The lengthy Blacklist 101 trailer tells you (almost) everything you could ever want to know about Ubisoft’s new Splinter Cell.
It’s been a long time since I last played a Splinter Cell game, so I’m kind of in the dark about what’s going in the world of Third Echelon. Or Fourth. Whatever. The point is that there seems to be a lot of new players and I don’t have a scorecard. What’s an out-of-touch operative to do?
This Blacklist 101 trailer is probably a good place to start. It talks a bit about the game’s characters, including the old-hand Grimsdottir, CIA hardass (and, I think, franchise newcomer) Isaac Briggs and chatty computer nerd Charlie Cole, who’s quick with a quip and not half as cool as he thinks he is (you know the stereotype), and also touches on the game’s weapons, tools and styles of play, which we’ve talked about previously.
The trailer also reveals something I wasn’t previously aware of (although that may just be the result of not paying attention): At the end of each mission, Fisher and Co. will be “paid by Uncle Sam” based on the quality of their performance. That cash, and “the right supplies,” will enable the team to purchase new gear and upgrade the old stuff. It seems like kind of an odd approach for the U.S. government to take, given that it’s facing its greatest existential threat of all time yadda yadda – you’d think it’d be more interested in getting the job done than in ensuring an adequate ROI on its latest ultra-covert hit team.
But hey, what do I know? I’m still mad about that whole Michael Ironside business, after all. Splinter Cell: Blacklist comes out on August 20 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and PC.
