Preview: Splinter Cell Conviction

So awhile back last year during rAge we brought you some coverage on the game, in light of the amount of information that has been released since then… It’s time for a preview!

This game marks a new era for Sam Fisher; Ubisoft has pitted Sam Fisher against his former employers. This is a whole new game for Sam; he has to fight using every skill he has ever learned. Not able to rely on his gadgets alone it is now time for him to fight dirty.

The single player is setting to rock my world at the very least. Having your employers lie to you is one thing but to have them betray regarding your family is another thing. The story looks to be pretty immerse from what has been shown. The two highly anticipated features which has been shown numerous times holding people in awe at the fluid execution of these features.

The Features Are:

Last Known Position: This looks to be a very interesting feature. It really makes the game seem more realistic, if in real life someone were to shoot a gun you, they would aim in that direction, this makes the AI seem more realistic by sending the people to the area where you last fired your weapon. Enabling you to properly plan out ambushes and traps, this should make for interesting strategies. In the picture below take note of them firing at the window on the left presuming that is where you are.

Mark and execute: This is a neat addition; it allows you to use your snake cam (or equivalent) to peak and then mark the things in order you wish to have them shot. For example if you used your snake cam and saw the following: a light, 2 enemies and a explosive barrel. You could set it to first off take out the light thus blinding the enemies then fire at the barrel thus killing them or you could set the order to take out the enemies. This has been done in other games too.. Like, Rainbow Six (note: company made the two games).

The innovations do not stop here. We’ll now focus on the highly awaited co-op. The co-op is the prologue to the actual single player. The co-op campaign is set to be a storyline wherein you play the role of agent Archer and Russian agent Kestrel, the one is from Third Echelon, and the other from its Russian counterpart Voron.  You are sent deep into the Russian underworld to recover 4 Russian EMPs. Let’s just say.. Teamwork is essential.

They have seamlessly tried to blend elements from the single player into the co-op, for example, in single player you had mark and execute; in co-op you have mark and partner execute. Obviously the player with the vantage point would mark the targets for his partner to move on.

Another more famous aspect which people I know are waiting to try out is the interrogation process wherein you get to interrogate certain targets to obtain information. The part that people will enjoy is where you get to interrogate bad guys using all kinds of different elements in the area around you. This means bashing faces with toilets, or using your fists to do the job.

The graphical end has improved to the extent that it is almost a masterpiece. The many additions range from light stealth elements to background objective markers. The stealth elements include a light blue tint to the edges of the screen which grows darker, as you are in darker areas, and then lighter when you are visible, in lighter areas. A really nice artistic feature is the introduction of background objective markers which run along the background. These markets subtly push you into the direction where you should be going and it makes for an interesting visual.

You will also notice a change of clothing. This should allow for more freedom when moving, and of course a more subtle but effective approach to picking up chicks.

The multi player will allow up to 4 players playing in co-op vs. mode. They have included Deniable Ops missions which could be equated as something similar to probably Modern Warfare 2’s Spec Ops. The breakdown of the Deniable Ops is as such;

3 game modes (1 or 2 players ):

• Hunter- Eliminate all the enemies in a progressive sweep of the map.
• Last stand- Defend the EMP against waves of enemies.
• Face-Off- Adversarial mode of spy versus spy, with hostile AI thrown into the mix.  (2 players only)

A separate mission played solo is Infiltration - Eliminate all hostiles in the mission area without being detected.

Previous Splinter Cell Conviction News Here.