Splinter Cell: Conviction

[LK]

Out tonight!

I only know that I'm hoping the game is as great as they hyped and as long as they took on it. If it's mediocre, then it's an argument against them taking their time releasing quality entries in the series. Also looking forward to whatever multiplayer it ships with.

[Phire]

6 hour single player...I beat it in one sitting. It was good and thank god you can get away with shooting everyone (ie: I suck at stealth :p) so I would recommend it for a rental. I still want to try the co-op though.

[Margalis]

If it's mediocre, then it's an argument against them taking their time releasing quality entries in the series.

The time it took is less a function of taking time to release something high quality and more a function of hitting all sorts of conceptual and technical problems and totally restarting at least once.

[Rasix]

The TV ads make it look like "Not Splinter Cell".   And this:

It was good and thank god you can get away with shooting everyone

makes it sound like "Not Splinter Cell".  I love the series, but I tend to get them on the cheap.   Don't think I'll be changing that strategy here. 

[schild]

I love the series but I don't find the new UBI DRM to be a step up from Starforce. It is, in fact, a step backwards and I'm done with the whole company until that changes.

[LK]

Ubisoft's stink is all over this game.

I am shocked at some of their design decisions in single and multiplayer.

[NiX]

I love the series, but I tend to get them on the cheap.   Don't think I'll be changing that strategy here. 

The only thing similar to the past games is the names. Otherwise, this isn't Splinter Cell and if you really played for the stealth, it'll kill the franchise for you. Played 2-3 levels and I just couldn't stomach it, I think I was even being punished for trying to be stealthy.

[Rasix]

I love the series, but I tend to get them on the cheap.   Don't think I'll be changing that strategy here. 

The only thing similar to the past games is the names. Otherwise, this isn't Splinter Cell and if you really played for the stealth, it'll kill the franchise for you. Played 2-3 levels and I just couldn't stomach it, I think I was even being punished for trying to be stealthy.

This makes me very sad. Makes my wallet a bit happier, however. Sounds like a franchise killer for me.

[LK]

Depends on the multiplayer. Single player is a different experience. But, depending on multiplayer, it's either a solid rental or a cautious buy.

Seriously surprised that the multiplayer was retrofitted from 4-player Spies vs. Mercs to 2-player max Horde modes. I need to dig into it some more.

Notes:
- I just read a comment "If you want to be like Jack Bauer, play Conviction", which for some reason rubbed me the wrong way, despite Jack Bauer existing before Sam Fisher. I like Sam a lot more though.
- Multiplayer doesn't appear to be that replayable, based on reviews. This may be good for some; if I can "finish" a game after ~15 hours, including multiplayer, then that shows recognition on their part that Conviction wasn't going to be a Modern Warfare 2 or a Battlefield.
- ~87% on GameRankings is a decent score, but not for a franchise that took time off in what seemed like a "Let's take our time and make an awesome game" and instead turned into "We didn't know what the fuck made this game great but we'll try this."
- Ubisoft has some of the best original properties but the shittiest user experience of all games.
- I'll be damned curious to see sales figures and budget costs on this project.

[Azazel]

Hm, looks like my bargain bin plan for this thing is going to be the way to go for me then. I am interested to hear about the co-op modes though, and if they are meaty enough to justify a x2 purchase down the road.

[Morfiend]

Kotaku Review. Yes Kotaku.

Anyway, what people seem to be saying is that its basically two games in one. Each about 6 hours long. A single player Sam Fisher game, and a coop campaign that tackles the same events as the Fisher game, but from a different angle.

I am interested, but ill probably wait until it goes on Steam sale.

IMO Splinter Cell 2 and Chaos Theory where the high points in the series.

[Rasix]

Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory were awesome.  I also cared a great deal for Double Agent, although some of the JBA stuff was pretty tedious and out of place.

The Gamespot review looked to be pretty fair, although the reviewers use of "great" so often felt really out of place combared with the tone of the rest of the review.  Plus they did some annoying effect to mimic an interview from the game.

[Azazel]

What exactly does this mean?:

The little-hyped co-op part is graduate school to the single-player campaign's college, the most advanced and complex element of the Conviction package.

Are they talking difficulty level, or narrative wise? Or...?

If it's more difficult, I'll probably have to pass on the co-op, as my wife enjoys games but gets frustrated at stuff that's overly complicated or requires too much gamer-coordination.   

[tgr]

6 hour single player...I beat it in one sitting.

What the christ is it with this "we'll provide you with 1 digit hours of gameplay" that games today seem to provide? It's depressing.

[NiX]

If it's more difficult, I'll probably have to pass on the co-op, as my wife enjoys games but gets frustrated at stuff that's overly complicated or requires too much gamer-coordination.   

Not more difficult. Same run and gun style can be used with the exception of the stealth only missions, which end up doing a 180 and turning into run and gun. She'll be fine.

[Azazel]

6 hour single player...I beat it in one sitting.

What the christ is it with this "we'll provide you with 1 digit hours of gameplay" that games today seem to provide? It's depressing.

In some ways I don't mind. It means I'll probably actually finish it. Of course, it also means I wait until it's available from the Bargain Bin, so In a sense, I'm only looking to be entertained for a much smaller amount of money's worth. Not exactly "pre-order the CE now!" levels of enthusiasm and profit for them from me though, is it?

[K9]

6 hour single player...I beat it in one sitting.

What the christ is it with this "we'll provide you with 1 digit hours of gameplay" that games today seem to provide? It's depressing.

Agreed, although I wonder where the bang-for-your-buck tipping point is?

[Rasix]

For me? About 8-10.  Depends entirely on the genre, though.   A 15 hour God of War type game might feel like it's dragging on, while a 15 hour JRPG would feel like a complete rip off.

[LK]

Single Player:
- It's 24, the game. Seriously. Sam Fisher is Jack Bauer. The shakey cam, the Washington D.C. setting, the interrogations, just a rip off stylistically, though their presentation, voice acting, and music work very well. I like Sam Fisher but jesus christ. They spent years trumpeting what the plot and game was going to be about and switch it on you after the first level.
- Levels are more like Arkham Asylum's Predator mode than stealth infiltration. Goals lean more towards eliminating terrorists through ambushes.
- Lots of guns and level upgrade system that begs one question: why have them? Lots of junk to unlock.

Multi Player:
- This is where the variation comes in. Lots of maps in different environments that couldn't have been done with the plot they had setup.
- Maps take awhile to complete and are broken up into sections. Several different modes mostly focused on PvE.
- Apparently decided that people had more fun being spies than mercenaries, so gutted the focused 2v2 multiplayer to 2-player co-op / competitive.
- Absolutely asinine to lock one of three game modes behind UPlay.
- Too many customization options that show lack of focus in their multiplayer efforts.

I think the high 80's / lowest-ranked game of the series are fair assessments.

[Velorath]

6 hour single player...I beat it in one sitting.

What the christ is it with this "we'll provide you with 1 digit hours of gameplay" that games today seem to provide? It's depressing.

Doesn't sound like the game doesn't have enough hours of gameplay, just that they're spread out between the single-player and co-op campaigns.

[Rasix]

I'd hazard a guess that most fans of the series give less of a fart about the multiplayer aspects.

[LK]

I'm a fan of the series but I have a bitch of a time finding even one person to do Co-Op with.

The single player length was perfect for me, oddly. It's possibly an effect of not having game mechanics that require repetitively grinding on quick, fast encounters for character progression. What really breaks the game for me is the Sonar Goggles. At that point it seemed like any pretense of scouting out corners and checking under doors for baddies goes away when you can just do a quick scan of everything within 100 yds. It's good to find out where that one enemy in the level is, though.

[Velorath]

I'd hazard a guess that most fans of the series give less of a fart about the multiplayer aspects.

Then I'd suggest they not but the game, but that's a different complaint than saying there's only 6 hours of gameplay.

[Morfiend]

Just noticed the game is $59.99

I think waiting for a Steam sale is now a for sure thing.

[MuffinMan]

Looks like you can pre-order from Amazon for $46.99. Unless the DRM is different for the Steam version, then don't mind me.

[schild]

Looks like you can pre-order from Amazon for $46.99. Unless the DRM is different for the Steam version, then don't mind me.

DRM is the same on both.

[Azazel]

I'm a fan of the series but I have a bitch of a time finding even one person to do Co-Op with.

I'll be your co-op buddy. If we have the same games to play. And are on at the same time(s).

[LK]

Already mostly done with the game and just on clean-up now. Bioshock 2 multiplayer has my interest.

[Azazel]

Reread the second (and third) sentences. I don't even own SC:C at this time.

[Trouble]

I've played through both the single player and co-op campaigns and logged a few hours doing some of the multiplayer modes. I'm one of those people who never played a previous splinter cell game. I bought the whole splinter cell pack during a steam sale for $45 so I actually went back and played some Double Agent after extensively playing Conviction. Conviction is far more accessible and most likely appeals to a broader audience. The game is less punishing of mistakes, faster paced, and the controls (PC) are FAAAR smoother and more intuitive. On one hand, it is absolutely understandable that the core audience which was drawn to almost entirely stealth-based play would feel alienated and hate on this game a lot. On the other hand, the game was fun as hell to me and I had a blast in both the single player and co-op. The faster paced Jack Baueresque action has its appeal.

I had a hell of a time playing with a friend on "Last Stand" mode. 20 waves, starting with 15 guys per wave and ending with 35 guys on the final wave. The map we did was in like a central room of a building, two stories with a big round open area in the middle. Moving around, jumping up and down walls/ledges is a LOT faster than in Double Agent. The acrobatics are pretty insane. It was fun grabbing guys from the ledge, completely hidden, using the Mark-and-Execute ability to kill 4 other guys with my pistol, and still remaining hidden.

I can see there will be a lack of long term replayability, but I will have gotten 20-30 hours out of it at least by then.