I just completed the co-op campaign of Splinter Cell: Conviction, and damn. I thought Far Cry 2′s ending had shown me the true extent of UbiSoft Montreal’s world-weary nihilism, but I was dead wrong.
I won’t spoil exactly what happens, but I will say that if you want to experience the co-op campaign’s ending as intended, do not look up a full list of Conviction’s achievements.
Even though I wish there was an option to say “no” to the ending, to refuse to participate, the sheer cynicism of what you are forced to do is so refreshing that I kind of don’t care. Mass Effect teaches us that everybody can get along and survive, so long as you’re charming enough. Final Fantasy (pick one) teaches us that friendship is eternal, and good triumphs over evil. Far Cry 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction’s co-op teach us that the world is a harsh, stupid place where brutal people do awful things for dumb and horrible reasons.
Regardless of whether or not you buy into that, it’s a philosophy that has every right to be explored and examined through interactivity as any of the ludicrously optimistic “muscle and determination will conquer all evil” stuff that makes up pretty much every third-person shooter I can think of.
So that being said, did you like the game itself? I’m kind of wary of Splinter Cell games after I picked up the first one again for nostalgia purposes and remembered that I hadn’t particularly liked it.
Considering what you liked about the Far Cry 2 ending, am I right in thinking it is like the ending of Double Dragon?
My brother always hated that. My suggestion that he should suck less didn’t go down too well.
Devil’s Avocado Larry,
Two best friends sit down to play a game, generally X hours later they don’t want to be told there was no way, no matter what they did, to earn a happy ending where they have to beat each other to a pulp. (I’m assuming that’s the case based on your and linde’s tweets.)
*don’t
So that means that from now on, all your talks will be about Far Cry 2 and SC: Conviction?! I think I should still probably try FC2 only because all your talks are about it.
I loved the ending, because of how relevant to the rest of the game it was. You could see exactly why it happened, finally realizing exactly what was going on in the last level. It sucked to see, but it provided an emotional reaction. I’m glad they did this.
*I don’t think i spoil anything but if your worried avoid my comment*
Prior to playing i was informed there would be a twist ending because of a review and i was still surprised. It truely caused a great moment of gameplay, as it played out my friend asked me if i was playing because it changed the pace so much. there was a little bit of an awkard silence. Its good to hear that other people apperciated it as well.
It’s really funny, because when I finished the co-op, I thought of you and your talk about FarCry 2. And I even came here wondering if you had played it and was going to comment on it.
SPOILER! WARHHHH!
So, I randomly started the co-op with a random dude on live, and we made it through the missions through thick and thin, we were both of about equal skill, both got killed, both got grabbed by baddies. Then, in the end, he laughed as his boss told him to kill me. I wondered, “is there anyway to not kill you?” So I began my walk, I asked him if he was supposed to kill me, he said yes. I was hoping that it wouldn’t come to this, I wondered what I would do when I found him. Then, I jumped over a balcony and to both of our surprise, landed right in front of him. He instantly grabbed me and killed me. I screamed “SERIOUSLY?!” I felt betrayed by my comrade, my friend. Then I here “huh, I got an achievement.” As the movie played, Archer gave his final words and Stupid Russian Man got shot… he deserved it.
Then my “partner” sent me a friend request…
Turns out he’s a military man, Army I think.
There might be a disconnect between killing friendly NPCs and killing fellow players. I mean, we have multiplayer which is built just for that. Of course, I’m reminded of in Splintercell Pandora Tomorrow when Sam (you) are told to kill an Israeli sniper woman who up to that point has been helping you. Lambert himself orders you to kill her as you are about to go down a floor or two in an elevator. I never miss. I don’t think I’ve gone through that level without shooting her in the head. Apparently, if you don’t kill her then, you have to kill her and a couple other hidden snipers later in the level.
I’m not sure what I would have done if I were the one to find my friend first, would I hesitate? Would he, like he did when he found me, take the first shot and make it count? I want to do the co-op with my brother just to get to the end and see what happens.
Whilst I see what you are saying, doesn’t it make a difference who the npc is? What if it had been Alyx Vance, or Luigi?
I couldn’t kill Luigi. You shouldn’t either.
I can tell you, however, that if the second player in SC had been my brother, yes I could kill him. I did in Double Dragon like, a hundred times already. He is used to it by now.
You forgot about the #1 lesson of Final Fantasy: Pretty people always win in the end.
…
Fuck those games.