Splinter Cell: Blacklist

By: Robert Murphy

Hey guys, sorry that it’s been so long since I last had a post for you all but I was in need of some rest and relaxation but now I’m back with plenty to share in the coming weeks with video games, anime and more. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s just start off with a new game that I have been waiting for, for quite some time now and that game is Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Yes, Sam Fisher is back once again and God help you if you’re the ones he’s after because as fans of series will tell you, nobody messes with Sam Fisher. Since the last time we saw Sam things have changed, you’re no longer laying low and avoiding your stealth assassin ways, no in fact you’ll need them more than ever now that a group known as The Engineers have come to change the world in a radical way. Enter Same Fisher and the newly formed 4^th Echelon which features some old faces such as Grim (because it’s not a Splinter Cell game without her) and Charlie Cole, with a new face to the team Isaac Briggs. Together this small but powerful group is put to the task of taking out The Engineers and the threat they pose to the United States.

Now when we last saw Sam, he was kind of gruff and was giving off the scruffy old man angle in Splinter Cell: Conviction and he was taking down everything in his way with brute force and took a little less stealthy aspect to him. In Blacklist however, things are back in order and Sam returns to the shadows to take down the new threat set before him and his team so fans of the series will once more enjoy ducking and weaving all over the place. And duck and weave you shall as almost every mission comes with multiple venues and ways to move through patrolling guards and bad guys, whether it’s vents, ceilings or pipes, there’s an angle for whatever your preference may be. But of course this was all to be expect from a Splinter Cell game but if you do enjoy going loud in a situation and going in guns blazing then there is still that option. There is a wide array of weaponry to choose from and some of those come with quite a large bang to them so you can go on a murdering spree on a room of enemies rather than silently removing them one at a time. On the plus side as well, you are actually rewarded for this type of behavior along with being stealthy and lethally stealthy through the games mission scoring system that appears when you complete a mission. This rewards you points and cash for either going through the mission as a Ghost (non-lethal stealth), a Panther (lethal stealth) or Assault (loud and lethal), making an enjoyable experience, whatever your preference.

From here you can further customize Sam and your gear by purchasing weapon modifications for the wide assortment of guns you have to choose from and with those guns comes with a huge assortment of modifications to be made. From red dot sights to hollow point rounds, you’ll be dealing deadly damage throughout the campaign anyway you like. Then we also have the gadgets, remote cameras, noise makers, rotating robot drones, they’re all here for the taking to aid in your stealthy or not so stealthy play through of Blacklist. Nothing compares to the stunned look an enemy gets when he here’s a strange sound come from no-where and then suddenly he turns around and all his buddies are missing in action and the light of your goggles shine behind him. Then there’s Sam himself, whose appearance can be altered with a number of different outfits, each with their own unique traits an abilities that can improve your stealth, weapon handling and more.

As for the campaign itself, Sam and his team work on board of the Paladin, a large aircraft carrier that can also be further upgraded with cash given to Grim in between missions, this monolithic plane is base of operations for 4^th Echelon. From here you access your missions that across the globe and these missions vary from main story missions to side missions that are given to you by your team, to be done at your leisure for extra cash. Also you can talk to your team before and after each mission to see your stats, update your arsenal or get the new missions that I mentioned earlier. But if you want to bite into the main story, you can all go right ahead because it’s a good one, the “Blacklist” terrorist attacks on America features a very grounded and enjoyable experience. There aren’t over the top explosions or antics with this enemy, they’re quick, clean and precise and prove to be a challenge even for Sam, who after the last game, you’d think would be pulling an “I’m too old for this @#$%.” And this was my really big problem with the game because Sam is now somewhat different, he’s still an incredibly skilled, stealth fighter but his character is not the same Sam. This is because Sam’s gruff voice actor has been replaced this time around and replaced with a new more authoritative voice that says, “This is what’s happening, let’s get it done” and that’s it. Sam’s sarcastic and wittiness seems to have disappeared with this one, it didn’t kill the game for me but I do miss the voice work of Michael Ironside in this one.

Now onto the multiplayer, Blacklist features both co-op missions and an online mode that returns some classic features from previous games for all to enjoy. We have a throwback to the old days with the game mode Spies vs Mercs that puts you and your friends to a task of hacking a terminal while avoiding a group of mercs defending the area in a classic 2 v 2 or the new 4 v 4 mode that lets you customize your individual load out for added fun. Then there the other game modes such as Team Deathmatch which is self-explanatory and many other game types for you and your friends to either work together in or test your stealth skills against. Then we have the co-op aspect of the game, as you play through the game you’ll notice that missions from your team may have a co-op option so you and your friend or whoever can tackle a mission together, taking some of the load off Sam in solo play. But make sure you find yourself a friend with similar playing styles or you’ll end up trying to go stealthy while your friend charges in guns firing.

All in all, Splinter Cell: Blacklist has brought back the heavy stealth element that fans of the series have always loved about the series since day one but they’ve also incorporated more of a heavier action element for players who want to give up and just blow everything away. Not only this but players will gain points for going through the mission in the various different ways that you play, either being gun heavy, stealthy or a stealthy killer, it’s your choice. Also the game brings with it enjoyable multiplayer and co-op campaign missions alongside the short but sweet action of the single player campaign that’s laid before us. My issues with the game are nothing major that wouldn’t spoil anyone’s fun playing through this incredible game either, I don’t care for some of Sam Fisher’s new attributes, he looks so stiff and structured now and not like his old self but he’s still got the legendary skills that I know and love.

Good:

-Enjoyable campaign and story

-Equally enjoyable co-op and multiplayer for you and your friends

-Massively customizable arsenal, filled with gadgets, guns and more

Bad:

-The new Sam wasn’t for me but you guys decide for yourself on that one

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10