Splinter Cell Conviction WP7 Review

It’s not often a mobile phone game really stands out and screams “Review Me” but this week on the Windows Phone Marketplace one popped up that said not just “Review Me” but “Oi You, Actually finish me.”  Splinter Cell Conviction for the mobile screams exactly that, A port of the console game this one does feel a lot like the original except for maybe the toned down graphics and the touch screen controls.

Even those aren’t an issue when you start to get the hang of it; the whole game really does smooth out and becomes a really enjoyable experience that stands head and shoulders above most other mobile games. This isn’t some kind of “slice fruit like you’re an angry bird” kind of game; this is a 3rd person stealth action game with all the right feeling of a major console.

There isn’t much we can really say about the graphics, think maybe late PS1 early PS2 (I might even be under selling it here) with some great colouring and smooth animations. Control wise it uses the virtual stick and button with your move stick located on the bottom left of the screen and the action buttons to the bottom right, to look around you simply touch the screen anywhere and slide your finger in the desired direction. It’s like the normal analogue setup we are used to just slightly harder to master and well less accurate.

The sound is great, for a mobile game it stands out and on my HTC Mozart it was loud enough and crisps enough to wake the missus who was attempting to sleep next to me. (Oops sorry.) Overall there is the feel of the original title and playing it on the run is a pretty good experience (I mean on the train, don’t try and run while playing this... You might hit a tree and they have feelings as well)

Now the stuff we all actually care about! You get 11 levels set in 8 locations, with an exclusive WP7 level set on the banks of the Potomac River. The ability to mark and execute the enemy is available in this game and the control setup to allow that has been done so it’s easy and quick with the same satisfying experience and while the cover system can be a little bit tricky, it works and does so how you would expect. Ohhh and you can still belt the snot out of someone to interrogate them and get that vital information out of them. (Or I can tell you now; the charger is next to your bed)

Keep it

• A full campaign with the console experience
• Easy to learn controls and an ease to use once mastered
• Not just a pick up put down, this is the future of mobile gaming

Ditch it

• Can chew your battery during a long play session
• You can’t just pick it up and play between bus stops
• Loading can get annoying, At least on my HTC Mozart

Anything Else?

If you’re after a console experience on a mobile platform you can’t look past Splinter cell and $5.49 it does give you bang for buck. So as a keen user of the WP7 platform, I suggest you give this a shot.

Score: 9/10 for a mobile experience you really can’t look past this.

Written by Twin