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Splinter Cell: Conviction Walkthrough

Conquer Sam Fisher's toughest mission yet with GameSpot's walkthrough for Splinter Cell: Conviction.

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Sam Fisher was once one of the most feared and lethal Splinter Cells the world has never seen. Now he's an avenger who's out to bring justice to those that wronged him in the past. Even though Sam has all that Third Echelon spy training, he's gonna need a little help from GameSpot to get out of this mess in one piece.

Here's what you'll find in GameSpot's Splinter Cell: Conviction Game Guide:

  • Basics: Sam may be a little rusty, but it's nothing a little brush-up on the Basics can't fix.
  • Walkthrough: Detailed walkthrough on how to get through hairy situations.
  • Achievements: More gamer points for you to gloat over.

Basics

Stealth

The very first Splinter Cell was bred to be a game of stealth, but things have changed since then. Still, Sam's primary weapon of choice is the element of surprise. Stalking his enemies in the shadows, Sam loves to keep enemies in the dark (pun intended) and incapacitate them in these conditions. Any dark, shadowy area turns the screen black and white, which supersedes the need for any sort of stealth meter or radar. As long as Sam is veiled by this colorless drape, he remains invisible to enemies. Likewise, if the screen is completely "normal" he is vulnerable to enemy detection, at which point a great big Warning beacon lights up the screen. Once Sam is discovered, the beacon turns red. At that point, it is highly advised to become a ghost as quickly as possible. A silhouette of his last known position automatically materializes, allowing you some time to either flank the enemy or migrate to a safer area.

Executes

Executes are a testament to Sam's seasoned spy training and his unreal marksmanship. Whenever Sam takes down enemy using close combat (Deaths From Above, pulling guys out of windows, etc.), he gains an Execute ability. This allows him to mark up to a certain number of targets (as allotted by the currently equipped weapon) and instantly assassinate them with wicked precision. Any obstructions or a huge distance between him and the target may cancel the Execute effect, as indicated by a gray mark. Make sure all enemies you intend to Execute are called out with a clear red marker. Different weapons allow varying number of Execute targets at once.

TIP: The author's favorite weapon is the Five-Seven pistol, which when fully upgraded allows up to four Execute targets at once. As a general tip, upgrade frequently used weapons and gadgets, like the Frag Grenade.

PEC Points

Splinter Cell: Conviction has its own built-in points accruement system, wherein you ultimately earn an Achievement by conquering all the PEC challenges. A total of 38,000 PEC points can be obtained. These can be viewed on the menu screen and used as currency to purchase weapon and gadget upgrades, as well as costumes and their upgrades.

Game Modes

The game has three tiers of difficulty, which are Rookie, Normal, and Realistic. These modes present variable challenges by changing the number of enemies present at one time in an area and Sam's overall "health." Obviously, during Realistic mode, Sam is able to take only a few direct gunshots before its game over.

There are also other modes in addition to the solo storyline:

Co-op: Follow Archer and Kestrel, two Splinter Cells, as they go about their own missions. Play split-screen or online with a friend.
Hunter: Kill all enemies with conditions that you set yourself.
Last Stand: Defend an EMP device against enemies.
Face-off: Versus mode between Archer and Kestrel with the option to include more bad guys.
Deniable Ops: The single player version of Hunter and Last Stand.

Stay Crouched

Whenever possible (and especially around enemies), travel in a low, crouched position to minimize your chances of ever getting caught. Plus, when Sam is running around, guards will become suspicious of the thunderous footfalls that he causes.

Walkthrough

IMPORTANT NOTE:The walkthrough was written under the assumption that it is your first time through the game and that you are playing on Realistic mode. For those of you playing on Normal, you must be aware that the walkthrough accounts for extra patrols and such. In general, though, your actual playing experience may differ quite a bit from what is written herein, but the strategies provided within should still be applicable.

Mission 1: Merchant's Street Market

The past can never leave Sam. Somehow his old friend, Grim, has found him. The conversation doesn't follow the traditional route of catching up on old times. It is to inform him that hostiles are about to converge on his current position and that he must leave to take cover immediately. Head toward the vendor stalls and follow the on-screen directions about taking cover. A short flashback to Sam's life 20 years prior occurs, during which Sam tries to convince his young daughter about the benefits of darkness (Oh, Sam…). These short flashback segments serve as a tutorial.

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Switching back to the present situation, Sam finds himself now under cover of darkness and hidden from a trio of paranoid thugs holding flashlights. There's no need to go about it any way other than shooting everyone square in the face. You once again return to Sam's past and learn about the Execute ability. Afterwards, employ a stealth takedown on the lone guy to gain an Execute, and then mark the good-as-dead targets to finish the Execute. The next task is to find and interrogate the gang leader, Dmitri Gramkos.

TIP: Marking targets is not only good for carrying out Executes, but can also be used to keep track of patrols when they leave your line of sight. This way you always keep tabs on them.

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As Sam comes upon multiple options for cover, have him lean up against the one furthest away, on the right. Wait for the guy in orange to wander close and eliminate him for an Execute. Mark the two nearest guys for an Execute and gun down a third. Upon seeing his friends drop like flies, Gramkos flees to the grimy bathroom down the stairs. Follow him down and bash the door open. Sam displays his brutal interrogation techniques by being able to shove Gramkos' face into the various urinals and sinks to loosen up his stubborn disposition.

Mission 2: Kobin's Mansion

Infiltrate the mansion and find Andriy Kobin

Once on the streets, move through the crowd toward Kobin's mansion. The mansion is surrounded by high walls that are topped off with rows of pikes. Climb up the first portion of the wall that is bare and pike-free and perform a Death From Above on the guard in the blue shirt here. Proceed to climb up the wall and shimmy to the first window on the right. Grab and pull the guard to his unfortunate demise and climb inside the building.

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The first door in sight leads to a single guard whose lax security allows Fisher to just creep on by into the next room. The next room, however, features a pair of guards and a third one that patrols just outside the room. Execute these guys and takedown the guy in the hallway. The gunshot may draw one more guard to the scene, so take him out as well. Otherwise, proceed along toward the double glass doors and head inside. Raid the Weapon Stash as you wish, and when ready continue into the next room.

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The first thing of note is the overwhelming number of sentries stationed on the bottom floor of this area. Creep along the upper floor toward the pipe at the end and climb the pipe up. The pipe extends up and across the ceiling, positioning Sam directly above a hapless individual. After knocking the guy into a coma, it's time to get to work.

Find Andriy Kobin, your daughter's killer.

Traversing this guard-filled room can be dangerous and loud business if you neglect to utilize the innumerable diversions around the room. Take, for example, the car alarm, fire extinguishers, and the author's personal favorite, the enormous ornament suspended from the ceiling. After getting the drop on the first guard from the pipe, ascend the stairs and hop over the railing to bypass the single sentry patrolling the upper floor. While staying under cover of shadows, shoot the base of the dangling ornament to pry it loose from the ceiling. Ideally, you'd want to wait until there are people underneath it, but even if that's not the case the ensuing ruckus has everyone on edge. Execute where needed, or snipe the stationary guy near the door. If there are people left alive, make sure to douse out the lights surrounding the exit point to avoid detection.

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At this point, Kobin is very well aware of Sam's presence in the building. Despite his bravado, Kobin is absolutely terrified, as he very well should be. Inch into the room to discover a handful of Kobin's men already in search of elusive intruder. Hang a left, toward the pipe, and climb it to freely navigate around the room above the unsuspecting guards. Shimmy over to the northwest area of the room and peek under the door here. If the coast is clear, head in, quickly close the door, and find safe cover. More guards keeping a diligent watch perform sweeps throughout the room. Climb the pipe here and work around the room, taking people out as needed like a silent ninja.

Ultimately, you want to reach the room up ahead with the Weapon Stash. Go up the stairs and follow the path to another pipe. This one props Sam up on a window's ledge that opens up the opportunity to throw the guard here out the window.

Kill Andriy's guards and interrogate him.

After putting one guy out of commission, there are two left to deal with, and they stand idly by the base of the main staircase. Perform a simple Execute here and continue on towards Kobin's door. Like a cornered mouse, Kobin begins to bark orders at his men to kill Sam on sight. Don't be tempted to bash open the door and go in Rambo style (unless that's your thing). More discreet opportunities of infiltration arise if Sam takes the window route instead. Peering through the various windows, you can easily see that getting by undetected among a sea of Kobin's men is a rather tall order. While it's possible to silently abduct Gramkos, the guy in the back center wearing blue, the game requires you to secure the area before any legitimate interrogation can commence.

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The slightest twitch will drive Kobin into a frenzied fear, causing him to fire his gun with reckless abandon and making his men be on high alert. A good way to avoid a bloody firefight is to attract the guards' attention while hanging from a window. When they become suspicious and investigate, grab and chuck them out the window one-by-one. Execute any remaining guards, then quickly approach Kobin from behind before he whips around to find Sam lurking over his shoulder. Interrogate him with the methods Sam knows best to ferret out some information, but some unforeseen circumstances cut the interrogation short and leave Sam at the mercy of some new company.

Mission 3: Price Airfield

After following Grim's charade and faking an escape, open the gated door and quickly get to cover, as a single sentry's patrol route covers this initial area.

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Pick up some C4 before you enter the hangar.

You know what the objective entails: get some C4 and do it stealthily. The C4 charges are located just ahead under a small canopy. The only problem is that two live guards stand near them. This very minor hindrance is easily surmounted by gaining an Execute from the first lone guard and then using it to put down the two aforementioned guards. Upon picking up the C4, Grimsdottir tells Sam to plant them on the chopper in order to prevent them from foiling his escape. Take the charges and head towards the building.

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The chopper sits cold in the brightly lit center of the hangar and is surrounded by approximately six or seven guards. The hangar provides many angles of approaches with its copious pipelines running along the ceiling, its hanging turbine engines--to name a few. From outside, head up the stairs leading up to the hangar's entrance and quietly open the door. Just on the other side of the door is a guard peering over the hangar with his back stupidly turned toward Sam. Assassinate him and leap over the rail to shimmy over to the left-hand side (from a hanging position, it's to the right). Looking ahead, you should spot an engine turbine strung up on a thick chain. Shoot the turbine loose to let it crush the two guards standing underneath it. Naturally, this heightens the others' alertness and causes them to sweep the region to investigate the cause. At this time, Sam should be able to Execute a couple, leaving just a few more stragglers. Some patience should open up an opportunity for a Death From Above. When only two are left, mark them and Execute.

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Afterwards, approach the chopper and plant the C4.

Disrupt the power relay in one of the barracks.

The barracks ahead teem with guards, but the ones on the left side can be ignored completely. Move to the far right to reach the first barracks and an opened window. A soldier should appear shortly if he hasn't already to work on his computer. Take him hostage and black him out among the bunk beds, then turn off the lights. Sneak out the window so that ultimately Sam travels between the barracks and the fence. After the next barracks, two guards stand outside, one of whom is facing Sam's direction. There's no other way to get by these guys without killing them, so plan the Execute. Very carefully creep in through the window of the last barracks if it's clear and turn off the light switch. This should spook the sentry standing guard just outside one of the doors and prompt him to come inside. Thwack him on the head and leave through this door.

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The target barrack is the adjacent building and boasts a trio of armed guards. They're all ready to pepper any intruders silly enough to burst through the front door. Make some noise outside to draw some of them out for takedown and Execute any stragglers. After successfully disrupting the power relay, head on through the gated door nearby for further instructions from Grim.

Plant C4 charges on satellite dish to prevent tracking.

With the mysterious power outage, guards everywhere have been alerted to Sam's presence and are wired to search and destroy. Guide Sam past the first opening to the hangar, where a guard briefly patrols this area. Instead of breaching the building from this opening, head to the opening that is slightly obscured by the drapes. This area bathes Sam completely in shadows, giving him the freedom to blow out the lights as he inches up. Be very wary as he does so, as the area is crawling with copious number of armed personnel. The idea is to move up, past the plane, then to the far right, and up. This definitely is easier said than done, but use your wits to overcome this. Some tricks to use: shoot at an area only once (twice at most) away from where you intend to lead the guards astray. While they're distracted, Sam can slink along the shadows and reach the satellite dish.

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Don't be afraid to use Executes, and above all, take your time. After securing the charges on the target, more hostiles begin to converge on Sam's position. Quickly duck into the nearby hangar and move from cover to cover to avoid a bulk of the enemies.

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Destroy the gate security system at the guardhouse to prevent anyone from following you.

The author was unable to avoid a loud confrontation with all the enemies in the next part. The next area's bright lights and full moon aren't conducive to being sneaky, so perhaps deploying Frag Grenades and well-timed Executes in lieu would be the best bet. There are a respectable number of enemies here, allowing Sam to be easily overwhelmed and gunned down. Be careful. The target is the guardhouse against the far end. Hit the switch in the guardhouse to gain access to Grim's car.

Mission 4: Diwaniya, Iraq

The mission takes a small departure from its conventional dark and gloomy spy business and places the player in someone else's shoes from 20 years prior. You play as Victor Coste. Sam is here, but he's been taken prisoner.

Find and Rescue your squad leader.

The weapon Victor picks up has a built-in scope and is really handy for scouting ahead. Start moving down the disheveled highway, taking out the enemies along the way. This is no sneak job at the moment, but don't forget to take cover from fire. There are no Executes or anything of the sort. Eventually, Victor closes in on the Iraqian base and spots many soldiers hanging around outside. The huge oil rig parked out front is the perfect way to dispatch a couple at once.

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The Iraqians love to carry Frags around with them and won't be afraid to chuck some in Victor's direction to flush him out. Follow the distance marker to another segment of the base, where the game instructs you to search the buildings. The dilapidated building to the left features a couple of chatty soldiers and an explosive barrel. One more soldier is stationed on the roof directly above as well as to the left of the building. Of course, many more are strewn throughout the area. Quickly dispatch this initial bunch and welcome the wave of alarmed soldiers, coming mainly from the right and further north.

TIP: Environmental objects that can be targeted and shot retain their normal colors even when everything else has become colorless. For example, the red barrels are explosive and are a great way to eliminate clusters of soldiers at once.

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Take note of the red-colored barrels along the way, as these will come in handy at a later point. It appears that they've got Sam holed up in an abandoned school building. Weave through the multitudes of classrooms to another building and find Sam being forcibly questioned. Run in with guns blazing to save Sam, but there's no time for a collective sigh of relief just yet. Reinforcements storm to the scene in full force, and the duo must hold their ground before help arrives. On Realism, you never want to stay aggressive for too long here. Spy the red barrels spread around outside and aim for them individually to annihilate a good amount of the assailants. Eventually, help will come and stomp out the resistance here. Cue end flashback mission.

Mission 5: Washington Monument

In dark zones, question and eliminate the men tailing Coste.

Victor Coste and Sam set up a rendezvous point in the bustling fair, but Black Arrow have put a dent in their plans by having Coste closely monitored by three agents. The mission objective stresses the importance of ridding these tails in the shadows and out of overt view of the innocent civilians. Therefore, it's an automatic mission failure if Sam is caught either by one of the tails or a civilian witnessing Sam's brutality.

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The locations of the three tails are marked on-screen by a small, white icon. Each tail follows some sort of set patrol route that passes by dark areas. Once a tail has been found, stick close to him, but remain unseen until Sam is ready to strike--preferably in a shadowed area between game stands and whatnot. After all tails have been dealt with, Coste summons Sam to the building at the base of the Washington Monument.

Meet Coste in the lobby of the Washington Monument

Follow the distance marker to Coste's location, where he hands Sam a bag filled with a few new toys. Being among them, the Five-Seven pistol is a mean little pistol and arguably the best one in the game, in the author's humble opinion. It also grants an additional Execute target, bringing the total number of targets to three now. Should come in handy soon! At this point, too, a loud speaker falsely reports a gas leak in the vicinity and forces a large scale evacuation of the entire fairgrounds.

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Escape through the fair to your car.

Heavily armed Black Arrow dogs have already inundated the fairgrounds by the time Sam parts way with Coste. As he approaches the entrance to the fairgrounds, ease more to the right side and avoid running in plain sight of the entrance. On the right side, Sam should be able to find and crawl through a small tunnel underneath this stand. There are many more of these crawl spaces underneath various attraction stands throughout, so be sure to utilize them. The newly acquired toy, the Portable EMP, comes in real handy. In fact, now's a good time to use it to disable the lights and all electronics in order to slink past these trigger-happy bozos. Stay relatively toward the right side to find another crawl space not too far from here.

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From here, it's up to the player's wit to bypass the rest of these guards. The author gained a few Executes here and there and also deployed a Remote Mine to cast attention away from the destination. As a whole, you shouldn't be using the Portable EMP more than twice, but use it in sticky situations. Also be sure to run when the effect is in place to take full advantage of this exploit. Near the end are three guards that can be cleanly Executed from a dark area on the side. Afterwards, if there is a Portable EMP handy, fire it off as Sam races toward the car to throw the remaining nuisances into a daze. Otherwise, just make a break for the car. (Though on Realistic mode, you might want to actually deal with the guards.)

Mission 6: White Box Laboratories

Infiltrate the building and retrieve any intel you can find on the EMP testing.

You have the option of rummaging through the Weapon Stash to swap out some weapons when the mission begins. Our advice would be to keep the Five-Seven as a mainstay and upgrade it fully. It should now be able to mark a maximum of four targets for Executes.

The mission starts off rather innocuously--only one guard to drop until the next objective. This one sits out in the toll booth and ambles back and forth from booth to a few steps outside. Since he faces Sam's general direction, you should be careful to avoid sprinting toward him. Stay crouched, shoot out the street lamp to the right and follow the fence along to the booth. Get a good bead on the guy's head and put him out of his misery. The trek across the parking lot is pain free, but aim for the pipe on the far left side of the building.

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This is the start of a rather long climbing process. Basically, move Sam from rooftop to rooftop, pipe to pipe until he breaches the interior of the facility.

Access the building's monitoring system in the security room to discover where to look.

Vault over the large pipes and descend toward the security room below. En route, Sam comes across many laboratories occupied by working scientists with only a clear-viewing glass and sparsely lit surroundings separating them. It may be easy to be seen here, so remain crouched and cautious. A peek under the door at the bottom of the stairwell gives you a good indication of not barging in through the door. Instead, climb up the orange pipe nearby to gain a crystal clear view of the opposition. Looks like three guys total, most likely armed.

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Mark all three and prepare to Execute immediately after a Death From Above to avoid further alarm and harm. Examine the security cameras afterward and scroll through numerous footage of different areas until you land upon one that lets you witness a troubling scene between some working scientists and Black Arrow.

Question the remaining scientist in the machine shop.

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Follow the path out and jump through the window into the machine shop. Immediately tip-toe up the adjacent stairs to get an idea of the floor plan and the number of guards: five. The scientist is being kept under close supervision, but the pipelines and spatters of shadowy places provide ample wiggle room to work around the tight security. The stairs also lead to the pipe start point on the other side, opposite the window. Climb this pipe and shimmy across the room to the upper left near where the pipe leads downward again. Here wait for one of the guards to stand beneath Sam, but before conking him on the head be sure there are no watching eyes in the vicinity. Alternately, the first guard that patrols in near the window can grant the Execute needed to take out all four remaining guards, assuming you maxed out the Five-Seven pistols.

Speak to the quivering scientist to glean some needed information. The very cooperative scientist activates the elevator for Sam and directs him where to go. Hop on and ride it to the next floor, where Sam is greeted by a morbid scene. Approach the Weapon Stash for the Sticky Camera gadget, which can be quite useful.

Reach Robertson's office and download the EMP data from his console.

There are two options: double doors or the single door along the left side. The double door leads to an unnecessary direct confrontation, whereas the side door leads to windows that allow Sam to skirt danger and put a devilish plan into action. Shimmy across the windows and stop at the one with a guard standing just in front of it. Open the window and proceed to mark every guard in the immediate area--totals four, not including the oblivious one by the window. The fourth one wanders close by after executing his prisoners in cold blood. When ready, toss the guy out the window to charge the Execute and pick off his four friends before they have a chance to react.

After cleaning house, climb inside and proceed through the building. The next sentry is at the top of the first set of stairs, where the text for your objective shows up. In place of climbing the steps and risk being seen, climb the pipe next to it very quickly. The guards here may catch a glimpse of Sam, but not enough of him to go on full alert (though that may depend on which pipe he climbs since there are two next to each other). Utilize the mark and Death From Above strategy to take care of the security on this level in quick succession.

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Next, find a pipe leading up to the next floor and climb it, being wary of the hawk eyes watching the floor. Move to the far left, haul Sam up and over when the guards look away, and then very quickly vault out the opened window. Shimmy across and aim for the door ahead. Once inside, be cautious of one of the guards outside the viewing window, as he can easily spot a careless intruder. Raid the Weapon Stash and continue through to get in brief contact with Grim. Grim coldly ends the sentimental reunion short, reminding Sam that he has work to do.

Open the nearby door to find a guard on patrol duty. Don't worry, though--he can't see Sam in the dark. Creep toward the window directly opposite the doorway, open it, and climb outside. From here, you can choose to wait patiently to pull curious guards out the windows and then Execute the other guards. Or, if you want to play the risky card, head to the very last window and climb inside, making sure that Sam is bathed in darkness as he inches toward the window to the left. Quietly open the window here to end up back outside and next to a catwalk. Move away from the doorway and then climb up. Climb the vertical pipe here to the end and drop down.

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Be quick to find cover upon landing, as a patrolling sentry is about to make his rounds here. There are a few options here: climb up the metal-grated girders and get the drop on the patrolling sentry, and then Execute the other two; or, hop back out the window and shimmy from window to window, finding the opportunity to toss the guard out the window during his patrol. One thing to take note of, however, is that the lights on this floor s sense motion and flicker on whenever there is movement. In one fast minute, the sanctity of darkness can be stolen from you. After rounding the corner, quickly jump up and climb atop the metal-grated girders here. Below are four more sentries. Now's a good time to target all four and then Death From Above one to take them out.

Moving on, Sam comes to double doors and a window. If your gut feeling is telling you to take the window, then your gut feeling is right. Just beyond the door is a handful of soldiers that are ready to rumble. Jump out the window and shimmy all the way around to the balcony. Blast off a Portable EMP charge and make a run for the vertical pipe across the room. The pipe should lead right into Robertson's office, where Sam opens access to it for Grim.

Defend the console until the download finishes.

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By now, White Box security has learned of Sam's presence within the facility and is working to evict him--whether dead or alive. While Grim downloads the data from the Robertson console, Sam must keep all of the incoming guards at bay and away from the data. Each wave of security personnel arrives on scene in 20% increments, or as soon as the current wave has been subdued. Hang from the pipe to remain safe and out of sight. The first wave comprises only two guards that emerge from the elevator. These guys go almost straight for the console and if left alone for too long will botch things up for Grim. Deliver clean headshots to each guard to open the floodgates for the next wave. They should start coming in groups of three now. Mark every guard and Death From Above to take care of all enemies, then scurry back up the pipe. At about 80% completion, there are five guards to deal with. Mark all that can possibly be marked and focus on performing a Death From Above on the unmarked man to get all the bases covered. Deploy a Remote Mine if you have extra.

Get to the weapons lab and stop the trace before Grim's cover is blown.

Grim finishes leeching the data, but she discovers a trace originating from the first floor of the White Box laboratories. Find this culprit quickly! Head down, using the various rails and pipes to descend. Once Sam lands in a bright room and heads into the weapons lab, run straight ahead toward the opposite wall. Hop on the vertical pipe to gain the first advantage over the incoming swarm of enemies. Use the usual Death From Above and Execute combo on the guys at ground level, which then leaves three more guards in addition to Robertson on the upper catwalk by the EMP control. Roll a Frag or two over to the remaining guards and approach the EMP control to fry Robertson.

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The final task is to escape, but nothing ever comes easy for Sam. More enemies flood in from outside and must be dealt with before he can leave White Box. Deaths From Above and Executes again never fail, letting Sam be on his way and run across the parking lot.

Mission 7: Lincoln Memorial

Reach the camera control booth to record Reed and Galliard's conversation.

This is straight shooting all the way to the camera control booth. No sneaking or anything involved--just run. Once there, hack the main controls to spy on Reed and Galliard. Cycle through the cameras to find the best angle that captures both parties and their conversation. When the audio gets fuzzy or if the icon turns red, the camera needs to be re-adjusted to keep the conversation clear.

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Interrogate Galliard in the Memorial

When Grim calls Galliard to distract him, Sam gets the opportunity to catch Galliard by surprise and interrogate him. He's a tough nut to crack and will withstand some painful-looking punishment before he spills the whole can of beans. However, Galliard gets silenced forever before he delves into further details.

Catch the killer.

Chase down the killer on foot. Occasionally, some cop friends will get in the way and try to apprehend Sam, but unless you're playing on Realistic mode Sam can sprint past them. The long, exciting chase culminates in a glorious car explosion.

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Hold out against Third Echelon until your transportation arrives.

Third Echelon squads have begun to zero in on Sam's position, leaving Sam pinned down while he waits for extraction. Run back up the steps and to the building on the right. Climb up to the second floor and set up camp here. Engage the enemy only if they decide to explore this section of the cafe; otherwise, stay put and wait for Grim to give the greenlight. Once help arrives, jump out the window back window and make a mad dash for the vehicle.

Mission 8: Third Echelon HQ

Find the transformer rooms to plan the C4 in them.

Infiltrating a building of such high security measures would be preposterous for any other person, but not Sam Fisher--he's got a vendetta to settle and he intends to make it clear to all members of Third Echelon that he's still the sharpest tool in the shed. The plan now is to blow out the power just long enough for Sam to sneak inside before the emergency power generator brings security back online. Seems sound enough, except this must be done without alerting guards or getting detected by security cameras, which are denoted by the sweeping cone of light. From the origin, follow the back wall to some motorcycles. Climb up here and land upon the lone security man inside the control booth.

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After swiping his security card, proceed very cautiously through the door. The security camera's field of vision covers just to the doorway, so if Sam just haphazardly charges out the entire operation will be compromised. A single guard patrols this section of the parking lot, along with three security cameras. Move from the booth out to the parked van on the right, then dart out to the vertical pipe located between the white car and the dark-colored van. You can choose to take out this patrol in the process, but he can be left alone, as the first transformer board is in the room just ahead.

After planting the C4, climb into the vent and hang onto the ledge, waiting with zen-like patience for the patrolling guard to make his way just under Sam. Knock him out and continue up, hiding in the comforting darkness. There's a still guard at the very end. Grab him and drag him back into the shadows before snapping his neck. The third guard can be left alone, but make sure he doesn't see Sam creeping across the parking lot. Head toward the black SUV to find an opened vent behind it, which leads directly to the second transformer board. With both C4s now in place, it's time to head to the elevator.

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From the second transformer board, head up the steps and through the door. In a low crouch, very quickly shuffle over to the ramp leading down and hop over to the rail to submerge Sam in darkness once again. The elevator door is just within reach, but be careful not to get seen heading into it.

Riding the elevator up, Sam arrives at the receptionist's desk and, shortly after making his name known, detonates the C4 charges. There's only a small window of opportunity to slip in through the closing security doors. The guards in the vicinity, however, are on full alert and will gun down Sam. Having a few Flashbangs handy to blind them allows him to at least slip through the doors and reach a save checkpoint before either doors clamp down or the guards gun him down. Run down the stairs and then jump up above the light fixtures to avoid the security personnel just around the corner.

Meet Grim's contact in the office area

TIP: Security cameras can be disabled by shooting them, but doing so may betray your presence.

Tip-toe right above and past the guards here, heading toward the right, which drops Sam off in an unmanned room. Leap out the window and shimmy over to the right to find three more guards sweeping the region. If you stay put, all eventually come toward the ledge, at which point Sam can grab them by surprise and toss them over the balcony. Hug the right wall and make a run for the short corridor, which brings Sam to another densely populated room. A couple of security cameras have come online, but they should be no problem if you choose to travel above the light fixtures. There's one last security camera just above the door leading to the server room, but time its movement to snake past it.

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In the server room, the timid Fryman, who turns out to be Fisher's biggest fan, provides Sam with a new gadget, Sonar goggles. These babies allow Sam to see in the dark, through walls, and pick up heat signatures of surrounding people and laser grids. He warns Sam that some of the Splinter Cells may be equipped with the same gear and to exercise caution.

Reach Reed's office in the restricted area to get the details of his plan.

Security has somehow caught up to Sam in the server room--it's time to bail. In the server room, climb up above the ceiling and scout out the four guys in the adjacent room. Take them out however you want. As you have Sam trace his steps across the previously visited rooms, keep in mind that fresh new guards will always be looking forward and not really backwards. Stick to the ceiling and quiet takedowns, if necessary. At the lit corridor, mad dash over to the balcony and leap over it before anyone lands their sight on Sam's shadow.

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Eventually, Sam reaches a new section leading toward Reed's office that is heavily rigged with invisible laser beams. Some of these beams move and some of them remain stationary, but all of them are wired to unleash a flurry of turret fire if tripped. Activate the Sonar goggles and get to work, crawling under one laser and vaulting over objects to bypass others. Rotate your camera around to get a more accurate viewing of how much wiggle room there is and whatnot. At the end, climb over the metal detectors and head toward Kobin's voice. Here comes a second chance to interrogate Kobin and also get some payback for what he did earlier.

Go see what you can find in Anna Grimsdottir's office.

As soon as Sam leave's this small office, three Splinter Cells equipped with Sonar goggles burst through the skylight with the intent of hunting Sam. To combat the powerful trio, prepare a small trap for them using a Remote Mine just outside Kobin's office. Go out to trigger their entrance and retreat back inside to take cover. Wait for them to come to you (and they will) and set off the first explosion. If any are still alive, take care of them with the shotgun or any other weapon.

Four more regular sentries flood into the room from a newly opened corridor. Feel free to put them out of commission in as a boisterous manner as possible. The next corridor features more invisible lasers, but traversing this corridor would require moving from room to room and then climbing up the pipes running along the ceiling.

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Enter the next room and hang a left into the work area here with a single patrol most likely working his way to the other end. Follow him down, and when he makes a U-turn to make his way back, head out and vault over the divider to the floor below. Assuming no one has yet to see Sam, travel quietly to the shadows on the left side of the room. This continues down the room, past all the security personnel circling the floor. At the end, wait as the two guards here start to look away and aim for the stairs that lead up to the second floor. If all goes well, you will have slipped by all of the guards on the first floor.

The second floor presents a much bigger challenge, as the enemies here come equipped with Sonar goggles. Hopefully, you have Portable EMP charges still on hand. Blast a few and make a run for Grim's office. Otherwise, you can utilize the area above the ceiling to take care of the hostiles.

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After learning the hard truth in Grim's office, Sam now has enhanced superhuman aiming abilities and unlimited Executes at his disposal. Sprint through all the rooms, headshotting everything in sight, and to the elevator to end the mission.

Mission 9: Michigan Ave Reservoir

Interrogate Black Arrow officer about shutting down the EMP.

The Black Arrow officer stands smack dab in the middle among a myriad of armed personnel. Sam will surely get seen if he tries to waltz in from behind the first three guards. Fortunately, there is a pre-cut part of the fence just to the left of the actual entrance, but beware of the patrolling sentry on the left. Mark the three guys by the truck and wait patiently while staying out of sight for the watchful sentry to look away. When he finally turns around, slip through the hole in the fence and leap over the railing to a small ditch. Move to the opposite end and plan to grab the patrolling sentry on this end for an Execute opportunity. If you attempt to grab the guard on the other end, near the fence, it will only alert the others.

NOTE: There seems to be a small bug that somehow spurs the remaining guards into action after throwing the patrolling guard into the ditch. To avoid this, hop over the railing and stay behind cover after dispatching the first patrolling sentry and do not return to the side near the fence.

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Mark the final sentry to the far left, which now gives you a total of four Execute targets and leaves the officer unharmed--for the moment, anyway. After unleashing the Execute, the officer goes on a shooting rampage, at which point Sam can just simply circle around the car and assault the officer from behind. Incessant battery of the officer reveals the name of a scientist who would be better suited to provide information regarding the EMP.

Infiltrate the old warehouse to rescue the lead scientist.

The warehouse can be infiltrated via one of two ways: through the door in front or a window that can be reached by way of a pipe. The latter grants much safer entry into the building and also provides a much better vantage point for Executes and Deaths From Above. Assassinate the enemies in the room and head into the control room to find a pipe leading down.

Rescue the scientist.

As Sam worms through the underground network of tunnels, it becomes apparent that the abused scientist needs rescuing, but there will be a ton of hostile resistance. There's a pipe on the wall when Sam first emerges from the tiny crawl space. Take this to the catwalk above and locate another pipe that runs into the next room. Three guards here--mark the two stationary guards and prepare to Death From Above/Execute. The other guards shouldn't be alerted (at least they weren't during the author's game), so continue quietly onward to the hostage room. The poor, frail woman cowers in front of four armed soldiers. Feel free to be creative here.

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After neutralizing the immediate threats, speak to the scientist, who explains that two separate but linked generators power the EMP device. If one goes offline, the other automatically signals the EMP to go off. Therefore both generators must be shut down at the same time.

Find the generators.

There are a lot of enemies to slay here, although there are also a lot of explosive barrels scattered around the place. Lots of opportunities for takedowns and Executes as well. A computer-controlled turret sits in front of the opening and remains active as long as the dude in the back controlling it is alive. Throw an explosive gadget to dispatch him and disable the turret.

Reach Generators to send their coordinates to Coste so he can destroy them.

Even if the generators are located, Sam can't do squat without any C4, but that's where Coste comes in. As long as he gets the coordinates to the generators positions, he can destroy them. Get to work. The first generator is located in the big tower, but the area is crawling with guards. The first enemy encountered should offer up an Execute, which can be used on enemies further up. If playing on Realistic difficulty, there are two more guards in front of the generator. Blast them out of the way with a Frag before heading to the generator.

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Approaching the next building prompts some guards to bang and breach the area rather aggressively. Dive into the building through the open window and take cover from the fire. From this point on, there's really no point to take it nice, slow, and stealthily. Gun down the obstacles and proceed onward. Refill the ammo supply at the Weapon Stash and be ready to mow down a whole grip of enemies crawling around underground. Don't worry about ammo or conserving resources since the Weapon Stash sits just in the other room.

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Back on the surface, an assault helicopter demolishes everything on the ground below. Sam must move from cover to cover to avoid being ravaged by both the heli's gunfire and the enemies on the ground. Fortunately, there is a clearly audible downtime between each use of the heli's turret, during which time Sam can freely move to the next cover with impunity. Keep moving toward the second generator, which is also wedged away in the side of a tall tower. When there's a clear opening, make a break for the generator and tag it to have Coste do the rest.

Mission 10: Downtown District

The crash has left Sam in the theatre and with a broken EMP device, although in exchange he receives a nice vest that increases the capacity of the other gadgets by one. Immediate access to the streets gets barred off by a myriad of armed sentries watching the theatre lobby. As Sam approaches the lobby, move to the wider entrance in the middle and mark a couple of targets. One of them comes close enough to Sam for a stranglehold and subsequent acquisition of an Execute. Proceed to Execute the four targets, then lob a Frag Grenade or two to take out the rest. This should clear up the room and let Sam through to the streets.

Walking through the crowds on the streets reveals just how Reed's diabolical scheme has reaped nothing but chaos. Eventually, Sam ducks into an alley and the mission proceeds.

Get to the White House.

Press up against the wall as a civilian gets denied entry to a closed-off area. While the guard weaves some bullcrap to settle the civilian's nerves, slink past them to the vertical pipe and shimmy around the building. Drop to the ledge and shimmy across to the inside of the other building, all the way to the end. Drop down into the shadows and, making certain that it's safe to do so, carefully ease past the stationary guard here by staying within the darkness and hugging the wall to the right. If all goes well, Sam slips past all the guards and continues down the street to a Weapon Stash along the left side.

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A huge throng of innocents have gathered in front of a heavily defended barricade. It's an automatic gameover if any civilians are killed, but once a gunfight is incited they scatter like roaches, which allow the freedom to go wild. As the guy with the microphone blabs on, proceed down the right sidewalk to come to a ladder. Crawl under, ignoring the temptation to climb up it for now, and snag an Execute from the sentry here (but do it in the darker end). Jump atop the scaffold that overlooks the entire area to get a clear idea of the spread. On Realistic, there are seven guys to deal with. Mark any four targets near the fence, then throw a Remote Mine near the two guys by the truck in the back. Detonate, then Execute. The aftermath should leave only one guy alive, whom can be dealt with in a leisure fashion.

Get through the gate and onto the White House grounds.

A big, red oil rig is parked outside the White House gates, but before blowing it up stay along this side of the street and move to the far right. There's a guy to take out for an Execute. After the flashy diversion, sneak past the guards and into the front yard that's crawling with more guards. Climb atop the roof of the building for a good vantage point. Burn through these hooligans and continue to the White House.

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Get a Frag Grenade out and roll it down the center of the street, where a bulk of them charge out and get demolished by a well-placed grenade. Most, if not all, should have been wiped out by the explosion. Moving past these barricades, Sam comes across more enemies, but staying on the left and in the shadow of the Hummer can veil him from immediate detection.

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Reed has locked down the front entrance of the White House, but luckily Grim has all the bases covered and opened up the side garden door for Sam. He only has to slip past the remaining guards to get to it. Simply throw a Flashbang and make a break for the door amid the bright confusion.

Mission 11: White House

Stop Reed before he kills President Caldwell.

The White House is a bloody mess in the most literal sense. The two guys down the corridor lament their trivial contributions to this mad cause. Deal with them as you wish, as a Weapon Stash is just beyond the door. At this point, Grim also gets in contact and mentions that Reed is working in cahoots with Samson to seize power from Caldwell. Expect the room beyond to be occupied by at least half dozen enemies, but feel free to be s messy and loud as possible, especially with the Weapon Stash situated so closely. Once the room is cleared and inventory has been replenished, breeze through the other rooms to the ballroom, where Samson has holed himself up along with four bodyguards. Use the pipes to launch a Death From Above/Execute show and then secure Samson.

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After incapacitating Samson, immediately climb back onto the pipe and wait for the reinforcements to storm in. Among them are enemy Splinter Cells who use their goggles to locate Sam, but since he's already hanging from the ceiling they won't see him right away. Look for clusters of them and take them out in one go with Frag Grenades and Remote Mines. Feeding off the Execute gained from Samson, eliminate any remaining enemies, or save it if you can. The adjacent room boasts even more enemy Splinter Cells, but as with the previous room it has pipes running along the ceiling as well. Take out the enemies and move on.

Meet Grim in the Press Room to stop Reed and protect President Caldwell.

Jump down the elevator shaft and dispatch the guard in the dark here. The kitchen is infested with more of Reed's brutes, and you can easily Execute and Frag a good amount of them. Raid the Weapon Stash and dive from cover to cover to avoid the turret fire. Run into the corridor and stay hidden in the shadows by the farther door, as enemy Splinter Cells are preparing themselves to engage Sam. However, they're so ready that they probably won't notice him sneaking around them. Sneak past them to the next corridor with the turret. Take out the operator in the back with an explosive and continue onward.

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The following rooms have Splinter Cells lying in wait; take cover and use Sonar goggles to see through their smokescreens. Continue following the waypoint marker until you meet up with Grim.

Get to the Oval Office and rescue the President.

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Grim already has a plan in mind to reach Reed without endangering the President's life. She turns her gun to Sam, shoots him in the soldier, and proceeds to cuff him. Walk Sam to the Oval Office to confront Reed. Follow the in-game prompts by marking the five Splinter Cell targets and grabbing Reed. At the end, you hold the choice of sparing Reed's life or killing him (either choices gives an Achievement).

Perhaps another possible Splinter Cell game after this…?

Achievements

AchievementDescriptionPoints Awarded
AccessorizingPurchase any 1 accessory for any 1 uniform10
Best Of The BestComplete all Splinter Cell challenges30
Co-op Realistic DifficultyComplete the co-op story on "Realistic" difficulty50
Diwaniya, IraqComplete the Single Player Story "Diwaniya, Iraq" on any difficulty20
Downtown DistrictComplete the Single Player Story "Downtown District" on any difficulty20
Face Off Win one match in "Face-Off" game mode on any difficulty10
Face Off Complete all ma in "Face-Off" game mode using any connection type20
FashionablePurchase all 6 texture variants for all uniforms20
Gadget UpgradedPurchase all 3 upgrades for any 1 gadget10
Gadgets ExpertPurchase both upgrades for all gadgets20
HunterComplete any 1 map in "Hunter" game mode in co-op10
Hunter CompletionistComplete all maps in "Hunter" game mode on rookie or normal difficulty20
Hunter MasterComplete all maps in "Hunter" game mode on realistic difficulty50
Judge, Jury and ExecutionerTake down Tom Reed10
Kobin's MansionComplete the Single Player Story "Kobin's Mansion" on any difficulty20
Last Man StandingIn Last Stand, survive all enemy waves of any map in one session without falling on any difficulty50
Last StandComplete any 1 map in "Last Stand" game mode in co-op10
Last Stand CompletionistComplete all maps in "Last Stand" game mode on rookie or normal difficulty20
Last Stand MasterComplete all maps in "Last Stand" game mode on realistic difficulty50
Lincoln MemorialComplete the Single Player Story "Lincoln Memorial" on any difficulty20
Man of ConvictionAllow Tom Reed to live10
Merchant's Street MarketComplete the Single Player Story "Merchant's Street Market" on any difficulty20
Michigan Ave. ReservoirComplete Single Player Story "Michigan Ave. Reservoir" on any difficulty20
Modzok Proving GroundsComplete Co-op Story "Modzok Proving Grounds" on any difficulty20
Perfect HunterComplete any map in Hunter without ever having been detected on realistic difficulty.20
Preparation MasterComplete all prepare & execute challenges30
Price AirfieldComplete the Single Player Story "Price Airfield" on any difficulty20
Quality TimeInvite a friend to join and participate in a co-op story or game mode session20
Ready For AnythingPurchase all 9 accessories for all uniforms.20
Realistic DifficultyComplete single player story on "Realistic" difficulty50
RevelationsDiscover Anna Grimsdottir's dark secret10
Russian EmbassyComplete Co-op Story "Russian Embassy" on any difficulty20
St. Petersburg BanyaComplete Co-op Story "St. Petersburg Banya" on any difficulty20
Stealth MasterComplete all vanish challenges30
SurvivorBattle your Co-op teammate and survive10
Third Echelon HQComplete the Single Player Story "Third Echelon HQ" on any difficulty20
VarietyPurchase any 1 uniform10
Washington MonumentComplete Single Player Story "Washington Monument" on any difficulty20
Weapon UpgradedPurchase all 3 upgrades for any 1 weapon10
Weapons CollectorUnlock all weapons in the weapon vault20
Weapons ExpertPurchase all 3 upgrades for all weapons20
Well-RoundedComplete all challenges50
White Box LaboratoriesComplete the Single Player Story "White Box Laboratories" on any difficulty20
White HouseComplete the Single Player Story "White House" on any difficulty20
Yastreb ComplexComplete Co-op Story "Yastreb Complex" on any difficulty20

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