Splinter Cell: Conviction First Impressions

I had been dreading this week for a while now. The Internet had gone a long way toward convincing me that the newest installment of Sam Fisher's badassery was going to be a whiff. Honestly, I really need to stop talking to the Internet.

True, I've only played through what feels like the first mission, but I'm having a lot better time than I'd anticipated. Statements I'd heard about the game being closer to a Bourne atmosphere than a Splinter Cell one are largely accurate. There are smatterings of past volumes of the franchise here, but this game has really been refined for a more action-oriented gamer. Which, I think is good. I goozex'd Double Agent a few months back, in anticipation, and I'm not convinced that the hardcore stealth aspects of the earlier games stand up in today's gaming.

So far, I'm predictably enjoying things like Mark and Execute and Last Known position. The game also seems to borrow some of it's climbing, and subsequent climbing executions from Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's other cash cow. I'm also liking this more brutal version of Sam.
I don't think I need to tell any of you how satisfying breaking a urinal with a man's face is.

The only detractor, so far, seems to be the game's visuals. Just like with Assassin's Creed, I don't think the game looks bad. It's just that I think I've been spoiled in the past year by games like Resident Evil 5 and Mass Effect 2 for beautiful character models, and Brutal Legend for emotive ones.