Splinter Cell Conviction demo is up! On XBL.

[priteshmodi]

My impressions are that it's a very solid game. Seems to have a good level of polish and a lot of the ideas are implemented very well.

What I didn't like is how non-SC it felt to me. There is still stealth involved but it's severely toned down to make the experience more cinematic and action packed. Personally if they released this game with these mechanics under a new franchise heading I'd say it was a pretty solid game. However sticking the Splinter Cell label on it changes things.

I know mark and execute doesn't have to be used (and I never used it besides the beginning tutorial where you have to) but that's not the issue. The level design seems to be set up for big confrontations and some of the features taken out from previous iterations seem to push the new game mechanics and style of gameplay.

For example you can't pick up and hide bodies anymore. In the room where those two big generator looking dealies are pulsing on and off I knocked a guy out from jumping on him off of the pipe on the roof. His buddy contacts him over the radio and gets no answer so he starts looking for him. I can't hide the body in the sewer area so his body is found and all of the remaining 3-4 guys in that room become more cautious when they find his body making it much more difficult to remain stealthy. Sure I like the greater challenge that's been imposed but I'd rather have it like the older games where I could go through the entire level without anyone knowing I was even there.

Another example is the sound meter. There isn't one. You can literally sprint up behind a guy and he'll have no idea you're coming.

All in all though it's still a solid game. A huge improvement over the next-gen Double Agent and I'd put it above Pandora Tomorrow as well. Still a ways behind the original or Chaos Theory from what is given to play in the demo. I just feel that Ubi turned its back to the purists by modifying the play style to appeal to a broader audience.