I remember my first look at Splinter Cell: Conviction came in an issue of EGM, full of concept art of a Sam Fisher given a “rugged”, some might say “homeless” new look. The game featured gameplay elements to allow the player to hide in plain sight, using crowds and the environment to slow and escape from enemies. It was a radical change from the past five games, all of which focused on stealth gameplay and an arsenal of gadgets. While these changes might’ve upset some, Splinter Cell Conviction, unlike its precessors, was shaping up to be a game I was legitimately psyched about.

Homeless Sam, meet Rogaine Sam.

The new direction apparently wasn’t a hit with everyone else, because the game was put on hold, and eventually sent back to the drawing board. The eventual end product turned into something much more familiar to SC fans, ditching almost every new feature that got me excited about the title in the first place. I like stealth games, and I generally enjoy the majority of the games that Ubisoft Montreal puts out, but for whatever reason, the SC franchise has never grabbed me. Playing through the game has revealed that Conviction, even departing from its original concept, was a refreshing surprise.

The game’s sense of urgency is what maked it stand out to me so dramatically from its predecessors. Gone is the obtuse control scheme, extensive arsenal of gadgets, and slow, methodical gameplay. The shell of a game that remains plays beautifully, and you feel like a badass every second of the way. Some of the new features – namely Last Known Position, work so perfectly that its a wonder they weren’t thought of before. The cover system is simple, and allows the player to flow between shadows and dispatch large groups of tangos, even in confined areas.

While some elements perform brilliantly, others fall flat. Features I remember being heavily touted at the PAX Prime last year were the contextual cues and plot moments projected onto the environment. While these felt unique at the beginning, they quickly grew old, and at times jarred me out of the experience completely. The plot, as well, is nothing to write home about, though I was probably missing some context having skipped or only partially played most of the previous games.

These aside, the game is quite proficient. In terms of replay value, I haven’t yet had a chance to try out the co-op, but I’ve always been a Rainbow-Six-terrorist-hunt-kind-of-guy, so the Deniable Ops mode sucked me right in.

I’m sure Splinter Cell fans may a lot more issues with the drastic changes made with Conviction, but I’ve never been a fan, so playing this title without a lot to expect beforehand left me, dare I say it–impressed.