The latest in a long running series, Splinter Cell: Conviction once again places you into the shoes of Sam Fisher, now a former Third Echelon operative. Having turned his back on his past employers, and swimming in a sea of depression over the loss of both his daughter and best friend, Sam is pulled back into action when information about his daughter’s killer surfaces.

It doesn’t take long for events to spiral out of control, forcing Sam to revisit old friends and contacts in his pursuit of the truth. Sticking to the shadows to avoid detection, and beating information out of his enemies, Sam Fisher’s personal quest for vengeance will instantly grip new and old Splinter Cell fans alike.

Having undergone a serious revamp, Splinter Cell: Conviction includes many changes to the core gameplay, which have helped improve the overall pace of the game. These changes include the removal of the game ending detection rules. Rather than ending a particular level upon detection, Sam is free to seek cover until the coast is clear. This also allows the player to use the distraction to their advantage, and set traps, or completely bypass enemy forces while their attention is focused elsewhere. Other improvements include the ability to quickly mark and execute a number of enemies at once, which can only be obtained after a successful hand-to-hand enemy take down.

Basic gameplay remains the same in Splinter Cell: Conviction, stick to the shadows and eliminate enemies at just the right time. However, the introduction of Assassin’s Creed style free running, allows for a much more natural move set. If you’re expecting a tried and true Splinter Cell experience, think again. While SCC is very much a Splinter Cell game, its gameplay, writing, and pace have all been raised to bring about a newer, much more up-to-date instalment in the franchise.

While it may have been stuck in development hell for some time, all the improvements have really paid off. The overall experience is one of pure bliss (if your idea of bliss is clearing rooms of enemies in one fluid motion), and the attention to detail in the level design is second to none.

As perfect as SCC is, it’s not without its faults. Guards only seem to have a few sentences that constantly repeat (this is much more evident in the Deniable Ops mode), the single player campaign is tragically short, and even on Realistic difficulty Splinter Cell: Conviction is still far too easy.

And yet, I’m still constantly drawn back to the game. This is partly due to the additional online and offline modes. First of these is a standalone co-op campaign, placing you and a friend in the roles of Archer and Kestrel, agents for Third Echelon and its Russian counterpart. It offers all of the game mechanics from the single player campaign, though the big difference (obviously) is that you get to experience it with a friend.

Second are the various Deniable Ops modes, Hunter, Infiltration (unlockable using in-game Uplay points), and Last Stand. All can be played alone or with a co-op partner, and place you against opposing AI forces. Hunter and Infiltration require you to take down enemies undetected, while Last Stand pits you against waves of AI as you defend an EMP generator. Maps in these modes are lifted straight from the co-op campaign; and in the case of the first two modes, constantly expand as you clear the required number of AI.

To say that Splinter Cell: Conviction is impressive, even despite its short comings, is an understatement. With a serious amount of content that will last long after you’ve completed the main campaign, and the promise of further maps/modes/weapons/armour in planned DLC packs, Splinter Cell: Conviction is one title that will continue to pull you back for more.

9/10

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