PixlBit

I remember playing the original Splinter Cell on the PS2 way back in the day, and while I liked it, I didn't keep up with the franchise as it continued. This was around the time I stepped away from gaming in general, though. It wasn't until a couple months ago that a friend and I wanted to play games that weren't just CoD multiplayer, which is the majority of our shared gaming experiences.

I looked up what could be available on the Xbox 360--the console we share--and I came across Splinter Cell: Conviction. It's an Xbox and PC only release that continues from the, I'm told, shocking ending of the previous Splinter Cell. I'd heard that covert agent Sam Fisher's daughter had been killed and he had stepped away from the spy life.

The game begins with this. Sam has tracked down the man responsible, but before he learns too much, he is abducted by his former employer, Third Echelon. From here, he learns a terrible secret and embarks on a mission that's part revenge, part military thriller.

When looking up info about the game, I'd read that the developers wanted to Bourne Identity-ify (disregard that, please) the franchise and took this game as an oppurtunity to reboot the game without eliminating it's history.

I think Ubisoft Montreal exceeded that goal. The game's story was exciting and clearly written. There were no overly complicated plots or carefully obfuscated intrigue that really was just a hidden McGuffin. I became truly interested in Sam's journey and despite my usual MO, I completed the game within about a day of starting.

Part of what grabbed me about this game is the gameplay. It felt deep enough to provide good action and tactics, but wasn't overwhelming. The inclusion of a cover system and the execution system, which allows players to automatically kill a certain number of opponents after recharging with a melee attack, provide an extra level of tactics and action that I was very thankful for.

Using these with the stealth tactics I've learned with other games was very rewarding and I always felt like such a badass when I was able to thin out the perimeter and use the execution system to eliminate the last few guards.

My friend and I played the co-op prologue to the core story, which added some interesting bits, but left me kinda cold. The addition of the mode was fun, definitely, but I don't feel like the story that was given to us was very necessary. Add to that the fact that it took about an hour to complete, I have to give an energetic "Meh" to this.

The multiplayer modes were fun, adding variants to horde mode, stealth arenas and competitive gameplay to the mix that are a bit addicting.

I really, really liked Splinter Cell: Conviction and feel like paying $5 for it at Gamestop was a hell of a deal. If you like stealth games, or action games with a bit of a twist, I implore you to play this game. I'm sure you'll have fun like I did.