Splinter Cell: Conviction | A Stealth Game Without the Stealth (inc. footage of cancelled game)

Splinter Cell: Conviction answers the question: What happens when you make a stealth game without stealth? This video also contains a bunch of footage of the cancelled 2007 Splinter Cell Conviction project that never saw the light of day.
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Intro - 0:00
Making of - 2:53
Good stuff - 10:44
Bad stuff - 15:34
Conclusion - 35:56
Splinter Cell Retrospective - • Splinter Cell Retrospe...
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Retrospective - • The Splinter Cell Game...
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory Retrospective - • Is Chaos Theory As Goo...
Splinter Cell: Double Agent - • Splinter Cell: Double ...
#SplinterCell #SplinterCellConviction #SamFisher #Ubisoft #BringBackSplinterCell

[@ChrisDavis_Games]

Here are some timestamps: Intro - 0:00 Making of - 2:53 Good stuff - 10:44 Bad stuff - 15:34 Conclusion - 35:56 Also, feel free to reply here with games/series you would like me to cover. I'm already covering isometric CRPGs so no need to suggest Divinity Original Sin and the like. I'm thinking of the Deus Ex series plus Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines so far.

[@StaplesMcJesusIsGod]

Deus Ex for sure. Alpha Protocol perhaps? It's an underrated gem

[@user-eg7il4pi3y]

I would really like to see you do some square stuff - preferably Vagrant Story. I think it's one of the gamiest games you can delve in, with honestly, best of all worlds (also, there are only a handful of more or less (more likely less) thorough vids about it on yt).

[@jossricketts4452]

It'd be nice if you try Thief games after Blacklist. It'd be educational for you to see where most of Splinter Cell mechanics came from, plus Thief 1-3 are great games on its own. I'd argue, any of the first three Thief games is better game than Chaos Theory, and that's a very high bar

[@raresmacovei8382]

Legacy of Kain. Darksiders. God of War. Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy.

[@Platonis-The-Warlock]

Deus Ex. Chronicles of Riddick. Gothic/Risen series (maybe after isometric rpgs). Alpha Protocol/Jade Empire.

[@roninn4746]

At least Sam's personality remained in this game, I didn't know who the heck I was playing as in Blacklist.

[@beepst]

@KTV 4U lol? The trilogy? Chaos Theory? Those are the best games. Blacklist doesn't even have the Splinter Cell identity.

[@epicgamer3614]

@@beepst well it is better than conviction and imo double agent. It is a slight return to form with larger levels than conviction and the og two. I like it better than double agent and conviction but not as much as chaos theory. I am still playing through the og splinter cell and i like it about equal for pandorra tomorrow slightly less than blacklist

[@silentassassin47]

John wick's long lost fifth cousin

[@Disavowedagent47]

That is the general consensus of every fan who played it. It would have been better if Sam had retired and we were someone else

[@raymondjones5909]

Blacklist had the best gameplay everyone is upset about the actor was changed for blacklist

[@Isle0fRed]

Splinter Cell: Conviction is the closest thing to what a John Wick game could look like

[@pvtspartan]

Max Payne

[@sinenomine8739]

Not at all. Play agressively the first Watch dogs or Payday 2.

[@Sheridan2LT]

@@sinenomine8739 really? That's fuckin cool

[@derppmau5329]

IMO, Blacklist handles a lot more better than Conviction. It could just me playing Blacklist befor Conviction but it felt less clunky and a lot more fluid with the animation and controls. There is a lot more variety as well with the weapons and set pieces.

[@fishperson5390]

Max Payne 2 is way closer

[@Kaceydotme]

An interesting thing about Conviction is that the tie-in novel of the same name (that does not share the same story) is much closer to what the cancelled version of Conviction would have been; it references Sam's shaggy look seen in the demo, and is much more focused on stealth, espionage and Sam being on the run.

[@GladDori]

I know I'm a year later, but does it fit the canon we have? Like at all?

[@Garland846]

I've never actually read the novel, how different is the main plot from the 3E conspiracy?

[@CErra310]

@@Garland846 the plot revolves around an "empty quiver"

[@AxaFin]

@@CErra310 im guessing thats another missing warhead

[@CErra310]

@@AxaFin yep

[@boss862]

Conviction is one of my favorite games of all time. Sure it doesnt hold a candle to Chaos Theory but the story, voice acting, and animations were so ahead of their time. It was a blast to play through the 6-8 hour campaign. I actually recently just played it in 4K a few months ago on my PC. The gameplay still holds up and I am a huge fan of it.

[@michaelnaeck2257]

Finally someone who gets it 🔥 you have my respect bro! 💯👊🏽

[@okilladmityouarerightbut4827]

I love the game it’s one of the only few single player games I could play over and over again

[@sinenomine8739]

Deniable Ops and Coop alone makes it a classic for me. I think it saved the game a lot, because story campaign feels lame at times: too many scripted cutscenes, public levels with no meaningful gameplay, incredibly linear and boring sections during later levels.

[@justhellbound4206]

I used to play the trial version of this back on Onlive when that was still a thing. I remember thinking it was so cool. And I thought I remembered you getting to play with a stealth suit. It's been so long though since I played it I could have mixed things up.

[@TayTayMakesBeats]

It was the first Splinter Cell game I played and (while I was pretty young at the time) I really enjoyed it. While looking back it's not much of a stealth game I think it had a big role in getting me into the genre (and by extension immersive sims.) Had I never tried Conviction I might have never played Thief II and Deus Ex. It's a weird line to draw but I think it really made me realize how much I love being sneaky.

[@nickyCage94]

Man the physics of the prototype game look so much fun. I remember reading about this version back in the day in Game Informer magazine lol

[@TylerMBuller12]

Ya I love games with great physics. It adds alot to the experience. The original version looked much more interesting and ambitious to me.

[@DavidYrselfClean]

You make a lot of very valid comments about this game, and I fully understand where you're coming from, but I love this game a lot. It's a a fun TPS/ cover shooter with stealth mechanics From what I remember, the coop was a lot more effective at being a stealth game in that you had to eliminate enemies that could quickly out gun you in a large more open arena, rather than the campaigns corridors.

[@mitchelfoster4409]

I played the co-op back in the day with a buddy time and time again. It was way more fun the the single-player, and involved a lot more stealth. If memory serves me right you could stealth the entire co-op from start to finish, still had to kill everyone but you could do it undetected.

[@cdubsb3831]

I've been playing these games since I was 8 with the first one. I have to say, Conviction is my third favorite in the series and I'm glad some of it's elements stuck around in Blacklist

[@gigamesh780]

Yeah this game made me enter splinter cell....and god the co-op is what convince me.....those missions and the ENDING was great

[@BucklingSwashes]

I briefly forgot about the coop campaign but it's genuinely one of the best coop experiences I've ever had. The ending is genius and has been aped in several coop games since.

[@willyjf6193]

Hey it's a great game It's just not like the splinter cell we are use to or wanted

[@umutdurmus8583]

I think the gameplay fits the story. This was a Sam on revenge path. So he didn't really care about being compromised and stuff. Even Vic says it at one point: "They knew Sam was coming and he wanted them to know."

[@MA-go7ee]

Splinter Cell is supposed to be a grounded stealth series. If the story demands action gameplay (which it doesn't btw. Theres no reason why a stealth specialist wouldnt get revenge stealthily. It is literally all ke knows), then it is the WRONG story. This comment is so absurd exactly because the whole idea of Splinter Cell is the stealth game play. Saying that the very reason the game exists has to change because of the story is so absurd it is almost funny.

[@othelliusmaximus]

​@@MA-go7ee different strokes for different folks I guess. This was one of my favorite games in the series.

[@robertwoods3871]

​@@MA-go7ee you acting hostile over a fucking youtube comment is even more absurd

[@jamesandrews1545]

Yeah my problem with that is quite deep lol. 1) completely out of line with the last 15 years of his career and training, 2) completely out of line with Sam’s philosophy and comments throughout the first 3 games at least, 3) IT’S NOT SPLINTER CELL!!!!!!!

[@blakehansen5434]

@@robertwoods3871shutup

[@agt_pendergast8899]

I wish more publishers took a page from Devil May Cry's development (including Capcom). For those that don't know, it was originally supposed to be a Resident Evil game, but it became too different, but felt there was something worthwhile there and spun it off into its own series. The stuff from both versions of Conviction seems like it would be interesting, but the ties to Splinter Cell don't really do it any favors.

[@zcritten]

I love the idea and look of old conviction. Almost like a hitman game mixed with assassins creed. It could be really cool to be on the run and maybe even have the game get harder as you made more mistakes

[@crozraven]

plenty of times Ubisoft mix it up actually. Assassin's Creed supposed to be the new Prince of Persia game. Plenty of Tom Clancy games borrowing each other style of gameplay. Far Cry 3 literally borrowed tower system of AC. Watch Dogs was rumored to be modern time AC game (which kinda is canonically). Plenty of game devs scraps their past "failed/cancled" projects, only to be revived/borrowed in a different projects altogether.

[@TheJadedJames]

I don't like the idea that Splinter Cell absolutely needed to be married to Chaos Theory's gameplay loop though. The original concept for Conviction sounded like a really cool and natural creative progression ... while Conviction and Blacklist felt like a compromise where they turned it into an action game because that was easier. And like the video says, we could have easily had a game where you start off as a low tech fugitive, and slowly work your way up to being equipped more like classic Sam Fisher. You could also just keep the co-op campaigns more true to classic Splinter Cell, while Sam Fisher's adventures could sometimes experiment with social stealth levels

[@Goldman200]

@@TheJadedJames You're wrong

[@_skud]

Yes! Companies are too afraid to start new IPs these days

[@Dext3rM0rg4n]

The only game that managed to make me angry. I couldn't believe it when I realized it wasn't possible to move bodies, in an infiltration game ! There's even some segment where you have to kill wave of ennemies charging you, and you have no way to be sneaky about it, you just shoot everyone like an uncharted game ...

[@FearlessSon]

To be fair to this game, the original Splinter Cell had some waves of enemies you had to defend against as well, and I think that was done with the intent to "shake things up" and keep the gameplay varied, but I also note that they stopped having sections like that in Pandora Tomorrow and didn't add them back into the series until this one. I got the feeling that they learned those enforced action sections didn't really work in the Splinter Cell series, right up until most of the design team had been rotated out for other things and the new one didn't have that institutional knowledge or the care to look back on it.

[@aphextwin8520]

Those action sections existed in almost every SC game, believe it or not

[@aolson1111]

@@aphextwin8520 No they didn't.

[@LunaticLK47]

@@FearlessSon Chaos Theory was equally guilty in both Seoul and the Bathhouse segments. Those two missions were half-assed as fuck no thanks to the entire level being one long hallway after another.

[@LunaticLK47]

@@aolson1111 They did. Always plot-dictated firefights at one point or another.

[@TheLaLeeee]

I wish they made the hobo Sam Fisher game instead :(

[@andrewaustin8135]

Nah. Both the original concept and final product were trash.

[@bloodmachine6049]

@@andrewaustin8135 I mean, it is definitelly better to have the devs do something they want to. Rather than the generic shit that got shipped instead.

[@saintallison]

I remember reading about it and how they were planning on giving him modern day concealed weapons backpacks and holsters and such. I would've enjoyed it more I think but I imagine hitman does it better regardless.

[@andrewaustin8135]

@@bloodmachine6049 I guess, but the way I see it, trash is trash, regardless of whether it's trash they wanted to make or trash that they were forced by the shareholders to make.

[@carterslade8771]

I had completely forgotten about that. Yeah, I was on board.

[@xNeonTacos]

This video basically explains all my frustrations with this game, when I first saw that 2007 early concept footage, I was blown away with how cool that splintercell game could of been! I really wish we knew what take they had on the game and where the story was going to go. IMO they should have started Sam has a disheveled man who basically looks homeless and has nothing (like in the 2007 iteration), but once he realizes that his daughter is alive, he comes back swinging and turns into the Sam we see in the game. Tbh the one thing that I still love about Conviction was its style...it had a sort of personality and aesthetic that I really liked, which made the DC location perfect along with the soundtrack. Too bad it didn't turn out the way we thought.

[@rthj6446]

While there was a lot left to greatness, I loved the direction they were taking with Conviction. Since I played it, I have been hoping someone would take the concept and improve the flow. Speedy stealth was shown to at least in concept be possible thanks to conviction.

[@bgw316]

Blacklist I think nailed alot of that potential by hitting a good middle ground

[@vadimgalimov2576]

The art direction was bomb though, what with the objectives being projected onto nearby surfaces. It's admirable how nice and polished the game looks even 10 years later.

[@BeHappyTo]

@@vadimgalimov2576 the game doesnt work on new graphics cards tho

[@ThreeProphets]

AC Unity had this, albeit in a very different setting. It has the same problem of failing to teach the player it's mechanics or purpose, but even worse. Check out Leo K's tutorials to get your bearings

[@ethanevenson3855]

BlakeyBoi IIRC Blacklist is more of the same. You can’t even drag bodies, and the narrative and voice acting have some massive issues.

[@BucklingSwashes]

Something I've noticed many players never fully realized is how much you can accomplish if you get creative with Mark & Execute. Headshotting one enemy, or shooting an explosive or falling object in the environment to kill or distract other enemies before dropping down from above into another target to charge up your Execute and then using that to finish off the remaining targets can be extremely satisfying. Rather than killing three or four targets in a row, you can kick that up to six or seven almost simultaneously. It's all about observing, planning, finding the best possible position, and waiting for the right moment to strike. It's an entertaining gameplay loop similar to that of the stealth rooms of the Arkham games, but instead of slowly picking off enemies as the suspense and danger ramp up until you take out the last one, it's all about building up to one single flash of death. Perfecting your "run" of each area is one of the best reasons to return, and I've found better and more interesting ways to complete certain sections every time I've played.

[@SinArtavia]

Honestly... Deniable ops was my favourite thing especially the co-op ending with the duel at the end

[@jackhughes9811]

"I'm sure people dont play splinter cell for the story..." ??? They do though..

[@oldsnake9520]

Splinter cell games have good characters but not really good stories.

[@Drewkemia]

That’s why I like conviction a lot. It has the best story of the series

[@Kai-tn4yx]

@@oldsnake9520 The old ones had good story, but Blacklist was a letdown in that regard.

[@willyjf6193]

Literally the only reason to play the game is to feel like a spy Lol I agree it's for the story

[@4409supporter]

I played it for the multiplayer. Chaos Theory and Pandora, Merc V Spy was where it was at. Me ('deficate' at the time) and 'steel city diddy' ruined everyone on the leaderboards on that shit. There was a indy group remaking spy v merc but I believe they gave up... Wish I had the time to make another one myself.

[@kaidenmunsey7380]

Originally played this at launch when I was twelve. Thought this was a good review and brought up numerous elements I didn't notice as a kid but in hindsight are genuine failings of the game. It may be the nostalgia talking but I remember the co-op being by far the highlight of this game. the gameplay is widely improved by the need to rely on a friend to help you with the stealth and takedowns.

[@EnLaMatrix1]

Yup, co-op is the best part of Conviction, I still play the game every now and then. You are right, having an extra pair of hands and extra mark & execute really helps with the flow, plus it makes up for the limited amount of gadgets/distractions. I can't remember who but another KZbinr posted an entire playthrough of the co-op campaign full stealth with no kills except for scripted bits and checkpoint triggers and the atmosphere feels so much more intense. I still try to do something like that but I find it more fun to completely clean the levels of enemies with a friend.

[@retrobros9684]

Part 2 my friend had way more tense game play mechanics. Part 3 they basically destroyed the pvp aspect by swapping merc weapons with non lethals, spies couldn't knock out mercs with awesome tricks like gas cameras, if that fails take them and run along the wall or rail to do a head stomp knocking them out while you hack or run an item out if a zone. Part 3 added new game modes, and killed the pv9 aspect by Making the goal to extract stuff and took away the tools spies and mercs came to love like laser trip wires and infrared vision and eletrical vision....telling you Part 2s mulitplayer was truly 5X Better than 3

[@DarknessDShadow]

When Conviction came out, I hated it with a burning might. It was such an insult to my beloved Chaos Theory. Years later, I finally calmed down and played through it. And it's an okey game. It has it's moments. I really liked how Fisher acted much more ruthless and showed all his anger and frustration. Understandably so. It's just a very bad Splinter Cell. The earlier version looks much more in line with the core feeling, while getting the same angry Fisher across. I really wonder, has making the game available to a broader audience but ignoring the core fan base ever paid off? Ever? In the long run? Edit: now that I think about it, everything in the game I liked came from Fisher, the story, the license. In terms of gameplay, well, there sure was gameplay. But that's about it.

[@ermacjones4821]

Yeah, we constantly get fucked for greed. Good times.

[@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi]

You really can't say the core gameplay was ignored, just changed.

[@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi]

@@ermacjones4821 ???

[@DarknessDShadow]

@@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi that's kinda the same thing. It got changed and ignored the things people liked about Splinter Cell. To be more mainstream

[@ermacjones4821]

@@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi they tried to change it to make more money, completely fucking the game in the process. You know games could replace this one, and are actually good? Army Of Two, and Hitman Absolution to name two. Hitman Absolution did the same thing, and I definitely didn't agree with it, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a pretty good game in it's own right. It's not really a good Hitman game though.

[@Rythian]

I wonder what a game like this could be if freed from the Splinter Cell IP and went full blast on the PEV style.

[@Jay_Sullivan]

I think it just needed more time, not that I want it to be a part of SC. If they had another year or two (and the money), the game could have been amazing. Though, it still wouldn't have been suited to SC.

[@Caffeinated-DaVinci]

Essentially a John Wick game would take full advantage of a PEV system.

[@kendallfleming5858]

Well, so that for another game, yes, not SC, Stealth is what made SC great, the act if constantly having you on the edge of your seat

[@Jay_Sullivan]

@@Caffeinated-DaVinci , yes, it would be a great style for a John Wick or Jason Borne game. Without trying to kind of be an SC game, it would probably have been even better.

[@reeds19]

Definitely hindered by the SC connection. Jason Bourne and its an amazing game.. Could even put the Predator as the character and it would work.

[@eventhor7524]

I am a die hard fan of the first 3 Splinter Cell games, but I honestly love Conviction as its own game, it's not stealth but in terms of action and a complete change of pace its very fun. Of course I want Splinter Cell to go back to its old ways.

[@optimizedpran1247]

I got this game when I was in 8th grade. I had played all the previous splinter cell games. I can say that I loved this game the most at the time for its "vibe" The mark and execute and ability to set up really cool kill sequences was so dope. The feeling that your enemies always know you're coming but you still get to catch them by surprise.

[@probablythedm1669]

I remember this game very fondly, especially the co-op. With a buddy who's decent at the game you are a glorious 2-man prototype John Wick team and it's a lot of fun. Still, this probably should have been a new IP instead of a Splinter Cell game, because the story made no sense. But, having played the early games and enjoyed them a lot, this is my favorite in terms of nebolous "fun". Probably because I could execute people with friends.

[@TheReZisTLust]

I played Co Op on the old Onlive streaming service on PC an md i loved it

[@kondrashovoleg]

They should have been allowed to continue with the early prototype. Could have been an awesome and refreshing game.

[@CHRISCAMPO-wq8bi]

Thankfully what we got was refreshing, but the prototype would've pissed off the same haters, as its looks even more action-oriented

[@afroarchitect2446]

This was my first exposure to the splinter cell series and I enjoyed it. As a stealth game novice at the time I found it to be a rather enjoyable game.

[@nietzchepreacher9477]

@Trevor Anthony yeah my first was double agent then this. i always wanted to play splinter cell but was too young

[@G0LD3NF1RE]

My first too, loved it and especially the co-op.

[@PolyphonicWaves]

My first time with Splinter Cell as well. My brother filled me in on the games before hand. Then we played the co-op together.

[@Igneeka]

My first Splinter Cell too, played it on a shitty laptop and I still had a lot of fun even if not being able to move bodies already bothered me back then It's different compared to the previous entries and after playing CT yeah I can see why it'd be frustrating to go from one of the most complex stealth game with tons of options to one of the simpliest and the story is stupid and the "waves" moments are pretty jarring and the checkpoints are poorly placed and not as good as an actual save system...but I still love it, it's no CT but I'm always having a blast playing it

[@wolfensniper4012]

This was my first Splinter Cell when i care less about “stealth” genre over the joyful feeling of quite eliminations at that time. And i really appreciate the art style and atmosphere of the game (Unfortunately even the black and white system that Chris hated). I would say that it was Conviction that got me into the Neo-noir movie genre because of its style (while i even don't know about Bourne at that time), and unfortunately none of other titles in this franchise took a similar approach towards this style.

[@benhaver9737]

Conviction was my introduction to Splinter Cell and I loved it. I agree the earlier games were better, but I still got a soft spot for it.

[@vojtechzahry9022]

33:07, You actually can just wait the waves out and then leave without killing anybody.

[@All_Mighty672]

Yep

[@alifadila3364]

This is the second video that I have watched of this channel and I gotta say, I am hooked, you sir are an entertaining person to listen to.

[@amit212543]

I remember in middle school all my friends who had Xbox loved this game. They mostly played call of duty so I think the mass appeal thing worked. (this isn't a dig, just an observation). I enjoyed Blacklist a lot more.

[@RemixedVoice]

I hear ya. Blacklist is ultra-refined Conviction lol

[@MerlautZone]

Righteous, I used to hate being stealthy in games and initially disliked Pandora Tomorrow, but enjoyed Conviction.

[@oldsnake9520]

@@RemixedVoice I think blacklist is more like a game that’s mechanical mix of conviction and chaos theory and allows you to the play the game like conviction or chaos theory.

[@SanDmaNTheFreakTrucker]

There are ways to ghost many of the missions and enemy encounters but not all. I was more upset that Fisher couldn’t go non-lethal so you essentially play the game as a homicidal maniac. Still a decent game.

[@SpecShadow]

0:50 yeah, I remember when Bethesda aquired Fallout IP and that flame war. People said "they hate the game because it's no longer isometric" but it was nonsense, as Fallout NV show persepective does not matter as long as it's good game, just that.

[@mixererunio1757]

And Betha squandered this franchise with shit like 3 and 76. If NV wasn't made by Obsidian we would have gotten another bland shooter in post apocalypse.

[@daedreaming6267]

@@mixererunio1757 Honestly, while NV is leagues better than anything Bethesda has released... NV is still based on Fallout 3. It's still buggy, it's still bland, the gun play still sucks ass, and purely gameplay wise.... Really not special. The story is infinitesimally better than fallout 3 and the dialogue as well, but I really think it's time to take off the nostalgia goggles and realize the game has flaws carried over from what it's based on. Far too often I find people loud this game as some sort of Messiah of the fallout franchise, and yeah, it's the best 3D one, but it lacks polish and charm that was in the earlier games. Being the best 3d fallout is not a high bar.

[@G0LD3NF1RE]

@@daedreaming6267 Yeah, the thing about Fallout and TES in my opinion is that they are pretty average games (Maybe excluding NV just because of the lore/story/characters/writing) But with mods they become like 10/10. You can change basically anything you want. Think it could use a fresh up in terms of graphics, download some graphic overhauls. Don't like the gameplay, make it like Stalker/Dark Souls where every hit counts. Find it too barebones, download some of the millions of quest, weapon, armor or companion mods. If you got the time and a general interest the mod tools are also pretty simple, so you can also just make whatever you want to a degree and put it in the game. The 3D Fallout/Elder Scrolls games are almost endless and theres still mods coming out for most of them and i will never grow tired of playing em.

[@daedreaming6267]

@@G0LD3NF1RE That's the other thing though... I feel Bethesda games REQUIRE mods in order to be enjoyable and they rely too heavily on their fan base in order to get anywhere. If CD Projekt Red did this kind of shit, they'd be out of work in a days time. I really do not understand the cult of Bethesda. They aren't outright terrible games (exceptions apply), but they're lack luster and just bleh at best.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

@@daedreaming6267 an infinitesimal is a number that approaches zero.

[@kondigong8589]

love your videos, thank you for your work!

[@fogbreeze]

I agree with almost all your points, but I still love this game so much. I technically think Chaos theory is so much better but despite that I have more playtime in this game than all other SC games together. It's weird how that works.

[@BackupPanic07]

Totally had the same experience, such a shame they didn't carry over the Deniable Ops mode to Blacklist and fully flesh it out.

[@EziosBladez]

I would have really enjoyed seeing that 2007 demo come to full realization, it looked like they were trying something different that could have really been quite enjoyable, especially with the hand placement tech they were working on at the time.

[@berserk1934]

I beat every splinter cell game more than 10 times as a kid. I grew up playing them. It gave me my love for stealth games. Conviction and blacklist are the worst in the series . Great video.

[@NKolev-om9cg]

Yes! Looking forward to cracking a cold one tonight and enjoying this follow-up.

[@Terrr05]

Love your review style. You deserve a much bigger audience.

[@TheMovingEye]

All the game footage of night scenes makes me want too boot up Pandora Tomorrow or Chaos Theory. It's sad that the niche genre of stealth games is almost dead. Deus Ex was interesting but other than that we haven't got any title lately.

[@justinkroboth360]

It's first person perspective, but doing a no-kill, ghost run in Dishonored and Dishonored 2 have been some of the best fun I've had.

[@zerodollarbird]

Believe it or not, Watch Dogs 2 is actually an excellent stealth-action game if you take on a no-kill run. Having Marcus, a character falsely accused of a crime and trying to show the white or at least grey hat side of hacking, killing people left and right never felt right so I went no-kill and the game became MILES better.

[@Igneeka]

As mentioned the Dishonored games were really great (2 is personally my favorite stealth game of all time) but sadly I don't think we'll ever get an actual third game There was also Hitman 1/2 but once again the future of the franchise is uncertain

[@RZ_2K]

@@zerodollarbird Hardly many people bought wd2 because of the backlash the first game got, the opposite effect was in games like fallout and splinter cell where the first few are blockbuster yet the complacency ruins the rest

[@somec4553]

How is stealth a niche genre, we got ghost of Tsushima, hitman, far cry, and watchdogs

[@takeabyteoutofgaming3023]

I miss Splinter cell so much! I wish they'd at least remaster the original trilogy agai for ps4.

[@golfer435]

The best part about conviction is the character work. Sam gets so much character development in this, and I think I ultimately the more action based focus fits Sam's mental state as well. He lost his daughter, was forced to kill Lambert, has been disavowed and declared a fugitive, and hes angry. Yeah, it was a departure from traditional stealth mechanics, but they did a very good job giving reasons for why Sam is so angry.

[@bgw316]

Honestly Conviction might be one of the best 3rd person action (kinda stealthy) games I've ever played. Incredibly tight and focused gameplay. If only this gameplay was expanded even further because blacklist was stellar too, but with ubisofts shift to open world I'm afraid they'll abandon these systems entirely. Even now, after recycling alot of animations and assets, they haven't made an SC with gameplay as tight as Conviction and Blacklist.

[@Igneeka]

made an SC*

[@falaflani4831]

Conviction is not a SC game. And they already abandoned the SC mechanics. Also have you never played MGS5 or any of the hitman games? You should try playing more games if you think this game is that good. It's just a gutted SC game that took mechanics from third person action games like Unchartered and The Punisher and in the end they ruined what made SC unique. Ask yourself why Hitman returned to form and made much more once Square Enix released IO interactive and they made Hitman like how it was before and not the action bs absolution was (which is what Conviction and Blacklist was)

[@danielgarcia4083]

My favorite in the franchise. Loved every moment of it

[@farhaaz237]

Do you even splinter cell?

[@potatoguy7929]

Same

[@3chel0n13]

I think the franchise as a whole isn't for you then. Thankfully, third person action games are a dime a dozen these days, so there are lots of games out there for you to enjoy. The rest of us will lament the death of Splinter Cell quietly.

[@dblackout1107]

JC Denton oh please don’t gatekeep like he couldn’t possibly like the series and love this game. I played all the SC’s and like OP absolutely loved this one and it’s my favorite. It was a drastic change but the fast flow of zipping around playing cat and mouse to hunt everyone down without being seen had a dope feel. It’s pace was very different. And I like both feels SC has had. Conviction did stealth with a lot more style. You’re a sneaky Jason Bourne basically and that’s cool. The old ones were great in their own right but this game got rid of a lot of tactical fluff and made you feel like the ultimate veteran stealth operator who didn’t need much to be a god.

[@Markie98]

@@3chel0n13 That's stupid.

[@ThreeProphets]

On controller, the walk and run speeds are controlled by how far you push the stick. You have to be careful while aiming and cornering, as it's easy to push too far and drop your guard, but it's generally much more controllable than the toggle button There are essentially two ways to play this game. Every encounter (except Iraq and Echelon) has a route that allows you to complete or bypass it without triggering detection. This usually involves careful planning and observation, followed by rapid, coordinated execution. The "vanish" step is then unnecessary because you were never detected in the first place. Whether you want to call this stealth or not is up to you, but it doesn't force you to engage in traditional combat. The other way, and my personal preference, is to play like John Wick, making aggressive use of the snap aiming, executions, and well-timed hostage grabs in an emergency. I don't even use suppressors most of the time! As an action game, Conviction is actually really special, so both approaches are equally valid

[@SahiPie]

Loved the always going back for family scene, you knew what was about to happen but it didn’t take alway from how badass it was.

[@BucklingSwashes]

I'll admit that I absolutely love this game. As a Splinter Cell game, it's a big step backwards. As a Sam Fisher game and as a thinking man's third person shooter, it's brilliant. It's a rare title in which the story truly informs the gameplay. I still go back and play it every couple of years just because I love Michael Ironside's performance, and the pacing of the game ensures it doesn't overstay its welcome, despite still having its fair share of quiet moments. It also arguably has the best presentation and storytelling of the series. It's definitely an entirely different definition of stealth action, and while it's not the kind of game I wanted as a Splinter Cell fan, I still find it to be one of the best games of the last generation.

[@pjf674]

The movement, climbing, and melee combat in CT and DA really made you feel like the models had real weight. In Conviction, Fisher flies up walls and across ledges like a cat. It feels like such an obvious downgrade.

[@RemixedVoice]

It would have somewhat made more sense if it was a prequel and Fisher was in his early 20s. But, it was a sequel to DA lol

[@SoleilPhoenix]

Man, wish my grandpa had this kind of.movements hahaha

[@reeds19]

Got worse in Blacklist. Fischer started looking like a frog hopping from ledge to ledge.

[@marbl3d45]

Shut up

[@AwkwardHugger]

Sacrifice for the algorithm gods.

[@irosales105]

Found it hilarious how the bad stuff part of the video out lengths the good stuff part😂, great video mate👍

[@pchurch692]

Loving the vids man!

[@manolispadilla7765]

This game has insane speedrunning potential.

[@coconuthead1361]

33:04 actually that's not right, I played through that entire section without killing a single enemy, and I only got spotted when I ran to the end. It was probably the best moment in the game for me.

[@GreyTide]

So you used melee against every enemy with your gun put away? It's tedious but possible. The end of the Kobin mansion must be a bitch.

[@coconuthead1361]

@@GreyTide nope, no melee. Just hiding.

[@NFSracers1]

Conviction was a bad splinter cell but for the story of Sam Fisher was perfect.

[@sharoo8761]

I've never played any of the Splinter Cell games. I'm not a fan of stealth games in general. Yet I've watched all these videos weirdly enough. Something about your analysis, critique and commentary I find interesting and relaxing at the same time. Keep up the good work, oh and also KZbin algorithm... Give this man here more views please!

[@IcedEarth1231]

Excellent video! However, I am surprised that you didn't mention the Deniable Ops game mode. It's usually regarded as the fan favorite feature of Conviction. I know that you mentioned that you were unable to try the coop mode, maybe you thought that Deniable Ops was specifically for coop? There are quite a few maps available for the game mode, there was even dlc released for it as well. On top of that there are a few different types of game modes you can play, the main one being Hunter where you are tasked with killing 10 or so enemies in a section of the level (20 or more if you are detected) and once you do that you can move on to the next section. And since you mentioned wave defense, there is actually a wave defense game mode called Last Stand which isn't nearly as good but it does serve as a good time killer if you have a friend to play it with. Speaking of, you can play these both solo or coop. I urge you to check them out, the levels are really solid and a lot of fun! Excited to see what you have to say about Blacklist.

[@EmDub01]

Deniable Ops was so much fun! I really loved the trend of adding extra modes in games like Spec Ops/zombies in COD, horde mode in Gears, Batman Arkham challenge modes, or Firefight in Halo, and how you could unlock costumes and weapons and new missions by playing these modes, it really added to the replay value if you didn’t feel like playing the campaign/online multiplayer, just a quick jump in and complete some cool bite-sized missions. And how most of these modes were co-op which just made them 100x better. I loved running through Deniable Ops missions with my Archer or Kestrel and picking an outfit+loadout, and basically becoming the predator, taking down goons with brutal and badass animations, using environmental takedowns and also scaring the hell out of enemies. One challenge I would do is a no-gun run, I would holster my weapon and try to take out all guards with melee takedowns, only using a gun to shoot a chandelier or explosive or something. Also, the animations, controls, and visual design of the game are totally unique and feel so smooth, and the sonar vision was both OP and just...cool. I feel like games this generation have kinda ditched these tertiary side modes in favor of campaign, multiplayer, open-world design, or a mix of any of these, and it’s a shame because I really loved how these modes let you enjoy pure, unfiltered gameplay and aesthetic design without being bogged down by story, cutscenes, or set pieces. Anyway, Deniable Ops rocks, this game is stupid fun, and bring back tertiary challenge/mission modes (with optional co-op)!

[@RemixedVoice]

I totally understand why people were turned off by it, because it was so drastically different than the other entries in the series. If they only just made a new IP with Conviction, instead of slapping the Splinter Cell name on it, I guarantee it would have been a very well-received game. Especially if they incorporated a lot of the scrapped elements too. I still love Conviction though. I love all the Splinter Cell games, and I hope to see another entry someday. Thanks for this video!!

[@pendantblade6361]

Your upload schedule is always impressive, Chris.

[@EnslavedLonesoul]

To me this is what modern assassin's creed should have become with Desmond. Sorry for being off topic, have a great day.

[@utubecop11]

Before I even start this video, I'm flooded with how much I loved this game. Probably has to do with the fact that this was my first splinter cell, but still. I thought the story was tight and that the bad guys really deserved the killin' they got. When an enemy feels like they deserve being wiped out, idk, it just makes the game so much more entertaining to me. I still replay this game at least once a year.

[@RemixedVoice]

It's a great game! I first played the original splinter cell on Xbox. Conviction is drastically different from the other entries in the series, but that doesn't change the fact that it's an awesome game.

[@dividetc263]

I really enjoy stealth games that don't punish you for killing. I can't get into a game if I know I'm being punished for playing in the way I want. Dishonored comes to mind immediately for me.

[@LordNexusTheFir]

Lol you remind me of myself replying Kotor 1 & 2 every year. Conviction wasn't my first but it was extremely fun & the hours of co-op with friends made it a 10/10 experience

[@utubecop11]

@@dividetc263 Amen to that, I agree 100%

[@MelvinGundlach]

flEX Especially since the developer made all those cool mechanics to then punish the player for using them. I don’t get it.

[@TommyCorrigan]

This was a phenomenal experience. First time in a stealth game where getting spotted didn't seem like a total failure. Encounters were like a playground and fisher felt powerful like batman in the Arkham games.

[@falaflani4831]

Then you are not a fan of splinter cell nor the stealth genre. Games like Max Payne and Unchartered exist and not every third person shooter should be like those games. This is the same reason why people hate hitman absolution

[@forshigity5000]

stealth? no

[@Ava-pq6om]

The Mark and Execute mechanic is essentially the game playing itself, and it doesn't even look cool doing it.

[@nicolasnake9819]

I can't wait for the Blacklist analysis, great video

[@janesslinger2814]

Played all Splinter Cell games and loved them all, but Conviction is my FAVORITE. Sure, it is very different and it is a lot less stealthy than the rest of the series, but it is the most cinematic, stylish and brutal. So many good design choices!

[@falaflani4831]

If conviction is your favourite then you weren't a fan of splinter cell nor stealth games in general

[@divagaciones1628]

This wasn't a bad game per se but I didn't feel like playing Splinter Cell, I felt like playing 24/Bourne the game.

[@willyjf6193]

Omg yes. I beat most the missions by running up and doin melee. Lol

[@JahonCross]

It was my first splinter cell game and I liked it even the co-op story node I've met my best friend on there 😁

[@MichaelLikesTurtles]

I will forever mourn the loss of the Conviction we could have gotten. Remember thinking it looked amazing back in the day. Sad we won't ever get to experience it -- that and the scrapped Prey 2.

[@AnoNymous-lh7qm]

Thanks for this video!

[@nightset601]

Sadly, the co-op was probably the best part of this game

[@XxDruidmancerxX]

Infiltration mode in it is also really fun

[@EnLaMatrix1]

I love the mafia club mission

[@omgemojixd9739]

I really enjoyed this game without playing the other games, and I really don’t plan on playing the earlier games. This game was my childhood, believe it or not, and I loved this game at every moment.

[@Doomern]

Yeah me, too this game was actually the one that brought me to the Splinter Cell series, I bought chaos theory a few days back when it was on sale on steam and its mad fun even after 15 years, so I recommend

[@MrKarateHandlesYou]

Same here

[@oldsnake9520]

Yeah man chaos theory is legitimately one of the best stealth action games and I’m not really that much of a splinter cell fan. I recommend it.

[@katzenspainfullhd2764]

I always liked the side missions with Kestrel and Archer. They made you forget it was supposed to be splinter cell, and once you forgot that the game actually became pretty fun for me

[@Rainbowhawk1993]

Conviction was my first splinter cell game and I have fond memories of it. Probably that’s why I enjoyed it more than others.

[@SlipperyDad]

I love the series and I actually do like conviction, purely because it looks cool and is fun but I far prefer the original trilogy and I think blacklist was a decent middle ground

[@makefoxhoundgreatagain842]

It doesn't feel like a splinter cell game. Chaos theory is probably the best stealth game ever made. This is a okay action game.

[@shadowman5567]

I liked "Conviction".. There, I said it! And, with that said, I kinda wish they wouldn't have gotten scared of the public's reaction and went full speed with the original idea. It fits better with the story of him going nomad. Like stated in the video, the stealth could have been similar to Assassin's Creed, hiding in plain sight, and MSGV type gameplay. I wonder if they changed the whole story when going back to the drawing board. Were they going to bring back Sarah in the original or was that storyline changed? I have so many questions!

[@e2rqey]

Tbh I enjoy the gameplay in Conviction and Blacklist more than the OG splinter cell games. It seems the majority of people's frustration with the game comes from a conscious refusal to engage with the game on the games terms.

[@TGP482]

@@e2rqey Even if you ignore the fact that they're part of the Splinter Cell franchise, they both still suck

[@shadowman5567]

@@e2rqey That's a good point. I will agree that they took a step backwards with Conviction in regards to the gameplay of previous titles, but I felt they made up for that in Blacklist, aside from Ironside not being in it. They gave you freedom to play how you wanted to; you can sneak past all enemies or kill everyone in your path. But, people still don't like it. Chances are hardcore fans will never get another good Splinter Cell game, especially in these days of DLCs and cash-grabs.

[@MrMochaAddict]

Thank you for doing the review on Conviction.

[@totallynotaidan3563]

There are actually some points in the game where you can ghost it. I managed to do it in the wave section, most sections before you go inside white house, some sections inside the white house, some sections on the way and away from where you get the other vision, and finally at the final section in the mission where you infiltrate the warehouse thing. However it was very difficult and I agree with your point. The game really tries to force you to clear out rooms and change your play style.

[@LordNexusTheFir]

Ive played every Splinter Cell game & played Conviction more than the rest lol especially with the co-op! So much fun with the boys especially at the end 😏 no spoilers. But its funny & also sad. Cant wait till we get a Sarah Fisher Splinter Cell with how he explained dealing with monsters under her bed im just waiting for that flashback lol. She remembers & realized he was more or less referring to how he took out some goons.

[@manolispadilla7765]

Bruh i just completed the coop yesterday after years w a friend and at the end we were like wait. What do we have to do? 😂

[@blaisemanfredi5035]

Rip archer my hero

[@WaddleDee105]

Honestly, I enjoyed this game more than the next game, Blacklist, because I felt it was at least more consistent on what it wanted to be, even if I wasn't entirely on board with the new direction. I haven't played Conviction since 2013 though so my thoughts would likely change because you make it sound way too simple to be enjoyable for long. Include me in the group of "Would likely have enjoyed the original vision of Conviction more". Shame we never got another game anywhere near Chaos Theory's quality.

[@have_a_good_day420]

Conviction is the Resident Evil 6 of the Splinter Cell series.

[@antoniomorales4923]

This was my first ever splinter cell game when I was about 10 and I loved it as my introduction, I started playing blacklist recently and it's pretty good too. Can't speak on the originals since I haven't gotten the chance to play them, but I'm certain they're really good games should I get the chance to play them. I have love for all splinter cell content.

[@OneTyler2Many]

Such a weird game for me to watch in a video. I bought the game when it came out and beat it twice. Dont remember any of the levels or any parts of the game. Guess it just wasnt as memorable to me because all I did was mostly get into firefights.

[@MikeJones-bm4wu]

I honestly lost interest after double agent (PS3 version). Pair that with the fact that Ubisoft made this a 360 exclusive, I just never could get back into it even after blacklist. The original e3 version of conviction looked great though imo.

[@XxDruidmancerxX]

I remember enjoying trying to beat the coop levels - which can be played solo - only using melee, it's the only way to make it more challenging and resemble the old ones more (especially on Infiltration Mode).

Heres my sacrifice to the algo... hey I loved the end scene as well, its what I most remembered from the game... you know when it first came out I was pumped for another splinter cell game and I dont recall any issues except i do remember that it wasnt what they had showcased... but now that Im replaying the whole series, on Chaos theory at the moment and it definitely holds up, I can see all the issues that you discussed about this one and double agent... maybe blacklist is better than I remember we will see.

[@RyeBreadGangster]

Just to let you know I completely agree with your review. You SHOULD play the coop though. Its really good. It suffers from a lot of the issues of the core game but its an overall fantastic experience.

[@MrChopstsicks]

This is my introduction to the series. Of course I’ve seen gameplays of chaos theory but the feel of watching and playing it is very different. This game someone mentioned is more of a Splinter Cell: 24 Hour tv series.

[@PeculiarNotions]

I'll just add the I enjoyed this game when I played it all those years ago. I can even recall Michael Ironside's delivery of some of the lines and believe his voicework would probably elevate any material he worked with. I don't know if you're still taking suggestions on which series to run next, but I'll vote you do Dishonored.

[@Killicon93]

Damn! The alpha version of Conviction looked awesome.

[@SaberRexZealot]

I got mixed feeling on this game overall but there are some great scenes in this game, especially with Sam temporarily losing his shit. Shows you a very different side to him.

[@thegamingpesant2880]

33:08 No that's not true. You can hide in the top floor of the restaurant/coffee shop whatever, and one or two guys will come up there throughout that entire section. It is really boring if you do it this way but I just wanted to point that out

[@niccolofrangione7191]

It's stunning how the old game were so ahead than the new ones. Chaos theory for example is so superior in term of pretty much everything: levels, atmosphere, difficulty, replayability. I am now replay chaos theory after blacklist and i am so much more engaged with the first.

[@e2rqey]

You have a noisemaker device to lure enemies over. And you can shoot the lights out. The game heavily rewards staying in the darkness as well as making your own darkness.

[@falaflani4831]

So dumbed dowm mechanics that were better implemented in the previous games?

[@kingdomkey2262]

But what does that matter when it's so easy to kill everyone in a few seconds?

[@basit_manzoor_]

Honestly. I'm happy I played these games as a kid when i wasn't really picky. I overall enjoyed conviction even though I could tell it wasn't even close to previous games. Not the best game, but was a good enough time then, and now with the power of nostalgia every game played in teenage is an automatic 10/10.😡

[@anthonyalberts8167]

I’ve been playing this series since the original release when I was like 10 years old. Having recently replayed the entire series I can confidently say this is by FAR the worst Splinter Cell game and not just because it’s different and lacks stealth. This game is shallow and atrocious. I beat it by basically sitting on a pipe or in a doorway and throwing explosives and killing all the enemies. No branching paths or thought behind anything in this game. Most sections you have to just kill everyone unless you want to really manipulate the AI to try and slip by. Speaking of AI holy god they are brain-dead. Throw a mine at 3 people and blow them up, what do you think the rest of them do? Funnel over one by one to get killed by the same thing. Most lame and eye-rolling story I’ve ever experienced. Gunplay and controls feel terrible. No speed control when crouched and don’t even get me started on the binary light system. Mark and execute is the lamest thing I’ve ever seen in a game. Why even play a game at that point just watch a movie. Completely linear and short levels with no opportunity to take alternate paths outside of a few encounters. Most encounters have things setup so obvious you don’t even have to think. Hmmm encounter starts with a guy isolated by himself with a pipe overhead. I wonder what the devs planned for this part of the mission. Like it’s so brain-dead. A myriad of stealth options that have been in the series taken away. Like why? Why not just leave them in (moving bodies, whistling, etc) giving the player options? Forcing us into a Jason Bourne game is ridiculous. I could write an entire novel about this game but it’s not even worth my time. This game is made for action fans (but it’s abysmal as a TPS action game) and/or brain-dead people who want to hold forward and shoot everyone. Everything is artificial and shallow. It’s absolutely atrocious. Anyone who thinks this is the “best” splinter cell game shouldn’t even be playing a stealth series and should probably get their head checked. Even if you like this style of game it’s STILL HORRIBLE for all the reasons above plus a myriad of others. It’s just flat out a terrible game in all respects. Period.

[@PrimePCGaming]

If you've never played Splinter Cell and tried this when it came out it would have been extremely impressive. I know it was never Chaos Theory 2 but I always loved it.

[@tommygun6866]

As for future games I'd like you to cover, it would be "The Saboteur". Open world 3rd person shooter with light stealth, parkour and rpg elemtents set in occupied France during WWII where you play an irish mechanic / resistance fighter. It has an interesting story, an AMAZING soundtrack, a memorable ending and a unique feature, where most of the game is set in black and white (kinda like SC: C), but during certain points in the story, you bring colour back to certain districts, which has its own little benefits (less guards, more resistance, etc). I think you'll enjoy it, and it would make an amazing video!

[@TheBigGSN5]

This game was good and the co-op was awesome. We didn’t need them to make the same game again.

[@MamoMark]

Well I enjoyed the hell out of SC: Double Agent & Conviction. Played them a lot during the Xbox 360 days :p

[@AngryDuck79]

It's ok to like things.

[@CommissarJimbo]

"This game is bug free, which I usually don't count - but I've just come back from Double Agent and it feels like a miracle." Fuck me. I just finished Double Agent, then went on to Conviction myself and I've never heard something so fucking agreeable.

[@StrayCatAnimations]

Great video, can't wait for blacklist!

[@Twilightsfavquill]

I played the Coop campaign back in 2012, it's decently fun with a nice twist at the end. It took me and a friend of mine around 2-3 hours to complete it so I would say it is a decent addon to the main campaign.

[@dblackout1107]

I played almost every SC and this is hands down my favorite. It became a classic game for me with their multiplayer/deniable ops mode. It’s easy to pick up and play and gets you into something that randomizes enemy routes so it’s just freeform, fresh, and fun. I felt cool and swift zipping around in that game chaining together takedowns.

[@EmDub01]

Agreed, I left another comment about this but modes like Deniable Ops, Spec Ops, Firefight, Horde, etc. let you just hop in and enjoy the gameplay and the action without the pacing and cutscenes and focus on story that the campaign has. Plus, Archer and Kestrel are cool and I loved unlocking outfits for them and trying to go through missions without firing a gun. There were surprisingly a ton of missions for that mode too-different environments and different game types that really gave you something new to try each time you played.

[@SirBigWater]

Nice. Waiting for this one

[@ermacjones4821]

I see why they went with black and white in the dark, it's basically just a reference to how our eyes work in the dark. We only see black, white, and grey when it's too dark to see. It doesn't mean it was a good idea, but it makes sense.