I really enjoyed the experience of Splinter Cell: Conviction. It felt like a season of the late, great TV show ‘24′.

I must state that I have not played any of the previous Splinter Cell titles. This was my first experience and therefore I cannot speak to the importance of stealth in this game compared with previous titles. What I can say about stealth in Conviction is that the game does a great job of mixing in enough to make the experience unique.

Conviction was a relatively short game. I finished in less than 10 hours, easily. Probably more like 7 or 8. But every one of those hours was fun and memorable. I think that matters so much more than attempting to meet some arbitrary quota for game length. Conviction will keep you involved from the start all the way through to the end, and for that alone I think it’s a must-play.

One of the best aspects to Conviction is how the game lets you pick your own path on how you take out a group of guys. You can run in, guns blazing, and wipe everyone out. Or, you can use some serious stealth and not be detected as you go from enemy to enemy performing take downs. Or, my personal favorite, rigging up the space with an explosive, marking a few enemies, and finding a spot to sit while you wait to pull the trigger on mayhem. The variety is seemingly endless at first, but as you progress you’ll find only a few real options. I don’t think it’s a problem, however, because the items you’re equipped with are plenty to carry you through the game.

The biggest downfall of Conviction would easily be the AI in the game. The enemies you’ll encounter are downright stupid and often spew the same quips over and over. For example, if your objective involves closing in on a room inside of a building, as many do, those enemies inside the room will hear what’s going on outside and inform you, annoyingly after awhile, how they’re not stupid and they’re not coming out there. This is a pretty common occurrence but not something that detracted from my enjoyment of the game.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is a great game. Even with the few minor gripes, there’s so much here to enjoy that the experience is just a must-play.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 retail version of the game purchased by Skeptical Gamer.