Splinter Cell: Conviction review

Overall-8/10

How bout a kiss?

Gameplay-9/10
Win
-easy learning curve
-fast and easy stealth mechanics
-swift and fluid cover system
-co op of the story prelude available
Fail
-iraq mission feels disconnected
-interrogation gets repeative

Visuals-6/10
Win
-monotone during stealth and full color when out of cover
Fail
-overhead projection of objective irritating
-poor texture and some bland area design

Disclaimer: I fails at stealth games and couldnt complete a single splinter cell game before this.
Oh wait, this is the ONLY stealth game i ever complete without giving up in fustration.
It is a almost perfect blend of action and stealth into one nice brutal package. First changes to the game mechanics is the HP and stealth gauge. No longer do you need to ration your health carefully now as it adopts the call of duty style heal over time system. The removal of stealyh gauge is the significant game changer here. Rather than staring at the stealth bar where ever you shift through the shadows, it is replaced my a more graphical representation. Once you are in the dark and unnoticed by enemy, the whole world would become monotone, and once you are out of darkness, the color would flood back into screen again. This easy sense of stealth streamlined the gameplay and i hope future stealth genre would employ this system as well.
If you get into trouble by alerting large group of enemies, all is not lost as the game introduces few more nice features to your advantage. First is the simple to use cover system where shifting around covers is extremely easy and if executed carefully, looks right out of james bond movie. Next up is the ability to kill multiple targets quickly called execute, after you melee a guy to death. Although it creates a few problem like shooting through wall during the animation and somewhat imbalance the game but with careful planning, it certainly feels satisfying.
The story is predictable but still serve its purpose in moving you forward. But the objective and cutscenes are flashed on walls, which i presume the developers intent to reduce down time further for a more action oriented game, but i find it offending and irritating. Once in a while you get to interrogate someone, which feels new when you abuse your first victim. But subsequent ones start to feel repeative and boring.
Visually, its a console port so its pretty outdated. Whats worst is the environment lacks little details that makes the world feels alive and realistic. However, since you should be spending most of your time in stealth which means the monotone post processing would cover most of the flaws. Furthermore, since this game is more action orientated and fast, you wouldnt have as much time as other stealth games to marvel at its lack of beauty anyway.
Certainly a right step forward in the stealth genre to capture more audience. However, the gameplay is some different, some fans of the previous splinter cell would hate it. But for me, its the formula of stealth genre that i finally worked for me.


Lincoln will be so proud of me


Why am i here?


What have i done to deserve this dood