Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

Intro.

 The day or two before Splinter Cell: Conviction was released I had told myself that i would definitely not buy this game. With reviews claiming the game lasts 5 hours, i saw no incentive to buy it immediately. I decided that i would just wait until it price dropped. Well, the Friday after release i ended up finding it for $42.99. Decided what the heck, it looks like a lot of fun and is getting solid reviews and everything. Thankfully, i made a great decision. 
 

Title

The title of my review is "Sam Fisher is Jack Bauer?" Well, of course he is not Jack Bauer (the main character on the popular tv show 24". As a fan of the show 24, I felt like Jack Bauer. You are doing the same type of stuff he does in his show, which is really cool. 
 

Gameplay

 I will come out and say it out front: I have never played a Splinter Cell game before. I hear people talking how this is not anything like Splinter Cell, but i wouldn't know. What this game is however, is one of the best stealth shooter games i have ever played. You have a variety of weapons to choose from, each are found at stashes within the level. There is a shotgun, assault rifles, pistols (my personal favorite), sub machine guns, and special types of grenades. I found myself using the pistol for the majority of the game, as it felt like it was the gun that was meant to be used. It felt nice unlocking new pistols and upgrading them. You

can upgrade your weapons by completing specific challenges in the game. As for the actual shooting and cover mechanics, they work great as well. Using cover is done very well in this game, all you do is press left trigger to get in cover, and let go of it to get out. The main reason i used a pistol majority of the game is a single shot weapon seems easier and better to use. You can also sneak up on someone and melee kill them, unlocking the ability to mark targets and auto kill them. I found this very useful especially when the odds weren't very good for me against the enemies.
 

Graphics

The graphics in the game are great. When i played the demo i thought "Nice in game graphics, crappy cut scenes" This is not as much the case in the real game. The game feels really atmospheric, especially later in the game. You won't see many bright colors, but it sets the mood for the game. Lighting is done well and there are some nice textures. There are also some very dull textures in some places, especially on some character models in game and cut scenes. The use of words on the wall was a great addition as well.

The projection of text on walls gives you info. on what your next objective in the game is. While you may already know what it is, it is nice to have a reminder of what exactly you are doing (as weird as this sounds). There are also user controlled cut scenes where you interrogate people. The graphics when you do this look great.
 
 
 

Story

 So basically you are Sam Fisher. You quit working for Third Echelon because your daughter was killed (I assume this is why you quit, i have not played previous Splinter Cell games). You get a call on your phone while minding your own business, and the story only escalates from there. Some parts of the story are confusing and i didn't understand what was going on. The end of the game really is great story wise and i enjoyed it.
 

Online

 Online game play feature's co op mode as well as a mode similar to horde in gears of war. The co op campaign is unique and different from the single player. You also must be stealthy for the wave mode (similar to horde), and try to survive as many wave's as you can. These are great addition's to the already incredible single player campaign.

 
 
 
 

 
 

Conclusion

 After i beat the campaign i felt a since of accomplishment. I also felt like Jack Bauer after 24 hours of saving the country. I can already see myself playing through the game again in the future. I beat the game on the "Normal" setting. I died several times and i will be honest, it was frustrating. Deciding the best technique to eliminate your foes is what will keep my coming back, even to single player. It will take the average person 6-8 hours to complete, it varies depending your tactics you use as well as how many times you die. If you're looking for a game to decide how to eliminate your foes, whether it be from throwing a remote camera, making a noise, and blowing it up when enemies get near it due to the noise, or by just throwing a simple grenade in, then this game for is for you. If you are a fan of Jack Bauer and the show 24, then i would also recommend this game. The game was well worth the money i paid, and will be a great addition to my gaming collection.