to be honest. Only on the third level but I agree with the score so far. Gutted.

    edit: spelling
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 16:31

  • gaselite #52 2 years ago

    post-Kojima

    a low in nonsense labelling down there with post-racial and post-dubstep
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 21:17

  • muttler #53 2 years ago

    Ouch.

  • Power_n_Glory #54 2 years ago

    It's not supposed to be a shooter. If your getting into full on gun battles like Gears of War your missing the point.

    The orginal SC games had terrible gun play and if you tried going through blasting on levels where you had the freedom to it wouldn't be satifying. Just been playing Double Agent on the boat level where I have to kill the whole crew. I went through guns blazing at first and that sucked so I stalked and took them out using stealth. Spent hours trying to take guys out quickly using gadgets and thinking of different approaches but was always inhibted by the controls and mechanics of the game.

    This game has made the movement and controls more smooth and fluid.

  • Rodchenko #55 2 years ago

    Conviction indeed...

  • RedSparrows #56 2 years ago

    zerobob, ironically, this series has *never* been about that, until this one, and even then it's hardly MW or Rainbow Six, which are explicitly about just those things.

    Also, 7 is not mediocre. You do yourself a disservice with your hyperbole, you tools.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 16:41

  • bad09 #57 2 years ago

    @ trebell

    He is a troll he's been knocking the PC for a while, I guess he's bored and wants to fight with 360 owners. Play with him, but don't rise to it ;)

  • Collymilad #58 2 years ago

    "Thank God I have a PS3 "

    Aye, same here - and thank god i have a 360 too. Means I won't miss any great games.

    :|

  • El-Dev #59 2 years ago

    I've read/watched a couple of other reviews of this that praised it highly and I thought the demo was good. I think I'll get it, though the last time I went for a game that got a lower score on EG than other places was Dante's Inferno and I agreed with EG that time. Hopefuly different this time.

  • Tallon4 #60 2 years ago

    Great game...don't understand the hate

  • Yossarian #61 2 years ago

    7 is too generous.

    First Splinter Cell I will not buy on release.

  • FogHeart #62 2 years ago

    I have to agree with the take on stealth games - they're all great until you're discovered, then they screw up. Maybe we need something like Prince of Persia or GRID where you can rewind time a little when you shamble.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 16:53

  • bad09 #63 2 years ago

    "Maybe we need something like Prince of Persia or GRID where you can rewind time a little when you shamble. "

    Get out.

  • Dizzy #64 2 years ago

    >Thank God I have a PS3

    Indeed... so I never bump into you on PC/360 and here...

    /ignored

  • Power_n_Glory #65 2 years ago

    The reviewer, Simon Parkin gave MW2 a 9/10 and also gave MAG 7/10. Disagreed on both reviews. I've got both and think MAG deserved a 8/10 and MW2 deserved an 8/10 as well.

    We like different things when it comes to action games from the looks of things.

  • local_celebrity #66 2 years ago

    They should have stuck with their original concept of Sam Fisher being a tramp, shitting in doorways and the like. That would have been much more fun. "In this mission, Sam has to steal a can of Special Brew from the local supermarket while arguing loudly with himself..."

  • Seabeast #67 2 years ago

    Terrible review. I got the game today and theres just no way this is a 7/10 game, no freakin' way.

    Shockin'
    Edited by 2 at 15/04/10 @ 17:24

  • Petulant_Radish #68 2 years ago

    I like Splinter Cell. I also like boursin. I'm not scared of change.

  • Vanmunt #69 2 years ago

    what is it with these average games getting high scores (source metacritic - this game even gets a 10). Moan about eurogamer but at least they are trying to bring an average score to mean average. Though after finishing FF13, I think Edge's score of 5 wasn't far off the mark..

    come on, 5 hour games should burn in hell.

  • Vanmunt #70 2 years ago

    @local

    ha ha, that made me laugh..
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 17:26

  • BillyBrush #71 2 years ago

    Newsflash

    7 is an above average score

    It's also the lowest of 44 scores so far on Metacritic, sure that doesn't mean it's a bad review or anything of the sort, just that other places are rating it slightly higher....gamesTM and Edge for example both 8's, they're also decent at reviewing.

    But hey, jump all over it, this is the best ammo you've got so far, just make sure you tidy the toys back in the box afterwards.

  • George-Roper #72 2 years ago

    I'll be down Game at 9 tomorrow morning to pick this up.

    Who the fuck, with even half a brain buys new releases from bricks'n'mortar shops? Especially rip-off merchants like Game?

    Jaysus wept...

  • jleack #73 2 years ago

    This game looked great at E3 until it got to the combat. The mark and go element is not only cheap but really detracts from the stealth. The fact that it's 5-hours long is definitely a big bummer. This will be a rental down the road.

    Great review Eurogamer! Keep up the detailed and accurate reviews!

  • Markitron #74 2 years ago

    @george Roper

    People who dont have fucking credit cards for one reason or another, thats who.

  • patchbox360 #75 2 years ago

    funny these days to get a true review u gotta hope the game isn't advertising on the site

  • RoyalBiscuit #76 2 years ago

    Dissapointed, I love the Splinter Cell games but this sounds as if everything I love has been removed.

  • Masaroth #77 2 years ago

    I always end up swapping eurogamers 7/10 and 10/10 around as the games eurogamer gives a seven are ussually a lot lot better than the ones they give tens.

  • cozeny #78 2 years ago

    Alan Wake's next up for the 7/10 treatment. Boom.

  • VicViper #79 2 years ago

    I liked the demo, the game is on its way from Play.com.

    not a bad score, good even some would say using the whole scale of 1 to 10. Plenty of games have been 7 or 8 and have been probaly as much if not more fun than some high scores of course this depends on the persons opinion which is a scary proposistion, I know.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 17:49

  • PotajiTo #80 2 years ago

    This is bullshit EG, the game deserves at least an 8.

  • sneetch #81 2 years ago

    @Markitron
    People who dont have fucking credit cards for one reason or another, thats who.

    Also people who don't want to be waiting two weeks for their new game to be delivered (i.e. those outside the mainland UK).

  • photoboy #82 2 years ago

    The game arrived for me this morning (including the exclusive Play.com torch!) and I've already finished the SP campaign. It's pretty average really, and I think this review totally nails all the problems with the game. Like the review says, once you're spotted the game goes to crap, and I don't think enough care and attention was given to the level layout to allow for any genuine tactics.

    I think I would have preferred the Jason Bourne style game that they originally started on but cancelled. This game isn't hugely different from the original Splinter Cell games, with a lot of trial and error still being involved.

  • webcider #83 2 years ago

    As if the score would had changed my opinion?

    I never touch this piece of miserable meal they just made at ubisoft. What the heck where they thinking when they decided to scrap slow stealth gameplay. To a more smooth uncharted 2 like gameplay with guns blasting and no thinking involvement much less atmosphere...
    Im not getting this no way never.

    and after reading the comments i get the impression that Metacritic and other "collect all reviews" sites are fucking up video game journalisme. Why?
    well it seems like fanboys really are going to great lengst in attacking any criticisme involved.
    Also it seems its influencing journalists to actually deliver higher scores for what ever type of game they are reviewing,
    God Damn It choose your own scores...
    Worst of all Metacritic are really changing the focus from the review to the score even more. And it certainly doesn't give a overall impression if the game is good. nope not in a lifetime.

    So stop using metacritic for supporting your opinions.
    and have a pleasent day.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 19:55

  • Paulie_P #84 2 years ago

    Can't believe God bought that guy a PS3, I had to buy mine with my own money. Same with the 360.

    Hath thou deserted me o'Lord?
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 18:07

  • sarcasmoidosis #85 2 years ago

    So, if it's too easy, it's not good. If it's too hard and you get spotted and you get Game Over, it's too hardcore and only for a "select few". Now this is stealthy, but doesn't game over you by default if you mess up, you just get a worse experience. And that is bad too.

    And the review says that there are achievements to finish levels without being seen. Doesn't that mean that you can?...

  • Lawlost #86 2 years ago

    Great I'll pick it up for less than a tenner in about 3 months then.

  • Cider-X #87 2 years ago

    Wasn't impressed with the demo at all, and got a chance to play a few hours of co op yesterday. Game is clunky and uneven.. the frame-rate drop into the low 10s when the action heats up and lots of enemies attack... No thanks Ubi.

  • Knot #88 2 years ago

    The review kind of confirms my fears about this game.

    I'm still going to give it a chance though on the PC.

  • trooperdx3117 #89 2 years ago

    Oh when will people learn that 5 is average and 7 is actually quite a good score

  • Machiavellian #90 2 years ago

    Man, you would believe that one person opinion is like Mana from heaven with the lot of you. Maybe it's me but I do not associate a review by the site but instead by the reviewer. I know from experience that I never fully agree with a lot of reviewers but the ones that I do, have more weight. Unless the reviews Simon has done were spot on with you, I really cannot say that taking just his review as if its the gold copy is even sane.

    After playing all of the SC games, I am actually looking for something different. I do not want to play another Chaos Theory and definitely do not want to use those clunky controls. I like the fact that Sam is the predatory not the sheep in this game. I like the direction of using the shadows as a tool for a aggressive game then trying to go undetected again. I also think the co-op brings home what you experience in the singleplayer game giving this game much value if you are a co-op lover like myself.

    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 20:33

  • Markitron #91 2 years ago

    What Biggsy said. No PS3 bias here, I own both consoles but MGS4 defines the stealth genre, and if your lookin for stealth with a bit more action thrown in then get Arkham Asylum. Also if you have not played at least one of these games there is something wrong with you.

    Spelling
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 18:58

  • Number1Laing #92 2 years ago

    Big Splinter Cell fan here and I have watched in horror since they unveiled this new, dumbed-down game. Maybe PC gamers will finally realize they're not the only ones that are victim to this.

    I realize the original design of Conviction was probably a non-starter, but it didn't need to turn into this.

  • davisorle #93 2 years ago

    Im sorry but i cant help but say that Uncharted 2 had the worst and most limited enemy models( same enemies all over the place.. ) and limited animations but that didnt stop it from getting a high score nor being a great experience. Was an amazing game. And Conviction is unexcusable to get under an 8 even on EG, which EG is bound to have some of the worst reviews ever. Thorough yet always bad score choices.

    Anyhow. The game isnt a 7 is all im saying. tc

  • BillyBrush #94 2 years ago

    Newsflash # 2

    different people have different taste in games and entertainment

    doesn't make them 'right' or 'wrong' internetz doesn't seem to understand this.

    Also...a volcano has erupted.

  • EmiliasHorse #95 2 years ago

    Owning both consoles I would say that Biggsy and Makitron are unaware of what a good stealth game is if they think MGS4 is one.

    If you need Stealth buy either of the first two Thief games for your old PC and just be done with that....no game since has even come close to offering even a hint of the Stealth.

    Splinter Cell: Conviction ..... Hmmm demo was enjoyable but seeing as I seldom bother with co-op or multi player the shortness of the campaign suggests a rental only.

  • WJF #96 2 years ago

    'If you want to play a game desperately trying to be a movie I recommend Metal Gear Solid 4.'

    Fixed that for you.

    Demo for SC:C didn't click with me and I've loved pretty much all the previous Splinter Cell games. It's a shame as I really liked some of the design ideas like the projected objectives.

  • ronuds #97 2 years ago

    I kind of like that the game doesn't force you to play it a certain way - like Splinter Cells of old. I don't see how this can be a bad thing, but it seems EG have made it that.

    Oh well, I'm still trading in my copy of MW2 for this.

  • lucifonz #98 2 years ago

    I have to disagree with the review personally, and strongly suggest people to checkout the full game before making judgement. Honestly the demo probably does more harm than good, it felt solid to me but nothing spectacular. After having my hands on the full game today and playing for about 4-5 hours, I absolutely love it.

    The game is just simply an absolute pleasure to play. I'm not a fan of the older splinter cell titles, they're too slow and punishing for me. But Conviction is the perfect blend imo. Play the game on 'Realistic' difficulty, its definitely the way it should be played. Each room requires thought on how to approach it, and when you successfully pull off a cool set of moves it really is super satisfying. Coop is also a ton of fun!! 9/10 from me so far, to be put simply the game gives me the exact same buzz I got from Arkham Asylum.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 20:26

  • sarcasmoidosis #99 2 years ago

    "I kind of like that the game doesn't force you to play it a certain way - like Splinter Cells of old"

    Yeah, I've seen a lot of games get flak for this and now this is marked down for options. Go figure.

  • Machiavellian #100 2 years ago

    I have to chime in on the option of not forcing a player to play the total Stealth route. The game gives you the ability to go that route but it seems that's an issue. The more flexible nature of SC is why it appeal to me more than previous games. The one thing I have received from a lot of reviews and players assessment is that the game is fun. It makes you feel like a badass.

    If this isn't what SC is to a lot of people I wonder why you cannot play the game the way you want and get that satisfaction.

  • Knot #101 2 years ago

    Because the argument is that the core stealth has been watered down so severely or totally scrapped scrapped features such as moving dead bodies.

    Anyway.... EG seems right about the schyzo nature of this game ; You have super fast stealth moves at your disposal yet still the major emphasis is on shooting it out from a safe distance with 1 tap on the button. I'd think a true super ninja would get more up close and personal instead of shooting as much as possible, i.e. having a shooting gameplay mechanic such as M & E as a core asset of the gameplay loop. It kind of defeats the purpose of being faster.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 20:45

  • patchbox360 #102 2 years ago

    i like my ps3 but after playing mgs4 i was depressed for a fortnight - all the hype was just fanboys on a i've got a game you haven't bandwagon - fucking mess of a game if your a human being requiring coherent storytelling, logical plot and memorable characters.

    the best splinter was the first just like the best mgs

  • M4RV #103 2 years ago

    I haven't played the game yet and I doubt I will, having in mind the demo, but this is by far the review I enjoyed the most... The ones by IGN and IGN UK were total rubbish, since it looked they were practicing fellatio simultaneously... The same can be said from Ubisoft. It's like they totally ignored the previous SC titles and this is supposed to be a new franchise, with different mechanics.

    I've tried the demo over and over again, but honestly, I can't get over the simplistic animations, outdated graphics, poor gameplay mechanics and the fact that I'm not playing with Sam Fisher, but namely Jack Bauer. Pitty... :\

  • Machiavellian #104 2 years ago

    @M4RV
    One thing I have noticed is that all reviews that does not already mirror a person belief seem rubbish. You like this review better because it already mirror your own opinion unlike the IGN ones which praised the game.

    Yes the demo didn't grab you but I have played way to many demos to know that a lot of time they cannot convey an entire game.

  • makeamazing #105 2 years ago

    A 7/10 is not a bad score, i dont know why people consider that a terrible score (Ive purchased quite a few 7/10s... people should rather than just blindly following what websites say), BUT if you take into account 7/10 and a 4/5 hour single player campaign, that is too short for many, and for me would not be worth the full price. Of course just to confuse matters, other sites have different scores, so either you read it and like what you hear, or you dont, but seems pointless arguing over who is right or wrong... try the demo for petes sake!

  • Power_n_Glory #106 2 years ago

    "Anyway.... EG seems right about the schyzo nature of this game ; You have super fast stealth moves at your disposal yet still the major emphasis is on shooting it out from a safe distance with 1 tap on the button. I'd think a true super ninja would get more up close and personal instead of shooting as much as possible, i.e. having a shooting gameplay mechanic such as M & E as a core asset of the gameplay loop. It kind of defeats the purpose of being faster. "

    @knot - That's wrong. To earn the mark and execute, you must get up close and do some melee stealth kills. Been playing the demo and for me, I try to avoid long drawn out messy shoot outs but I'm not doing the same old stalk and choke Splinter Cell moves either. I'm trying to clear a room full of 6 enemies without them even being able to pop a shot off. I'm talking split second room clearing kills where I'm clearing a room full of 6 in a few seconds and in 2 or 3 moves. This isn't a normal shooter. It's hard to explain, when the game is out I'm sure people will post their cool room clears on youtube.

  • Dave797 #107 2 years ago

    Rather than bash or laugh as the 7/10 score I think I'd actually like to say, isn't it a great shame that a title which was so revolutionary to begin with has sunk to this level of accessibility. I mean the first 2 games were just fantastic so to see such a great series go in this direction is disappointing.

  • Haloboy #108 2 years ago

    The strong vote of confidence for the coop has convinced me to pick this up on PC. I still can't see it being as good as the coop was in Chaos Theory though.

  • Knot #109 2 years ago

    @ Power n Glory ; yeah I know about the 1 single melee requirement for M & E. ... but it just seems like a really gamey artificial power up mechanic ; " 1 token gift stealth move for 3 free headshots ". It would make more sense if he clearly gets a physical vantage point, depending on the map layout, but that's not even the case - certainly not consistently.

    This mechanic would have been acceptable if it were somehow attached to a stamina/stress gauge like in MGS4 ; the less stamina and the more stress, the less Sam should be able to pull off M & E. And, of course... NO infinite ammo.

    Besides, to me the thrill is to get to close proximity of the enemy to kill or KO them with my bare hands and or knife ; shooting it from afar sounds like the sissy way. Anyway, I'll give the game a chance when it comes out on PC...but I'm not holding my breath for gaming greatness.
    Edited by 1 at 15/04/10 @ 22:02

  • Bloodhunter #110 2 years ago

    i love how review threads descend into a massive rage off between the console lovers...get with the times no one cares.

  • TRUTH #111 2 years ago

    I suggest people start protesting as more games seem to be leaning towards co-op, multiplayer with dumb and shorter single player game becoming more common. The focus seems to be diverting the main single player game to put the time/cost/production into multiplayer games.

    MW 2, Lost Planet 2(not to keen that you have to find friends to get the best from this game), Resi Evil 5, Borederlands (though strangely I enjoyed this more in single player!) etc etc...just some games which SP was sacrificed!

    But to be fair Splinter Cell: Conviction has been getting many good scores across the board - check!...Teletext C4 gave it 8/10 (these guys always mark down games that are bound to be popular)

    [link url=http://www.metacritic.com/game s/platforms/xbox360/tomclancyssplintercellconviction
    ]http://ww w.metacritic.com/games/platform...[/link]

    Just peed off the single player is short.
    Edited by 2 at 15/04/10 @ 22:47

  • rolsenrob #112 2 years ago

    This review was excellent. It hit all the right points. The game really does have some issues, but as the reviewer made clear, it is still a very good game.

  • LeeroyJenkins #113 2 years ago

    I've just been playing it non-stop for the last 4 hours or so. It's fantastic, fluid, slick... and this is just SP. Can't wait for co-op this weekend. I'm going with an 8 or a 9.

  • coolbritannia #114 2 years ago

    Is MGS4 really that good a stealth experience? I played MGS2 and that was an arcade fest compared to Splinter Cell 1. Post Kojima Splinter Cell 1 at that.

  • Stefano_Silvestri #115 2 years ago

    @teh9182:

    We did like the game for various reasons. As first, Ubisoft had the courage to change the franchise taking a different direction: after so many iterations of the same gameplay, it was time to breath fresh air.

    As second, we liked the fact that the game can be played in 2 different ways: you can be a predator Bourne-like, or you can be the old panther moving in shadows. If you look carefully at how the levels are designed, they are full of places where to cover in a shootout or where to hide/climb/assault people. We don't recall so many games with a double soul as Conviction.
    You can take a look at a video on the EG TV where the demo level is played stealth: it shows that the old spirit of the game, if you want, is still there.

    The last thing we liked is the multiplayer: coop is really funny, plus it's not just a bunch of maps but a real prequel to the game revealing some interesting facts.

    So, as we can see, you may like Conviction or not, but surely is a controversial game. Anyway, a couple of our readers think the same as Simon. :)

  • coomber #116 2 years ago

    Five hours of gameplay? It has one thing in common with MGS4 then.

  • spookyzombie #117 2 years ago

    Whoever says it's only 5 hours long must be shit hot at this or playing it on 'Rookie'. I've put over 10 hours in so far and I haven't completed it.

  • Scimac #118 2 years ago

    I'll still be picking my copy up tomorrow as I actually enjoyed the demo.

  • Paulie_P #119 2 years ago

    @teh9182

    Nobody ever comments on the Eurogamer Italy pages!

  • Seabeast #120 2 years ago

    The campaign will only be 5 hours if play on anything but realistic. I consider myself to be a skilled game and I already clocked 5 hours of the campaign today and I would say that I have at least another couple of hours to go. The gamespot review said its 6-7 hours long, which is probably about right.

    After 5 hours I would say that a 7/10 is quite harsh for this game, It's easily worth 8/10, and thats based on the single player mode alone. The review is way off imo, and every other review you read suggests that theres more to this guys review than there should be.

    SCC has to have the best presentation of any game that I have played, combined with fantastic 'cinematography' it makes a very slick and well done package.

    I gotta say tho, its very freakin' sad that all the PS3 fanbois are all over the comments on here neggin' every positive comment.
    Edited by 1 at 16/04/10 @ 03:40

  • Master09 #121 2 years ago

    Why did Ubi feel the need to change up the formula?

    I am sure many SC fans loved the slow paced and stealthy approach especially of Chaos Theory which is one of the finest games ever made.

    Please Ubi go back to the old style SC. We don't need another third person run and gun shooter. We already have plenty of those.

  • BBIAJ #122 2 years ago

    Since when has the Xbox 360's "Back" button been a "Select" button then, Simon?

  • webcider #123 2 years ago

    If anything this thread shows to me it must be that humans can never get tired of same old multi powered gun playing ^_^
    But thats fine because thats clearly the way the generation are going. Now everyone can be Bruce Willis or some other twat from the movie industry isn't that just great :D

    I guess i just hold fondly to the memories Chaos Theory gave me.

  • TRUTH #124 2 years ago

    I managed to play this through a friend last night - I have to suggest that this game is pretty dam cool. I recommend playing on Realistic for a better experience. The game (so far) feels more fluid then the demo (and harder).

    7-10 hours if on realistic - this will be great as from the taste I had of the game really surpriised me as I wasn't to keen on the demo

  • muscleblade #125 2 years ago

    As good as Dead Space. Not bad at all.

  • ZuluHero #126 2 years ago

    @muscleblade

    Exactly :)

  • Drpwnage #127 2 years ago

    I read several other reviews of SC: Conviction prior to playing through the demo, based on my experience Simon's review seems on the money, the degeneration into a mediocre shooter left me not wanting to bother with it until I can pick it up cheap for a few hours of Co-op thrills. It is also a terrible looking game on the 360, unless you squint or stand 20 foot away from your tv the sub HD resolution is a poor effort.

  • The-Bodybuilder #128 2 years ago

    "Come on LITTLE GIRL. Show your ass."

    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, is Fisher infiltrating a peadophile ring?

  • syphaa #129 2 years ago

    This game is fantastic, just enjoy it for what it is and that's a very competent 3rd person sneak em' up with awesome co-op. Everyone should give it a whirl as once you get engrossed in the story and playing Sam Fisher it really is a fantastic title.

  • cozeny #130 2 years ago

    Maybe the 360's successor should be called the Xbox 7/10?

  • gaselite #131 2 years ago

    on the EG homepage now it looks like some gruff dude with a beard is about to shoot the absolute shit out of a football

  • Lunatic4ever #132 2 years ago

    Whole game took me about 7 hours to finish on Medium.
    But i ran through most of the levels guns blazing.
    So if you play this game on realistic-mode and really try to be sneaky Fisher,
    than it will probably take u much longer.

    All in all the game is quite good but its not a masterpiece ,thats for sure.


  • Lukree #133 2 years ago

    This is the game flopped Bourne game were supposed to be. Pretty decent as it is but it really lacks the shadowy stealth approach from earlier games...

  • Bravestinsane #134 2 years ago

    As much as i like you guys, i think i will ignore this and go with every other review bar 1 giving it 8 or 9's out of 10. Average ages at 8.5 thats more than acceptable for a franchise i have always liked.

  • Ridethelightning #135 2 years ago

    Eurogamer is like the only site I know of which reviews games on linear 1-10 scale and not giving almost everything 8+

  • Power_n_Glory #136 2 years ago

    I usually trust Eurogamer for their reviews but they got it wrong with Fifa 10 and didn't mention the bugs. It's obvious they didn't play the game long enough before the review. I’m still angry about the amount of bugs and how Eurogamer and other sites have failed to publish an article on this. They have no problems reporting news on console failure rates but not a word has been said on this.

    Same goes for MAG. I felt Gamespot had the right approach and waited a week before giving a final verdict because it’s hard to fully assess am online only game where the community is still fresh and working out tactics. From the review, it was clear that the reviewer didn’t know what he was supposed be doing and with that sort of game it takes time to learn how it plays. It’s not like MW2. Plus it was reviewed by the same guy that gave MW2 a 9/10 which it didn’t deserve. It’s practically the same as the first one.

    And now this review.

  • WiseNail #137 2 years ago

    Had a great time playing the co-op campaign last night. Well implemented split screen option, and recommended for those looking for some couch co-op gaming.

    I've already got around 2.5 hours from the game, and I've not even started the campaign mode.

    I must admit that the enemy voice acting isn't the best, but I've yet to hate it as much as the brazilian enemies from the Favela levels of Modern Warfare 2 (especially as a number of their comments are recycled in the MW2 multiplayer levels as well).
    Edited by 3 at 16/04/10 @ 12:37

  • SlackMaster #138 2 years ago

    I disagree... the review and many comments seem a little too harsh IMO. I've sunk a couple of hours into it so far and am enjoying it more than any other game in the series.

    Not sure where this 4 to 5 hour game length figure is coming from either as I've been steaming through it, rarely dying but still have a fair bit to go yet.

    Also it's still a stealth game. If you get spotted and get into a firefight you will get killed quickly if you don't try and fade into the shadows again.

    The last Splinter Cell game in comparison hasn't aged all that well and is nowhere near as good as Conviction. On top of that this game has some very innovative ideas and a truly engaging story.

    Edited by 1 at 16/04/10 @ 13:13

  • SlackMaster #139 2 years ago

    @ Markitron.

    I never got into double agent so thought I'd give it another chance and started to play it again only last week. I've really been struggling to like the game. The enemy HQ levels are also not enjoyable at all. The trial and error gameplay, and the lack of directions given in the game to your objectives also take away from the enjoyment of the game.

  • muscleblade #140 2 years ago

    "Not sure where this 4 to 5 hour game length figure is coming from either"

    Me neither. Its 6 hours at the very least and 8 hours on realistic if you are really good. The co-op is 4-5 hours, but thats another campaign and you have other modes too. Its a package with great value.

    God of war is 6 hours with no co-op or other modes. I rather have a short good campaign than a long dull one any day.
    I spent many more hours in MW2 Special Ops than in the campaign and got good value form that game too without toughing the multiplayer.

  • Power_n_Glory #141 2 years ago

    MW 2 was around six hours. The gameplay wasn't ground breaking, multiplayer was more of the same and the story was terrible. Nothing much had changed in from the prequel. Still gets a 9/10.

    Halo ODST - 08/10. About 6 hours long as well. Fair score - it wasn't groundbreaking - more of the same with a few tweaks.

    But SC Conviction gets a 7/10.

  • Monkey_Puncher #142 2 years ago

    Big Splinter Cell fan, must admit I was disappointed by the demo, still picked up the game though so I can judge it properly for myself.

    Does seem weird to be talking about the gun play in SC though, I can't say I ever used a gun in the previous game unless I was specifically told to.

  • icematt12 #143 2 years ago

    Most fun in a SC game ever, including the 2 versions of Double Agent. Completed the story but not fully used to controls yet, kept reaching for X to reload. Wouldn't give it over an 8 though.

    Defending the EMP in Deniable Ops, at least in the level I played, really needs 2 people. hard to watch 3 sides and an elevated position at the same time.

  • sneetch #144 2 years ago

    @muscleblade
    "Not sure where this 4 to 5 hour game length figure is coming from either"

    Me neither. Its 6 hours at the very least and 8 hours on realistic if you are really good. The co-op is 4-5 hours, but thats another campaign and you have other modes too. Its a package with great value.

    There's the thing, I read (in a review I can't remember which) 4 hours for single player and 2 hours for co-op. Now I'm not a speed gamer (I love the sneaky-sneaky, if I can wait a suspense filled minute for a guard to stop poking bits of rubble and move on I prefer that to shooting him in the face and moving to the next one) so maybe it's even longer for someone like me.

  • TRUTH #145 2 years ago

    Metacritic score so-far by 48 different critic reviews a healthy 86/100

    The game as I'm playing is more stealth approach on Realistic. The single player game is (on Realistic and your a top games player) is 7-8(+) hrs gameplay..longer then GoW III, Halo ODST, MW 2, Heavy Rain, Resident Evil 5, Dead Space (..actually about the same length as this) etc etc. Also alot more gameplay then MGS4 (which I feel is only 5hrs)

    The full game certainly surprised me from the demo; which didn't really catch my interest. Splinter Cell fans should rejoice, as I played the previous serie SC:DA; It seemed slow and actually a bit duh!...SC:Conviction is a good and brave step up and you have options to use stealth, a slow sneaky approach, as well as more gun-ho way (though using this method is actually more harder and will be gunned down fairly quick at most times)..the choice is yours- but the stealth, sneaky approach is the better option.

    Edited by 3 at 16/04/10 @ 18:14

  • sneetch #146 2 years ago

    @gaselite
    on the EG homepage now it looks like some gruff dude with a beard is about to shoot the absolute shit out of a football

    "The football was found by a mother and her two young children and had been shot once in the back of the... ball.. execution style. Police have sealed off the area for forensic analysis."

  • mooseman721 #147 2 years ago

    I normally agree with eurogamer really reviews However I received this game Thursday and have found it to be one of the best games I have played this year. I have played all the other sc games (didn't finish da) and yes it it a departure from the previous games but adds a nice change of pace to the series. I'm playing on the realistic setting and I can promise you its taken longer than 5 hours, maybe I'm being a bit crap but on the hard settings with the waypoints off its a challenge. And nothing like the demo. At all. A mooseman 9/10.

  • Badassbab #148 2 years ago

    Eurogamer thinks it's ok. IGN think it's great.

    I'll rent it.

  • Fightclubber #149 2 years ago

    Loving it so far, fantastic cover system mark and execute is a spunky joy and smashing the butt on my gun into people throats never seems to get old.
    Only hit the 1st few missions but seems painfully well put together.

    Cant say much for eurogamer these days, metro 2033 got a fucking 8 and that is possibly one of the dullest buggiest heaps of old shit ive played in a long time.

    And i will never forgive for the 7 dead space got, just cant understand that at all.



  • Monkey_Puncher #150 2 years ago

    Okay I have to completely disagree with this review after playing the hell out of this tonight. Just like the previous 2 games, you have the ability to machine gun everyone, but you're not going to get the best out of the game if you do. All the stealth options are available to you, even if it is much faster paced, the depth is still there.

    I'm not going to say the game's perfect, but to criticise it for the shooting seems incredibly short sighted to me as it's really not supposed to be played like a shooter. It's kind of like criticising Call of Duty because the knife kills aren't great and you can't get through a level undetected.

  • oishiiniku #151 2 years ago

    I just want to reiterate what a lot of others have said: Play the game on realistic and it is a much more enjoyable (and stealthy) experience. Admittedly, the lack of non-lethal weaponry and some of the others gadgets is a shame, but you can still use light and sound to distract/lure enemies. On realistic the AI is impressively responsive as well. A mission that begins in an underground parking lot has several levels and the enemies will come and check out disturbances from a long way off. I'm still not convinced about the Mark and Execute feature, but it is quite satisfying (and tricky) getting 3 or 4 marked targets in range at the same time on later levels.If, like me, you were a fan of the previous games but disappointed by the demo (it really is a poor indication of the final game)I recommend giving the full game a try as it may just surprise you. You really have to play on realistic though.

  • TRUTH #152 2 years ago

    As above - I was disappointed by the demo, but was surprised as how the full game played (though I borrowed this from a mate as i wasn't impressed by the demo); a lot more polish and fluid for one thing, also how the game progresses, the cool sections that blend the game together too...I am playing it on Realistic (Which is the way to play esp for more deeper stealth/sneak game) as I highly recommend. The AI is more advanced then any other spy game esp compared to previous SC and MGS(inc 4) games (..again play on Realistic).

    I been playing solid (as i'm holiday and have to give back on soon) and am about 6hrs inn (which has been all positive at moment).

    Edited by 1 at 17/04/10 @ 18:39

  • Optyk #153 2 years ago

    I was looking forward to this until i found out there was no Spy vs Merc multiplayer.

  • DRE4DNOUGHT #154 2 years ago

    completed single and multiplayer yesterday. took at least 9 hours to do both. MW2 took me 5 hours, i think where the single play is concerned this definitely comes out on top.
    Im disapointed eurogamer. i think your way off on this one. its at least as good as just cause 2 which you gave an 8 to.

  • TheNinkyNonk #155 2 years ago

    After pretty much agreeing with the sentiments of the review (not to mention wishing for Splinter Cell of old), I've grown to quite like this game. I'm finding a desire to clear each area in a more and more efficient style each time I play through it, even to the point where I go back and re-do sections immediately after completing them as I feel I've been too 'sloppy'. The original games made me do that too...something unique has been preserved and yet it's also been re-vamped. Kudos to Ubi. A solid 8. Shame the graphics are ho-hum. The early entries to the series were always known for being market leaders in that department. The shift to next-gen has not continued this tradition. Odd.

  • DAN.E.B #156 2 years ago

    Not a fan of the single player campain TBH
    But the CO OP campain is exellent and makes this game a must buy

  • CalmBlueOcean #157 2 years ago

    yeah have to say I think EG might have dropped another clanger here... some of what they say is fair criticism (the iraq level is bobbins) but to say it becomes too shooty stinks of a bad player who can't handle the larger numbers of guards and enemies that are present in the later levels.

    You can't do the entire game undetected, but you can do the vast majority of it and even in the last level I was sneaking around and snapping necks quite happily.

  • LazyNinjaUk #158 2 years ago

    The game is pretty decent with the single player and co-op complimenting each other quite nicely, it's not without its faults though and I think EG are right to give it about a 7/10.

    When I first loaded the game up I was presented with a title update that crashed my console, then after playing the co-op for about an hour I experienced 2 'A' class bugs which either crashed the game or caused my character to clip through the level and die, and a glaring issue in the design to do with the CQB.

    When you go to grapple an enemy who has seen you they can reverse your melee attack and grab youn instead which is fair enough, what isn't fair though and a load of complete fucking cheapness on toast is how the enemies can run at you, absorbing bullets and instantly grab you, with the game not offering you the same opportunity to reverse their grab like they can do to you.

  • thepiedpiper #159 2 years ago

    I guess it's a case of a game that's been given that MW2 gloss and lost a little depth. i am very much enjoying the game, more so than bayonetta which i was convinced to buy from the review here. i think the key is really, that if a game tickles your fancy you may as well give a go yourself as everybody has a different interpretation as to what they want out of game. The game is slick, well presented and fun to play, not to mention the "i can do that bit better" syndrome that drags you back to do sections over and over ala Trials. I think the reviewer just didn't enjoy it the way he was hoping to, and he still said it was a good game.

  • Boom #160 2 years ago

    Nearly completed the sp campaign and like a lot of people, I found the campaign longer than 5 hours and really not that bad. Sure you can run-and-gun, but I will be playing the game again on realistic and focus on the stealth aspect. The co-op is also excellent. Some points in the review I agree with, but overall his opinion didn't reflect mine and I believe this game is a worthy 8/10. It should be noted I have played Conviction and all previous SC incarnations on the Xbox or 360 consoles.

  • Monkey_Puncher #161 2 years ago

    Completed it on realistic last night, took me about 7 or 8 hours in total which is pretty much standard for all of the other Splinter Cell games. At no point did I feel like I'd played the best parts of the games in the first 1/3, there's some really great moments later on and I didn't feel the pace ever let up.

    It's not a perfect game, the rather ham fisted Iraq stage and moments where you're forced to short (of which there's very few) aren't the best. But overall I was very happy with my play through. Once you get used to the the new game play mechanics, stalking and killing your opponents from the shadows is incredibly satisfying and feels so much more free form than any of the previous games.

    Personally I'd have given it an 8, not worth a 9 because of a few blips in the single player and a few annoying bits.

  • Seabeast #162 2 years ago

    Fantastic game, easily worth 8/10

    7 hours for the campaign

    3 hours for co op

    Countless hours for the other modes which you can do both single player or with a friend.

    I have really started to dislike the Eurogamer reviews lately, 4/10 Dante's Inferno, yeah it wasnt great, but 4? C'mon now.

    Darksiders 7/10
    Splinter Cell 7/10
    Dead Space 7/10

    Metro 2033 8/10.....and for me this game would'a done well to get a 6, terrible controls, only 8 hours of play, nothing really new, at all ,yet it scores higher than those 3 great games.

    It just seems like the games get reviewed by a new generation of overly picky gaming snobs, but hey, MW2 was worth its 9/10 right?
    Edited by 2 at 19/04/10 @ 21:51

  • ukdm #163 2 years ago

    This is my first Splinter Cell game and I thoroughly enjoyed the single-player campaign. It's up to you how you play through (stealth, guns blazing, traps) and each element is fun in its own right.

    I don't think the gun play is a let down. Crouching behind a desk with everything on top getting shredded as bullets fly over your head, then stealthily flanking the enemy and taking them out with a silenced pistol is a lot of fun.

    Production values are very high, I love the projected objectives system, and the chase sequence section is one of the best implementations of that type of gameplay I have seen.

    I'd give it an 8.

  • govaner7 #164 2 years ago

    eurogamer gets it wrong again, theres no way this is a 7, the metacritic review scores say near enough 90, eurogamer is way at the bottom way of the mark, i dont rate eurogamer as a review site at all and just for the news, from playing the first part of the game this game is great right amount of stealth and action for me and ive not played co-op yet.

  • lasersrule #165 2 years ago

    A 7 seems fair for this, even though as a long-standing SC fan, the stripping out of Sam's athleticism and non-lethal solutions is a proper fucking insult.

    SC, when played 'properly', used to give me a real sense of pride - that I could get the job done without having to be as amateur as actually killing people and actually shooting lights, or that I could be a ghost and get in and out without any trace of having been there on the majority of the missions. Now, I can't do that. It's actually impossible. In Conviction, that's sense of pride in 'doing things right' has been chucked out the window in order to support two things: Ubi's idea of what Sam's character should be (which is completely implausible for such a megatrained, ultra-pro stealth dude and pure hollywood schlock, really) and the apparent superiority of Ubi's clusterfuck of a story over giving the player the same range of tactical choices that they had in previous titles. Some of the shit Sam does for the sake of a 'cool' cutscene (see the start of the Third Echelon mission) make *zero fucking sense* if Sam really was a highly trained infiltration spy. I can't believe someone as pro as that would turn into a spasticated angry dick under *any* circumstances, including having his daughter done over.

    The story, as it relates the rest of Sam's career, is a total fucking mess of idiocy and inconsistency - and where the fuck can Sam go from here? It's as much a shark-jump as MW2's storyline was. At least the killing is fun and the stealthing's still passable.

    Thank fuck for the Deniable Ops mode. It saves the whole thing in my opinion, even as a singleplayer game.

  • p00ntang #166 2 years ago

    @lasersrule

    SPOT ON

  • frazzl #167 2 years ago

    Which is why I find reviews to be worthless. I like what I like. I don't like what I don't like. I don't need anyone else to tell me what I should or shouldn't enjoy.

  • Knot #168 2 years ago

    I'm finally playing this game on PC now ; halfway through the story campaign and playing lots of Deniable Ops Hunter mode.

    Preliminary conclusion : more fun to play than I expected & Deniable Ops is perhaps the game its best asset.

    Overall ; BETTER than Metal Gear Solid 4, but not without its faults.

  • AphoticCosmos #169 2 years ago

    Have to echo the love-ins for SC:C. Actually really enjoyed the plot, even the Iraq mission (the awesome Amon Tobin music at the end of that level makes it all worthwhile), and it was nice to see Sam kick the fuck out of some decent villains. The mission objectives appearing on walls was just sublimely well thought out, and there was always something interesting to do. You have to be stealthy, especially nearer the end of the game where there's sometimes 10-12+ enemies in the vicinity, but you always feel like a predator - like they should be scared of you rather than the other way around.

    And again, please stop using scores, EG. Dead Space was not a 7. Metro 2033 was NOT an 8 ( so bad that it's the only game I have never finished and don't intend on finishing ). MW2 was not a 9, and SC:C is definitely at least an 8. If you can't score games properly, don't bother at all.

  • Agente_Silva #170 2 years ago

    Well... the best episodes from SC were 1 to 3! No doubt... you got to choose where to go through a much larger map/path... you didnīt have your routes marked with climb and jump... actually you could jump and grab do ledges and fences, you donīt get to do that on Conviction, wich sucks. It feels that your path is pre-made and there is no freedom to plan and execute. Itīs like going to McDonaldīs instead of making your own meal! It feels like a mix of Max Payne and Assassinīs Creed (being this much better than SCC). Iīm sad to say, but this is the worst Splinter Cell :(

    Forgot to say... got to give big credits on the enemyīs AI... big improvement from last editions! :)

    The score given here is well on the spot! Iīm a big fan of Splinter Cell saga and do understand why the 7/10 - this edition is not quite faithfull to previous, it has drifted somewhere else, to a more battle shoot intensive thing, instead of the quite pace sneaky game! The score is probably given by someone who really knows what Splinter Cell is all about (I think)!
    Edited by 3 at 13/05/10 @ 17:51

  • mega7ech #171 2 years ago

    Only just got round to playing this game in the last few days and I must say I cant believe how utterly dissapointed I am! As a massive fan of the series I was hugely looking forward to this and I seriously cant quite believe how awful it is! It just isnt Splinter Cell! And how anyone can say the graphics look good is completely beyond me. It honestly looks in some parts as if its running on an original Xbox. Xbox 360 launch titles had better textures and resolution then this pile of blurry, jaggied, poorly lit rubbish! All I can think is something went disaterously wrong in development half way through (explaining the long delay) and this is all Ubi could manage to salvage from what was orignally planned. In my opinion anyway, a truly terrible release and a real reputation burner for Ubisoft!

  • ZombieJFK #172 6 months ago

    I wonder how many people missed out on a fantastic game because of a luke-warm reviews like this. Genuinely clueless.