Sam Fischer returns in Splinter Cell: Conviction to find out the truth about his daughter and crack a few heads along the way.
To that end, Sam sometimes goes into interrogation mode, which is essentially: getting no answers, then pressing B and getting answers. To be fair, pressing B does things like put the enemy's head through a toilet, or through a door, or my personal favorite, onto a burning hot stove.
When the answers come, faces or objectives are projected on the wall for Sam to see. Playable flashbacks occasionally pop up as well, letting players learn more about Sam's past in the Army and as a father. A training sequence about marking even occurs during one, when Sam defends his home against thieves.
Marking is one of the huge differences between Conviction and other Splinter Cell games. Players press the right bumper to mark an enemy; when he is in range, players can press Y to execute the enemy with one shot. Different weapons allow for more marks at once, which will definitely influence weapon choice.
A whole new dimension to gameplay is possible with marking. Using Sam's new goggles, you can park people through walls, kick the door down, shoot them in the face and hide while the remaining enemies freak out. From there, there are a dozen different ways to finish of the rest. One of those is not, however, to leave cover for an open firefight. This isn't Halo, and that will get you killed almost immediately.
There are many varied challenges that count on gameplay flexibility. Challenges earn points used to upgrade weapons, and since there are so many ways to finish a level, there are incentives to change up your play style. If you constantly play the same way, eventually you'll stop being rewarded for it.
Challenges are also available in the Deniable Ops mode, which lets players jump right into a custom mission, and the new co-op story mode. The co-op story puts players into the shoes of agents Archer and Kestrel as they complete a different storyline than Sam. It doubles offline playtime, and adds new features like dual executions. Online play adds new multiplayer modes, but they are not team-based like other Splinter Cell games.
Sam's stealth shenanigans will keep players wildly entertained right up until the story is finished and all their guns are upgraded. Honestly, the only play just doesn't measure up.
(Originally written for and published with Tiger Weekly newspaper in Baton Rouge, LA)
To that end, Sam sometimes goes into interrogation mode, which is essentially: getting no answers, then pressing B and getting answers. To be fair, pressing B does things like put the enemy's head through a toilet, or through a door, or my personal favorite, onto a burning hot stove.
Marking is one of the huge differences between Conviction and other Splinter Cell games. Players press the right bumper to mark an enemy; when he is in range, players can press Y to execute the enemy with one shot. Different weapons allow for more marks at once, which will definitely influence weapon choice.
A whole new dimension to gameplay is possible with marking. Using Sam's new goggles, you can park people through walls, kick the door down, shoot them in the face and hide while the remaining enemies freak out. From there, there are a dozen different ways to finish of the rest. One of those is not, however, to leave cover for an open firefight. This isn't Halo, and that will get you killed almost immediately.
There are many varied challenges that count on gameplay flexibility. Challenges earn points used to upgrade weapons, and since there are so many ways to finish a level, there are incentives to change up your play style. If you constantly play the same way, eventually you'll stop being rewarded for it.
Sam's stealth shenanigans will keep players wildly entertained right up until the story is finished and all their guns are upgraded. Honestly, the only play just doesn't measure up.
(Originally written for and published with Tiger Weekly newspaper in Baton Rouge, LA)
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