Since I have never played a Splinter Cell game I was very excited to take the plunge into Sam Fisher’s world.  I was not disappointed.  I have heard and can understand the the points brought up by long time players of the Splinter Cell franchise: !. This isn’t the Sam Fisher I know and love(I barely recognize you) 2. Where is the real stealth? 3. Why is the A.I. so stupid?(oops thats my complaint). But for someone new to Splinter Cell I appreciate the faster paced stealth that Ubisoft was aiming for. From the minute I started playing the game, I began to compare it with Batman Arkham Asylum.  Even though, both games are similar, the feel you get and the way the stories are told gives you completely different experiences.  The stealth elements in this game are new takes on previously used formulas.  One thing new is when you move to the shadows the screen goes into a black and white mode to let the players now that he/she is unseen. It was a bit disorienting at first but a very nice touch. And of course the infrared goggles come into play later in the game for Sam Fisher and is available at the start of the co op missions. Mark and Death is a gameplay element that after you complete a manual takedown you can then mark your enemies and use the Y button to perform an execution.  You don’t want to waste them. Being strategic on when and who to mark and execute is essentially to getting through levels. The story and the way that it is told is excellent. Voice acting is top notch except the goons Sam Fisher takes on tends to talk way too much and loud giving away their position.  My only complaint is that even on realistic mode the A.I. can just be plain bad. Sometimes the bad dudes just walk up next to you waiting to be taken down as well as the non stop talking. Co-op mode and story are very well done and on par with the single player mode. I actually have been having more fun coordinating with someone to take out a room of bad guys. Having such a wide variety of weapons and gadgets leads to a great deal of customizable gameplay to suit each players particular playing style. What is so great about this game is that there is not a set way to take out the enemy. It is really up to your analysis to decide how you want to tackle the situation. Also another nice touch: free DLC every Thursday. So far it has been new weapons and gadgets. Hopefully, they will roll out dlc for the co op mode and some Sam Fisher flash backs.  Also for purchasing Splinter Cell: Conviction, you get access to Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Beta.  I have yet to do any of the versus modes(not really interested).  Maybe I don’t know what I am missing but I have had a great experience playing and replaying this game. For everything that you get from this game it is a must purchase.

Mark’s GeeksFTW Score 85