The Splinter Cell series has played host to six different instalments so it’s a given that new ideas will creep into each version in order to keep things smelling fresh. With Splinter Cell Conviction, Ubisoft has really out-done itself when it comes to innovation. Here’s what makes this third-person blaster one of the most refreshing yet experienced on the Xbox 360.
Read the rest of our Splinter Cell Conviction review:
Splinter Cell Conviction review: overall verdict
Splinter Cell Conviction review: multiplayer modes
Splinter Cell Conviction review: combat strategy
No on-screen text or heads-up display
Nothing breaks your concentration more than in-game text; it draws your attention away from the action and can often ruin what would otherwise be a very immersive experience. Thankfully Splinter Cell Conviction features a pretty groundbreaking solution; mission objectives and other information are displayed on walls, ceilings and floors, which means your attention is never diverted away from the game world.
For example, if you’ve been tasked with getting Fisher to a particular part of the level you’ll see bold text magically appear on doorways which lead to his proposed destination. It’s not just used as a guide, either; in Splinter Cell Conviction Fisher’s innermost thoughts and feelings are transposed onto the surrounding environment. During one overwrought telephone conversation, the words “Distrust” and “Anger” appear, adding even more tension to the situation.
Mark and Execute
This feature allows you to tag enemies and quickly take them out with one button-press. In order to gain the Mark and Execute ability you need to take down an enemy in hand-to-hand combat. You can then aim at others and “tag” them using the right-hand bumper button on your Xbox 360 pad.
Once tagged, these enemies can be swiftly executed with a push of the Y button; Fisher automatically shoots with a silenced pistol in glorious John Woo-style slow-motion. It may seem like a bit of a cop-out but the fact that you can’t use it all the time ensures that you don’t get lazy, and during some of the trickier portions of the Splinter Cell Conviction it becomes a near-essential technique.
Last Known Position
Another particularly original element in Splinter Cell Conviction is the “Last Known Position” marker. If you’re spotted by an adversary but successfully manage to find cover, a ghost-like after-image of Fisher is placed in the location where your enemy last saw you. They will instinctively head towards this marker, which gives you the opportunity to out-flank and attack from another direction. Again, this is a feature which is gob-smacking in its simplicity and we sincerely hope it becomes commonplace in more stealth-action titles in the future.
Colour-based threat system
Splinter Cell Conviction isn’t the first game to use colour to represent threats and points of interest but it’s certainly one of the best. You can quickly tell when Fisher is concealed in darkness because the colour eerily drains from the screen, leaving a black and white environment. Enemies remain in colour, as do items such as explosive barrels and other potentially useful objects.
We have ways of making you talk
Fisher’s mission causes his path to cross with some pretty unsavoury characters and sometimes you’ll have to mess them up a little in order to get the information you need. During interrogation sections you can drag your target around the room and smash them into various objects in order to gain a confession. These moments are easily Splinter Cell Conviction’s most shocking, but they lack variety and despite the interaction afforded to the player, they’re pretty linear.
Read the rest of our Splinter Cell Conviction review:
Splinter Cell Conviction review: overall verdict
Splinter Cell Conviction review: multiplayer modes
Splinter Cell Conviction review: combat strategy
No on-screen text or heads-up display
