Splinter Cell Conviction: Let's Get Sneaky

by Hilary Goldstein - IGN.com | 06 April 2010 12:00
 
Sam Fisher announces his presence by putting a bullet in your head.
 
Stealth games are slow games. That's how it's always been. If you're sneaking around, it can't be done quickly, right? Splinter Cell Conviction is about to prove everyone wrong. In Conviction, stealth is about speed.
 

In Conviction, Sam is turned into a hunter, stalking his victims from the shadows and then striking with deadly efficiency. When Sam is in the dark, the color bleeds out and things turn black & white. The minute he's in the light, the color comes back. This makes it easy to know your visibility to enemies so you can avoid being spotted. You won't be slowing down to look at a bunch of crazy meters like in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.
 
Sam is fast. And he'll need that speed to evade his enemies. If Sam's spotted, his best bet is to run. No, seriously, run. Throw an EMP or flash grenade to stun enemies, then retreat into the shadows. Bullets kill very quickly in Conviction, especially on Realistic mode. One wrong move doesn't mean game over, so long as you get out of sight.
 

In past Splinter Cell games, Sam moved slowly along ledges. No longer. Ledges are now shimmied with ease. If Sam catches an enemy near a window or ledge, he can yank them to their death. Windows also make for excellent escape routes. Dive out one window, shimmy quickly to the next, then pop back inside to catch your enemies by surprise.
 
When an enemy catches sight of Sam, a ghost image appears. This indicates Sam's last known position. It's where the enemies think Sam's hiding. They'll unload some bullets, perhaps toss a grenade, and then make their way to check the spot. This is the perfect opportunity to flank your foes and take them out while their attention is preoccupied.
 
Using speed as a means for stealth is just one of the big changes to the Splinter Cell series. We'll have lots more on Conviction throughout the week.
 
Supplied by IGN.com