Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction Announced

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series has been a pivotal franchise since its first release in 2002. Not only did Splinter Cell give Xbox a new mascot with Sam Fisher and competition to Sony’s Metal Gear Solid series, but it also became an example of the power the Xbox could produce with its dynamic lighting.


Splinter Cell games have always been stealth based, focusing on staying in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment, and then slipping past the AI unnoticed. As long as Sam was flooded in darkness he was free to formulate his game plan and do what it took to complete his mission. Ubisoft Montreal has decided that in Splinter Cell: Conviction, the fifth game in the series, the rules are going to change.

It is reinvention time; Gone will be the mostly nighttime themed levels of light and dark. After the events in Double Agent, Sam is now a full-blown fugitive. No more are the black sneaking suit, trademark night vision goggles, or advanced gadgets. All those have been traded in for a hoodie, duffle bag, long hair and a scruffy beard. This doesn’t sound like a traditional Splinter Cell game and that is because Conviction isn’t.


In order to make Conviction work, some key mechanics had to be rebuilt from the ground up. During the day there are no dark corners available for the player to retreat to after being spotted or to surprise the enemy from. Sam will still be using his environment for survival but, with no backing from the government, he must resort to the people and objects in his vicinity as his tools. Conviction’s advanced enemy AI and crowd dynamics are the new stars of Splinter Cell. Taking place in public locations while Sam’s face is all over the news means that laying low is the name of the game.

Scripted enemy patrol patterns have been replaced with ordinary people living out their daily lives. Pushing civilians around, vandalizing, or general strange behavior is going to get folks complaining to the police, and will ultimately result in the realization of who Sam actually is. But this can be what allows Sam to see another day, as blending in with a crowd is the best way to disappear.



For example, to rid himself of a security guard, the player may choose to blend in with a crowd to slip by a cop unnoticed. A guy is hanging outside a café that Sam roughs up, thus drawing the security guard out which is then lured behind the building and ambushed. Or maybe Sam needs a distraction to focus attention away from the target. Shoot a gas tank or grab a girl’s laptop, smash it on the ground and duck into some bushes. These are only a few solutions as Conviction is a sandbox of options making levels new each time you play them.

Objects are also a huge part of gameplay and Ubisoft wants players to not be limited in accessibility. From tables and chairs to papers on a desk, Sam will have everything at his disposal to fight with, use for hiding, or create distractions. And don’t worry, darkness will still play a factor as Ubisoft Montreal are working on even more advanced lighting techniques. Deciding to set Convictions during the fall means that there will be many long shadows manipulating the environment to work with.


Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction is due out in the fourth quarter of this year. These images are still very early in development and by this winter we should be seeing a much more polished experience that, if pulled off, could be a fresh feel to a stagnant genre.