YMMV / Splinter Cell: Conviction

• Broken Base: The early development shots of Conviction divided the base on the new "social" stealth aspect replacing the old light/shadow stealth. Ubisoft then went and redesigned the game to have use absolutely no social stealth and more action than previous titles. This resulted in a new split, between those who think that the action elements are fine, and those that don't.
• Complacent Gaming Syndrome: The Five-SeveN pistol in Conviction is the only pistol that most players use because it has the highest mag capacity of the pistols, a built-in silencer, and it's the only gun in the game that can mark four targets. The fact that you find it very early in the game and it's Sam's signature weapon also helps its popularity. In fact, the only reasons to use anything else are the two levels that force the Mark 23 on you or as a Self-Imposed Challenge.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Andriy Kobin gave Anna Grimsdottir the nickname "Ice Queen" for her cold nature. Guess the name of the redhead star of a certain animated feature released just a few years later.
• Narm: The Enemy Chatter in Conviction. It's quite humorous to see all these government agents and PMC mercs hunting for Stealth Expert Sam Fisher by running around, shouting at the top of their lungs that they remember what happened at the airfield.
  • The enemy chatter is also weirdly specific about locations. "You're going to die in THIS CAFE, FISHER!" or "Do you like the ART on the WALLS, Fisher?!" It's obvious the developers were trying to make the chatter more visceral and "smart" by tying it to locations. Unfortunately it's so game-y and bizarre in context that it often seems laughable.
• Older Than They Think: Conviction's critically well-received "Mark & Execute" system was pioneered in the Rainbow Six: Vegas series. Which is unsurprising, considering that the games have the same gameplay director.
• Porting Disaster: The PC and Mac versions were plagued by this due to Ubisoft's use of the much-maligned "always-on" DRM scheme, to the point that cracked releases of the game fared far better than the ones bought legitimately.
• That One Level:
  • Infiltrating Third Echelon and The Russian Embassy in co-op, for being "insta-fail when detected" levels.
  • To elaborate, unlike Washington Monument where you only had to tail and eliminate the three spotters, in Third Echelon Sam has to plant C4 on the two transformers, then get to an elevator taking Sam to the reception desk. Although he can go loud after this, he then has to quickly get to the end of a hall before two security gates can come down. Even then, a good portion of this level includes long, dull periods where no enemies are about (hence no risk of detection) and it's just Sam moving about on pipes and ledges. White Box Laboratories is actually worse with the second reason despite not being "no detection."
  • Price Airfield just because while the opening rendered cutscenes are eventually skippable, the subsequent portion using in-game graphics isn't, and in the case of Price Airfield, it is long. Even when you're finally able to move it's just to smack Grim around, and then you're allowed to exit.
  • The Iraq level. While not difficult if you don't mind lethal gameplay, it feels very out of place with the rest of the game and does nothing to further the story except give us a Friendship Moment between Sam and Vic. Also, that fact that you're playing as a soldier means you lose most of your extra abilities, including Mark and Execute and there are no shadows to hide in.