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E3 Impressions - Splinter Cell: Conviction

I was so caught up in gathering my own opinions at E3 last week that I simply had no time left to sample the reaction from the Internet - that large, sometimes gruesome opinion beast with more bias than earnest opinion. Yet I felt a little blind at times without that pulsing line of knee-jerk reactions, trapped as I was within the bubble that was the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Having time to catch up on the free-flow of feedback today, I’m partly surprised at the reaction I’ve encountered regarding Splinter Cell: Conviction - which is being cited as an example of how 2009 is shaping up to offer derivative titles filled with brooding anti-heroes and stereotypical revenge narratives by some. The reason I’m surprised is because I hadn’t even expected that much from the game going into E3. I certainly never imagined that I’d return and suggest that sampling the game with Ubisoft would prove as important for me as it did. But here we are, so let me tell you why.

It feels important that I stress the fact that I had absolutely zero interest in the game going into the show. I didn’t even make eye contact with the posters that were spread throughout the halls when Nick and I took a quick tour last Sunday. At the same time, I’m not suggesting that the series isn’t deserving of the fanbase it has gained. The previous entries have been highly polished releases - but the hardcore Clancy secret military realism just never seemed to find room in my ludicrous Metal Gear loving heart.

But seeing it first at the Microsoft Press Conference, and then later at Ubisoft’s booth turned my disinterest inside out. The visual style of the game immediately grabs attention, but that’s a very glib way of describing it. What I’ll say instead is that it’s the visual cues, the cinematic opening sequence that the player actually participates in, or the use of shadows to imply that Fisher is hidden that started to shift my perspective - though none of these ideas on their own are new.

The textual overlay of mission objectives over buildings and objects obviously makes the game stand out. You could argue that this is just a gimmicky move that tries to imply style - but then I’d counter that you missed one very significant moment in the footage that is now available. When Sam Fisher infiltrates the mansion, he reaches a wall where the image of his daughter’s grave is projected over the wall that he then proceeds to climb - and this was probably the single most important event in changing my opinion. Fisher literally climbs over the wall, scaling the very thing that is driving his motivations, creating a direct link between him and the player as they work to overcome that which is driving them in reaching those that are responsible. Ubisoft was walking me through this sequence when I removed the headphones they give you to proclaim this one of the most emotionally significant and symbolic moments I’ve ever seen within a videogame - and they seemed a little stunned by my reaction to be honest.

So here we are. You can take it as a trick, or a gimmick – a means of simply keeping the player from exiting the game to check a bland objective screen. Or you can entertain the idea that this might be the best example of Ubisoft merging their long pursuit of artistic aspirations with narrative that works with gameplay directly, rather than as an add-on after the fact. The idea that this is all tied together within a series that has always provided solid gameplay mechanics means that there are several potential levels of appreciation for varying types of gamers. Of course the other draw for me is the low tech, grittier environment. Breaking glass to peak under doors is something I’ll do as many times as I peaked through key holes in Velvet Assassin for example - which was every time. Opening the gameplay up to multiple paths for different player approaches only strengthens the pitch.

Halo ODST might have managed to still draw thick lines of gamers eager to fight the Covenant, but Splinter Cell: Conviction could easily prove one of the most significant 360 exclusives Microsoft has managed to obtain if this early glimpse is any indication. While I was skeptical last year, it certainly leaves me optimistic that the game marks Ubisoft’s ability to engage the player with deeper, layered levels of gameplay that are just as satisfying to play as they are for us to write about.

Posted in E3, PC, Xbox 360 |