12.02.2012

Splinter Cell: Conviction. Some Revised Thoughts.


Time to obey the statements I see on walls.

Almost every mission in Splinter Cell Conviction begins with a little swooping flyby of the area Sam Fisher is expected to navigate. Then the game's camera sort of wobbles right behind Sam's right shoulder. A few words will be projected onto some nearby wall or crate - usually some espionage boilerplate along the lines of "PLANT THE C4" or "FIND THE SCIENTIST" - before acceding control to the player.

These little preludes are very well done, bringing to mind those kinetic tracking shots in the Dardenne brother's movies. You're primed for some espionage action when that camera swoops in over Sam Fisher's shoulder as he slurs some final thoughts before the mission proper begins. (Here's an aside: Michael Ironside, who has been the VO guy for Fisher in all earlier Splinter Cell games, must have gotten hard alcohol negotiated into this most recent rider, because he sounds inebriated and disinterested in the entire acting gig.)  

I'm sure those prelude sequences were the result of countless iterations and collaboration between the many talented people at Ubisoft's Montreal studio. Still, that throwaway little bit of scene setting never failed. and someone had to animate all those virtual camera movements making sure it worked like they assumed it would in at least one early draft of SC: C's lugubrious dev cycle - and that person needs to be singled out. Looking though the game's credits, I'm guessing Juan Esteban Diaz, listed as the "Camera Animator," is the guy who deserves to be Singled Out. So, Mr. Diaz, you did an excellent job! Let me buy you a drink sometime after you meet Jenny McCarthy and Chris Hardwick.

Start moving Fisher around, and witness how Splinter Cell: Conviction continues to sell the game's assured and stylish presentation with an abundance these neat little gimmicks. I don't mean that in a pejorative way, let me stress - gimmicks are what separate a lackluster game from an exemplary one. Active reload is a stellar gimmick. Terrain deformation, at least as it was implemented in LucasArt's nearly forgotten Fracture, is not. The freedom to vault your way about a city during a firefight in Uncharted is a pretty good gimmick. Being one of an Army of Two in Army of Two is not.

So most of those clever gimmicks work great in Splinter Cell: Conviction. Like the black-and-white projections of mission objectives or brief vignettes of Sam's memories that pop up in the environment. Or the handy silhouette marking Sam's last known position, if one compromises whatever stealthy plans one was foolishly trying to implement and must resort to other improvised plans. Or the brilliant, intuitive, and quite lovely way the environment flips from color to black and white whenever Sam is hidden in the darkness.

The pièce de résistance, however, is the aforementioned virtual camera, wobbling and shaking in response to terrible acts of violence, nowhere more so than during the handful of morally dubious "interrogation" sequences. These pop up maybe half a dozen times throughout the campaign. In essence, these are sequences where one guides Fisher though a series of scripted beatings(ones Jack Baur would find excessive) to extract perfectly accurate intel from people as varied as scumbag dope dealers to powerful African American politician arms dealers. Incidentally, Fisher beats this latter man up in the Lincoln Memorial. Right there, at the feet of the Great Emancipator himself. I found myself wondering if the developers thought they had delivered any of the dramatic irony during this tasteless and insensitive set-piece or if they just thought the Mall was a great place to smash a guy's head though a wall of televisions at.

This once had an African American bad guy's head inside it.



Still, when that gentleman's head gets smashed into a wall of televisions as the camera circles and vibrates like something out of Children of Men, it looks amazingly painful and very cool. Sam Fisher may not have all the information on how appallingly unreliable information gathered through torture is, but I don't believe Fisher was ever steered wrong by his detainees over the satisfying, if brief, single player campaign.

However, one gimmick felt very pedestrian and flat to me. It was the most highly touted "feature" in all the pre-release coverage of this game, this "Mark & Execute" gimmick. Melee dispatch a dude with the B button, and you're on your way to Mark & Execute somewhere between 2 and 5 other dudes. Press the right bumper when said dudes are in your line of sight to capital M "Mark" them, then slam that X button down with AUTHORITY to capital E "Execute" those suckers.

I may have just played the game wrong, but I only did this between 3 and 6 times during the entire course of the game (if we exclude those moments where the act is mandatory to continue). If one truly embraces this system, it might help them get out of some of the hairy moments the late game can throw Sam's way -- but I found it more trouble than it was worth. I just aimed for a dude's head when no one else was looking.


I'm woefully under-qualified to review a Splinter Cell game in context. I've never played one before this installment. I make no claims for my gaming prowess. I have little of it. I've been stuck at 75% in the XBLA game Limbo for nearly half a year now, and I've played it just about every week since I bought it. I've done everything save watch a Youtube clip explicitly telling me how to solve it.

Still, I'm recommending this game. It's 20 bucks on Games on Demand. I spent about that much on a belt today.

I've enjoyed the belt much less so far.


12.01.2012

Tips for the NBA2k13 demo available now on PS3 or XBOX live: sefolosha sefolosha sefolosha

*Note: these tips may or may not improve your NBA 2K13 demo skills. 

*Note: These may or may not be "tips" so much as "suggestions to amuse yourself while playing NBA 2K13's five minute demo."

Here's my list:

 Tip #1: don't slam on all the face buttons while waiting for your demo to load. NBA2K13's demo will hard lock your system if you hammer random buttons. If you've grown accustomed to hammering random face buttons, vainly attempting to bypass NBA legalese or middle ware logos, quell your impatience. 

Tip #2: press 'start' to enter the pause menu. Find the option "choose sides." Press A after it is highlighted, then press left twice on your left thumb stick to select the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Tip #3: Unpause the game. You will now be in control of overpaid center Kendrick Perkins just as the first jump ball of the demo leaves the referee's hands. Tap up on the right stick at some point; it matters little, because Chris Bosh is going to get that initial tip 70% of the time. 

Tip #4: Press the "A" button to cycle through the starting lineup of the OKC Thunder. If Miami has the first possession of the game, avoid direct control of Theo Sefolosha or Kevin Durant, because Wade or James is going to get by you and make you feel silly. In fact, don't bother trying to play "real" defense. Just try to jump into as many passing lanes as you can. 

Tip #5: After LeBron James or Dwayne Wade score, inbound the ball to Russell Westbrook. Direct him to walk across mid court and begin moving towards the near (left) sideline just outside the three point arch. Slam down the sprint button (RT) and head towards the paint for an uncontested layup.

Tip #6: When on defense, try to play as Serge Ibaka at all times. Take an unorthodox approach: freelance at all times. Ibaka has no designated assignment and no designated position in a five minute demo. Attempt to draw as many charges as possible (to draw a charge, press the B button). It won't usually work. Have Ibaka full court press, by himself, every possession. Try to get as many fouls as possible against the elite competition. 

Tip #7: Kendrick Perkins and Theo Sefolosha are not allowed to score, even after an offensive rebound. Have either of them kick it to Durant or Westbrook - one of them is almost always beyond the three point line - and the numbers favor one of your stars swishing that three vs. letting those two chuckle heads attempt any low post put backs. If Kendrick Perkins scores, restart the demo. If Theo Sefolosha scores, he is the only player allowed to shoot for the rest of the demo. 

Tip #8: If you feel as though either Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant has missed a shot they'd make in real life, reenter that pause menu, switch over to the Heat, and force Shane Battier to take a mid court three pointer. It is likely to miss, and OKC is likely to get the rebound.

Tip #9: At some point, Russell Westbrook's going to have between 12 and 18 points, and the entire Heat defense will collapse on him. Start driving into the paint and passing to out to whomever is standing on the right wing. If it is Kevin Durant, take the corner three. If it's Kendrick Perkins or, God Forbid, Theo Sefolosha, continue passing around the horn until Durant has the opportunity to take a three. 

Tip #9a: Every now and then, let Durant try to muscle his way to the basket. Unlike Westbrook, there's no guarantee that Durant will get past LeBron James, but the disruptive move will free up even more Westbrook scoring opportunities.  

Tip #10: This game is only five minutes long, so it doesn't matter how much your opponent scores so long as you remain at least tied at the conclusion of those five minutes. Don't bother trying to adjust any shots or switch off on pick and rolls. The sooner the Heat score, the sooner Westbrook's getting another and 1.

WHAT YOUR FINAL BOX SCORE SHOULD LOOK LIKE: 

Russell Westbrook: 14-22 points
Kevin Durant: 4-9 points
Ibaka: 2-4 points
Kendrick Perkins: 0 points
Serge Ibaka: 0-12 points (depending at what time he scored his first basket) 

I have found this to be a most entertaining way to play the five minute demo for NBA 2K13 produced by Jay-Z, and I've put over four hours into it.