Splinter Cell Conviction - First Look Preview

Announced back at last September's X06 event in Barcelona, Splinter Cell: Conviction is the fifth home console instalment in the story of Sam Fisher, and will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 and PC towards the end of the year. Back in the hands of Ubisoft Montreal, which developed the series and arguably the best instalment to date (2005's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory), Conviction represents a massive change in direction for Fisher and fans of the triple-goggled agent. Recently, TVG saw a short demonstration of what awaits gamers in the fourth quarter release...

After five years of playing through the adventures of Third Echelon's inaugural 'Splinter Cell' agent, we all know what the franchise represents: sneaking around in the shadows with the latest Special Forces gadgetry, and the comforting high-pitched sound of Fisher's night-vision goggles wailing in the background. Ubisoft's studio in Shanghai began to tinker with the core dynamic in the fourth instalment, Double Agent, with Sam taking to the whiteout deserts of the Arctic Circle, and the addition of a 'trust-meter' that tracked his loyalty to either the NSA or a terrorist group. The results were met with limited success, especially since Ubisoft Montreal had been responsible for developing the current-generation versions of the game, which adhered more consistently to previous instalments in the series. During that time however, Montreal was also working on Conviction, which the publisher hopes will help to reinvent the series with original gameplay when it arrives in just a few months time.

Set in the aftermath of Double Agent and the PSP's 'Essentials' instalment, Conviction follows Sam as he tries to evade capture from Third Echelon and the NSA. Framed for a crime he hasn't committed, rumours suggest the kidnapping of long-standing secondary character Anna Grimsdóttír, it's up to Fisher to clear his name. Described by one Ubisoft representative as "stripping the agent from Sam Fisher", Conviction takes the agent out of the shadows and into a series of dynamic environments, where Sam has to use anything that comes to hand to achieve his goal. In an increasing sign of where 'next-gen' gaming is going (for Ubisoft at least), Conviction will make strong use of crowds, especially in their use as a diversion for Fisher to escape or gain entry to secure areas.

During the demonstration, which set Sam in the backdrop of the Washington Monument right in the heart of the US Capital, elements of the new gameplay became apparent. Tasked with gaining access to the park's security office and obtaining a CCTV tape showing his appearance in the capital, the mission showed a scruffy, hoodie-wearing Fisher making his way through the crowd. With the dusk sun beginning to cast long shadows in Washington Park, there was a certain bustle to the environment; some people milled around whilst others stood in conversation - reminiscent of IO Interactive's attempts of recreating crowds in 2006's Hitman: Blood Money. Of course, another of Ubisoft's big titles for 2007 (and another in development at Ubisoft Montreal), Assassin's Creed also uses crowds as an instrument of gameplay, though Sam is set to use the game's NPC population in a very different way, primarily as diversions. For instance, to distract local cops and allow him access to the security shed unnoticed, Sam shoots (with a silencer) a gas canister, the resulting explosion sending the crowd into a panic and the DCPD trying in vain to contain the situation - Mr Fisher just slips away into the shed. But that was just one way in which the former spy could infiltrate his target.

Despite being heavily modified to suit the gameplay of Conviction, and the second title in the series set to arrive on a next-generation console, one of the strangest features of the game is its use of the five-year old Unreal Engine 2. Arguably missing an opportunity to deliver a visually next-gen title as well implementing the progressive gameplay, it does at the very least call into question what exactly makes a 'next-generation' title. The team has spent a lot of time working on the technological side of the game, not only to deal with the various levels of crowd AI, but also to ensure that most objects can be interacted with.

With the emphasis of confrontations moving away from a ready supply of assault rifles and gadgets (though Ubisoft has confirmed that weaponry will be available via the black market), Sam will also have to use hand-to-hand combat to defeat enemies at times. Another element that the team in Montreal have been working on heavily, players will be able to use the environment not only as an abstract inventory, but also as a way to push enemies to the ground, over boxes or desks. Using a filing cabinet for instance, Sam was able to barricade the door of the security cabin, giving him a few vital seconds to snatch the videotape before security burst through. Without his trusty SC-20K assault rifle, Sam's newly found ability to pick up a greater number of objects in the surrounding environments than just pebbles and bottles became vital. Even though it was demonstrated with unfinished code, and despite being unable to get our grubby mitts on the Xbox 360 controller, it did look like there was a distinct lack of mass to both objects and the DC Police Force, the latter falling to the ground like rag-dolls a little too easily. Whilst Fisher would be an expert in hand-to-hand combat after his time in Special Forces, his actual ability to push opponents into environmental objects with sort of force shown during the demo doesn't quite seem right - for now, at least.

One element featured in the pre-alpha state of the game was the 'Memento Sequence', activated with the Y button. Acting like a hint to show players what sort of environmental objects could come in handy during a particular scenario, Ubisoft is keen to express that the action might not make it to the final version of the game by the end of the year. Arguably breaking the aim of creating an instinctive and spontaneous gaming experience, something that the wide range of objects in the gameworld makes available, the Memento Sequence may end up being an option for less acquainted gamers to activate (perhaps in the hidden depths of an Options Menu?). Additionally, a lot of elements are yet to be finalised including the HUD, which for now at least is very minimal; in fact only a new-look Detection Meter was visible on screen - another nod to IO's bald-headed assassin perhaps?

At least one multiplayer gametype will be included in the release of the game. Splinter Cell's Versus Mode has become an important part of the series since the release of Pandora Tomorrow in 2003, with the Co-operative Mode of Chaos Theory arguably (like its Single-Player experience) the pinnacle of the series. It's unknown whether the Versus mode will make a re-appearance, but once again, Montreal aims to push the barrier with Splinter Cell: Conviction with a new take on multiplayer. For now, the studio is teasing about what gamers can expect later in the year, describing how 'the crowd will be online'. We're feeling paranoid already...