BOOM!!! Pay up Vinny!

Nice. I'll have to check this. Also, no NV?! :(

the upset of the year RYAN WINS RYAN WINS

This game looks really really rad, and I'm super bummed that it's not coming out on PS3. My roommate has an XBox... I need to get him to pick it up.  I wanna smash some heads through toilet seats.

Holy, fuck Ryan wins! Never would have thought that would happen.

Vinny lost :( and good review ^^

Poor Vinny.

 
Nice to see the game being well received. Will probably pick it up in a few weeks.

I was surprised to see the NVG thing be in the first sentence. 
 
Damn, now I'm going to have to rent this.

It's a shame that you weren't able to wring much enjoyment from the previous entries, Jeff. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is one of the best games ever made.

Will definitely pick up today. Nice review, Jeff.

Should be getting this from GameFly tomorrow.  Can't wait!

I love how the first sentence just addresses the non existence of night vision goggles in the game. I mean what other game magazine or website would address that issue first!? 
 
No one and that sir is why Giant Bomb rules! 
 
P.S. Unlucky Vinny :(

" I was surprised to see the NVG thing be in the first sentence.  Damn, now I'm going to have to rent this. "

Can't believe Ryan was right!

No good replay values? Bummer.. Might think twice before I get this then.

Aw too bad Vinny, nice call Ryan!

First line of the review. Haha, awesome.

Ryan may have won, but Vinny was right in my eyes.  I hope that is some comfort in this difficult time.

Ryan WINS.
 
Exquisitely written review Sir Gerstmann.

The goggles are still in the game.  They look exactly the same and make that same noise.  They are just 'sonar' now instead of night vision, because they wanted to copy Batman.  Vinny got robbed!

Awesome, was waiting for this review. Glad to see you liked it Jeff; I was hesitant to pick this up but now I just might.

Wow Ryan. Insane prediction. I mean, seriously, who expected him to win this bet when listening to that podcast.

" The goggles are still in the game.  They look exactly the same and make that same noise.  They are just 'sonar' now instead of night vision, because they wanted to copy Batman.  Vinny got robbed! "

Will have to pick this up on release. Ryan use the $50 to start researching sonar goggles.

I just don't agree with praising accessibility and "modernizing" personally.  Chaos Theory was an amazing game, it did not force trial and error gameplay, and throwing its awesome out the window to try and appeal more to Halo players just annoys me.
 
Am I not supposed to be annoyed?  I mean, that is how I feel.  I have been gaming for 25 years now and that whole time games have been getting more and more stupid and common, and for a while there that was nice but now it's just not the hobby I love anymore in many cases.  Reviews like this that praise these changes just baffle me.
 
Oh well, I know I am the minority.  I know games rival movies for mainstream dollars now and thus will get more and more streamlined and mainstreamed.  Luckily on the PC we have a ton of indie and small developer games to play, and all the classics still work with rare exception, so it's not all doom and gloom.

Ohhhhh shiiiiiiiiit, I guess this game suuuuuuuuuucks!

I'm GLAD that Ryan won the bet. The whole idea about Splinter Cell having or not having Night Vision Goggles was a debate about the direction Ubisoft was taking the franchise: was the new Splinter Cell game going to jettison many of the aspect and gameplay elements of the previous game to cement it as a brand new direction for the series? Or was the game team, afraid of isolating long time fans and beholden to convention, unable to pull the trigger on removing "key elements" and thus keeping the game from becoming...well, modern. 
Vinny's bet was totally sensible, because it was banking that Ubisoft would not be able to totally commit to it's "new" take on the series. Ryan's bet that Ubisoft would make the harder, more difficult, less audience friendly choice....and, lo and behold, Ubisoft stepped up to the challenge.
 
...Oh, and the game sounds pretty fun, too.

I like how Jeff tells us the most important part right up front.
No sale, sorry.

" I just don't agree with praising accessibility and "modernizing" personally.  Chaos Theory was an amazing game, it did not force trial and error gameplay, and throwing its awesome out the window to try and appeal more to Halo players just annoys me.  Am I not supposed to be annoyed?  I mean, that is how I feel.  I have been gaming for 25 years now and that whole time games have been getting more and more stupid and common, and for a while there that was nice but now it's just not the hobby I love anymore in many cases.  Reviews like this that praise these changes just baffle me.  Oh well, I know I am the minority.  I know games rival movies for mainstream dollars now and thus will get more and more streamlined and mainstreamed.  Luckily on the PC we have a ton of indie and small developer games to play, and all the classics still work with rare exception, so it's not all doom and gloom. "

Starting with the night-vision line made the review so much more appealing :P

Haha. Somehow I just knew the first sentence of this was going to state where the night vision goggles were at. I am not disappointed. :)

I would totally agree with the Jason Bourne vibe this game gives off.  Dropping down from the ceiling to take out that required melee kill then pressing one button to have Sam drop two or more other soldiers is really badass and feels very Bourne with the way the camera moves and how fast everything is pulled off.

Vinny, pay the man.

pay up Vinny!

Man, I did not expect this to come to pass this way.  I am totally blown away that there are no NVGs at all in the game.  It also does sound a little too easy but I will need to try it out first to see if that is true.  I also love how the NVG issue was settled at the very beginning.

Anyone notice the guy Sam Fischer is choking out on the cover art is wear night vision goggles, ironic?

Other reviews have claimed that its only 5 hours at a quick run through... 
Fair enough most people take their time, but I couldn't care less about multiplayer. Paying 70euros (which is almost $96) for a 5-8 hour game, however great those 5-8 hours are..is just not kosher. Paying $60 or £39.99 isn't on either as far as i'm concerned.
Its about as Kosher as Christmas. 
Otherwise this game looks fantastic. 
Nice to see the long running feud has at last been solved.

Cool...I want this game but finals are coming and when those are done Alan Wake will be out. I might have to put this game on hold.

And a chapter in GB history comes to a close.

I wanna get this game. But have neither time nor money to play it. And then theres alan wake which is looking preety stong amongst other games. Well if this takes off i might get it but we shall see how the gaming populace takes to it.

Cant wait for the bombcast now.

waaa no night vision goggles???? What the hell is this

A fine review indeed.  Now we need a video showing Vinny handing Ryan the money.

NOBODY SHOULD WIN IF YOU ASK ME! I think Ryan's argument should be voided with sonar goggles as well since I think he was referring to Sam Fisher not relying on gadgets anymore when he made the bet. 
Full Disclosure: I was with Vinny this entire time with the googles. I'm saddened to see him lose considering that there were actual googles (that functions pretty much like night vision ones) WITH 3 LIGHTS ON IT!

Isnt soon time to leave the Unreal 2 Engine behind and upgrade?
Its lacking for a current gen game when it comes to physics, lightning, animations.. you get my drift.
Im going to play it anyways, because it has coop ^^

" NOBODY SHOULD WIN IF YOU ASK ME! I think Ryan's argument should be voided with sonar goggles as well since I think he was referring to Sam Fisher not relying on gadgets anymore when he made the bet.  Full Disclosure: I was with Vinny this entire time with the googles. I'm saddened to see him lose considering that there were actual googles (that functions pretty much like night vision ones) WITH 3 LIGHTS ON IT! "

" I just don't agree with praising accessibility and "modernizing" personally.  Chaos Theory was an amazing game, it did not force trial and error gameplay, and throwing its awesome out the window to try and appeal more to Halo players just annoys me.  Am I not supposed to be annoyed?  I mean, that is how I feel.  I have been gaming for 25 years now and that whole time games have been getting more and more stupid and common, and for a while there that was nice but now it's just not the hobby I love anymore in many cases.  Reviews like this that praise these changes just baffle me.  Oh well, I know I am the minority.  I know games rival movies for mainstream dollars now and thus will get more and more streamlined and mainstreamed.  Luckily on the PC we have a ton of indie and small developer games to play, and all the classics still work with rare exception, so it's not all doom and gloom. "

"NOBODY SHOULD WIN IF YOU ASK ME! I think Ryan's argument should be voided with sonar goggles as well since I think he was referring to Sam Fisher not relying on gadgets anymore when he made the bet.  Full Disclosure: I was with Vinny this entire time with the googles. I'm saddened to see him lose considering that there were actual googles (that functions pretty much like night vision ones) WITH 3 LIGHTS ON IT! "