Splinter Cell: Conviction [360] Preview page 2

13 Oct 2009 at 13:43:52 by John Robertson

If you prefer a heavier handed approach (or just get caught off ground) you're equally adept at running into the fray all guns-a-blazin', in a way even the venerable Rambo would be proud of. Fisher can grab an enemy and use them as a human shield, firing his gun with his free hand. Over-turned tables, doorways and other miscellaneous objects enemies use to shield themselves from the sting of a bullet can be destroyed provided you've got a weapon powerful enough to do so, preventing long, drawn shootouts from one end of the environment to the other.

Mr Fisher has one other very special trick up his sleeve, namely being able to recognise exactly where his pursuers think he is. After a fire-fight (or some other event that draws the attention of far off guards) a white, semi-opaque outline of Fisher appears in the environment at the precise location enemies think you are. The tactical advantage of this feature is obvious, allowing you to either flank around the likely routes the guards will be travelling upon or to lie in wait in a suitable area and pick them off as they pass by - oblivious to their proximity to a rather annoyed, highly trained weapon of death. It was in these moments that our time with Conviction was most pleasurable - planning attacks, locating the best ambush points, deciding whether to simply brake a guys neck or to shot him from afar all combining to create a real sense of engagement between player and character, as well as between player and environment.

Indeed, the primary objective of the game seems to be to craft something that is as engaging as possible. This is no more evident than during the moments when you're introduced to the level or receiving updates to your mission objectives. Rather than a standard loading screen, levels are preceded by a fly-through of the upcoming area, giving you a brief look at what you're going to be up against whilst a voice-over provides a little context and introduces you to your primary objectives. It's a neat trick that feels somewhat like an extended establishing shot in a movie, providing a greater sense of place and purpose than you often find in a video game. Mid-level mission updates are projected across walls, windows or any other suitably expansive area, resulting in a complete (and welcome) absence of the standard, stereotypical in-game menu screens or pop-up messages.

Indeed, the primary objective of the game seems to be to craft something that is as engaging as possible. This is no more evident than during the moments when you're introduced to the level or receiving updates to your mission objectives. Rather than a standard loading screen, levels are preceded by a fly-through of the upcoming a

rea, giving you a brief look at what you're going to be up against whilst a voice-over provides a little context and introduces you to your primary objectives. It's a neat trick that feels somewhat like an extended establishing shot in a movie, providing a greater sense of place and purpose than you often find in a video game. Mid-level mission updates are projected across walls, windows or any other suitably expansive area, resulting in a complete (and welcome) absence of the standard, stereotypical in-game menu screens or pop-up messages.

Splinter Cell Conviction is looking every bit the blockbuster title it has been billed as, refining the gameplay and introducing new elements where needed to expand upon what we've seen before. Parts of the game looked a little rough around the edges (enemies would walk part of the way through closed doors and occasionally not bother to attack you, despite being only three feet away), but all in all the signs are very positive. Releasing in February 2010 (missing the messing fight for Christmas number one) this might just be the game that propels the franchise to the heights it has been promising for a good few years now, emerging from under the shadow of Metal Gear Solid to find its own place alongside the industry's big time players.

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