The Escapist Presents: Splinter Cell: Conviction Interview

[Team Hollywood]

Splinter Cell: Conviction Interview

We talk to Max Beland, Creative Director on Splinter Cell: Conviction, about the focuses in the story and gameplay in the newest iteration in the Splinter Cell series.

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[Jared]

Im really excited about what they have been able to do with this new game in the series. I am hoping, form e at least, will revitalise my love for it

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I don't know about that. I liked the Splinter Cell games because they required timing, planning and knowledge of the terrain. This new one, while it doesn't completely throw stealth away, it makes it take a back seat to gunfights. (Also, Ubisoft did put in a few areas where you cannot be seen or you fail your objective. one of which is one of the harder parts of the Co-op story.)

The Mark and Execute is pretty cool, but it throws away all diffculty if you can get the 4 marks. At most you only fight maybe 10-12 people at a time in a gun fight and 4 marks drops 4 of those guys in half a second, but the gameplay that they showed only seemed to show one thing really. "Do a hand-to-hand kill, mark and then execute" Most of the time, that will be all you need to do with the exception of when you're spotted prematurly and forced into the gunfight.

I feel that they should have mentioned the Last-Known postition as well in the interview. It is an improtant aspect of the game afterall.

I normally play the Splinter Cell games for a challenge. In this case, I was dissapointed. A lot of people will find this game far too easy and the diffculty curve is eratic in this game. It didn't seem worth 60 dollars, but it does seem like a nice game to rent.

 

[hansari]

I would have loved to talk to this man. As a fan of Splinter Cell since the start, I'd have been overjoyed to shake hands with this man and slap him across the face. I'm pretty confident that I could have led him back to the "true" path.

I mean, allowing for more aggressive/easier gameplay...thats what Chaos Theory and Double Agent were doing. At the start of Chaos Theory you could pick three different loadouts of weapons/gear: Assault, Recommended, or Stealth. Then throughout a mission you could employ an interchangeable play style depending on the situation and how you saw fit to get through an area. Blast your way through, or go ninja.

This is what Convictions should have expanded upon.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

He seemed a bit excited in the interview. But nonetheless, it's an awesome game, I was lucky enough to get it on launch day.

 

[The Imp]

Then throughout a mission you could employ an interchangeable play style depending on the situation and how you saw fit to get through an area. Blast your way through, or go ninja.

This is what Convictions should have expanded upon.

So after even Splinter Cell kisses the feet of the casual shooter, is there any real stealth game franchise left?

 

[Andraste]

He seemed a bit excited in the interview. But nonetheless, it's an awesome game, I was lucky enough to get it on launch day.

He was excited! It was cute and infectious. He seemed genuinely excited to get the game into the hands of players, and that he was proud of the work the team had done.

A couple of you mentioned it's easier than past iterations (my copy is still sitting snuggled in it's shrink-wrapped glory, taunting me till I get work done, about 10 feet away). I suspect that's just going to be the way of many games in the future. They need to appeal to a broader audience to pay for the huge development costs, and by definition that broader audience will not be as practiced as those of us who held a controller before we could walk properly. The games have to be easier.

Doesn't mean it's a happy thing at all, though, to be sure. :-/

 

[Siberian Relic]

I would have loved to talk to this man. As a fan of Splinter Cell since the start, I'd have been overjoyed to shake hands with this man and slap him across the face. I'm pretty confident that I could have led him back to the "true" path.

I mean, allowing for more aggressive/easier gameplay...thats what Chaos Theory and Double Agent were doing. At the start of Chaos Theory you could pick three different loadouts of weapons/gear: Assault, Recommended, or Stealth. Then throughout a mission you could employ an interchangeable play style depending on the situation and how you saw fit to get through an area. Blast your way through, or go ninja.

This is what Convictions should have expanded upon.

I'm guessing you haven't played it, because you can still do both. The game doesn't turn Splinter Cell into a noisy shooter so much as it gives you the option to dominate even after being spotted. You can still play very stealthily, and you can even go without firing a shot - the control scheme includes a function that holsters your weapon.

The most important thing, though, is that this change wasn't just for kicks. The choices behind the gameplay mechanics were all made to service the story. Sam's not with Third Echelon, so his presence doesn't need to be completely masked; he's out for blood to avenge his daughter, so no lives need to be spared in the process.

It is somewhat watered-down stealth, but believe me when I say it's not watered-down just because.

 

[Sheaphard117]

That ending trailer was awsome!

 

[soapyshooter]

He makes it sound like stealth is for pussies. No its not, stealth is how you can realistically take on 30 guys by yourself. And mark and execute is humanly impossible, i feel like they ruined the franchise.

 

[hansari]

I'm guessing you haven't played it, because you can still do both.

Oh thanks for you reassurance. I'll go out and buy a-

Oh wait, I already own a copy. Since day one...even wrote a review on Giantbomb. Thinks its number two...nevermind.

The most important thing, though, is that this change wasn't just for kicks. The choices behind the gameplay mechanics were all made to service the story.

Your right. Even during the co-op, when you don a splintercell suit, the game still makes killing virtually every enemy necessary.

Deniable ops had a chance to reconcile this too, but again its all still centered around "kill them all" in the gametypes.

Again, Convictions is still a fun game. Just doesn't do the series justice.

Sam's not with Third Echelon, so his presence doesn't need to be completely masked; he's out for blood to avenge his daughter, so no lives need to be spared in the process.

On its own, Convictions is a great game but it isn't the "stealth-action" that the franchise is known for. Its more "action-adventure" now, comparable to Uncharted 2.

Stealth isn't completely absent, but it takes waaaay too much of a backseat. There were levels in previous iterations where you could get through without killing anyone. Maybe knocking out only 1 or 2 people. Pure ninja.

You know what, I'll just leave it at this.

While the game is enjoyable, the solution to every area comes down to which gun you want to use. Not ventilation shafts, not split jumps, not remaining in the shadows.

Convictions could still have been a great Jason Bourne type of game while still involving these elements to give some sense of stealth. Just doesn't do the series justice.

 

[Woodsey]

And mark and execute is humanly impossible, i feel like they ruined the franchise.

It's a game...

OT: I don't know why there's all the bitching, we've been told time and time again that you can stealth through most of the game - I know there's a few forced firefights - yet people insist it's just a third person shooter. At least listen to the dev team when they explain how things work people!

This is the 5th game in the series (a 7-year-old series), it needed to change.

Oh, and didn't MGS4 do virtually the same thing? No one seemed to moan about that.

 

[Starke]

Oh, and didn't MGS4 do virtually the same thing? No one seemed to moan about that.

No one noticed on account of the ratio of cut scenes to game play being 87:1.

 

[veloper]

Yesterday I bought SC double agent and I shattered the disc of that piece of shit game. They should stop making more shitty sequels and bury SC already.

 

[Jang]

I feel like I am going WAY off-topic here, but does anyone know what the ending song is called? Sounds awesome!

OT: I'll definitely at least give this game a rent. Looks pretty good, and every reviewer I subscribe to says "go for it". Besides I've only played "Chaos Theory" and while I definitely enjoyed that game a lot, I wouldn't say it made me a fan, which seems to be the problem the other guys in this thread are having.

 

[Ari Ace]

This is a fucking Riddick / Jason Bourne retard offspring. Fuck, I wanna slap this guy.