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Splinter Cell Blacklist (anti)hype thread | Experience All 5 Stages of Ironside Loss

Sober

Member
I wonder if the PC port will be shit like Conviction.

Man, holy shit Conviction is a bad video game. Brings up nightmares just thinking about it.
There are a few videos floating around with PC footage that is running at 60fps. They are working with nvidia to implement DX11 features so at least it won't be a half-assed port this time.
 

Darmik

Member
I was on the fence about this game, but your post here has pretty much convinced me I will buy it. I'm really hoping the WiiU version turns out well.

If they don't allow coop/Spies vs Merc play on the GamePad and TV that is a huge wasted opportunity. The WiiU provides the best and only chance of local Spies vs Merc play that would work. Ubisoft tend to use the GamePad in clever ways so I really hope they take advantage of the opportunity they have here and not just leave it as some basic touchscreen stuff. If they do this it is an instant day one buy for me. Otherwise I might wait for a price drop.
 

Sober

Member
Are the infiltration and hunter modes from deniable ops in Conviction going to be in this?
There is no D.Ops, but from the co-op missions you can solo (i.e. not the coop story levels) they seem to be a spin on it. So instead of infiltration being "don't be detected" version of hunter, it is the same insta-fail premise but with objectives on a map instead (which is all we ever wanted).

So basically I think they are doing away with the Deniable Ops label but changing it so it isn't simply just "Terrorist hunt" with "ghost/panther/assault" twists from what I understand. Never tried the EMP defense one though, so can't say.
 

Supernorn

Chucklefish (Starbound)
So I played this at Rezzed last sunday. It was surprisingly difficult, you die to a couple of shots. The mission I played appears to be the London mission, where you're moving about on rooftops.

I didn't have much fun though, as I tried both action and stealth playthroughs but kept being quickly overwhelmed by the vast numbers of AI in the area. The level was also super linear, which didn't give you much options to try different routes etc.

Played with a gamepad, as that was the only option. The cover system was really finicky and I kept vaulting over stuff instead of hiding behind cover, (which would then usually reveal you to an NPC) because it appears to be contextual and mapped to the same button.
 

Sober

Member
Once again not much gameplay. I would love to see a 2x2 screen of a match or something. I think that would sell more people on the game after seeing it.

So I played this at Rezzed last sunday. It was surprisingly difficult, you die to a couple of shots. The mission I played appears to be the London mission, where you're moving about on rooftops.

I didn't have much fun though, as I tried both action and stealth playthroughs but kept being quickly overwhelmed by the vast numbers of AI in the area. The level was also super linear, which didn't give you much options to try different routes etc.

Played with a gamepad, as that was the only option. The cover system was really finicky and I kept vaulting over stuff instead of hiding behind cover, (which would then usually reveal you to an NPC) because it appears to be contextual and mapped to the same button.
Splinter Cell is a fairly linear stealth game, even in the holy grail of Chaos Theory (admittedly it also had some of the best open levels). Although maybe because I've seen London played a thousand times but it seemed fairly open coming onto the rooftops and further in. I think it could use a bit of extra length but they've never shown the final part, so who knows.

Controls I can't speak too much on as you got to play it and I haven't but from what I've seen the controls seem fairly standard third-person shooter fare with its own devoted "press to go to cover" button and another button devoted to context-sensitive navigation (cover-to-cover, etc.)
 

Sober

Member
http://splintercell.ubi.com/blacklist/en-US/home

So the main website just got updated, finally.

There are some spoilers for Blacklist in the backstory/character bios section, so if you are browsing it (that or the fan wiki), avoid those like the plague. Not sure how much of it is going to be shown in-game and what parts are going to be part of the lead-in comic, Splinter Cell: Echoes though.

Also childhood ruined, this is what a sticky camera looks like now:
Ghkinu5.png

(it's not a squarish thing, or whatever this was
GSeIcX9.jpg
)

Also this is the Sticky EMP which I just assume you fire it out of the crossbow, so it's not going to be a real crossbow and there won't be actual bolts you can impale people with which is sad.
pdZr2co.png
 

Sober

Member
VG24/7 article: Splinter Cell: Blacklist: Fisher favors shadows over gunplay

I guess that in a world where pure stealth games apparently don’t have the audience reach enough to really be a part of the AAA space anymore, something stealth-action with a strong emphasis on stealth, is just going to be what I have to be happy with.

An E3 preview from someone who says they are from the old school of butt-clenching hard-as-nails stealth. I think there has been plenty of proof that the game isn't going to be as old school as the older games but I guess if the devs go out of their way to encourage stealth, it's the best we can get especially for a game reaching to the AAA space and looking for AAA game audience numbers. If you want to argue otherwise, do so but I think the Tom Clancy name and the franchise in general probably prevent that.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist |OT| Be happy with it

(Also taking calls for OT taglines)
 

Sober

Member
Article: Sneaky Bastards Hands-on

Some interesting excerpts:

Real stealth AI for once?:
An unconscious body left hidden in the shadows by Fisher won’t be found by a guard unless he’s progressed to a search phase, or has his flashlight turned on.

...

And what’s going to push the AI into search mode? A whole range of factors that players must stay apprised of. If an enemy is in a radio conversation with another AI, knocking out that enemy mid-sentence will cause the AI on the other end of the radio to become suspicious. Furthermore, enemies will start to notice if their colleagues are disappearing one-by-one. Breaking multiple lights, especially within the AI’s vision, can also be a cause for alarm.

Movement speeds and sound:
Sound is also a key factor. Fisher essentially has six movement speeds: two when crouched, two when standing, and then a free-running-like Active Sprint mode for both crouched and standing. According to Redding, any movement is going to generate a small noise event. The severity of that event will change depending upon the selected difficulty level. In realistic or perfectionist mode, anything above the crouched, slow walk will create noise. As Fisher increases speed, the radius of detection widens. Of course, if he sprints, enemies will hear him no matter what.

...

According to Redding, different materials will make different noises, and ambient sound is a very minor factor, but Blacklist isn’t requiring players to keep an eye on a sound meter at all times.

On going non-lethal:
It’s what we’re told next that is the most exciting news to us: it’s possible to complete the entire singleplayer game as Fisher without killing anybody. Blacklist does introduce a small number of situations in which players will have no choice but to deal with enemy AI, but the developers aggressively avoid creating forced detection systems. According to Redding, 99% of the game can be played without touching anybody.
 
This sounds kind of amazing. I know that some people felt burned by Conviction, but doesn't some of this info warrant another look?
 

Sober

Member
MGS has been doing that radio thing for a decade now.

I do like that there are multiple walking speeds.
The radio thing seems easy to figure out. Though I don't seem to believe AI having actual awareness of their friends is really something that happens to often. Most recently I can only thing of Arkham Asylum/City predator rooms where henchmen start to notice their fellows going missing, but that's mostly because either JOKER HERE or their collar going off or you made a big ruckus knocking one of them out.

I believe even in Chaos Theory you could grab a guard a few feet from another and they'd never notice a thing unless they bumped into the body.
 

SystemBug

Member
If a guard hears a noise and he is beside another guard, sometimes both will go check out the noise but if he's with his superior the lower-ranking guard will actually ask to check out the noise.

If you knock out the lower ranking guy, the superior will get worried and go to the low ranking guards last location.

Is the OT called out for this game? I'd love to help out the graphics?
 
Great work Op , you have single handedly made me interested in the new game. Lots of information I had not seen before .

I am probably one of the few who liked conviction but I am glad to see the option of playing stealthy will be a lot better.

Will wait for reviews but its on my radar now :)
 

Sober

Member
By the way, anyone buying any select GeForce GTX 600/700 cards starting today (fuck off) gets Blacklist + Conviction + Double Agent bundled with it. They are probably UPlay codes. Actually Zotac had them earlier but now it looks like they rolled them out to the other partners. This is probably to promote the actual PC version which isn't (supposed to be) a shitty port and will have a bunch of DX11 features (unless they Arkham City it) that nvidia helped them develop.

Guess who bought his GTX770 too early? (It's still in the shrink wrap along with the rest of my new PC ^_^)

http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/splinter-cell-blacklist-geforce-gtx-bundle

And a list of retailers
 

Ashtar

Member
When they first started releasing info for this it was a definite pass, but with local co-op, spies vs mercs and possibly decent story missions.... I'm in!
I don't actually remember SC and SC Pandora Tomorrow being incredibly hard to tell the truth (never played Chaos Theory, conviction or Double Agent) but I'll be getting this for Xbox
 

Sober

Member
When they first started releasing info for this it was a definite pass, but with local co-op, spies vs mercs and possibly decent story missions.... I'm in!
I don't actually remember SC and SC Pandora Tomorrow being incredibly hard to tell the truth (never played Chaos Theory, conviction or Double Agent) but I'll be getting this for Xbox
Whoa you are doing yourself a huge disservice for skipping Chaos Theory. Don't think Blacklist will top it but it will come closer than Double Agent or Conviction. Those two are fairly skippable, although Conviction you should play to get into its groove because they are pretty much working off that now. I would definitely recommend playing Chaos Theory sometime in your lifetime.

If you have a halfway decent PC it should come up on sale for less than 3.50$ when the Steam Sale hits on Thursday and whenever the Tom Clancy games get featured. That or I'm sure there's a way to get a copy for 360 (It's a Xbox title from 2005). If you really insist or just glossing it over there are few people who've done pretty much 100% walkthroughs of the game, but that never comes close to playing it. Especially not Chaos Theory.
 
Article: Sneaky Bastards Hands-on

Some interesting excerpts:

Real stealth AI for once?:


Movement speeds and sound:


On going non-lethal:
"Furthermore, enemies will start to notice if their colleagues are disappearing one-by-one. Breaking multiple lights, especially within the AI’s vision, can also be a cause for alarm."
Wow that actually sounds like a major improvement over the old splinter cells. It's always something I had to suspend my disbelief about when playing the old games. Like did the guard seriously not notice everyone on the boat is missing except him.

Still slightly disappointed we won't be able to use the ambient sounds like previous games to sort-of-silent kills. Shooting during a lighting strike's thunder was probably the coolest gameplay-created moment I had two gens ago.
 

boltz

Member
Looking forward to this game. I've one of the GAF minority who really enjoyed Conviction and this game sounds like it improves on every bit of it and adds some cool, old stuff back in.

UBI must have high hopes for this game as they have that huge collector's edition bundle with the plane. I thought that Conviction had disappointing sales?
 
Embargo from the latest preview session just lifted:

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/11/4492014/splinter-cell-blacklist-prevew-single-player

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/20...kes-series-from-bourne-to-mission-impossible/

Ubisoft allowed us to post 5 minutes of gameplay from three sections. I put together these scenes from the Chicago level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdKjECIVkzU&hd=1

5 minutes from the Paraguay level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBPtyZpArKI&hd=1

I also produced this Sam Fisher takedown supercut: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/07/11/splinter-cell-blacklist-takedown-supercut/
 

CHC

Member
"EVERY ACTION YOU PERFORM IN THE GAME OUGHT TO HAVE A CORRESPONDING REWARD."

Ugh it's over, my mourning is complete.

See if the quote was "every action you perform in the game ought to have a corresponding REACTION" that would be fine, but this is the problem with these risk-averse, huge-studio games... every thing is a "reward" or there to make you feel like a bad-ass, it's desensitizing. I already felt bad-ass in the first Splinter Cell when I scored perfect headshots or cleared a room without being seen, I didn't need constant prompts from the game to feel like I accomplished something cool.
 
Sounds like a further extension of the P.E.C. system they started in Rainbow Six: Vegas.

I loved the progression and incentive to try all playstyles in RS:V's P.E.C. system, so I'm game.
 

Sober

Member
Embargo from the latest preview session just lifted:

http://www.polygon.com/2013/7/11/4492014/splinter-cell-blacklist-prevew-single-player

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/20...kes-series-from-bourne-to-mission-impossible/

Ubisoft allowed us to post 5 minutes of gameplay from three sections. I put together these scenes from the Chicago level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdKjECIVkzU&hd=1

5 minutes from the Paraguay level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBPtyZpArKI&hd=1

I also produced this Sam Fisher takedown supercut: http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/07/11/splinter-cell-blacklist-takedown-supercut/
The Paraguay footage looks awesome. Reminds me a bit of the Bank mission in Chaos Theory in the same vein where you get plopped down in front of a property and it looks like you can just make your way to your objective as is. Like a really big sandbox area.

Also the guards totally hearing those footsteps there :p
 

Effect

Member
The Paraguay footage looks awesome. Reminds me a bit of the Bank mission in Chaos Theory in the same vein where you get plopped down in front of a property and it looks like you can just make your way to your objective as is. Like a really big sandbox area.

Also the guards totally hearing those footsteps there :p

Looks like they even reference that at the end of the clip.
 

Sober

Member
10 minute video *SPOILERS*: VG24/7 preview/walkthrough of the level "American Consumption".

Takes place in Chicago, it isn't the entire mission but it does go through huge chunks but they probably omitted some. Either way this looks pretty lengthy.

  • the mission starts of with you infiltrating
    a pier area where there was a Christmas celebration, but probably abandoned for the year. Big large area to work around in.
  • Looks like you follow up
    inside the employee tunnels for a while until you reach the sewers. Might be where they introduce the drone operator enemy type and their drones (the ones that also jam your goggles)
  • The end of the mission is on a timer
    there seems to be 2-3 objectives guarded by enemies you have to disable occupied by heavies and regular dudes with gas masks.
    This mission looks like it doesn't end with a crazy bang or insane action-y sequence and just fades to black as you finish the last objective.


What happen to the exotic and unique locales of the Splinter Cell Franchise?
It's in Blacklist? Iraq, Iran, Libya, Paraguay, Guam, London, India, Chicago, Louisiana, the list goes on; it's not confined to the DC area like Conviction was.
 

CHC

Member
What happen to the exotic and unique locales of the Splinter Cell Franchise?

Right on man, this was always a big draw to me. Getting pretty goddamn sick of going to slightly shot up / ruined versions of places I could easily go in real life like a stadium or a boring construction site.
 

Sober

Member
More previews from today

IGN's look at co-op: some complaints that the map he played on can pretty much be played solo, probably because it's a Deniable Ops map/aka not a co-op story mission. Looks like the Afghanistan co-op map is bit of an arena and traditional panther/Conviction terrorist hunt map. Reinforcements arrive if you get detected.

Outside Xbox preview, SvM Blacklist. Footage is still just some cuts but a bit longer. Also some SvM customization menu options shown off, plus the Merc death spectator confirmed to be security camera hopping.

Outside Xbox again with SP, Chicago mission, combat knockouts for everyone. Red goggles alert.

CVG Interview with Maxime Beland - This one's for you Nullpointer, confirmed all the co-op maps are unlocked from the start (talks about it about 5 minutes in); says they can be played even before SP. Mirawa, Iraq shows up again (the E3 2012 "airstrike" reveal) and it definitely looks way more toned down and drastically revised (obviously).
 
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