FOR MORE ON SPLINTER CELL VISIT OUR FRIENDS AT CHEATMASTERS.COM

I’ve got to be perfectly honest. I have never liked Splinter Cell. To me, the controls always felt clunky and the way things were laid out just made for a game that was out of reach for anyone who wasn’t deeply invested in the series (or someone like me who is just downright impatient). Even going into Splinter Cell Conviction, I had major reservations (as stated on our podcast). In fact, I actually considered not even playing it. Thankfully, I decided to give Ubisoft’s latest entry into the series a shot.

I’m not too familiar with Tom Clancy’s past storylines for the Splinter Cell series so tying everything together for a newcomer is a bit daunting but not certainly not overwhelming. You’ll be able to piece things together easily enough but you certainly get the feeling that those who have followed the franchise have a much better scope of the Splinter Cell universe. We find Sam Fisher out for revenge for the murder of his daughter but of course there is more than meets the eye. The plot is engaging and keeps you moving forward throughout the game, wanting to see just what will happen next.

The big thing that stands out for me about Splinter Cell Conviction is that the controls are now accessible. The way the game introduces you to Sam Fisher’s gadgets is paced well and you never feel overwhelmed as in previous versions. The focus is largely on stealth and in that respect, one can make some comparisons to Batman Arkham Asylum more so than something like Metal Gear. You can sneak up behind enemies, kill them and take their guns. But Sam’s tried and true default silencer pistol is hands down the most effective weapon in the game. Other gadgets include remote snake camera, EMP grenades and a broken mirror to look under doors. Perhaps the coolest innovation to the Splinter Cell franchise gameplay is the Mark and Execute finishing maneuver. This ability becomes available every time you take out a bad dude with a stealth kill. You can literally mark your pray, press a button and let Fisher do the work. Everything comes together and feels great!

The audio has a moody, cinematic feel to it that suites the game well. Voice acting is also well done with Sam Fisher sounding like a complete grizzled bad-ass and the supporting cast is also well done.

The graphics look good but there’s nothing outstanding. Character models sometimes look a bit jagged and the movements a bit android-like but they get the job done. The surrounding world itself certainly sucks you in, allowing you to become Sam Fisher, each location with its own very complex layout. The set pieces and surroundings in this game are certainly something you will be talking about a long time.

There is no doubt that this is the best entry into the Splinter Cell franchise. The gameplay is much improved allowing everyone access, the story is well-told and pushes you forward, the music accompanies the game well, the voice acting is spot on and the graphics are a wonderful sight to behold. Fans of Stealth-action should not hesitate to grab Splinter Cell Conviction.

-Yuen Fei Lung 云飞轮

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THIS MONTH ON RARE DROP RADIO: Tons to talk about this month including the on-going saga of Infinity Ward vs. Activision. Blu-rays that are even BIGGER than blu-rays will abound along with talk of the Wild West, Pokemon Black and White, Visual Novels RPGs, dogs, cats, GIANT PASTA/MEATBALL portions and MUCH MORE on this edition!

FOR MORE ON JUST CAUSE 2 VISIT OUR FRIENDS AT CHEATMASTERS.COM

In my personal opinion, Just Cause 2 is the biggest disappointment of 2010 thus far. After playing the downloadable demo I was greatly excited for this seemingly over-the-top sandbox action-adventure title. However, the end result is a game that, in some ways, feels unfinished, lacks polish and never manages to find any real direction.

Just Case 2 might as well not even have a story. You play as the unlikable agent Rico Rodriguez. Rodriguez has been sent in to the South East Asian islands of Panau. Your job is to disrupt the government there by BLOWING STUFF UP! You’ll team with various anarchist factions throughout the game to do this. Sadly, the story and voice-acting is so poorly done that you won’t feel an ounce of attachment to Agent Rodriguez or any of the characters you’ll meet.

Panau is a big place and the graphics look pretty nice. They aren’t anything mind-blowing but they are certainly very acceptable. The architecture is also nifty and the ability to destroy massive structures is satisfying. I would certainly question why various areas are laid out the way they are. Nothing feels like it has any particular rhyme or reason.

As mentioned above, the voice-acting is poorly done. The soundtrack itself is fine but there’s certainly nothing memorable here. Enemy dialog is pretty entertaining for a time but many characters have repeat voices.

The gameplay in Just Cause 2 is a toss up. On one hand, the crazy over-the-top physics are a blast. Honestly, most of the cool stuff that’s going to happen isn’t even within the story; but rather when you’re creating more Chaos and just blowing stuff up! The grappling hook mechanic used to get around is nifty but the issue here is that when you jump onto an object there’s no way to grab onto it in order to lift yourself up. Though you can open your parachute at any time to help with your jump the lack of a grab mechanic feels like a serious over-sight. There’s also no cover system and this too feels like that something that should have made it into the final version.

Another issue is that while the game encourages you to create massive amounts of destruction, you’ll often times find yourself running out of ammo. You can collect guns and ammo from fallen enemies (of course you can also buy ammo) but switching guns is a real pain because of the design layout. All of these issues combined really affect the game in a negative way and that’s ashamed because it comes off as feeling almost unfinished.

In the end, there is fun to be had with Just Cause 2. The open-world sandbox type game is probably my favorite genera. But in my view, there are a lot of games that do it better such as Crackdown and of course Grand Theft Auto IV. There are those who will really enjoy Just Cause 2 because it is so open but I’d highly suggest renting before you buy.

-Yuen Fei Lung 云飞轮

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

It’s been five years in the making and finally Final Fantasy XIII​ (ファイナルファンタジー XIII) has arrived in North America! But was the thirteenth installment worth the wait? Find out in our detailed hour long review as we dissect Square-Enix latest offering.