Splinter Cell Blacklist: I'm done.

[Mr Thin]

Michael Ironside "is" Sam Fisher. No ifs, buts, or maybes; he's an even more defining aspect of the character than his trademark goggles.

SC: Conviction I could handle. Sam Fisher was a man on the edge, without a government leash; he didn't have to play it quiet, so he didn't. I justified the bastardised gameplay by telling myself that it reflected the changes in Sam's character (I knew it wasn't true, but I felt better anyway).

But this? This is not Sam Fisher. And it clearly isn't Splinter Cell either.

I'm not sure what this is. An simplified spin-off, perhaps.

 

[Zhukov]

It actually reminds me of the stealth in Arkham City and the Assassin's Creed games.

That is to say, any sense of challenge or tactics gets defused by the glut of gadgets and abilities you have at your disposal.

Not fussed about the change of voice actor. The old guy didn't bring anything particularly remarkable to the table. Besides, it's not like Sam Fisher is much of a character. He's just Tough Soldier Guy #48663. I can't be bothered kicking up a fuss over exactly what flavour of grumbles he comes with.

I dunno... when you play through the games and hear all of Fisher's little comments and sideswipes, you realise that he's actually not the typical Tough Soldier Guy. Sure, he has a history of fighting in the Gulf War, hiding in ditches for says at a time, etc. But the Fisher you play in the games is an old, snarky dude who's always making cynical quips about the situations he's in and the people he's dealing with. He's certainly not your uber-aggro, gun loving super soldier. Even in the first game, he was portrayed by the developers as being too world-weary for that.

You mean to tell me that Tough Soldier Guy makes cynical remarks?

Oh, say it isn't so!

I guess I can see what you're coming from the world-weary aspect though.

 

[Woodsey]

They already explained why Michael Ironside isn't returning to voice Sam.

Which is not a very good reason. What would you rather have: arguably the most recognisable part of your series by this point, or mildly better lip-sync?

Stop fucking whining. This is closer to Splinter Cell than anything has been in years and, frankly, it's already looking better than the old Splinter Cell. Being immediately fucked when discovered isn't good game design.

Right, which is why they ditched that in Chaos Theory and still made an actual stealth game that would require more than a monkey to play.

What the game looks like is yet another game set in the vague regions of the Middle East with Action Man as the title character. What it doesn't look like is the Splinter Cell that people who play Splinter Cell played Splinter Cell for; a genre which has so suffered at the hands of the "let's put everything in the Middle East and make LOOOOOOOUUUUDDDDDDD NOOOOIIIIISSSSSEEEEESSSSSSSS!" that there is now a perfect niche for something that actually looks like Splinter Cell.

It looks absolutely nothing like Splinter Cell - even if you had only watched someone playing the first 4 games, you'd be aware of that.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

It's a sad state of affairs for my favourite pasttime when two of my favourite series (Splinter Cell and Hitman) have been dumbed down and needlessly meddled with to the point that they are now the exact same game, and it's not one I want to play.

What do you guys think? Will you be buying Splinter Cell Blacklist, or for that matter Hitman: Absolution? Do the changes bother you? Do you think they still look fun?

I had to stop the video at 1:14. As soon as he spoke, after watching that gameplay, no, I will not be buying this. Conviction was really only just a good game compared with its predecessors and this looks like a military shooter with third-person view and a Sam Fisher clone in place of a nameless mute. Conviction's mark and execute seems to have made a return too, I really want to know why any developer believes it's fun to remove gameplay from the game and have the game play itself for us.

As for Hitman, it's basically Splinter Cell: Conviction with 47 instead of Fisher. And this time he has magic vision. Yeah, I'll get right on that.

 

[Roofstone]

I actually sort of look forward to this.. The gameplay seems fun enough for me to enjoy it, and while the air strikes are a bit.. Too much, I don't really mind.

 

[kingthrall]

really as much as the first splinter cell was enjoyable, it lost that theif feeling to it ever since the started realising they could make a profit from it.

 

[sheah1]

I.... But I don't.... He was being shot at by a heavy machine gun. In a Splinter Cell game. And he didn't immediately die. In a Splinter Cell game. WHAT.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

That video was an odd mix of stuff I thought was neat: like planting the charge at one point of entry and then moving to another while the explosion distracts them.

However it was also stuff I don't think is too hot: his new voice actor sounds like a ponce, and forgive me, but I always through the whole point of the area Sam Fisher worked in was to maintain plausible deniability. UAV strikes don't quite seem to belong there. I mean the whole idea was in, and out with hardly anyone else knowing.

Also, that hanging from a building side thing and whistling might work on a lone guard, at night in total darkness, but in broad fucking daylight with two of his mates about six or ten feet from you.....doesn't quite seem as plausible.

 

[redisforever]

And yeah, Ironside is gone. Fisher. Is gone. I don't give a rat's ass about better animations and mo-cap. Technology is technology. Ironside was an icon.

If you watch the behind the scenes stuff included with the original game, they made a big deal about it all being hand-made, none of the animation was mo-capped. And you know what? It worked. Michael Ironside made Sam Fisher... well, Sam Fisher. His voice was truly terrifying. I know now why everyone pretty much instantly tells you what you want to know during the interrogations, at least in the first 4 games.

 

[Longstreet]

Game looks good. And it seems as you, in fact, CAN play it stealth wise, if you chose to. or you know, not do that.

this interview [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/11/maxime-beland-on-the-ghosts-and-panthers-of-splinter-cell-black/],

Here it is also said that you do not HAVE to use the airstrike. Just gonna have to take his word on it until the actual game comes out.

The video to me seems like stealth (runny-climby knock someone out, get guards to investigate knock them out too) until you get seen and you have the option of shooting your way out to survive.

Also according to that video you can play it full stealth, maybe even without killing. Apparently the guy playing "Sam" just didn't have his stealth mojo on that day.

 

[Bradeck]

I loved Conviction, and this game looks fucking AWESOME. I can't wait to get it! It sucks to lose the amazing voice of Ironside, but that's not a game ender for me. I can't wait to see Grim in more skin tight uniforms again too!

 

[Sexy Devil]

That's not really an explanation. I get that they wanted to use a new technique for the animations, but why not use Michael's voice instead of the mocap actors'?

Because that would be an unreasonable sum of money to spend on something that most people don't care about? Why would they hire two actors?

Anyway imo Splinter Cell peaked at Chaos Theory so I don't really have a problem with them changing crap at this point. As long as it's fun to play in its own way I'll live.

 

[5-0]

You know, I'm not going to straight-up say I'm not going to play Blacklist- if it's a good game, it's a good game. But this whole thing has surprised me. I really enjoyed Conviction, but I viewed it as a sort of experiment, a momentary change. I thought the fast brutal and less stealthy gameplay worked well with the whole Sam off-the-rails thing- after all, if he no longer has a proper agency to answer to, why would it matter who he kills and KO's? And to be honest, the gameplay was getting a bit stale, so it was good to change it up. On top of that I believe it had some of the best moments of Ironside's voice acting ever.

I thought the only direction after it would be back to basics. Instead we have the interface of Conviction combined with generic looking Middle East missions, and a shitty new voice actor. It might be a perfectly competent action game, but it doesn't look like the series I know and love.

 

[AdamRhodes]

It's a sad state of affairs for my favourite pasttime when two of my favourite series (Splinter Cell and Hitman) have been dumbed down and needlessly meddled with to the point that they are now the exact same game, and it's not one I want to play.

What do you guys think? Will you be buying Splinter Cell Blacklist, or for that matter Hitman: Absolution? Do the changes bother you? Do you think they still look fun?

I had to stop the video at 1:14. As soon as he spoke, after watching that gameplay, no, I will not be buying this. Conviction was really only just a good game compared with its predecessors and this looks like a military shooter with third-person view and a Sam Fisher clone in place of a nameless mute. Conviction's mark and execute seems to have made a return too, I really want to know why any developer believes it's fun to remove gameplay from the game and have the game play itself for us.

As for Hitman, it's basically Splinter Cell: Conviction with 47 instead of Fisher. And this time he has magic vision. Yeah, I'll get right on that.

On the subject of Absolution, have you even seen gameplay footage? It plays exactly like Blood Money. And do you prefer the omniscient satellite that shows where everyone is at any moment?

OT: I liked Conviction because I thought of it as Sam not caring about hiding bodies or being non-lethal because REVENGE. But the point of a stealth game is stealth gameplay. The greatest moments of stealth games is ghosting through each level. In, out, didn't even know I was there. But assaulting a compound in the middle of the day? While killing everyone you come across? AND AIRSTRIKES?!

 

[Dryk]

It's a sad state of affairs for my favourite pasttime when two of my favourite series (Splinter Cell and Hitman) have been dumbed down and needlessly meddled with to the point that they are now the exact same game, and it's not one I want to play.

As long as everyone wants their game to have a massive budget and make a profit, this will just keep getting worse.

 

[Slycne]

Not to mention the fact that Michael Ironside, who has up till now been the voice of Sam in every game, has inexplicably been recast.

It's not all that inexplicable. Ironside's interest in the role has been waning. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99686-Splinter-Cell-Voice-Actor-Doesnt-Like-Violence And if some rumors are true he was becoming "egotistical" and asking for "shit loads of money" to continue.

 

[oplinger]

I.... I kinda like it.

It's kinda like new metallica. If you don't think it's metallica, it's not bad.

So if i believe hard enough that this isn't Splinter Cell, it'll be good.

Plus it's just a trailer, I'm assuming it's misleading anyway, showing high action to get your attention. Since they're using a heavy machine gun, a mission prior, you fucked up or something, and they know you're coming. And it's also a gameplay trailer. You probably can stealth through everything, the guy playing just..decided to be cool.

I won't be buying the game on release, because Chaos Theory was sexy as hell. After that it just wasn't as good..and conviction was the end. So I'd say, good game to buy on sale.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

They already explained why Michael Ironside isn't returning to voice Sam.

Aye, but if that reasoning was legit, EVERY mocap actor would also have to be the voice actor for any given character.

I know Andy Serkis likes to play it that way, but other than him it seems to be a pretty weak argument.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

Not to mention the fact that Michael Ironside, who has up till now been the voice of Sam in every game, has inexplicably been recast.

It's not all that inexplicable. Ironside's interest in the role has been waning. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99686-Splinter-Cell-Voice-Actor-Doesnt-Like-Violence And if some rumors are true he was becoming "egotistical" and asking for "shit loads of money" to continue.

That sounds more like the real thing, but it could cost them sympathies and it could lower sales... so that one specific truth has to be avoided at all costs, methinks.

 

[Tohuvabohu]

Not to mention the fact that Michael Ironside, who has up till now been the voice of Sam in every game, has inexplicably been recast.

It's not all that inexplicable. Ironside's interest in the role has been waning. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99686-Splinter-Cell-Voice-Actor-Doesnt-Like-Violence And if some rumors are true he was becoming "egotistical" and asking for "shit loads of money" to continue.

Seems like more evidence to retire Sam Fisher and introduce a new character.

This sort of fast paced run-and-kill gameplay suited Conviction due to Sam Fisher being really fucking pissed off. I don't see why they bother making him return AGAIN after the ending to Conviction (To which Sam Fisher clearly states: "I don't want to do this anymore.")

Let the poor old bastard retire instead of reverse-aging him and making him come back with a new voice actor. Why even go through this nonsense? I think the change of gameplay would be easier to accept if we were controlling a new less-experienced field agent.