New Splinter Cell: Less Stealth, More Accessible

[Tdc2182]

The stealth is still there, just faster.

I dunno. That's a LOT of killing for a stealth game.

I agree. It has kind of betrayed it's roots a bit. Also, from what I have seen, it rewards you too much for using run and gun technique, even on its hardest difficulty. And you use the Mark and Execute more than you actually manually aim.

 

[digotw]

I played Splinter Cells 1 - Chaos Theory, and I completed them with the leave-no-trace mentality, including the self-imposed kill no-one mandate. I would wait patiently in the darkness memorizing patrol patterns and using my sticky cameras to knock out guys by hitting them on the crown of the head, or grabbing a guy without alarming the man standing next to him and dragging my victim into the shadows. I was a super-spy. And I loved it.
But...
it would be foolish to believe that this is a bad evolution for this series. In story terms, Sam is breaking from the well supported super-spy that he was to the rogue knife in the dark that he is now. The mentality of the main character has changed from calm and collected to pissed off and vengeful, therefore the gameplay should reflect that.
Secondly, who is to say you can't continue patiently waiting for the moment to strike? The stealth aspect has changed from slow and taxing to fast and dangerous. From the videos I've seen, this is still very much a Splinter Cell game, but at the same time it isn't more of the same. Pandora Tomorrow was more of the same. I really liked it, but they didn't start innovating the series beyond what it was until Chaos Theory.
This, in my opinion, looks like what Assassin's Creed should have been.

Yeah that makes sense, and who REALLY wants to play the same thing in 5 games. It just feels wrong with the whole "more accessable" thing.

 

[soapyshooter]

i hate it. Its not what splinter cell is supposed to be. Chaos Theory was the greatest, this did nothing good for the franchise.

 

[The Last Parade]

okay, that's it, I'm making my own fucking stealth game, I can code, model and animate, and UDK is already under my belt

 

[BolognaBaloney]

Personally, I'm loving the new variety of Conviction. I always played Splinter Cell in this manner, so now I feel like I'm being rewarded for it.

 

[BolognaBaloney]

The stealth is still there, just faster.

I dunno. That's a LOT of killing for a stealth game.

I agree. It has kind of betrayed it's roots a bit. Also, from what I have seen, it rewards you too much for using run and gun technique, even on its hardest difficulty. And you use the Mark and Execute more than you actually manually aim.

No bloody way do you use mark and execute more than manual aiming. When you earn a mark, it's an accomplishment, unless you're playing on rookie.

 

[Korhal]

The stealth is still there, just faster.

I dunno. That's a LOT of killing for a stealth game.

Sam used to have to tiptoe through the shadows or risk starting World War III. Now he's hunting the people who betrayed him with the INTENT to kill. On that note (killing, that is) I prefer Mark and Execute to clunky shooting mechanics. It's not dumbing it down. Sam is a badass spy with years of training and even more years of experience. And I say that Sam moving faster and quieter is an improvement as well. Sam should notice his moment, and dart from cover to cover... the slow waddle you used to have to do was kind of silly: you would only attempt it because you knew the AI was too stupid to look over its own shoulder from time to time.

Is it for everyone? Of course not. But I'm pretty sure the whiners are the ones missing the point, not Ubisoft.

 

[Wolvaroo]

They already killed Rainbow six and Ghost recon. This was the next obvious step in thier corporate vison. This type of crap is percisely why I've given up on gaming for the most part and just stick with the oldies and new niche indie games.

I'd like to know what Tom Clancy thinks of these changes.

 

[The Imp]

Ok, so with Rainbow Six gone down the action highway, splinter cell right after it and ghost recon turned into a run'n'gun fest...is there anything left in the tactical/stealth sector worth to be played?

 

[Layz92]

From what I have seen it doesn't look too bad. I enjoyed the PS2 games but this one is just a different game. It is The Adventures Of Mr Angry Hitman. I'm not saying it is bad, I'm just saying it is quite different. At least the feeling of mortality is still in this one. Splinter Cell is famous in my mind for bullets finding your weak point for massive damage.

 

[Fox242]

I thought that this might be a dumb move until I saw that IGN video. It actually looks like the stealth gameplay might actually have improved. I'm a big Sam Fisher fan (based on the novels, I've never actually played any of the games) and I do want to see the Splinter Cell series succeed, so hoepfully these new aspects will make Conviction a great game, even though I won't be buying it because I don't own a 360.

 

[Souplex]

The stealth is still there, just faster.

I dunno. That's a LOT of killing for a stealth game.

It's noticeably easier to sneak past corpses.

 

[Rhayn]

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about this. Watching the video linked earlier I'm both disgusted and intrigued. Sam looks more like an assassin rather than a spy now, and I like assassins. I don't know the premise of the game, but reading the comments I can draw the conclusion that he is out to kill someone (or everyone). So I suppose the new gameplay would fit in with the story.

But also, having played the older games quite a lot back in the day, I don't like this at all. While this certainly looks better, from a 'cinematic' point of view, I'm not sure if it'll feel better, you know? I for one loved sitting around in the shadows, watching every move the guards made, and when I had a plan down, I executed it and mostly got through perfectly. I doubt I can get the same out of Conviction. But I suppose that's nostalgia for you. I recently bought the first SC from Steam, and I couldn't get anywhere due to me wanting to take it at a different pace than was intended. Granted, with a bit of training I could probably get into it again, but I don't feel like doing that anymore.

That said, I'm not buying any Ubisoft products anyway, so all this is irrelevant.

Still, I wish they hadn't done this.

 

[Bat Vader]

I rented Splinter Cell: Conviction and it is pretty good. The stealth element is still there and is still necessary. Running in and trying to gun down all the bad guys like in Modern Warfare 2 isn't a really viable option as it will get you killed, quickly. Yes, it is more of an action game now but stealth is still a necessary thing to use in the game.

I would advise renting it and trying it out first before passing judgment on it. Change is not always a bad thing.

 

[Mucinex-D]

No Spies vs Merc = pointless to buy.

 

[Bat Vader]

Sigh. Consoles raped Dragon Age of it's complexity (compare Baldur's Gate 2 and DA:O) and now Splinter Cell.

If Civ V get's announced for Xbox then PC gaming is dead and the casual console generation will rise to destroy us.

I thought Dragon Age: Origins was quite fun on the consoles. I got the PC version for Christmas but when I rented the console version it was still fun. It was still very complex even on the consoles.

If Civilization V gets announced for the consoles that does not mean PC gaming will be dead. PC only gamers are not the only hardcore gamers, console gamers are also hardcore gamers.

PC Elitism and Console Fanboys to me are just silly.

 

[AceDiamond]

Sigh. Consoles raped Dragon Age of it's complexity (compare Baldur's Gate 2 and DA:O) and now Splinter Cell.

Maybe this would be a legitimate argument if Splinter Cell hadn't been multiplatform since the first game, but they were so I don't see what you're trying to say other than that you don't know how to Google search.

 

[Sketchy]

Sigh. Consoles raped Dragon Age of it's complexity (compare Baldur's Gate 2 and DA:O) and now Splinter Cell.

Maybe this would be a legitimate argument if Splinter Cell hadn't been multiplatform since the first game, but they were so I don't see what you're trying to say other than that you don't know how to Google search.

Jah, wasn't Splinter Cell first on Xbox? I thought the PC and PS2 versions came later. I know the PS2 version did.

Anyway, I think the new direction is fantastic. It's how I'd have played the old games if I could. I mean, I've never been much for the slow stealth, I'm just not that patient.

I can understand how people who loved that might be disappointed, and I loved the old games too, but I just think it's a good evolution.

 

[Andronicus]

Well, that's just f**ked. The only reason I actually bought Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was for the stealth! I was really looking forward to getting SC:C, but now I'm not even going to bother.

EDIT: Actually, just reading through the comments, the general consensus seems to be that the stealth is still there, even better than before, according to some. I might rent it out sometime, but based on Ubisoft's attitude, I'll treat it with extreme caution.

For the record, accessibility be damned. I liked the idea of waiting in the shadows, planning each step I take. If people want fast-paced action, then there are a billion other games on the market that cater for their needs. They can go get Modern Warfare 2, or Uncharted 2, or Borderlands, or Counterstrike, or whatever. And Ubisoft can go suck a lemon.

 

[DoW Lowen]

Can someone explain to me why everyone is so angry at the changes? The stealth is still there, just faster.

Actually looking at that video, that's not too bad. And here I was thinking I wouldn't get it.