The reason why I'm saying this is the fact that it seems Conviction will really push forth emotions more than any other SC game, and it'll even raise questions about society, thus making it have the potential to take games closer to being more than entertainment, so they will become along the lines of art.

Who cares if Sam Fisher is not exactly the same person who we knew before? As far as I know, each Splinter Cell game has continued to push for an even bigger narrative approach, such that it includes not only entertainment, but that it also drives emotions into the faces of players and raises questions about society. This is what you can say Double Agent was responsible for doing. It not only helped players make moral choices that would help either Third Echelon or the JBA, but it changed the character of Sam Fisher. When it comes to building up a franchise and using only one main character throughout, you have to make sure that each game helps change him/her more and more. From SC1 through SC3, there wasn't much but an improvement in the use of hiding in the darkness and in combat as well as firing weapons. The AI and graphics too, were increasingly being improvement from one game to the next. By SCDA, the game took forth an improvement in everything, especially in how narrative is played out.

With SCC, the SC franchise may see the biggest storyline yet, despite its somewhat relation to the Jason Bourne movies. It's still a stealth game, and it's on a much higher scale. If you're only in for the fun, and not wishing to look along the lines of art, then fine. Don't buy it, but for people that like to think deeper and intellectually, it will really be a good product for them to come by. As long as the storyline is top notch, and as long as the AI is fine tuned, as well as the weapons and abilities throughout the game, it will become a really successful game.

I seriously doubt it, in order to have a respectable storyline you will need to take decision making out of the players hands, thus making the game more linear and confined (the exact opposite of what the series had been striving for). Plus this is a game, not a movie, just like special effects is a secondary priority in a thought-provoking film so too is storyline in games, sure we don't want either to be crappy but when it gets in the way of the main storyline/core gameplay, well a line has to be drawn.

Not all storylines have to follow an unofficial guideline, in this case changing the character, Splinter Cell (and most games of its kind) doesn’t have character development, its characters are already developed, we as the gamer simply find out more and more about them and how they react in certain situations (Sam is known to joke around when in a dangerous situation, despises torture, hates bureaucrats, apparently likes to cook, etc.)

You're right that the game would need to be more linear. However, some rare occurences could happen, such that we see Conviction as a game that actually drives decision making forward, and, based on each tiny detail of the decision(s) made, this will affect everyone around you, as well as Sam Fisher himself. It could be this way, rather than trying to completely deliver an entirely new storyline. And it can still bring forth emotions and end up raising questions.

Also, if you think about it, he hasn't reached his limits. Characters can continue to develop, no matter what. Look at where he went from being an agent to being a fugitive. It all depends on the writers' talent for telling what happens to the characters. To me, it seems that the writer will do a good job. And so what if the SC franchise wasn't about driving the character forward? Art is all about emotions and raising questions, and any medium (video games, movies, literature, fine arts, etc.) can take it up as its element. I don't want games to be nothing but high-tech entertainment anymore. Otherwise, games will still be in their infancy, whereas movies and every other medium before it is able to drive forth emotions and to follow the ways of art.

How about getting out of Sams story. The stories were better when terrorists were about to start WW3.

The improvements were perfectly good from SC1 to SC3... the seriers dosent need anyhing else then better graphics, weapons, moves, story and animations. That was what it was all about... then came the next generation and had to make everything Action packed, did you know SCC is in the same genre as GTA on some websites, that IMO is to mutch change!

quote:

By SCDA, the game took forth an improvement in everything, especially in how narrative is played out.

Haha... I hope you're kidding. SCDA had the most problems of all SC games when it comes to art consistency, character development and a lot of technical stuff.

I didn't think DA was that bad, the worse thing was lack of support for glitches and problems. Just like with the CT: Coop, There are many glitches to do with that.

I think Conviction will be good.
As far as I know there has only been 1 level released for viewing so far. I think the Xbox 360 players are consuming all of Ubi's time.

You can take your single player and toss it. Coop and Spies vs Mercs for the win!!!

Double Agent is a great game imo, though I've only played the Wii version so far. The PC release is still sitting on my shelf pining for my attention