1. salaciouscrum

   Aug 21, 2013

   10

   I hadn't been into the series in a while but, man, this game. It's like they cared. Like they made it for people like me. Forget COD run and gun jocks barking into your ear, Blacklist requires thought if you want to be elite. Favorite game of this year easily.… Expand

   • 12 of 26 users found this helpful
2. Ljmavin

   Oct 14, 2013

   10

   Best Stealth Game Ever!! i didn't think that they could improve on Conviction but oh they did, yes it is a new younger voice behind Sam Fisher but that's not a bad thing the voice acting is done incredibly well and yeah it did take me a mission or two to get used to the new voice but it is great, the game looks amazing a lot of detail gone into the level design giving you multiple ways of executing your task, this game is the Splinter Cell equivalent of Jame Bond Skyfall it is that good, all of the upgrades/customization options are good from the HQ to the suits and the HQ plane is awesome, the controls where great for the game made it simple to play through, not a huge fan of not being able to control the interrogations like in Conviction and how when your are in full cover the lights on your gear lit up rather than having the black and white effect from Conviction, i like how a lot of the game is very open making it easier to get spotted meaning you have to be smart about moving around and how you had three ways of playing the game Assault where you just go through and kill everyone, my personal favorite Panther where you stick to stealth and silently take out your enemies or Ghost where you kill no one and go through the game undetected… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
3. MohsenHK

   Sep 17, 2013

   9

   Splinter Cell Blacklist, Ubisoft's next installment in the Splinter Cell franchise takes it further than any of it's predecessors. The game includes a good single player campaign with a nice variety of side missions which can be done in both Solo and Coop, a few separate missions requiring two players to initiate and last but not least the addicting Spies Vs. Mercs multiplayer mode. The Single player and Coop is enjoyable for a larger audience this time around, as players are now able to either play "Assault" and run and gun everyone in the mission or play "Panther", killing all hostiles in a stealthy manner without alerting anyone. The hardcore fans can play by Sam's rules and "Ghost" meaning that they sneak through the entire mission without taking down unnecessary hostiles and leave absolutely no trail behind. Additionally, the single player and Coop now feature a point system which rewards players based on their play style and the players can purchase upgrades for both multiplayer and single player modes.
   
   Splinter Cell Blacklist also features a new difficulty level called "Perfectionist Difficulty" which basically disables all the various assists you normally have such as the thermal vision see-through ability and the "Mark & Execute" ability making the game much more of a challenge and making stealth the key to success. However those are not the only differences, the A.I also becomes much more realistic spotting you easier than it did on lower difficulties while doing so legitimately. The different NPC Archytypes added to the game in general add a lot more depth to the game, forcing you to change tactics and adapt to the circumstances. For example we now have an engineer NPC which uses recon robots to scan the area for hostiles while disabling your thermal vision with his jammer backpack. Another example of the new NPCs is the armored guard. These guards wear bomb defusing suits and bulletproof vests making them much more difficult to take down compared to the average hostile, forcing you to change your approach on the go.
   
   The multiplayer mode is very well done, consisting 6 different modes including a separate playlist for the hardcore fans called "SVM Classic". No matter which class you choose you never feel overpowered as each class has benefits and disadvantages making them balanced and interesting at the same time. Each class has different and numerous upgrades and equipment available to them allowing the player to improve their character according to their play style. For example the Mercs have upgrades like jammer, armor and etc. and heavy machine guns while the Spies have upgrades such as gadget belts, proximity jammers, various goggles and etc.
   
   Like every game we know of, Splinter Cell Blacklist is much more fun when you have a buddy along for the ride. While the game doesn't require you to have a coop partner for 80% of the side missions it still rewards you for playing with a mate by offering quite a few different opportunities only available through cooperative gameplay such as dual executing and dual breach which add another dimension to the levels.
   
   I've waited for the game for three years and it has been completely worth it as the game has much to offer to both multiplayer and single player fans considering that it is also very polished and bug- free contrary to most of Ubisoft's releases. The only reason I don't give this game a 10/10 is that the plot scenario and ending could have been more interesting and although the new voice actor is good he doesn't do Sam justice like Micheal Ironside did in the previous installments.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
4. keet81

   Sep 1, 2013

   8

   The game does have a lot of faults and is very glitchy in places but it is an excellent game with tons of replay value. You can play every mission in three different styles. You are scored on each of these styles after completing a mission. 'Ghost' style is the classic SC experience while 'Panther' and 'Assault' appealing to the broader audience with the mark and execute feature. There are also other side missions apart from the main campaign which are really descent allowing local or online co-op. This along with the SvM multiplayer makes this game a good investment.… Expand

   • 0 of 3 users found this helpful
5. maceshatwell

   Sep 8, 2013

   7

   Splinter Cell Blacklist is a great single player game with lots of replay value. The computer enemies will take different paths depending on if they hear your character or see a body you left on the ground in plain sight. Unlock and upgrade different weapons and try three different play styles; Ghost, which is silent with no killing, Panther which is silent but deadly and lastly combat, loud and deadly.
   
   Multiplayer leaves a lot to be desired. You play 2 rounds one as a spy and one as a mercenary. The game is slanted towards spy advantage so half the game seems too easy and other half seems too hard. I would have preferred a spy vs. spy scenario but that is not what we got here.
   
   Co-op via XBL is hit or miss, and by that depending on who you pull as a partner. There is duel executions to take down 6 targets silently at one time but your teammate needs to be able to recognize what you are doing. Further if you get a teammate with a different play style it rarely works out. However, with the right teammate co-op is very fun and rewarding silently meeting your objectives as a team. Also there are strategies only usable via co-op play. There is one mission that is co-op only.
   
   Overall SCBL gets a 7 from me due to the shortness of the game. I finished all missions in about 6 hours. Replay is very high though and co-op with right person/players enhances gameplay. Skip the multiplayer it is more of an aggravation than a fun feature.… Expand

   • 0 of 2 users found this helpful
6. SimpleMethod

   Aug 22, 2013

   5

   Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a huge disappointment. I bought it along with Saints Row IV with my friend yesterday, and we both agreed it suffered from moronic controls that made the stealth sloppy and slippery. The graphics aren't that great either and the story, at it's core, is nonsense.… Expand

   • 12 of 17 users found this helpful
7. Furbag

   Sep 5, 2013

   0

   Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a huge, huge disappointment. To start, the most glaring and evident problem is the fact that Sam Fisher is no longer voiced by Michael Ironside. The voice actor they got to replace him has the personality of a carbon blob he doesn't even try to mimic the original actor. The performance is sub-par and incredibly distracting it makes you wonder who the guy you're playing is supposed to be and when you get to take control of Sam.
   
   Next, let's talk about optimization. The game starts in windowed mode by default and this setting can be changed but will reset every time you close the program. Why, Ubisoft? Why? Crashes are frequent enough to disrupt saves and annoy you temporarily, but otherwise the client seems to run okay when you're not actually doing anything within the game, such as when you're adjusting settings, which you'll have to do upon each and every launch because they reset.
   
   Controllers are just barely supported. There's no variable run speed tied to the angle of the joystick. You go from a dead stop to full on sprint no matter how much or how little you tilt the stick. The d-pad opens the radial menu, but I experience a bug where the menu wouldn't stay open long enough to select anything if I can't switch from lethal to non-lethal takedowns, how can I possibly complete the mission?
   
   The PC keyboard controls are atrocious. The cover system was perfect in Conviction. Sam stuck to walls and objects perfectly until canceled. Now, Sam will move into cover when you tell him to, but will drop out of cover if you try to move in a direction the game doesn't like.
   
   The player character feels sluggish and unresponsive compared to Conviction. Tactical movement and stealth have been replaced by an Assassin's Creed-esque parkour and climbing gimmick that exists only as an obstacle to level progression.
   
   The story is cliche and uninspiring America versus The Terrorists yet again. This time, we have a geriatric former spy (I say former in the sense that he no longer does anything espionage related) turned supercommando that almost makes me wonder if the developers drew inspiration from the main character of Metal Gear Solid 4.
   
   I have no interest in multiplayer, I haven't even gone online yet so I won't comment on that aspect of the game, but from my understanding the popular Spies vs Mercs game mode is back in and many people are enjoying it despite some connectivity issues that have arisen.
   
   All in all, this game is a huge slip from Conviction. I liked Conviction. The way you were led through the content was consistent with the story you're not a spy anymore so you don't have to play by the rules. The gameplay was hard and fast, but also fluid, stealthy and tactical. Blacklist forces you to continue the same style of gameplay without the same sense of purpose it has gone beyond telling a story and has delved into the mad realm where the only thing that matters anymore is catering to the audience who only cared about the fast-paced action gameplay, the so-called "Call of Duty" demographic.
   
   If you enjoyed Conviction for the gameplay, you might enjoy this new sequel as well. If you are a fan of the series from the original game on to Double Agent, you will probably be disappointed. If you didn't like Conviction, then even more reason to stay away. I would advise caution when going to purchase this game no matter what you liked. If you have a console, rent it first.… Expand

   • 3 of 11 users found this helpful

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