275 lines
8.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
275 lines
8.1 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
technology
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e3-2009
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5451549
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-----
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# Splinter Cell Conviction preview
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## Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is easily one of the best video
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games at this year's E3 in Los Angeles.
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![Splinter Cell Conviction at E3 2009][1]
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Brutal stuff: Splinter Cell Conviction is darker, grittier and more violent
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than its predecessors
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By Tom Hoggins 11:48AM BST 05 Jun 2009
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[Comments][2]
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**Format:** Xbox 360
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**Developer:** Ubisoft Montreal
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**Publisher:** Ubisoft
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**Released:** October 2009
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![Splinter Cell Conviction at E3 2009][3]
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Much like the Bond movies, Conviction has a touch of the 'reboot' about it
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One of the biggest stirs of [**Microsoft**][4]'s [**E3 2009**][5]
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[**conference**][6], [**outside of motion controllers**][7] and [**ageing rock
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gods**][8], was of Splinter Cell Conviction finally emerging from the shadows.
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The 360 exclusive [**video game**][9] has had a torrid development time and
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the original vision of the game has been completely altered.
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Early previews showed protagonist Sam Fisher skulking through massive crowds
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with a grey beard and dirty mac. Ubisoft attempted to send the series in a
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slightly different direction with technology allowing Fisher to pick up almost
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anything from his environment and use it as a weapon. This version of the game
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stalled, until it was decided that the game had "moved too far away from the
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core Splinter Cell experience", according to Andreane Meunier of Ubisoft, and
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my guide to the demo. So a major revamp was ordered. The stunning gameplay
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shown at Microsoft's conference is the result.
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Given a walk-through of that gameplay section, and getting into the nitty
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gritty of the mechanics behind the action, you start to discover that an even
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more impressive engine lies beneath that shiny bonnet.
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Sam is in Malta, searching for the killer of his only daughter, Sarah. The
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demo opens with Sam throwing a goon around a bathroom. It's brutal stuff,
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smashing him into a door, a urinary, a mirror. That's enough punishment and
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the guy gives up the name, Kobin. An image of the man is transposed onto the
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bathroom walls right into the action, so as not to interrupt the flow with a
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cutscene, it's a very neat visual trick and one that's is used throughout the
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game to display objectives, story points and other vital information.
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## Related Articles
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* [In depth: E3 2009][10]
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02 Jun 2009
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* [Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 2009 briefing][11]
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02 Jun 2009
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* [E3 2009: Microsoft launches Project Natal for Xbox 360][12]
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01 Jun 2009
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* [Beatles unveil new game][13]
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01 Jun 2009
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* [Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 video game review][14]
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10 Sep 2010
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* [Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction - trailer 4][15]
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23 Feb 2010
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As Sam moves outside, there is a short cutscene masking a load time. But even
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this is not wasted, the camera swoops through the streets that Sam must
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negotiate, highlighting enemies and clues. Eventually it comes back to Sam,
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smashing a car window and ripping out the rear view mirror. Splinter Cell has
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always been big on fancy gadgets, but Sam has gone rogue in a hunt for
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revenge, so he has too make do with what he has. Sam moves through the street
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towards his objective, a huge mansion, before hopping over the side of a
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bridge and shimmying up behind a guard. There is no heads-up display, so when
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Sam is hidden in darkness the screen subtly drains of colour, immediately
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giving the player that vital feedback.
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Sam pulls the guard from the bridge and drops him to the street below,
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smashing a lamppost as he goes. Moving to a side door of the mansion, Sam then
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slides the car mirror under the crack in the door to see two more guards
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milling about. This is where Conviction's 'mark & execute' feature comes in.
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With a press of a button Sam can 'mark' a target out for a headshot with a
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touch of a button. The two targets marked, Sam kicks open the door, shoots out
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the lights and dispatches the guards in one fluid movement and just a few
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bullets. It looks fantastic and in this example is an easy way to clear the
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area. However, as the game progresses, you will have to choose your marks very
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carefully before bursting into an area, as you only have a limited amount. To
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earn 'marks' you must dispose of enemies in hand-to-hand combat, either
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creeping up and taking them out silently, or tackling them head on. The marks
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can also be used on the fly during a pitched firefight, with Sam pulling off
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some skilled shots while on the move.
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As Sam battles his way through the mansion, some more classic Splinter Cell
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cloak and daggers stuff is shown. Although as Sam doesn't have much in the way
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of equipment, his techniques are much more primitive, more animal. When you
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move into the shadows in front of an enemy, a 'ghost' of Sam is shown. This
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indicates where the villain saw you last, and as he goes poking around in that
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area, you can sneak around the back and take him out.
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There's something terrifically raw and brutal about this next Splinter Cell
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instalment. As the demo comes to an end in a spectacular finale amid
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explosions and shattering glass, you get the feeling that Ubisoft have really
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pulled this out of nowhere. Usually a game that enters development hell will
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not come back as strong as Conviction has. It features a younger looking Sam
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too, despite the storyline being a direct follow on from the previous games.
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When questioned on this Meunier told me that Sam is like James Bond, and it
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was time to change the look. This overhaul looks to be a masterstroke, much
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like the Bond movies, Conviction has a touch of the 'reboot' about it. It's
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grittier, darker, more carnal. And I cannot wait.
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[X][16] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][17]
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* Share: [Share][16] [ ][18] [ ][19]
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[Tweet][20]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/e3-2009/5451549/Splinter-Cell-
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Conviction-preview.html
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Telegraph
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## [E3 2009][10]
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* ### [Technology »][21]
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* ### [Microsoft »][22]
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* ### [Tom Hoggins »][23]
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* ### [E3 »][24]
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[X][16] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][17]
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Share:
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* [ ][16]
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* [ ][18]
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* [ ][19]
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* [Tweet][20]
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* Advertisement
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![][25]
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telegraphuk
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Please enable JavaScript to view the [comments powered by Disqus.][26] [blog
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comments powered by Disqus][27]
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## [science topics »][28]
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[E3 in depth][10]
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[Technology picture galleries][29]
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[Technology Reviews][30]
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[Microsoft in depth][22]
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[Nintendo in depth][31]
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[Sony in depth][32]
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Advertisement
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sponsored features
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