Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction

 Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Apr 13, 2010
  • Also On: PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 693 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 486 out of 693
  2. Mixed: 119 out of 693
  3. Negative: 88 out of 693
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  1. Motsie
    Feb 24, 2012
    5
    I have been a massive fan of the Splinter Cell series, beginning with the first title that was released for the original Xbox. My play through with Splinter Cell: Conviction was, to say the least, average. It's the kind of game where developers take 1 step forward and 2 steps back, despite their passionate effort in 'reinventing' the genre. Length: "Splinter Cell: Conviction's" story modeI have been a massive fan of the Splinter Cell series, beginning with the first title that was released for the original Xbox. My play through with Splinter Cell: Conviction was, to say the least, average. It's the kind of game where developers take 1 step forward and 2 steps back, despite their passionate effort in 'reinventing' the genre. Length: "Splinter Cell: Conviction's" story mode will last the average player an upwards of around 6-10 hours, depending on the difficulty (mind you, this is not the same "lengthy" duration they claimed and boasted in their interviews. The Co-op portion of the title will last approximately 3-4 hours, again, depending on the difficulty. The rest of the multiplayer length is relatively subjective, because it really depends on the person playing and whether they truly enjoy it or not.

    Controls: Excellent. Some issues with trying to climb up and some such but other than that, the controls were very solid.

    Sound: Again, also excellent. Single Player Story: Not too much peep out of me for this part of the game. It's a pretty interesting storyline, but I wish they did a few things differently. In short - and without spoiling too much - it's just obnoxious playing as Sam Fisher one moment, and than being thrown into Diwaniya, Iraq as a completely different person. It just derails the narrative focus of the game for the sake of telling a side story that is completely irrelevant to the main plot of the game. Co-op Story: Interesting to say the least. It really reveals a lot of the interior motives of a certain someone in the single player story, but only if you play the co-op campaign first. The ending was truly a disappointment although my friend and I had a pretty good laugh the first time we played the ending. Gameplay and design: Now, this is where it gets really nitty-gritty. The game-play and overall design of Conviction is quite clear, it's meant to be played as a run and gun, Jason Bourne on speed style game. There are a huge amount of key and refining features missing that made the originals so damn good. The knife, whistling, controlling your light exposure and movement speed, Night/thermal vision goggles, moving and hiding bodies, hallway split jumping, etc. Big and small things like the ones I mentioned above are just completely eradicated from Conviction, all for the sake of making it fast paced, something the Splinter Cell series is *not* known for. Enemies are just thrown into each section of the level, each one being in a convenient spot for players to make full use of the Mark and Execute feature. So much is sacrificed for one feature, and quite frankly, it's just disgusting to see a title stripped of it's roots and garnished with mediocrity.

    The exclusion of key features is one thing, but the illusion of the stealth in conviction is also another. I couldn't shake the feeling that Conviction was not designed with the originals in mind. For all intents and purposes, Ubisoft felt it would be a good idea to force players into unavoidable gun fight scenarios with little hope for pure stealth. The addition of the Sonar Goggles is more of a burden than it is a boon. Special enemy types are later equipped with these very same goggles, further eliminating the use of stealth mechanics and forcing players to draw their guns and mark/execute their way to victory. These same goggles also completely eliminate the use of one such gadget, the sticky camera (which had it's smoke feature replaced with the explode feature).

    I can go on about how this isn't a true sequel to the Splinter Cell series but this review has to stop at some point and I'm just sick of having to juggle why Ubisoft felt it necessary to try and reinvent the wheel. For me, this title in the series is a 5/10. In short, as a Splinter Cell title, Conviction is complete trash that spits in the face of it's predecessor in hopes of garnering the undivided attention of the fast-paced shooter crowd. As a 3rd person shooter with some stealth elements, it's an average game. Make of that what you will.    … Expand
  2. DeamonE.
    Apr 13, 2010
    5
    A step up from previous games but its story is short the multiplayer only allows up to two people to play while the previous games had 3 to 4 times that amount
  3. MarkC.
    Apr 13, 2010
    5
    Somehow the reviews are forgetting to mention that Ubisoft took out the online versus modes! Thus, the best reason to buy a Splinter Cell game, and the very thing that made them so replayable, is utterly missing from Conviction. Yet they're not publicizing this fact! Buy it at your own risk. Most people are probably ASSUMING it has the traditional versus modes, and will be bitterly Somehow the reviews are forgetting to mention that Ubisoft took out the online versus modes! Thus, the best reason to buy a Splinter Cell game, and the very thing that made them so replayable, is utterly missing from Conviction. Yet they're not publicizing this fact! Buy it at your own risk. Most people are probably ASSUMING it has the traditional versus modes, and will be bitterly disappointed when they get home. But do you think Ubisoft is gonna give you back the $60 you paid for their campaign that only lasts SIX HOURS?!!!!… Expand
  4. allens.
    Apr 19, 2010
    6
    This game is not Splintercell. The graphics were terrible for today's standards. The AI was terrible as well. The black and white thing was a bad idea that was even worse in practice. This game was for people who obviously never played Splintercell. And if you thought the short gameplay was at all challenging or interesting you need to go back to your wii because those crappy This game is not Splintercell. The graphics were terrible for today's standards. The AI was terrible as well. The black and white thing was a bad idea that was even worse in practice. This game was for people who obviously never played Splintercell. And if you thought the short gameplay was at all challenging or interesting you need to go back to your wii because those crappy shovelware games are all you deserve. Ubi should fire whoever was responsible for this Splintercell.… Expand
  5. TadG.
    Apr 13, 2010
    6
    A huge step back from the Xbox Splinter Cells, unless you're a 3rd person action shooter fan.
  6. silvergamer
    Dec 8, 2010
    6
    This should have been the 1st SC some years ago giving the series - and gamers - an alternative to end up as a nice looking 3rd person shooter or as an exciting stealth game. Introducing shooter elements into such a well developed stealth franchise is like introducing RPG elements into Halo - it doesn´t work. FPS fans will not start to play the older SC episodes due to theThis should have been the 1st SC some years ago giving the series - and gamers - an alternative to end up as a nice looking 3rd person shooter or as an exciting stealth game. Introducing shooter elements into such a well developed stealth franchise is like introducing RPG elements into Halo - it doesn´t work. FPS fans will not start to play the older SC episodes due to the lame visuals and the missing FPS elements. Old fans of the series (like me) will not continue to buy any SC franchise in the future.

    Ubisoft: Leave SC as the monument of the genre and move on. It´s not getting better.    … Expand
  7. SiM
    Apr 18, 2010
    6
    With the delayed release and extra time this took I really thought they were going to nail this one down. How disappointing. On 'Realistic' mode unarmoured guards still take '3 or4' shots to the chest then shake it off and come running and gunning after you again! I thought gaming had moved passed all this 'yesteryear' crap. Floating guns and heads popping With the delayed release and extra time this took I really thought they were going to nail this one down. How disappointing. On 'Realistic' mode unarmoured guards still take '3 or4' shots to the chest then shake it off and come running and gunning after you again! I thought gaming had moved passed all this 'yesteryear' crap. Floating guns and heads popping through closed doors as they try to get through them? Oh, and how ridiculously dark is the game? I appreciate the game is supposed to be a bout striking from the darkness but seriously...I can't see a thing! Sonar goggles a good idea but once you shoot the lights out You end up bouncing off walls like a pinball until you find a door! NVG's would've been a great add on Ubisoft. If it's not broke then don't fix it. Once again a potentially great game marred by sloppy level design (Iraq Level) and poor implementation. Only the co-op saves this...and even then it's not as good as the co-op in Chaos Theory.… Expand
  8. SteeleW.
    Apr 19, 2010
    6
    I'm about half way through in one sitting. The game is ok, but ultimately falls flat. The controls are odd, and It pains my eyes to keep having everything go from color to B&W all the time. Aside from that the regenerative health system takes forever to heal, so if you get hurt prepare to just sit there for literally 60 seconds until you're healed which kills the momentum. Also I'm about half way through in one sitting. The game is ok, but ultimately falls flat. The controls are odd, and It pains my eyes to keep having everything go from color to B&W all the time. Aside from that the regenerative health system takes forever to heal, so if you get hurt prepare to just sit there for literally 60 seconds until you're healed which kills the momentum. Also the levels are pretty short and uninspired. The game looks amazing, but some of the mo-cap could have been better. The storyline is basically you hunt down and or meet up with people until you find your daughters killer, I won't spoil anything for you even though there isn't much to spoil. Everything about this game is kind of lacking or has been done before. Honestly just buy a PS3 and play through uncharted 2, splinter cell is basically an inferior version of Drake's adventure. It's a fun, short, easy(I'm playing on realistic and it is wayyyyyy too easy) romp, but will ultimately wind up traded back to gamestop.… Expand
  9. dawkins2468
    Jul 4, 2011
    6
    It is a decent game. If you're looking for another thrilling stealth game like the past splinter cell entries, then don't buy this game. It's turned into more of a guns blazing shooter game and it's way too short. It has a nice co-op campaign though. If you can find this game for cheap then go ahead and buy it for a couple hrs of entertainment but don't expect to be wowed.
  10. jean2
    Aug 26, 2010
    6
    I'm a big fan of Splinter Cell, of stealth games and a hardcore gamer. This game was not a stealth game at all, it was very easy, it was too short. I somehow liked this game, For a casual gamer, this is a great game. Those who didn't like the olders Splinter Cell because it was too hard, there was too much stealth, those should try the demo. Maybe they will like it. For a big fan ofI'm a big fan of Splinter Cell, of stealth games and a hardcore gamer. This game was not a stealth game at all, it was very easy, it was too short. I somehow liked this game, For a casual gamer, this is a great game. Those who didn't like the olders Splinter Cell because it was too hard, there was too much stealth, those should try the demo. Maybe they will like it. For a big fan of Splinter Cell, it is a deception, but maybe they will somehow like it. I hope it will come back a stealth game, but I don't think so. I give it a 6/10, it is a great location, and can be a good game for Casual Gamers. But I'd like a longer story, this one was too short. Just 5 hours. You should all try the demo.… Expand
  11. JoeD.
    Apr 14, 2010
    7
    This is not a Splinter Cell game in anyway shape or form except for the fact that it has Sam Fisher in it. The game is fun and entertaining but it just won't be what the true fans were looking for. I really hope Ubisoft goes back to the traditional SC formula next time around if there even is a next time.
  12. AlexS
    Apr 15, 2010
    7
    Change is good, but not in this case. From someone coming from the old Splinter Cells, I have to say this is a huge downgrade of the series. It's still a good game, but has been dumbed down to suite the casual gamers out there. The story is very short at 5 hours, but you have a co-op mode which takes about the same time so 10 hours total. It's unfortunate to see yet another Change is good, but not in this case. From someone coming from the old Splinter Cells, I have to say this is a huge downgrade of the series. It's still a good game, but has been dumbed down to suite the casual gamers out there. The story is very short at 5 hours, but you have a co-op mode which takes about the same time so 10 hours total. It's unfortunate to see yet another series go down hill like this. This game also has the worst graphics you will ever have seen in the last two years, coming from a big title. It uses Unreal 2 engine, which is just flat out not acceptable. I recomend renting this game, as it has no competitive multiplayer and is very short.… Expand
  13. DanC
    Apr 17, 2010
    7
    Compared to other splinter cell games this is NOT a stealth game and is far to easy I completed it on normal in around 5-7 hours. Firstly I have to mention the A.I as i feel its very good enemies will flank use grenades to flush you out and co-ordinate attacks in a realistic way the enemy A.I is mostly fantastic.. with one major flaw the last known position mechanic when enemies are Compared to other splinter cell games this is NOT a stealth game and is far to easy I completed it on normal in around 5-7 hours. Firstly I have to mention the A.I as i feel its very good enemies will flank use grenades to flush you out and co-ordinate attacks in a realistic way the enemy A.I is mostly fantastic.. with one major flaw the last known position mechanic when enemies are firing bullets and suppressing the area realising it may be an ambush spot fantastic and realistic but when one after the other runs into the same spot to be CQ killed its stupid and erratic did their IQ's drop? As for stealth I found you can definitly stealth through the levels its just the game makes it very difficult too basically making it more likely you end up in a gun fight, its usually much simpler to kill a roomful of enemies than sneak past them splinter cell gameplay this is not. It is however their people you just have to be careful. Also theirs only 2 sections where I have to beat security systems and even here its easy to avoid security cameras and lasers too easy. Also why am I not being punished for my mistakes if you slip up in splinter cell BAM your done doesnt feel like that this time. Now my biggest issue with the game where is the versus mode you know one of the most interesting and unique multiplayer gamemodes on the xbox's or PS's where is it gone? and why were we not informed of this major removal. Overall a fun and enjoyable game that can be played stealthily or action orientated however it tries and often succseeds in making you shoot your way through by placing enemies too copiously to avoid. What it lacks is old school SC gameplay and replayability this is one of those games you complete on the hardest difficulty then forget about, the shame is online could of remedied this. Good but disappointing also what exactly took them so long?… Expand
  14. BrockP.
    Apr 22, 2010
    7
    This game falls short in almost every comparison a person can come up with when comparing to past titles. Lets start with gameplay. They added some nice new mechanics with the M&E, B&W, the more agile movement, and the stories presentation has even taken steps forward. This however does not make this the best splinter cell of all time. The linear level design completely hurts this title This game falls short in almost every comparison a person can come up with when comparing to past titles. Lets start with gameplay. They added some nice new mechanics with the M&E, B&W, the more agile movement, and the stories presentation has even taken steps forward. This however does not make this the best splinter cell of all time. The linear level design completely hurts this title and forces players to play as shooter first and stealth pretty much never. Losing the ability move bodies even though security measures and guards react to them was also a bad design choice. Others include losing the ability pick locks and hack computers, using security measures against the enemies, throwing objects to get someones attention, disabling lights without shooting and causing a huge amount of noise, picking up gadgets that weren't used. the list is forever long and I could keep going. The game is average at best when compared to any other game on the market especially when compared to the past games. Lets not forget all the problems and bugs that are all over the forum for missing achievements, corrupt saves, and bad collision and physics. Now lets try out the multiplayer and compare it to past titles. Wait a sec.. There is no multiplayer. What they have included is garbage whoever thought that taking the multiplayer game modes and making them single player and calling the deniable ops made a nice addition to a game is seriously mistaken. The multiplayer gametypes have no substance and are pretty much unplayable because of the connectivity problems. The only mode that is worth anything is co-op. Archer is the star of the show. His dialog is amazing and will easily be remembered for years to come. Even the co-op mode has problems with it's length, and connectivity issues. Lastly they took out Spy VS Merc Multiplayer. In conclusion, it is obvious this title didn't get the attention and time it needed to become the game of year title it should have been. The game took some steps forward but lost so much of what made the past games great that it is destined for the bargin bin. Top it off with bad quality all around and the game just doesn't hold up to a detailed eye. Overall Rating 7.5 Compare to: Modern Warfare 2 3rd person playlist I think the majority of us had high expectations because of the quality of the past titles. We were spoiled, the bar was set so high, and now we are dissapointed with the garbage we wasted $60 on. This title just doesn't meet the quality of the past titles.… Expand
  15. kaim
    Apr 15, 2010
    7
    SC has taken a massive fae lift for this outing and i can't say its paid off. If SC wasn't one of the greatest stealth series ever, i would praise the action and high pace, but ubisoft have stripped SC for all that is good in it- the atmosphere, the visor mode and the story- and have replaced it with a Bourne Identity style plot, and a Matt Damon style lead character. Despite SC has taken a massive fae lift for this outing and i can't say its paid off. If SC wasn't one of the greatest stealth series ever, i would praise the action and high pace, but ubisoft have stripped SC for all that is good in it- the atmosphere, the visor mode and the story- and have replaced it with a Bourne Identity style plot, and a Matt Damon style lead character. Despite these flaws, I have to praise conviction for pure awesomeness in its multiplayer mode which is frankly genious in its gameplay. This game deserves an eight, but its heritage makes me give it a seven purely out of spite… Expand
  16. 3rdEchelon
    Sep 6, 2010
    7
    I think the game was absolutely awesome! The graphics were excellent, the AI was quite challenging, and the story was also pretty good, although not that immersive.

    I loved the mark and execute mechanic, and the way the screen fades to black&white when you are invisible. Would have liked a little more freedom of movement throughout the levels, and more need for the use of gadgets would    I think the game was absolutely awesome! The graphics were excellent, the AI was quite challenging, and the story was also pretty good, although not that immersive.

    I loved the mark and execute mechanic, and the way the screen fades to black&white when you are invisible.

    Would have liked a little more freedom of movement throughout the levels, and more need for the use of gadgets would have been nice.

    Overall it's a very good addition to the Splinter Cell series. Although Chaos Theory and Conviction are way better!    … Expand
  17. Akiba_22
    Sep 28, 2010
    7
    AHHH splinter cell i'm a sucker for stealth games and i've been playing this series since the first owned them all.i once completed the fist 2 games on hard in the same day without being seen ( yes....i'm a geek) (I've played this game for about 20 hours completed single player on realistic as well as co-op on realisitic) got around 600 gamerscore check gamertag Akiba22

    All in all i    AHHH splinter cell i'm a sucker for stealth games and i've been playing this series since the first owned them all.i once completed the fist 2 games on hard in the same day without being seen ( yes....i'm a geek) (I've played this game for about 20 hours completed single player on realistic as well as co-op on realisitic) got around 600 gamerscore check gamertag Akiba22

    All in all i enjoyed this game its your typical tom clancy affair terroists/governmental or political corruption/nationwide invasion if its tom clancy its one of those storylines. But sam fishers trying to find who killed his daughter when a figure from his past calls him for help!?!?!?!?!?(Ooh spooky) The soundtracks pretty good which suprised me and the voice over acting is very well done even if sam is so gruff sometimes incoherent.

    Gameplay wise its completely changed from previous games which is good but i prefered the slow be aware of everything type of stealth. This ones very fast paced its about moving and quickly taking out targets and progressing while trying to complete challenges which give you points which you spend to upgrade equipment( which consists of killing people using the various gadgets weapons and takedowns) which they ask you to do too many times and becomes a bit tiresome especially as i really only used a silence pistol, headshots and takedowns to gain mark and executes. What are mark and executes be takingdown someone with your hands instead of shooting them you get marks by pressing RB to target multiple enemies and then press y to execute a maximum (depending on weapons and how much they've been upgraded) 4 targets. This is a good featurebbut you'll often find your self getting marks and then killing 4 guys, then it becomes a rinse and repeat style game.

    Multiplayer
    OH MY GOD DID THEY GET THIS WRONG double agent with spys vs guards had one of the most original and addictive game modes ever it had once game mode, 6 maps and i never got tired of it. But instead of that you get a very mediocre and short co-op campaign with a boring and practically non-exsistent plotline. you also get game modes like hunter(kill all guards on the map) infiltration(like hunter but you can't be seen at all) Face off(hunter but competing against someone) and Last stand(I HATE THIS GAME MODE, IT SHOULD BANNED ITS REALLY **** BORING). Bring back guards vs spies.
    Also i think on hunter you should get a ranking depending on how well you did. I like to know if i did absolutely terrible or stain your pants fantastic.

    I enjoyed this game the campaigns great and as i said i really like stealth games but its not the same splinter cell so don't go in there expecting that and its definetly worth picking up.    … Expand
  18. Procritic1
    Feb 20, 2012
    7
    Splinter Cell: Conviction was really fun over all. I liked the story and the gameplay alot. their were parts i was a little bored during but over all the game was good. their were NO glitches and the gameplay was very smooth. I really enjoyed it. It's worth the money and something you should try out. I give Splinter Cell: conviction a 7.7/10
  19. wesker2012
    May 28, 2012
    6
    Game was okay. Wasn't that fun.
  20. Broyax
    Sep 29, 2019
    5
    Conviction revoit en profondeur la formule Splinter Cell et corrige bon nombre de soucis d'interface et de maniabilité qui faisaient de Sam Fisher un gros balourd qui loupait les éléphants dans les couloirs... c'est désormais bien plus nerveux et réactif ! Cependant, il a par la même occasion perdu une partie de son identité, car dans bien des situations la primauté de l'action surConviction revoit en profondeur la formule Splinter Cell et corrige bon nombre de soucis d'interface et de maniabilité qui faisaient de Sam Fisher un gros balourd qui loupait les éléphants dans les couloirs... c'est désormais bien plus nerveux et réactif ! Cependant, il a par la même occasion perdu une partie de son identité, car dans bien des situations la primauté de l'action sur l'infiltration est devenue très discutable...

    C'est bien entendu une autre approche, plus dynamique et brutale avec encore de bons moments, Sam étant devenu davantage un prédateur impitoyable qu'une ombre ninja... Si le "mark & execute" est amusant, on regrette le retour à la sauvegarde automatique, le noir & blanc quand on est caché, l'impossibilité de déplacer les corps (mais qui s'en soucie dans cet épisode... personne en fait) et le scénario plutôt... idiot (mais bon, c'est du Tom Clancy quoi).

    Graphiquement ça reste fort convaincant (surtout qu'on peut jouer désormais en 4K grâce à la rétrocompatibilité du jeu sur la Xbox One X, ce qui ne gâte rien...). La VF est toujours excellente avec notamment les bons mots du doubleur Daniel Beretta (qui a Schwarzy, Fisher et Batou à son arc !) et les effets sonores sont de grande qualité. La musique superbe de Double Agent est passée à la trappe par contre...

    Voilà donc une sorte d'épisode de transition voire carrément de nouvelle voie pour Splinter Cell qui délaisse la moitié du jeu l'infiltration au profit d'un bourrinage de bas étage...tout au long d'une abondance de scripts prévus à cet effet.

    Quoi qu'il en soit, nous ne sommes en définitive qu'à moitié convaincu... d'où la moitié de note.    … Expand
  21. zotune
    Jul 21, 2012
    7
    Consisting of perhaps the greatest cover-system in gaming, and the best graphics I've seen on the 360 to date - with a solid frame-rate to boot. Splinter Cell Conviction takes a major leap forward with this proper next-gen revision. Ubisoft finally found a perfect Checkpoint balance, and gameplay pace. The level design got a bit repetitive, but looked visually appealing. The character areConsisting of perhaps the greatest cover-system in gaming, and the best graphics I've seen on the 360 to date - with a solid frame-rate to boot. Splinter Cell Conviction takes a major leap forward with this proper next-gen revision. Ubisoft finally found a perfect Checkpoint balance, and gameplay pace. The level design got a bit repetitive, but looked visually appealing. The character are more relatable and the narrative is better than ever - even the animations all look wonderful. Though the game does become too action-oriented for my taste at times, it certainly sets the standard for sequels to come, being a great new start for the franchise. Ubisoft did well on betting on the Unreal engine with their brand new vision, and in my opinion this was a franchise that needed a change, which certain people may not agree with - though personally they checked all the boxes for me, so I can't really complain.… Expand
  22. Xenugears
    Nov 4, 2012
    7
    Decided to play this to get in the mood for the 2013 re-re-boot. While not as good as the Big 3 Splinter Cell games for the Xbox it's a vast improvement over Double Agent for the 360. The move away from stealth is lamentable but not a deal breaker because blending sneaky stealth gameplay with Uncharted-esq 3rd person shooting is enjoyable. So much so that I am able to forgive Sam for hisDecided to play this to get in the mood for the 2013 re-re-boot. While not as good as the Big 3 Splinter Cell games for the Xbox it's a vast improvement over Double Agent for the 360. The move away from stealth is lamentable but not a deal breaker because blending sneaky stealth gameplay with Uncharted-esq 3rd person shooting is enjoyable. So much so that I am able to forgive Sam for his sojourn into Bro-dom. That this is the last we'll ever see from Michael Ironside Sam I have to commend this series for ending Sam's tale on a decent note.… Expand
  23. jayakers
    Apr 16, 2013
    7
    Note: the review is only based on 1 playthrough of the campaign on normal difficulty.

    Admittedly, this is my first SC game. I had heard great things about the series and for whatever reason, I felt as though as I was missing something throughout. I know I'm jumping mid-way through a giant story based off multiple games but all in all, my experience felt "choppy". While it took some    Note: the review is only based on 1 playthrough of the campaign on normal difficulty.

    Admittedly, this is my first SC game. I had heard great things about the series and for whatever reason, I felt as though as I was missing something throughout. I know I'm jumping mid-way through a giant story based off multiple games but all in all, my experience felt "choppy".

    While it took some getting used to, I found the controls to be somewhat clunky and not as fluid as they should be for a game where diving for cover is prevalent. Perhaps it is because I have been playing more recent games and these but darting out of the line of site was tough and "full stealth" while possible seem extremely difficult to do correctly.

    Later in the game, I decided to forgo stealth altogether and was able to just end up sniping/killing everyone in my path, more or less.

    The story is decent, the level design is pretty good but (and perhaps this is me, as this is my first SC game), I'd like to jump in and out of the way and as ninja as possible.    … Expand
  24. TIE_Breaker
    Feb 2, 2016
    6
    Bringing a whole new level of mediocrity, Conviction is Splinter Cell in name only. I have no problem with developers dropping old concepts and modernizing games, like with XCOM; the rule is that if you're going to drop a mechanic, you'd damn well better make it worth the switch. In this case, rather than the clunky but rewarding stealth of previous entries, we got a rather basicBringing a whole new level of mediocrity, Conviction is Splinter Cell in name only. I have no problem with developers dropping old concepts and modernizing games, like with XCOM; the rule is that if you're going to drop a mechanic, you'd damn well better make it worth the switch. In this case, rather than the clunky but rewarding stealth of previous entries, we got a rather basic cover-based third person shooter.

    That sums it up rather nicely. There's simply nothing to talk about, because if you've played any cover-based shooter you've already played Conviction. Aside from the obviously unbalanced weapons (silenced pistols are insta-kills on headshot and have infinite ammo, why use anything else?), there's no actual stealth in the game and all you can do is take down any and all opposition. This extreme linearity and doing nothing wrong is exactly why this game feels wrong.

    On Xbox 360, there are plenty more games to play that far surpass this, like the aforementioned Gears of War franchise and Bioshock. If you're a big Splinter Cell fan and simply have to play all games in the series, it might be worth a look at the cheap prices you can find it these days. Again, it's painfully average-- it doesn't really do anything wrong, there's just nothing particularly interesting in this game besides the series-defining Sam Fisher, still played by Michael Ironside, who was sadly replaced in Blacklist.

    Playing both the PC and Xbox 360 versions, I can say that the PC version is deserving of a 4.5 for omitted features and bad performance, not to mention its failure to detect modern graphics cards properly and its unstable nature, but this port can score a bit higher for having a rather fun split-screen co-op mode involving Third Echelon agents Archer and Kestrel.    … Expand
  25. frederik1478
    Jul 6, 2020
    7
    A fun little one that betrays the the former games , If you want after stealth shooting game hybrid Then it will not disappoint you , But if you like a stealth game when you can
    ghost through every level, Then you are going to hate it Because you have to kill every enemy in every level so it's it's not about sneaking through
  26. Dperks
    Feb 21, 2020
    6
    First off I really like the presentation things like the objectives being on objects in the environment. I also like the gun play it defiantly feels more smooth then the games before it. However what I don't like is the clash of tones. They wanted to go for a more personal story with Sam Fisher at first but by the end hes storming the white house to save the president these things don'tFirst off I really like the presentation things like the objectives being on objects in the environment. I also like the gun play it defiantly feels more smooth then the games before it. However what I don't like is the clash of tones. They wanted to go for a more personal story with Sam Fisher at first but by the end hes storming the white house to save the president these things don't mix. What i also didn't like is that there isn't any real choice in your approach. Most of the time it will just be a shoot out and stealth is used simply to hide and shoot the enemy you cant do no kill runs and you cant just go past them. The gameplay is still enjoyable just not very splinter cell like and the story's kinda whatever by the end.… Expand
  27. Busao
    Jul 2, 2021
    6
    For a long time, i hated this game, for me it was the worst in the series because of how different it is to the rest of the Splinter Cell games, more generic and less memorable, but recently i decided to give it another chance and play the game again.
    As the result, did my opinions about the game changed? Yes, and for the better.
    Is the game great? No. Is the game bad? Also no. Splinter    For a long time, i hated this game, for me it was the worst in the series because of how different it is to the rest of the Splinter Cell games, more generic and less memorable, but recently i decided to give it another chance and play the game again.
    As the result, did my opinions about the game changed? Yes, and for the better.
    Is the game great? No. Is the game bad? Also no.
    Splinter Cell conviction is actually fun, the fast pace action gameplay actually feels good to play, and the animations and graphics makes takedowns satisfying. The game is also good from an technical point, i didn't run to any problems with fps and glitches, and the graphics look great even 11 years later.
    If you forget that the game is called Splinter Cell, and that the protagonist is called Sam Fischer, you can have a good time with it, and to be honest, i had a much better time playing Conviction than Double Agent (at least on PC, i know that DA is a broken port).
    I would actually recommend the game to people who like action, but for those who want stealth, or want to play a Splinter Cell game for the first time, i would highly recommend starting with the first game.
    6.5/10    … Expand
  28. ToastyDoasty
    Aug 28, 2023
    7
    This game is a Third Person Shooter disguised as a Stealth game this game has little to no stealth to it is it bad? no is it good? Kind of I will continue to play this game as it is still fun but it's not as good as other splinter cell titles out there the whole premise of this game is supposed to be you moving around silently taking out enemies maybe causing some minor "Accidents" to killThis game is a Third Person Shooter disguised as a Stealth game this game has little to no stealth to it is it bad? no is it good? Kind of I will continue to play this game as it is still fun but it's not as good as other splinter cell titles out there the whole premise of this game is supposed to be you moving around silently taking out enemies maybe causing some minor "Accidents" to kill those same enemies but in reality the slightest thing you do alerts them to your presence like shooting out a light so you can be hidden in the dark as soon as you do that they go ballistic and try to find you.

    Overall this game is fun but not what it was supposed to be.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

26
#26 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2010
13
#13 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2010
16
#16 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 90 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 90
  3. Negative: 0 out of 90
  1. IGN
    93
    It was a huge risk deviating from the trial-and-error style that made the series famous, but it paid off. Splinter Cell Conviction is awesome.
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  2. Game Informer
    90
    Splinter Cell: Conviction isn't the series' high point, but it does get the franchise back on track. [May 2010, p.89]
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  3. Gamer.no
    80
    Splinter Cell: Conviction is faster and more action oriented than previous games in the series. It's getting closer to a third person shooter, but Conviction has not lost its unique Fisheresque soul. This is great entertainment.
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