Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist

The faster pace and increased emphasis on fast-shooting over stealth in both Splinter Cell: Conviction and Blacklist make the latest iterations of Splinter Cell almost unrecognisable from Sam Fisher’s debut in 2002. Like the rest of Ubisoft’s seemingly infinite IPs (notably Farcry and Assassin’s Creed), Blacklist has been so far removed from it’s origins that it seems to belong to a completely different franchise. Whilst Blacklist is a very different game to its predecessors, it’s still incredibly well made and extremely satisfying when done right.

The story of Blacklist has Sam Fisher and the team (now the “fourth echelon”) must stop terrorists known as “the Engineers” before they attack major US assets with their program known as “the Blacklist”. It’s all very 24-esque with plenty of high octane action and over-the-top action movie nonsense to keep it going. It attempts to approach controversial topics on more than one occasion but it never seems to have the balls to actually explore any of them in any real detail, maybe that’s for the best as these are some really controversial things. For example, there’s one mission set in Guantanamo Bay but it only really seems to be there as a point of reference or like a “look how gritty we can be!” sort of thing. The story is very much relevant to recent events and tragedies which the game haplessly references purely on a named basis. It would have been interesting to see them explore these topics a bit more but I guess it isn’t really appropriate at this time.

The gameplay in Blacklist is easily one of the game’s high points; it’s incredibly fun and satisfying when you can actually pull it off. The rather punishing and very static stealth of the earlier SC titles is all but gone. The frustrating “game over if you’re spotted” concept is scrapped for the vast majority of the game, and the non-stealth approach is now a viable option. I think it’s fair to say that Blacklist’s gameplay has been very much modernized, and I welcome the vastly improved fluidity of combat. The main focal point of Blacklist’s gameplay is freedom to execute situations however you see fit, allowing you to choose between the silent non-lethal “Ghost”, silent but deadly “Panther”, or the all-out balls to the wall “Assault”. Each playstyle is equally viable and equally satisfying in its own way and the ability to switch between them really diversifies the gameplay. Stealth feels more refined than ever whilst lethal combat has been greatly improved.

For all its emphasis on player choice and variety Blacklist sure has a nasty habit of forcing you to play a particular way every now and then, which can be a little frustrating when you’re kitted out for pure stealth and they force you to fight. It seems that Blacklist feels the need to be on par with every other modern action game by having UAV missile sections and even a mission where you play in first person (thankfully it isn't a long mission as the gunplay in first person is pretty weak).

Sam Fisher may have gone through some aesthetic changes but he also seems to have taken more than a few yoga classes since we last saw him. Fisher is faster and more agile than ever, adding a layer of satisfying fluidity to Blacklist that definitely wasn’t felt in previous, much slower titles. Along with some very Assassin’s Creed risk-free climbing sections and vastly increased movement speed when climbing up pipes and rails, the increased speed of the game makes escaping sticky situations in one piece that bit easier. Whilst I personally love the increased pace, I imagine die hard fans of the older SC titles might not appreciate the action-packed approach that Blacklist takes. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s just another reason for me to feel that Splinter Cell has truly lost its identity in an attempt to become more modern. I quite like the new approach (I never really liked the slow pace of previous SC games), but it will certainly put off some players.

You earn money through your mission score and snagging optional objectives which can be spent on either upgrading the Norman- sorry, the “Paladin”- or upgrading your gear (yes, Splinter Cell now has gear, who would have thought?). Although this may sound like some half-assed RPG mechanics thrown in for good measure, the gear system is surprisingly deep. Gear will modify a variety of stats from weapon accuracy to armour whilst the huge variety of weapons can be upgraded with an impressive selection of attachments. For the most part gear is split into either stealthy gear or assault gear, with the choice to upgrade your stealth or armour. Gear plays a pivotal role in the success of your missions and a pistol with pinpoint accuracy can be a necessary requirement for a clean run. I actually found myself actively grinding out money from side missions to earn money to gear up Fisher to make my stealthy endeavours easier.

Co-op missions spice up the game a bit and sure are fun if you play with a friend. Some side missions are restricted to co-op and every side mission gives you the option to play it in co-op. The classic Splinter Cell multiplayer fan hit “Spies vs. Mercs” makes a nice comeback and is surprisingly the star of the show. With plenty of tweaks to the original formula, SvM is an extremely fun game mode for those looking for a really unique multiplayer experience. For those who don’t know, SvM pits a team of Spies, who must complete certain hacking objectives whilst playing in classic SC third-person stealth, against a team of Mercenaries, who are heavily armed and played in first person. The multiplayer is a ton of fun and is definitely worth checking out if you want to get the whole SC:B experience. Blacklist also has some interesting daily challenges that offer various rewards and can be played competitively through online leaderboards. At the end of the day the multiplayer in Blacklist is a surprisingly

Visually the game is stunning; the wonderfully varied environments look beautiful and the level of detail on characters is truly impressive. Level design is intricate and variation in locale is just amazing, all the way from snowy Russia to the scorching plains of Saharan Africa. Level design also encourages players to play however they want, with numerous infiltration spots to every building and various ways to traverse levels. The sound design is also pretty great; weapons sound alright, voice acting is top notch (the new voice of Sam Fisher still sounds great despite what your nostalgia tells you!), and there are cool little audio prompts that warn you of imminent detection.