This short and dumbed down Splinter Cell title, proves to be a decent and accessible, albeit short, action title.
The Splinter Cell series is renown for its emphasis on stealth and use of gadgets. For those of you who didn't like the slow methodical pace of the Splinter Cell games, then you may enjoy Splinter Cell Conviction, as it as little in common with prior games in the series.
The intricate stealth gameplay seen in the Thief series or in Splinter Cell seems to be missing here; in Conviction, Sam (the protagonist) is either VISIBLE or INVISIBLE. When hidden in the shadows, the coloUr (cause I'm not American) vanishes. To the games credit, the effect is quite stylish and makes it easily distinguishable whether or not you're safe in the shadows. In fact, the graphical style adopted is, on a whole, pretty neat; objectives and crucial information is strewn across the walls and it's quite effective. Graphics on a whole are on par with most modern games, so no real complaints there.
Gameplay is where Conviction suffers. The game is extremely watered down. The lockpicking, bomb disarming, hacking, picking up bodies, grappling hooks, and even most of the gadgets have vanished entirely in Splinter Cell Conviction. The game feels stripped with very little to distinguish it as a Splinter Cell title.
Another problem with Splinter Cell is that it is ridiculously short. Very, Very short; for a game around 7 gigs, I spent LESS than 7 hours completing it. It's also very easy, even on harder difficulty.
It's also a lot more linear then the previous games, in the sense that, despite there being several ways to cross a room, all lead you to the next room/objective, and then the next one, and then the next one. At least with the other Splinter Cell titles, (on occasion) you're invited to find your own way to the objective.
I'm not a Multiplayer person, so I can't comment on that. However, if it is just an Online version of DENIABLE OPS, a simple 'clear the rooms' game with several levels, it isn't anything particularly impressive. Plus, a game like Splinter Cell should focus on an engaging and immersive single player experience, and in that part, Conviction fails.
If you're looking for an involving and lengthly stealth game, you may want to turn away from Conviction and invest in something else. If you're looking for a decent action game to spend a few hours on, you may find Splinter Cell Conviction to be a worthwhile title.