Splinter Cell: Blacklist is well on its way to assuring fans that there series is back on track with a large focus on stealth.
I got to sit in on a single player session that showed off some of the action elements (it is a demo for an event after all) but also sneaking around. Sam looks to be quite a bit more nimble nowadays as I saw him jumping up ledges and other more Assassin’s Creed type things.
All the areas had multiple routes and, of course, multiple ways to go about doing things. Naturally stealth is still a major element but the new mechanics like marking enemies to be executed are back and can now be performed while in motion. In fact, I was told that a big goal for this game was to make it so that the player is constantly in motion. That means things like takedowns as well can be done on the fly without having to stop. It works well but it makes Sam look a bit too much like a super badass.
This time Sam is out for a list of people that are up to no good per usual so he forms a new team and sets out to stop them. Yes that will be how I describe the plot. This new team brings in a coop partner for Sam. All the coop missions are now story related and that is huge for me– playing as random dudes doing side things just isn’t as interesting.
Old items like the sticky wall camera return and all items are separated into 2 different categories, lethal and nonlethal. Having them very clearly separated like they were is very important for stealth fans like myself. I did get to see Sam using a new item that appeared to be a small remote controlled helicopter. It was used to scout out the next area and even silently dispatch a few guards.
The demo ended with something that is not a normal Splinter Cell thing despite it appearing in the last game: a chase sequence. It just doesn’t feel right for the character, at least in this situation where there were random guys with guns that looked to be just standing around waiting for Sam to do a ‘kill in motion’ thing to them.
However, when I asked about this game having more stealth, they laughed and said, “You will be pleased. … This is a game made for Splinter Cell fans.” The game did look good and the promise of more stealth is enough for me right now.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist will be released August 20th on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U.
