Splinter Cell: Conviction

Preview - Fisher's certainly a man of it

Splinter Cell was once regarded as one of the hottest properties on consoles, and it remains a major name to this day, Ubisoft clearly recognising the value of this Tom Clancy staple in their decision to delay last year's release. Conviction should have been with us in 2008, but the publisher weren't satisfied that the game lived up to the series' envelope-pushing reputation - and so the decision was made to take the game firmly off the table for a number of months.

At the time, there was speculation that the game had actually been culled - leaving an uncertain future hanging over the IP. Instead, the game's creators took the title back to the drawing board and rebuilt it as a claustrophobic story-focussed romp, inspired by Jason Bourne and the later James Bond flicks. Sam Fisher is back, and as you've probably guessed he's gone some what off the rails in this latest adventure.

The story of Conviction will follow on from Double Agent. Fisher's daughter has been killed in what may or may not be an accident, Sam has been forced to shoot his boss and former friend and now he's out for revenge, free from the constraints of the agency, and operating without rules.

As our demonstration of the game begins, we find ourselves in a squallid bathroom, attempting to extract valuable information from some hapless foe. Our already badly beaten victim won't talk, and Sam hurls him into sinks, cubicles and walls as he looks to force information from the man; who gradually gets increasingly battered and bloody as the interrogation continues. This isn't the slick covert ops action of past games, where the focus was on silence and technology, here we see Sam on the edge, desperate to find out who or what is behind the tragedies of his life.

Finally, our suspect cracks under this torture, and the information we need is delivered via flashbacks that play out across the walls of this gloomy setting. Our presenter explains that this approach maintains the sense of immersion, without the need for unnecessary HUDs and menus. The focus is clearly firmly upon intense, cinematic story-telling, and as such influences external to the game have been kept to a minimum.

In the same vein, additional information on the game's plot will play during loading screens, Ubisoft once again negating the need to remind players that they are simply playing a video game. The world of Conviction is very dense, packed with realistic details and interactivity options, and while much of the action will play out amid the political machinations of Washington DC, there will also be a segment set in Malta which our guide shows us. Compared to the dark streets of the capital, Malta is all light, bussling crowds, cafes and old European architecture. Speaking of light and dark, this will play an even more important part than in past Splinter Cell games.

The whole look of the game world will change based on your use of shadows, this visual indicator once again reducing the need for information delivered through text and numbers in the HUD. Likewise, the environment itself will remind you of your mission objectives - the words 'infiltrate' flicking along the side of one structure that will clearly play a big part in Sam's story.

The visual cleverness doesn't end there, either. During the intense and involved combat sequences, a 'ghost' of Sam will remind you of your last known position, allowing you to trick guards and other nasties you'll be taking down in a variety of sometimes pretty violent ways. During larger fire-fights, you can also take a hostage to use as a human shield, and the soundtrack combines well with set-piece action to create a palpable sense of panic - Fisher (the perfect weapon) having literally gone insane in pursuit of the driver behind his daughter's death.

Of course, this personal twist is likely to be part of a much bigger plot - given the Tom Clancy inspiration - while focussed story-driven action is preffered to gimmicks like the crowd-based stealth moves originally linked with Conviction. It sounds like Sam Fisher might have a new voice, although we're not sure who (Michael Ironside has developed something of a cult status), and our guide wouldn't be drawn into giving away potential celebrity involvement. With over twelve hours of game promised, in addition non-specific multiplayer modes, we can't wait to see more of Fisher's return as the autumn debut rolls nearer.