Splinter Cell is probably my favorite game of the year and most disappointing game of the year at the same time. During most of the game, it's all pretty much stealth, and I loved it. It had a MGS4 mixed with Arkham Asylum feel to it. The shooting with the pistol was super satisfying and racking up headshots was a blast. (For the record, I disagree with Jeff Gerstmann. Headshots are just fun.)

But towards the last hour or so of the game, the developers say to me "Alright now, fuck you. Let's take everything you love from this out of the game. Now...shoot everyone. With a pistol. GO!" I almost quit playing the game near the end, and I actually recommend you do so. When you get to the part where you have to locate generators, turn the game off. You've seen what you needed to see from the game.

I haven't really explored the other modes other than Deniable Ops which I played briefly, but that seems more of a thing that I would do co-op with someone. And unfortunately for me, I have no friends who would like to play with me nor do I have Xbox Live Gold. I'm a loser, I know.

Over all, I was about ready to call Splinter Cell my favorite game of the year so far, until the last hours pissed the hell out of me. Now I think it's just an average game. They just got way too sloppy at the end and didn't add any stealth elements, which completely ruined the game for me.

Splinter Cell is probably my favorite game of the year and most disappointing game of the year at the same time. During most of the game, it's all pretty much stealth, and I loved it. It had a MGS4 mixed with Arkham Asylum feel to it. The shooting with the pistol was super satisfying and racking up headshots was a blast. (For the record, I disagree with Jeff Gerstmann. Headshots are just fun.)

But towards the last hour or so of the game, the developers say to me "Alright now, fuck you. Let's take everything you love from this out of the game. Now...shoot everyone. With a pistol. GO!" I almost quit playing the game near the end, and I actually recommend you do so. When you get to the part where you have to locate generators, turn the game off. You've seen what you needed to see from the game.

I haven't really explored the other modes other than Deniable Ops which I played briefly, but that seems more of a thing that I would do co-op with someone. And unfortunately for me, I have no friends who would like to play with me nor do I have Xbox Live Gold. I'm a loser, I know.

Over all, I was about ready to call Splinter Cell my favorite game of the year so far, until the last hours pissed the hell out of me. Now I think it's just an average game. They just got way too sloppy at the end and didn't add any stealth elements, which completely ruined the game for me.

agreed

I played the pc version on a friend's system (currently saving all my money), and I have to say that in general I think the controls are very awkward. Pressing right click to take cover to me just seems wrong. And while I could probably remap the keys, to me their defaults just don't seem well thought out. I can't give any impressions beyond that...I enjoyed the first two missions...but I also think that the writing itself (voices) are a little...under developed? Yeah, under developed is what I would say.

I think the game sort of fell down in the fact that, in order to justify the "Last Known Position" feature you can't pick up bodies.
 
By not being able to pick up bodies it means the whole move around for head shot strategy becomes viable.

Aww no Live? I was going to offer to play through Co-Op with you. I haven't played through it either.
 
I really wish you could hide bodies. I found myself taking people as a human shield and dragging them to the shadows before dispatching them. Old habits die hard.

" @Metal_Gear_Sunny: I'm guessing you didn't play or like the original games much. "

I've played all the previous games in the series except Pandora Tomorrow, and I've loved all of those games. But Conviction took the series to a whole new level. I have never felt more of a badass playing a game ever before. I agree, the story stuff gets a little fucked up towards the end and I generally never really enjoyed the story stuff that much, which is weird since I really like this game. But the thing that made the experience for me was the Deniable Ops. Man, that stuff is really good. I haven't even played coop, only by my self but I still feel like that is the strongest feature in the game.