Sam Fisher is not the same Sam Fisher anymore. Though tri-lens goggles and the 5 o'clock shadow is still his signature but he is now transformed, with a new voice from Eric Johnson. Splinter Cell's direction has changed, but for good. Sam Fisher has become faster and bolder. Splinter Cell: Blacklist was revealed at E3 2012 in Los Angeles.
"The game incorporates full performance capture, it required an actor who could not only do the voiceover but also a demanding physical performance." says Arne Pedroso, the senior PR manager handling Blacklist. This is exactly what James Cameron did in his movie Avatar, motion-capturing body, face, and voice, all at the same time.
The feature 'mark and execute', popularized in the 2010's Splinter Cell: Conviction is now a signature feature, where Sam Fisher marks his kills (multiple enemies can be tagged) and bumps them off. The game play mechanics is called killing in motion; he can kill while on the run.
President Caldwell creates the 'Fourth Echelon', a special ops and counter-terrorism unit after finding the 'Third Echelon' corrupt. Fisher is appointed the Commander of the newly created unit. 'The Blacklist', a terror ultimatum is issued by a group of rogue national terrorists who plan to attack U.S. assets. The task is to take them out before they carry out the deadly strikes. The plot is set in Iraq-Iran border and the protagonist, Fisher enters the enemy territory camouflaged as a fellow soldier carrying a dead soldier. As others get suspicious, Fisher "marks and executes" the others. He hangs and climbs the walls with swiftness. Fisher has a new weapon in his arsenal, the tactical crossbow, designed for multiple applications. Being the commander of the taskforce has its own advantage; he can call in for air support and a missile strike that decimates the enemies. Sam has to extract information. Moving ahead he zooms in to his target and scans the room marks and identifies the enemy placing the explosive on the door while he enters through a window, distracting the enemy. There might me many such possibilities of multi-pronged attacks in the game. Fisher interrogates the terrorist who does not divulge any information. Fisher is given the choice of killing or leaving him.
The question of being ethical and moral looms large in the game, but may not have any impact in direction of the game. Splinter Cell Blacklist will provide variety of gameplay styles, stealth, action, or a combination of both. Unlike the previous Splinter Cell franchise, Blacklist is not only about stealth. It has become a more third-person shooter game, but with stealth features. You can see Fisher in direct confrontation with the enemy. The classic multiplayer mode, Spies Vs. Mercs is back in this edition. New gadgets like upgraded snake cam and micro tri-rotor drone will also be featured. The popular sticky shocker and Karambit knife are back in the game. Stealth airliner, the Paladin has "Strategic Mission Interface" or SMI that keeps beaming back in mission objectives and updates on the go. You can also purchase weapons from this hub. You can also integrate voice commands into Xbox Kinect and distract the enemies.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist has been spruced up with lot of gadgets and new features that fans will be happy with. It will shoot us to new levels of gameplay. It is slated for release in the Spring 2013.
