Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction

  • A unique co-op mode known as "Prologue" featuring an exclusive story mode full of new characters, settings, four exclusive maps and more. It is only available within Conviction's Co-op mode.
  • A full arsenal of cutting-edge technologies like the Last Known Position system, that allows you to outflank foes and set traps, and the Mark and Execute feature that allows you to tag enemies and environments for elimination.
  • A unique storytelling style that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the explosive world of a renegade agent where trust is impossible and justice requires you to go above the law.
  • A revolutionary new graphic direction delivering an utterly seamless gameplay experience that?ll keep you totally engrossed in the story of Sam Fisher.
  • Xbox LIVE support made up of addictive multiplayer modes, content downloads, messaging and voice support and more de! signed to amp up the dramatic intensity like never before.
Two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell deliver unforgettable performances in this incredible true story that co-stars Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a young woman whose world is shattered when her beloved brother Kenny (Rockwell) is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Steadfastly convinced of his innocence, Betty Anne embarks on an 18-year journey to set Kenny free, using state-of-the-art forensic technology. The unshakable bond between a brother and sister, at the heart of this real-life drama, will stir your emotions and inspire you. Hilary Swank gives another tremendous performance--steely, determined, vulnerable--in the courtroom/family drama Conviction. The film is based on a real case, of Betty Anne Waters (Swank), who as a last resort puts herself through law school to take on the case of her brother, Ke! nny (Sam Rockwell, also outstanding). Kenny is convicted of mu! rder, de spite a weak prosecution case, but Betty Anne can't get any lawyer to explore a retrial or appeal. Director Tony Goldwyn (Dexter, Damages) keeps the action moving along crisply and believably, even during the almost interminable stretches of Kenny's imprisonment. The terrific script by Pamela Gray (Music of the Heart) weaves in occasional shadows of doubt about whether Kenny is actually innocent, so that a story that could be formulaic is anything but. The viewer isn't sure most of the way through Conviction if Kenny is guilty or not--but is completely swept up in Swank's incredible performance depicting Betty Anne's own conviction--that "you do anything for your family. Period." As she did in Boys Don't Cry, Swank puts her own gritty spin on a real-life character, whom she inhabits like a second skin. Her Betty Anne is a blue-collar pit bull, and her sheer determination is itself a force of nature. The supporting cast of Convicti! on also shines, including Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's law school pal, and an especially effective Juliette Lewis playing Kenny's broken-down ex-girlfriend, who's buried some secrets of her own. Also a standout is Melissa Leo as the policewoman whose initial arrest of Kenny might have been loaded with her own agenda. The chemistry, especially between Rockwell, a man very nearly defeated after years behind bars, and Swank, is palpable and will capture the viewer in intense dramatic territory that won't be soon forgotten. --A.T. HurleyTwo-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell deliver unforgettable performances in this incredible true story that co-stars Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a young woman whose world is shattered when her beloved brother Kenny (Rockwell) is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Steadfastly convinced of his innocence, Betty Anne embarks on an 18-year jour! ney to set Kenny free, using state-of-the-art forensic technol! ogy. The unshakable bond between a brother and sister, at the heart of this real-life drama, will stir your emotions and inspire you. Hilary Swank gives another tremendous performance--steely, determined, vulnerable--in the courtroom/family drama Conviction. The film is based on a real case, of Betty Anne Waters (Swank), who as a last resort puts herself through law school to take on the case of her brother, Kenny (Sam Rockwell, also outstanding). Kenny is convicted of murder, despite a weak prosecution case, but Betty Anne can't get any lawyer to explore a retrial or appeal. Director Tony Goldwyn (Dexter, Damages) keeps the action moving along crisply and believably, even during the almost interminable stretches of Kenny's imprisonment. The terrific script by Pamela Gray (Music of the Heart) weaves in occasional shadows of doubt about whether Kenny is actually innocent, so that a story that could be formulaic is anything but. The viewer isn't sure most o! f the way through Conviction if Kenny is guilty or not--but is completely swept up in Swank's incredible performance depicting Betty Anne's own conviction--that "you do anything for your family. Period." As she did in Boys Don't Cry, Swank puts her own gritty spin on a real-life character, whom she inhabits like a second skin. Her Betty Anne is a blue-collar pit bull, and her sheer determination is itself a force of nature. The supporting cast of Conviction also shines, including Minnie Driver as Betty Anne's law school pal, and an especially effective Juliette Lewis playing Kenny's broken-down ex-girlfriend, who's buried some secrets of her own. Also a standout is Melissa Leo as the policewoman whose initial arrest of Kenny might have been loaded with her own agenda. The chemistry, especially between Rockwell, a man very nearly defeated after years behind bars, and Swank, is palpable and will capture the viewer in intense dramatic territory that! won't be soon forgotten. --A.T. Hurley They’re yo! ung. The y’re in over their heads.
They wouldn’t have it any other way.

In the cutthroat New York judicial system, if you’re intelligent, ambitious and new, there’s only one way to get things done â€" with Conviction. Get ready for all 13 gripping episodes of The Complete Series from award-winning creator Dick Wolf (Law & Order). When five young assistant district attorneys enter the world of public justice, they struggle to make sense of their challenging caseloads and equally provocative personal lives. Under the leadership of bureau chief Alex Cabot (Stephanie March, Law & Order: SVU), these rookie prosecutors are about to get a crash course in love, life and the law. Also starring Eric Balfour, J. August Richards, Anson Mount, Jordan Bridges, Julianne Nicholson and Milena Govich.Created by Dick Wolf, the seemingly unstoppable mastermind behind the Law & Order franchise, Conviction tells the stories of a group of young, driven, and genet! ically gifted prosecutors working for the New York District Attorney's office, which is led by Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March). Cabot was last seen as a young gun assistant district attorney herself on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. There she was a crusading and idealistic lawyer fighting to buck a corrupt system. But on Conviction, her character has turned into the type of bureaucrat she used to despise--one who thinks more about the bottom line than the true meaning of justice. Though she obviously still has feelings for her underling and former beau Jim Steele (Anson Mount), she becomes engaged to a well-connected man (the day after she and Steele have a one-night stand).

The series, which was canceled after its first season in 2006, has a more soap opera feel than Wolf's other shows. While the meat of the 13 episodes is in their fight to lock up rapists and murderers, the heart of the show lies in the private lives of the young attorneys. Steele! has a "just sex" relationship with Jessica Rossi (Milena Govi! ch), a p romising young lawyer who butts heads with him at work. Nick Potter (played by Beau Bridges' son, Jordan) left a six-figure salary at a private law firm to work for the people. Billy Desmond (J. August Richards), who hasn't lost a case, finds himself falling for a mess of a girl despite himself. And ladies man Brian Peluso (Eric Balfour) and wide-eyed cutie Christina Finn (Julianne Nicholson) find it easier to play verbal footsie than admit their feelings for each other.

Though the dramatic content isn't lacking, there are some moments where even suspending your belief in reality really doesn't help much. In one episode, a murderer takes some of the attorneys hostage in a courtroom. Demanding respect, he refuses to answer their questions unless they address him in legalese. It's almost laughable watching the supposedly terrified lawyers popping up and down to address him as "your honor." In another scene, Finn warns another gunman--who has already killed another hostage--! that the police may be trying to trick him. But overall, the series has a nice rhythm that could've carried over for another solid season or two. NBC was quick to ax the drama, just as it did with Wolf's 2005 series Law & Order: Trial by Jury. It's too bad because Conviction--which could've been retitled Law & Order: The Wonder Years--showed a lot of promise. --Jae-Ha Kim

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction is the fifth installment in the wildly popular Splinter Cell series. A stealth-action combat game centered around the continuing adventures of black ops agent Sam Fisher, Splinter Cell: Conviction continues where the storyline of the earlier Splinter Cell: Double Agent left off. Packed with a mix of an engaging story, classic Splinter Cell stealth action, unique co-op gameplay and new gameplay mechanisms that are applicable to both single player an! d multiplayer modes, it is a worthy addition Splinter Cell cata log of games.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction game logo
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Sam Fisher from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
The return of Sam Fisher.
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Co-op stealth gameplay from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Unique co-op gameplay and campaign.
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Mark and Eliminate functio!  nality screen from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Jaw dropping visuals.
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Last Known Position combat functionality in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
All-new combat functionality.
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Story
A few years have passed since the cliff hanger conclusion of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent, in which Agent Sam Fisher undertook a partic! ularly dirty mission, full of questionable actions, in the shadow of the inexplicable and unmourned death of his daughter. Fisher is now a renegade operative digging into the events of the past and he doesn't like what he has found. His personal investigation into his daughter's death reveals that he's been betrayed by his former agency, the Third Echelon. The agency responds by pursuing him, but as he works to elude them he becomes aware of a deadly terrorist plot that threatens millions. He is uniquely positioned and prepared to act against this, but success is doubtful without the help of former friends from the Third Echelon team, resulting in a series of life and death situations for himself and the country where trust can by no means be assumed.

Gameplay
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction, as with all games in the Splinter Cell series, is a tactical stealth-action game. In single player modes players take on the role of Sam Fisher an! d engage in a series of missions utilizing high-tech weaponry,! gadgets , lethal hand-to-hand combat and interrogation skills. Overall objectives and the necessary steps to achieve them are challenging, yet always clear via dual verbal and visual expression that seamlessly alerts players as they progress through missions. In addition, Conviction enhances the world of stealth combat that has made the Splinter Cell franchise a runaway hit for years through a series of revolutionary new gameplay features. These include:

  • Mark and Execute - A gameplay mechanism for eliminating several enemies at once, Mark and Execute allows players to "Mark" multiple enemies, or points in the surrounding environment for termination in batches. Once this is done, a close-combat kill is required, after which the player can activate the "Execute" portion of the mechanism to dispose of all enemies in a cinematic manner. A limited amount of Mark functionality is attached to players' weapons, so this ability must be used wisely.
  • L! ast Known Position - Last Known Position is a visual representation of where the game's AI assumes you are, based on where you were last sighted. This provides players with a wide array of options, including setting traps for enemies, flanking maneuvers or simply disappearing while you are thought to be elsewhere.
  • Experience System - Successful completion of objectives via the Persistent Elite Creation System earns players rewards in the form of experience points. These can be used to upgrade weapons and gadgets that will allow for cleaner, quieter and more deadly attacks.
Co-op Story Mode
Prologue, the co-op story mode included in Splinter Cell: Conviction is available either in split-screen local play or via Xbox LIVE. Prologue offers an exclusive prequel campaign to that found in single player mode and features new characters and settings, three difficulty settings, three sub game modes and four maps. Designed to stand ap! art from, as well as supplement the single player campaign, ga! meplay m echanics available within it include shareable Mark and Execute target points and Last Known Position, as well as teammate revival functionality via a portable defibrillator, the ability to work with a teammate to eliminate enemies who have captured you, and more.

Key Game Features

  • A New Level of Splinter Cell Action - A full arsenal of cutting-edge innovations allow you to outflank foes with the Last Known Position system, tag and eliminate enemies using the Mark and Execute feature, and much more.
  • Blockbuster Experience - A unique storytelling style keeps you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the explosive world of a renegade agent where trust is impossible and justice requires you to go above the law.
  • Jaw Dropping Visuals - A revolutionary new graphic direction delivers an utterly seamless gameplay experience that’ll keep you totally engrossed in the story of Sam Fisher.
  • Explosive Xbox LIVE P! lay - Addictive multiplayer modes, content downloads, messaging and voice support and more amp up the dramatic intensity like never before.
  • An Exclusive Co-op Story Mode - "Prologue" is an exclusive story mode featuring new characters, settings, four exclusive maps and more. It is only available within Conviction's Co-op mode.

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