Splinter Cell: Conviction Review (4/5)

4 years. That's how long "Splinter Cell" fans have been waiting for the next instalment in the best-selling game franchise, and having seen "Splinter Cell: Conviction" revealed at E3 2007 in a form not unlike the "Assassin's Creed" titles developed by Ubisoft Montreal, then scrapped in favour of a fast-paced, driven action title which would put some speed into the stealth genre, you would think it fair for those patient players to expect big things from "Conviction", and for the most part this Xbox 360-timed exclusive delivers. We see Sam Fisher recovering from the hazy events of "Splinter Cell: Double Agent", with his best friend and daughter killed by his own organisation, and although newcomers won't necessarily know how all these events came to pass, they're brought up to date as quickly as Fisher is forced back into action, on the trail of three EMPs threatening to disable the US. This set-up sounds intriguing, and that's just the start of the sheer turmoil Sam faces over the course of this 5-8 hour journey (depending on the difficulty setting). Players have to face overwhelming odds as they attempt to infiltrate warehouses, garages and HQs aplenty to find the truth behind Third Echelon, with dozens of clever AI spawned across each location for the super-spy to tackle as he pleases. Part of the fun of "Conviction" originates from this freedom, and indeed the "Deniable Ops" and "Prequel" modes also base much of their entertainment around it. However, this highlights the new "Splinter Cell"'s largest flaw: repetition. Eventually, all of the stealth and gun-play wears thin, to the point that, after seven or eight frustrating deaths at the hands of an army of goons, players will be tempted to put down the controller and leave "Conviction" well alone. Nevertheless, should gamers persevere, they will find an intricately layered plot with several twists that no-one saw coming and that will have the "Cell" discussion boards up in flames in coming weeks. So, is "Splinter Cell: Conviction" worth £40? In my critical opinion, you should wait just a bit longer before shelling out your hard-earned cash: the game has plenty of clear shortcomings, and the sheer briefness of the single-player storyline is a mockery in itself. If you see this at half price or at a rental retailer, pick it up and see what you think, but by no means get this at the current full price. The wait has been long, but the anticipation about "Conviction" hasn't been completely fulfilled!