I have to say, Splinter Cell Blacklist is a game which delivers on so many levels.
Firstly, I would like to point out a few differences between this game and past Splinter Cell games (notably Splinter Cell Conviction), that do not impact on the rating.
I found that this game gives you more control of Sam and his gadgets, from the type of footwear he has on to the color of the glow in his Sonar Goggles. The fact that you can chose to specialise your clothing and footwear in terms of stealth and/or armor is a brilliant move. There are also more weapons available which are of great help to the player, the most notable being the tri-rotor, which gives you control of a remote-control copter-like flying drone, which can fire knock-out darts (and can also make distraction noises to flank/distract enemies), more or less giving you the ability to stealthily take down enemy operatives without killing them.
However, the enemies also have access to a type of drone themselves - it is a remote-control drone that can be driven around the perimeter, and even up and down stairs. This drone can be easily identified as it has a red light beaming from the infra-red camera. This drone also has the ability to home-in on Sam once his location has been compromised and explode causing severe damage to Sams health, preventing it (Sams health) from regenerating for some time, and in some cases the explosion may be enough to even kill Sam. Unlike the drone that Sam uses however, this drone cannot fly.
The proximity shockers are also a great way to take down enemies in a non-lethal way once they get within proximity, and the sleeping gas is also available to throw at your enemies taking them down non-lethally, as is the crossbow, if you'd rather take down enemies as you cross paths with them.
In terms of AI (Artificial Intelligence), the enemies are also different. They can hear you if you are near them or if you're trying to sneak up on them without wearing stealth clothing. The dogs are a great addition as they can raise the alarm and attack you (perhaps even kill you), to keep you on your toes. The Snipers can be very annoying, but by studying their laser pattern movement, and by using covering shelters they can be overcome with time and patience, and while the tri-rotor is a handy way of taking down the Snipers, they (the Snipers), can also take out the tri-rotors if they spot them. The most annoying, however creative addition to the AI characters, is the inclusion of Heavy Infantry. These enemies cannot be taken down with any shock weapons, sleeping gas or guns. They'll need not 1, but 2 frag grenades (or proximity mines), or 1 incendiary grenade, or a hand-to-hand takedown. This makes the game particularly more challenging as using exploding weapons raises the alarm causing other AI Operatives to swarn to the location, and in stealth missions, may result in extra AI operatives to intervene. There are also enemy operatives who have riot- like shields, and taking them down will be similar to taking out heavy infantry.
The graphics are greatly detailed, probably on par with Splinter Cell Conviction as they use the same engine and physics, perhaps even slightly improved. The stages are realistic, the music dramatic, and the objectives challenging. The missions themselves, while challenging, are not the type that will leave you pulling your hair out in frustration, they can be completed without fail if you have the right gear on, use the right approach to taking down enemies (stealth - sneaking, using the tri-rotor, crossbow, sleeping gas or proximity shockers), and also if you study the routes taken by the AI enemies.
The downfall of this game is the changing of voice actors. Michael Ironsides absence as the voice of Sam Fisher was evident from his opening sentence, and Claudia Besso was also missing as the voice of Anna "Grim" Grímsdóttir. However, these do not affect the rating as this is not a comparison, we are rating the game on its own content and merit.
The game does lose points though on 3 fronts which do impact on the rating: Firstly, in the earlier missions, many of the objectives are the same. For example, survive 5 waves of AI enemies... over and over again. Secondly, unlike Splinter Cell Conviction, you cannot re-play missions you've already completed just for fun, meaning once you finish a mission, or the game, you're done. No replaying at all. You need to start the game all over again. Is that worth the $79 paid for the game?
To a lesser extent, you cannot fully complete the game unless you play co-op online and play missions with Briggs and Sam working together. I find, personally, that games which require co-op online gameplay to be fully complete, are alienating the fact that the game is being played in SINGLE PLAYER MODE, and shouldn't have to resort to an online internet connection, or co-op gameplay to be fully complete. Online co-op gameplay is fine, but shouldn't be required in single player mode.
The Verdict: Considering that Splinter Cell Blacklist continues the story where Splinter Cell Conviction finished, in my opinion, it is a must-play for all fans of the Spinter Cell series.
Final score for Splinter Cell Blacklist: 8/10.
Firstly, I would like to point out a few differences between this game and past Splinter Cell games (notably Splinter Cell Conviction), that do not impact on the rating.
I found that this game gives you more control of Sam and his gadgets, from the type of footwear he has on to the color of the glow in his Sonar Goggles. The fact that you can chose to specialise your clothing and footwear in terms of stealth and/or armor is a brilliant move. There are also more weapons available which are of great help to the player, the most notable being the tri-rotor, which gives you control of a remote-control copter-like flying drone, which can fire knock-out darts (and can also make distraction noises to flank/distract enemies), more or less giving you the ability to stealthily take down enemy operatives without killing them.
However, the enemies also have access to a type of drone themselves - it is a remote-control drone that can be driven around the perimeter, and even up and down stairs. This drone can be easily identified as it has a red light beaming from the infra-red camera. This drone also has the ability to home-in on Sam once his location has been compromised and explode causing severe damage to Sams health, preventing it (Sams health) from regenerating for some time, and in some cases the explosion may be enough to even kill Sam. Unlike the drone that Sam uses however, this drone cannot fly.
The proximity shockers are also a great way to take down enemies in a non-lethal way once they get within proximity, and the sleeping gas is also available to throw at your enemies taking them down non-lethally, as is the crossbow, if you'd rather take down enemies as you cross paths with them.
In terms of AI (Artificial Intelligence), the enemies are also different. They can hear you if you are near them or if you're trying to sneak up on them without wearing stealth clothing. The dogs are a great addition as they can raise the alarm and attack you (perhaps even kill you), to keep you on your toes. The Snipers can be very annoying, but by studying their laser pattern movement, and by using covering shelters they can be overcome with time and patience, and while the tri-rotor is a handy way of taking down the Snipers, they (the Snipers), can also take out the tri-rotors if they spot them. The most annoying, however creative addition to the AI characters, is the inclusion of Heavy Infantry. These enemies cannot be taken down with any shock weapons, sleeping gas or guns. They'll need not 1, but 2 frag grenades (or proximity mines), or 1 incendiary grenade, or a hand-to-hand takedown. This makes the game particularly more challenging as using exploding weapons raises the alarm causing other AI Operatives to swarn to the location, and in stealth missions, may result in extra AI operatives to intervene. There are also enemy operatives who have riot- like shields, and taking them down will be similar to taking out heavy infantry.
The graphics are greatly detailed, probably on par with Splinter Cell Conviction as they use the same engine and physics, perhaps even slightly improved. The stages are realistic, the music dramatic, and the objectives challenging. The missions themselves, while challenging, are not the type that will leave you pulling your hair out in frustration, they can be completed without fail if you have the right gear on, use the right approach to taking down enemies (stealth - sneaking, using the tri-rotor, crossbow, sleeping gas or proximity shockers), and also if you study the routes taken by the AI enemies.
The downfall of this game is the changing of voice actors. Michael Ironsides absence as the voice of Sam Fisher was evident from his opening sentence, and Claudia Besso was also missing as the voice of Anna "Grim" Grímsdóttir. However, these do not affect the rating as this is not a comparison, we are rating the game on its own content and merit.
The game does lose points though on 3 fronts which do impact on the rating: Firstly, in the earlier missions, many of the objectives are the same. For example, survive 5 waves of AI enemies... over and over again. Secondly, unlike Splinter Cell Conviction, you cannot re-play missions you've already completed just for fun, meaning once you finish a mission, or the game, you're done. No replaying at all. You need to start the game all over again. Is that worth the $79 paid for the game?
To a lesser extent, you cannot fully complete the game unless you play co-op online and play missions with Briggs and Sam working together. I find, personally, that games which require co-op online gameplay to be fully complete, are alienating the fact that the game is being played in SINGLE PLAYER MODE, and shouldn't have to resort to an online internet connection, or co-op gameplay to be fully complete. Online co-op gameplay is fine, but shouldn't be required in single player mode.
The Verdict: Considering that Splinter Cell Blacklist continues the story where Splinter Cell Conviction finished, in my opinion, it is a must-play for all fans of the Spinter Cell series.
Final score for Splinter Cell Blacklist: 8/10.