Back from a tumultuous slumber, the stealthy panther that is Sam Fisher has risen from the ashes for Splinter Cell: Conviction. Originally announced in 2007 as a hobo simulator, Sam’s new adventure disembarks from the classic “sneak-and-evade” gameplay of old and boasts a “sneak-and-destroy” focus.

My constant struggle with Conviction’s new style has hampered my ability to adequately enjoy the game as others have. When SC:C opens, it’s quite apparent that the series’ constant option to exclusively use stealth doesn’t apply anymore. Within the first 30 seconds of player-controlled action you’re tasked with gunning down a couple of unaware guards. Conviction isn’t the traditional stealth-action game: it’s a sneaky third-person shooter and it doesn’t hide it.

The one aspect of Splinter Cell that has been carried over is the storyline. In Double Agent, Fisher’s emotional side is brought out when some dire circumstances arise in his personal life. At its conclusion, he’s given the option to murder his best friend or spare him. Canonically, the former prevails and it propels Sam’s life out of control. To further involve you in the story are flashbacks and flash-forwards, a few of which show the events leading to the conclusion of the game. They’re much more engaging and interesting than previous iterations of Splinter Cell and should be considered by other developers who fear their story may become too boring as the game progresses.

As the player is introduced to the game, a striking stylistic change is apparent: objectives and plot elements are “projected” onto in-game objects, adding some cool background images to coincide with the game’s plot. There are several moments throughout Conviction when those projections give you further insight into the mindset and emotions of Sam, providing some passive narration that isn’t present in other games.

Aside from Sam’s impressive new arsenal of weaponry, his greatest asset is the “Mark and Execute” system, which allows players to tag enemies and perform Jack Bauer-like pistol gymnastics at the touch of a button. They aren’t unlimited, however, and you’ll need to close-in and take out baddies with melee before Sam can perform another shoot ‘em up gun show.

The expansive environments of the previous two Splinter Cell titles are lacking in SC:C. Too often the missions rely on straight paths that are only navigable by tripping over the countless bodies you just created, which if done too noisily can result in Call of Duty 4-esque enemy respawns. It’s most similar to those familiar with Rainbow Six: Vegas’‘ “Terrorist Hunt”, which is actually cut-and-pasted into Conviction as the single or multiplayer option, “Deniable Ops.”

For those disinclined to single-player ventures, there are a plethora of multiplayer modes (both cooperative and competitive) to whet your whistle. The co-op campaign involves two special agents from competing agencies as they influence events prior to Sam’s story. Unfortunately, those pesky linear and forced level structures of the campaign make a return to Archer and Kestrel’s adventure. Hardly any stealth was functional during my playthrough, as cooperative “Mark and Executes” easily cleared rooms of enemies. The main issue with the mode, however, is that it doesn’t feel necessary to play with another player. There’s nothing in the co-op missions that couldn’t be done as a single agent aside from simultaneously pushing buttons. Fans of Chaos Theory will likely mourn the lack of tomoe nage throws and kills.

On the competitive avenue, the “Face Off” mode is essentially a two-player game of Deniable Ops with friendly fire switched on. While it was fun to compete with a buddy during a splitscreen match, I found the online modes were viciously laggy. Hopefully as time progresses the game’s online functionality will improve, so if you’re looking for an enjoyable Xbox Live experience try a different game for now.

Sam Fisher’s return to the gaming world has certainly been a fresh one for the Splinter Cell series, but unfortunately it strays far enough from its roots to be unrecognizable. It doesn’t do movement or shooting in any extraordinary fashion and only casts a façade of having a stealth option. Seriously, just shoot guys in the face and you’ll have Splinter Cell: Conviction back on your shelf in no time.

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Things We Liked: Solid third-person cover-based shooter. Cool and stylish in-game presentation. Story is the best of the Splinter Cell series. Mark and Execute system is satisfying.

Things We Disliked: Poor level design. Respawning enemies. Frustrating online functionality. Sub-par multiplayer modes.

Target Audience: The Gears of War third-person shooter crowd. Fans of online lag. Splinter Cell fans who want to see the story continued.

(Splinter Cell: Conviction – Developer: Ubisoft Montreal. Publisher: Ubisoft. Available on Xbox 360 and PC – Xbox 360 version reviewed. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)