Splinter Cell: Conviction Impressions

Originally I thought this game was going be a bit tricky. I did enjoy the demo but I thought the mark and execute feature made the game far too easy. Well Ubisoft really rectified that. For one you have to initiate a hand to hand take down before you can execute people. Two; since the guards are usually patrolling it'll take some positioning before you can execute and they have to be within a certain distance. It makes things very tense. The plus side to this is the weapon upgrade system which can increase the number of marks you can make. Currently I'm at four and let me tell you; it's wickedly awesome to have Sam Fisher drop down out of the shadows for a vertical take down and then eliminate each marked target with speed and precision. Again it seems Ubisoft's goal was to make the player feel as lethal as Sam appears in the cut-scenes and it works. 

The good thing is that knowing how easy this makes the game seem, it's crafted in a way in that you can't mark and execute your way through this thing. Like with previous Splinter Cell games it pays to be stealthy. If you really take your time, you can find ways around outright murdering everyenemy in sight. While playing on the Realistic setting I've taken this approach in a few chapters so far and it has only added to the tension already in place.

And before I close out this post about my initial impressions of the game I can't help but discuss some ofthe design mechanics. Ubisoft put a lot of effort into this game. The environments are simply outstanding and the animation is very fluid. As always the lighting is flawless because what is a Splinter Cell game without it's grand lighting schemes. I also love the design choice in that when Sam is completely concealed in darkness the color washes out so you know you're invisible. The added touch is that destructible environment pieces that can be used against your foes remain lit in color so you can plot out your strategy from the shadows. It's all very aesthetically pleasing and helpful for the consumer.

So there are my impressions of the game so far. My review of the single player campaign should be up by weekend's time and in that I'll cover some story elements without spoiling anything.