So, did anyone play Splinter Cell: Blacklist?

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GiantAssPanda

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#1  Edited By GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

I heard a lot of people skipped it because of the shift towards action gameplay in the last game (Conviction) & because Michael Ironside retired from the role of Sam Fisher after Conviction.

Well I bought it a couple of days ago and absolutely love it.

It has some problems though. The narrative is pretty bad, and the new gameplay mechanics have some annoying issues (the contextual button causes confusion and at times fatal mistakes if you're not careful).

But the pros outweigh the cons by a mile. The gameplay is fantastic. You have plenty of options on how you want to play the game (either going completely stealthy (ghost) or guns blazing (assault) or somewhere between (panther) and have a large selection of lethal and non lethal weapons and gadgets to suit your playstyle.

But..

The best possible gameplay experience is still achieved with a stealth playstyle. It requires patience and planning (and a lot of reloading as well if you're playing on harder difficulties) and forces you to use the environment, hidden paths and all the gadgets in your inventory to progress in the game but at the same time rewards the player for their patience and skill. The enemy A.I. is very sharp and adaptive (a small mistake like leaving a window you just entered the building open can make a guard suspicious enough to start searching for you. And if they find a body they'll hunt you like mad dogs) and they have stuff like attack dogs patrolling with them that can smell you from a distance. They really nailed the level design this time as well. While still being a fairly linear game, it still offers different pathways to your objectives and multiple ways to use the environment to avoid or take down enemies.

So yeah. A good game. And a very pleasant surprise after the last 2 games. Go buy it :P

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vfibsux

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#2 vfibsux
Member since 2003 • 4497 Posts

I think most people are waiting for games like this to go on sale, this whole $60 for a new release thing is getting old. Thank you consoles.

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kraken2109

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#3  Edited By kraken2109
Member since 2009 • 13271 Posts

Got it free with my graphics card but never got round to playing it.

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#4 GeryGo  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 12803 Posts

Nah, skipped this generation of Battlefield, Call of Duty, Assassin't creed, Splinter Cell.

Inform me when they'll add something new to the series.

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TheShadowLord07

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#5 TheShadowLord07
Member since 2006 • 23083 Posts

was thinking of picking it up but decide to go with the tes anthology. though I kinda wish I didn't after the troubles I'm having with new vegas

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Masculus

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#6 Masculus
Member since 2009 • 2878 Posts

I've been meaning to get it. There is good word about it. Just waiting for a decente pice drop.

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#7 demi0227_basic
Member since 2002 • 1940 Posts

I agree...great game. I got it free...I wouldn't pay $60 for it new, but it's still really great. I wish I had a spare copy for my wife so we could coop, but I wouldn't spend more than $10 or so to replay a few levels with her.

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#8  Edited By GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

@demi0227_basic said:

I agree...great game. I got it free...I wouldn't pay $60 for it new, but it's still really great. I wish I had a spare copy for my wife so we could coop, but I wouldn't spend more than $10 or so to replay a few levels with her.

I only payed $10 for it myself. However it's worth more than that in my opinion, but perhaps not worth the full price. It really depends on how interested you are about the multiplayer part of the game. And how much you appreciate the nowadays rather niche genre the game represents.

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Arthas045

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#9 Arthas045
Member since 2005 • 5800 Posts

You can find this game for half price on ebay all day. Also bundled with Assassins Creed IV Black Flag because of the Nvidia promotion.

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Croag821

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#10 Croag821
Member since 2009 • 2331 Posts

I bought it a while back because I saw it had the Spy Vs Merc multiplayer back. Unfortunately the mp just wasn't as good as I remembered it, not sure if i changed or the gameplay changed, but it was bland.

The co-op was pretty fun though but honestly I haven't tried the single player yet, maybe ill try to play it this break.

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#11  Edited By KHAndAnime
Member since 2009 • 17565 Posts

I haven't really seen any good reasons to pick it up yet. TC praises the game for simply...being a Splinter Cell game. Sure, it's nice, compared to the last few "non-entries" to the series, but does that make it worthy of praise? Splinter Cell has always had multiple play-options, guards with decent AI that would go on alert after finding bodies, had multiple ways to approach levels, etc... seems pretty silly to say it's a really good game because it has the same things that every other real SC game has had in the past.

I want to hear why this game is a unanimous improvement over Chaos Theory - and if there aren't any good reasons, why shouldn't I just play that instead?

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#12 GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

@KHAndAnime said:

I want to hear why this game is a unanimous improvement over Chaos Theory - and if there aren't any good reasons, why shouldn't I just play that instead?

Hmm.

I can't really answer that since I've pretty much forgotten everything about Chaos Theory. It's been 8 years since I last played it after all.

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Macutchi

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#13 Macutchi
Member since 2007 • 10360 Posts

it's more assassin's creed than chaos theory

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#14 GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

@Macutchi said:

it's more assassin's creed than chaos theory

because..?

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KHAndAnime

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#15 KHAndAnime
Member since 2009 • 17565 Posts

@Macutchi said:

it's more assassin's creed than chaos theory

In terms of stealth elements? Or just having numerous gadgets for each situation? When I think "Asassin's Creed", I think "theme park action/adventure" game. Stealth and AC hardly belong in the same sentence anymore - in AC4 you can run alongside enemies in sparse foliage and they are completely clueless. Or you can round a corner leading to a dead end and sit in a bush with dozens of A.I. guards chasing you and they think you vanished into thin air. The stealth elements are there...but only barely. :P

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#16  Edited By GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts
@KHAndAnime said:

@Macutchi said:

it's more assassin's creed than chaos theory

In terms of stealth elements? Or just having numerous gadgets for each situation? When I think "Asassin's Creed", I think "theme park action/adventure" game. Stealth and AC hardly belong in the same sentence anymore - in AC4 you can run alongside enemies in sparse foliage and they are completely clueless. Or you can round a corner leading to a dead end and sit in a bush with dozens of A.I. guards chasing you and they think you vanished into thin air. The stealth elements are there...but only barely. :P

The only thing I can think of that's similar between the 2 games is probably the in-game radial menu for choosing weapons and gadgets. And that's not exactly an exclusive feature to Ubisoft games.

Yeah. That's about it.

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Macutchi

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#17 Macutchi
Member since 2007 • 10360 Posts

@KHAndAnime said:

@Macutchi said:

it's more assassin's creed than chaos theory

In terms of stealth elements? Or just having numerous gadgets for each situation? When I think "Asassin's Creed", I think "theme park action/adventure" game. Stealth and AC hardly belong in the same sentence anymore - in AC4 you can run alongside enemies in sparse foliage and they are completely clueless. Or you can round a corner leading to a dead end and sit in a bush with dozens of A.I. guards chasing you and they think you vanished into thin air. The stealth elements are there...but only barely. :P

the mechanics and feel of the game i'd say are closer to those in assassin's creed than in chaos theory.

stealth-wise there's really not much to get excited about. you have a new remote control drone gizmo that's pretty cool. i'm struggling to think of any other addition of note. the assault / panther / ghost rewards show that now all out killing is a rewarded playing style whereas in the old splinter cell games it was a last resort. and sam wasn't particularly great at it either. i preferred it as a pure stealth game.

sam feels now just like any other generic protagonist without ironside. the other characters are pretty bland. it's noticeably linear. invisible walls are annoying. the ui is littered with clues and control hints intended for the hard-of-thinking. it was ok for a play through but i'd wait for a sale if you're a fan of the old sc games

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#18 yngsten
Member since 2011 • 463 Posts

I got it along my GPU, tried it out but found it quite uninteresting.

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#19 GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

@Macutchi said:

the assault / panther / ghost rewards show that now all out killing is a rewarded playing style whereas in the old splinter cell games it was a last resort. and sam wasn't particularly great at it either. i preferred it as a pure stealth game.

True. I would've preferred a pure blood stealth game as well.

However.

The more aggressive your playing style is, the less points you are awarded. You get the most points by avoiding enemy contact altogether. And besides, the game in many occasions actually punishes you for aggressive playstyle with enemies calling in reinforcements in greater number than was originally placed in the map in the beginning of the mission.

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#20  Edited By Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts

I think it's great. It has some of that great Chaos Theory feel to it. It isn't just pop-in-pop-out of cover, fake stealth that was SC: Conviction. SCC was just a bad Splinter Cell game, but not a bad game in general. SC:Blacklist definitely feels more like an SC game like SC1, Chaos Theory, Pandora Tomorrow, with some modern refresh. If you can grab it up for $30 or less, it's a good game to play through the holidays.

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#21 Macutchi
Member since 2007 • 10360 Posts

@GiantAssPanda said:

@Macutchi said:

the assault / panther / ghost rewards show that now all out killing is a rewarded playing style whereas in the old splinter cell games it was a last resort. and sam wasn't particularly great at it either. i preferred it as a pure stealth game.

True. I would've preferred a pure blood stealth game as well.

However.

The more aggressive your playing style is, the less points you are awarded. You get the most points by avoiding enemy contact altogether. And besides, the game in many occasions actually punishes you for aggressive playstyle with enemies calling in reinforcements in greater number than was originally placed in the map in the beginning of the mission.

that's true but even if they don't reward an action based play through as much, by making it a viable play style they swerve further from the game's roots. i'm a big fan of the early games so the further it strays the less the gameplay appeals to me

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#22  Edited By Endgame_basic
Member since 2002 • 950 Posts

@KHAndAnime said:

I haven't really seen any good reasons to pick it up yet. TC praises the game for simply...being a Splinter Cell game. Sure, it's nice, compared to the last few "non-entries" to the series, but does that make it worthy of praise? Splinter Cell has always had multiple play-options, guards with decent AI that would go on alert after finding bodies, had multiple ways to approach levels, etc... seems pretty silly to say it's a really good game because it has the same things that every other real SC game has had in the past.

I want to hear why this game is a unanimous improvement over Chaos Theory - and if there aren't any good reasons, why shouldn't I just play that instead?

By that logic you should never play a new racing game, or fps, or anything as everything has already been done.

Blacklist is a great SC game. That's all that need be said.

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#23 nutcrackr
Member since 2004 • 13032 Posts

Great game, but yeah the contextual buttons overlap with everything (painful gameplay design). Doesn't seem like it sold well though, so they might change it up again for the next one. That would be a shame because they have the formula 90% there with this one.

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#24  Edited By trastamad03
Member since 2006 • 4859 Posts

Got it off Steam sale, bought the whole bundle... the Homeland DLC activation key I got from Steam is banned and the game crashes on... sorry... UPLAY crashes on game launch (with 32 and 64 bit).

Submitted a ticket 2 days ago, still waiting for an answer.

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#25 with_teeth26
Member since 2007 • 11511 Posts

Some of its levels were excellent but it was a bit inconsistent. When it opened up and gave you lots of routes and gadgets, it was a lot of fun, but other times it forced you into action sequences that felt out of place. Not as good as Chaos Theory or Pandora Tomorrow but still a solid stealth game.

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#26 dommeus
Member since 2004 • 9433 Posts

I got annoyed at one of the missions which required 100% stealth. The game just isn't really built for it. Never went back to it, but I imagine I will probably start it again at some point.

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#27  Edited By GiantAssPanda
Member since 2011 • 1885 Posts

@dommeus said:

I got annoyed at one of the missions which required 100% stealth. The game just isn't really built for it.

The game is build for it, but you probably aren't used to games that require patience and planning.

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#28 dommeus
Member since 2004 • 9433 Posts

@GiantAssPanda said:

@dommeus said:

I got annoyed at one of the missions which required 100% stealth. The game just isn't really built for it.

The game is build for it, but you probably aren't used to games that require patience and planning.

Thank you for reminding me why I love the internet so very, very much.

Also, *built

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#29  Edited By JangoWuzHere
Member since 2007 • 19032 Posts

It is one of my favorite games of the year. I think its a shame that it didn't sell well.

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#30 JangoWuzHere
Member since 2007 • 19032 Posts

@GiantAssPanda said:

@dommeus said:

I got annoyed at one of the missions which required 100% stealth. The game just isn't really built for it.

The game is build for it, but you probably aren't used to games that require patience and planning.

The game is more of a stealth game for the impatient. If you understand the game well enough, you can run through most levels quickly killing/knocking out dudes in a rapid fashion.

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#31  Edited By demi0227_basic
Member since 2002 • 1940 Posts

@GiantAssPanda said:

@demi0227_basic said:

I agree...great game. I got it free...I wouldn't pay $60 for it new, but it's still really great. I wish I had a spare copy for my wife so we could coop, but I wouldn't spend more than $10 or so to replay a few levels with her.

I only payed $10 for it myself. However it's worth more than that in my opinion, but perhaps not worth the full price. It really depends on how interested you are about the multiplayer part of the game. And how much you appreciate the nowadays rather niche genre the game represents.

I meant that, at this time having beat the game already, I'd wait for $10 or less to get a copy for my wife as it'd only be a few hours she'd play it with me in coop.

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#32 _SKatEDiRt_
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@PredatorRules said:

Nah, skipped this generation of Battlefield, Call of Duty, Assassin't creed, Splinter Cell.

Inform me when they'll add something new to the series.

THIS

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#33 deactivated-6127ced9bcba0
Member since 2006 • 31700 Posts

Got it for $30 on the Steam sale. Haven't tried it yet but I've heard good things.

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#34  Edited By KHAndAnime
Member since 2009 • 17565 Posts

@Endgame_basic said:

@KHAndAnime said:

I haven't really seen any good reasons to pick it up yet. TC praises the game for simply...being a Splinter Cell game. Sure, it's nice, compared to the last few "non-entries" to the series, but does that make it worthy of praise? Splinter Cell has always had multiple play-options, guards with decent AI that would go on alert after finding bodies, had multiple ways to approach levels, etc... seems pretty silly to say it's a really good game because it has the same things that every other real SC game has had in the past.

I want to hear why this game is a unanimous improvement over Chaos Theory - and if there aren't any good reasons, why shouldn't I just play that instead?

By that logic you should never play a new racing game, or fps, or anything as everything has already been done.

Blacklist is a great SC game. That's all that need be said.

No, by my logic, FPS games should try to do something new within the genre or franchise instead of copying ideas from other developers or relying too heavily on previous ideas from the series. It's called innovation, and no genre is limited on it. Unless you think all racing games, FPS games, etc. are identical - in which case you're an idiot.