We've all seen the developer diaries that spawned post E3, and if not, you probably read countless impressions of the reinvigorated Sam Fisher both during, and post, E3. If you didn't or haven't, you can find said dev diary here, and our very own preview and interview here.

So at GamesCom a little more was shown, but the big surprise for us came when we were handed the controller and told to take control of Sam at this year's TGS.

Things this time around immediately feel far more organic than any other Splinter Cell game I've played. Similarly to Assassin's Creed you can depress a button to go into stealth (it's not the same as AC, but the concept is similar) which is the left trigger, and things like sidling against a wall for cover or to remain out of sight are as simple as pushing further into that surface.



From these positions, you can then move the camera around freely and the game will give you notification when it's okay to stealthily move into the next point of cover - all with the touch of a button. In fact, while it's been pointed out more often than not, having finally had my own mits on the controller, I can tell you that while the game itself is actually deep and rich in tactical play, execution of Sam's ultimate secret agent moves are as simple and intuitive as ever.

The new section of the game we played saw Sam having to infiltrate an installation where an EMP was being deployed to seriously mess up Washington. This is the first time more of the story has been revealed beyond knowing Sam is looking for his daughter's murderer, but given at this point in the game we had access to his trademark thermal goggles, it's a safe bet, somehow, he's back in bed with Third Echelon.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for those of us who enjoy unspoiled stories), not much more was revealed, but the following gameplay spoke in spades. Beyond having his goggles back, Sam also has access to a "sticky camera", a device you can deploy wherever you please and it will give you a camera view of the immediate area. You can Mark the bad guys from the camera for 'Mark and Execute' moves, or you can blow it up if you happen to place it in a good enough spot to take people out. You can also create noise in other directions so as to flank or lure enemies - all with a single gadget and your own imagination.



The beginning of this infiltration sees Sam having to take out three guards at the front. Now the key with Mark and Execute is, in order to obtain the ability, you must first take someone down in one on one combat. This can be done in stealth (ie a Silent Takedown), or in general combat as an open takedown. The instance we generated saw us performing it silently and then talking out the other two guards in Mark and Execute style (which can be pre-loaded). Once that was down it was time to grab the mini boss of the area and interrogate him.

What was cool about the interrogation sequence was I smashed my guy about in totally different areas and ways than the demo we watched prior. Clearly I did so to see just how dynamic the scenario could be, and while you are definitely confined to a space (replete with invisible walls, but bear in mind this was also a non-refined section, so judgment is till out on interrogation freedom); but if it looks like you can hurt someone on it and get a physical environmental reaction out of the game, chances are that's what's going to happen.

Infiltration then comes in the form a few options for making your way in, whether it's through the sewers or right through the front door, the choice is yours. I decided to choose the door because the demo showed me the other way, and as soon as my hand wasn't held anymore I felt overwhelmed. The game is simple to play in theory, but AI, level-design and player choice have crafted a sea of opportunities the team should be more then happy with.



Suffice to say, I wasn't nearly as stealth as our demoer, but I definitely got the job done, and did it with a sense of my own flair, much to the often heard shriek of "what are you doing to our game?!" breaths of despair as I went through, but it told me that, through simplicity, the team here have crafted a game that everyone will play and experience differently, much like Assassin's Creed through a simple set up of gameplay options and player tools.

It's also worth noting, this is one hell of a mature experience. Atmospherically, while hidden in the shadows near NPCs and enemy AI you're going to be hearing plenty of high-octane profanity (I swear I heard the mother of all swears in there, but I could be mistaken), while the physical violence is also in a league of its own. I doubt there will be any problems with a rating here, as the violence is no different to a lot of what is available on various high-profile TV series, and it's not so much gory as it's brutal and very realistic (though utterly stylised).

Finally, the game is looking every bit as good as it should with a mix of open-world sandbox play areas, tight, linear paths required for narrative and that oh-so-awesome narrative presentation with projected movies, mission objectives and story reveals. Come February 25 (just confirmed for Australia), you'll definitely be doing yourself a favour to get back behind the three-eyed goggles of Sam Fisher.

One final point of note is we asked about multiplayer which we were told "yes there is multiplayer but... we can't talk about that yet". Can't wait to see how they execute multiplayer with this gameplay toolset.

For more information and media, check out our Splinter Cell: Conviction game page.