The Splinter Cell: Blacklist trailer is chock full o’ loud noises, explosions and some guy who doesn’t sound nearly as dangerous as Sam Fisher.
It’s been awhile since the last time I played a Splinter Cell game, but I very distinctly remember – in a good way – that much of my time was spent skulking around in the shadows while some guy kept telling me not to kill anyone. There was a spot of unpleasantness in the Chinese embassy and I’d have to bust some fingers or maybe ventilate a dude now and then, but by and large I’d come and go unseen and unheard, like a true professional.
Today’s trailer for the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist doesn’t look to be quite that kind of experience, however. Sam Fisher, or at least some guy dressed like him, gets the green light to kill everything he sees from the President herself, after which he goes about doing just that. He stabs guys, strangles guys and shoots guys – lots of guys – much of it while running around in the open, exchanging gunfire in broad daylight.
Perhaps even worse is that the “Fifth Freedom,” which as far as I can tell is what the British have been letting their Double-O guys do since at least the early 60s, is explained to us by some guy who tries, and entirely fails, to sound like the most menacing man on the planet. It’s not that he does a particularly bad job of it, but compared to Michael “Tell Me Something Useful And I Won’t Stuff Your Corpse Inside One Of These Crates” Ironside, it falls completely flat. It’s unfortunate for the voice actor who got the job, and perhaps even unfair, but when it comes to the voice of Sam Fisher, there can be only one.
On the other hand, if this video is indicative of the actual gameplay experience, I’d say the Splinter Cell of yore is long gone anyway. Pity – but hey, explosions, right? Splinter Cell: Blacklist is currently targeted for a spring 2013 release for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
