Sam is angry, and he’s on your iPhone!
We got some good play time with three levels from Gameloft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction iPhone game. We played 2 stealth missions, as well as a run-and-gun mission in Iraq. From what we can see, the game is sticking pretty close to the console version of the game that’s coming out soon. According to Gameloft, the storyline, cutscenes, and even the voice acting is taken from the console game, which is pretty cool considering Gameloft’s cheesy history with voices in games! It also features the “on-the-wall” mission objectives which are sweet.
The game plays from the standard third-person perspective, with the ability to easily take cover in certain locations, and perform the “tag and execute” manuever on targeted enemies. You can also easily take down enemies up close with a variety of moves, including the “meat shield” by taking someone captive. There is also the “last known position” feature, which throws down a chalk outline of the last area an enemy saw you in. You can use this and a stealth meter to stay in the shadows and avoid being seen.
With each new iPhone game from Gameloft, we see an improvement in both the game engine performance and controls, and SCC is no exception. The controls feel very smooth, and seem to have been tweaked from Nova, which controlled quite well. Interestingly, there is no button to crouch or sneak, so the game is more reliant on staying behind cover and executing enemies by targeting or walking up from behind.
Many of the familiar gameplay mechanics are present, including infrared vision, camera sticky nades, and shooting out lights to darken an area. It definitely feels like a Splinter Cell game, and it’s cool to see the new and old gameplay mechanics working together. There are 10 levels to beat, which will take aroudn 5-6 hours. There aren’t currently plans for multiplayer or other online features, but Gameloft is confident that the single player experience will deliver.
Gameloft hasn’t announced a release date yet, but based on the polish of the build we saw, I would expect to see this title close to the launch of the console game.
