Splinter Cell back with a visual bang

Splinter Cell keeps up thrills

It’s easy to run out of superlatives when describing the latest chapter of the Sam Fisher saga, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction.

After all, it is intoxicating. Thrilling. Remarkable. Stunning. Immersive. Mesmerizing.

Flawless.

The Splinter Cell series has always set the bar for the stealth espionage action genre, and this installment doesn’t disappoint. Laden with political intrigue involving secret government squads and double crosses, the plot of Conviction is packed with more action and surprises than “24.” In fact, Sam Fisher is such a tough guy, he makes Jack Bauer look like he’s on the junior varsity.

Besides the brilliant and detailed story, the visuals and controls are not to be missed. Always a hallmark of games produced by Ubisoft’s Montreal studios, the environments Sam explores and interacts with are about as realistic as can be and must be seen to be believed. The controls are smooth and easy to pick up, and the way that Sam’s objectives are projected onto the sides of buildings keep the player pointed in the right direction.

The myriad ways to reach an objective — shoot it out with the bad guys or sneak by and run for it — also add variety and depth to this early contender for game of the year.

Grade: A+ (the king of all stealth action games).

Details: Xbox 360 platform; $59.99; rated: mature (blood, drug reference, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language).

MLB duo plays best together

The perfect baseball game is out there. Unfortunately, the pieces of it are spread over the two titles that were released to coincide with the start of the major league season: MLB 10 the Show and MLB 2K10. It’s a shame there can’t be an MLB 2K10 the Show.

Instead, we get the good parts of each, like the realistic player faces and user interfaces of the Show and the stunningly realistic stadiums and comfortable controls of 2K10. Alas, there are also the bad points of each, namely the controls of the Show and the hideous player faces of 2K10. In 2K10, Manny Ramirez looks more like a skinny clay figure with odd black vines shooting out from under his hat than the charismatic Dodger slugger.

Each title has a “get your created player to the big leagues” mode as well as a Home Run Derby game and the usual other baseball-related game modes (like being the general manager of a team, allowed to shape the ball club however you like).

Though the commentary on the Show is seamless and narrates the action well, it does come off as a tad generic. The opposite is true for 2K10: The commentary is a lot more specific but gets repetitive during a nine-inning game.

And exactly when did 2K10 import its mug shots? Ronnie Belliard is still pictured in the gear of his team from the first half of 2009, the Washington Nationals. Someone couldn’t have spent 10 minutes to Photoshop a Dodger hat on him like they do on ESPN?

Still, baseball fans will most likely look past these faults the same way football fans eagerly await the latest version of the Madden NFL series. Spectacular, they aren’t. But they’re all we’ve got.

Grade: C+ (combined, they would be perfect).

Details: MLB 10 the Show: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable platforms; $29-59.99; rated: everyone. MLB 2K10: all platforms; $19-59.99; rated everyone.

DOA vision goes MIA

With all the controversy surrounding Dead or Alive Paradise — in February, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board posted a “mature” rating, errantly calling the game “creepy” and “bizarre,” a statement that was retracted immediately — one would expect the latest in the jiggle-fest series to be more than just a portable version of a 7-year-old game.

But alas, that’s all DOA Paradise is: a re-hashing of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball that came out for the Xbox — right, the first-generation Xbox — back in 2003. It’s the same action and gameplay, only now portable for the PSP. (Oh wait, there is a new blackjack dealer and a few new movies, I think. So it’s 96% old stuff.)

What makes it feel like even more of a rip-off is the fact that the great jet ski games of the original’s sequel, DOA Xtreme 2 (released for the Xbox 360 in 2006) are missing.

I guess the ESRB was right: It is in fact “creepy” and “bizarre” that they are trying to pass this off as new.

Grade: D (a whole lot of controversy over nothing).

Details: PlayStation Portable platform; $29.99; rated: mature (partial nudity, sexual themes, simulated gambling).

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