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[Screaming Meat]

Oh, looks like Edge is relevant again in NeoGAF.

Always relevant for me. Still, might get this after a price drop.

 

[Sojgat]

Edge called the Mark and Execute system brilliant, so I'll have to ignore their review.

 

[Lonely1]

Platform comparison:

That doesn't say much, though. Is DF doing an analysis on this game?

 

[DangerStepp]

Looks like Polygon decided to play it safe this go 'round with a comfortable 8.5; their go-to.

Behind the new coat of paint and a new Sam Fisher, Blacklist represents a return to form for the series. It doesn’t revolutionize Splinter Cell, but it manages a sharp trifecta of achievements — it’s open to new players, accessible to players from the series' major departure installment and a welcome invitation back to series regulars who missed the stealth focus that peaked with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Blacklist refines what came before and makes for a great new beginning for the series.

A whole paragraph that makes the same 'new and accessble, yet appealing to the faithful of the series' point three times.

Splinter Cell is back on the right shadowy track

Really?

What is this, 1996?

 

[securitypigeon]

Where's Sober?

 

[Data West]

Oh, looks like Edge is relevant again in NeoGAF.

rofl no kidding
'Edge is losing it'
Edge review aligns with popular gaf sentiment
'Edge is the only legit reviews'

 

[Quentyn]

From the Kotaku review:

As enjoyable as the multiplayer and co-op portions of the game are, the single-player story campaign is easily the weakest part of Blacklist, not for lack of trying but for lack of new ideas. That starts with the narrative setup, which feels like a patchwork of every other one of Ubisoft's Tom Clancy games, from Ghost Recon to Rainbow Six. An international consortium of terrorists called THE ENGINEERS have set into motion a plot called THE BLACKLIST that will destroy a major American city or piece of infrastructure every few days until America agrees to withdraw its troops from every country in the world and cease worldwide operations. Only Sam and his cohort at Fifth Echelon can stop them. Okay.

Yeah, I see a great future for that game in the Steam Winter sale 2014.

 

[Hystzen]

maybe a price drop for me reminds me of Hitman last year with these reviews

Spoiler

unlike most i did enjoy Hitman but it had major issues with its gameplay and was not a true Hitman game so imo it was reviewed way to high

 

[Geedorah]

Awwwman, hope it isn't all that bad - I got a free copy last month (even if ick, uPlay).

 

[DukeBobby]

So the campaign is not that great? Shame.

 

[oVerde]

Lol Edge review for it no being Chaos Theory. This is not your next video game Edge.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Splinter Cell used to be built like a Clancy novel; now it’s an action movie. Where a novel can find drama in the smallest moments – a man hiding while a lone guard probes the darkness with a flashlight – modern action flicks are obsessed with spectacle and constant one-upmanship. And so Blacklist has explosions and chases and extended platforming sequences and sniper missions and firstperson missions and missions against the clock and missions upon missions where being undetected feels like an exploit rather than a victory.

Well fuck that then.

 

[Reave]

Found the Eurogamer review to be the most helpful, as usual.

 

[Nirolak]

That doesn't say much, though. Is DF doing an analysis on this game?

I would be surprised if they didn't, but it usually takes a bit for them to finish.

 

[Coldnoodle]

So much screen tearing in video reviews D8

 

[Fushichou187]

That "comedic relief" commercial for SC that's been around for the past month (maybe longer?) was all the review I needed to know. Edge's piece just fills in those gaps.

 

[cacildo]

Ígn thinks every aaa game is perfect or almost perfect

 

[beato_angelico]

From the Kotaku review:



Yeah, I see a great future for that game in the Steam Winter sale 2014.

more like the 2015 summer sale.

 

[KaiserBecks]

Not exactly. Instead of reviewing the game for what is it, he reviewed it for what he wish it was.

When I buy a Splinter Cell game, I expect a Splinter Cell game.

 

[JambiBum]

Here's Sessler's review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2DyCDMozfU

If you don't care about the content of the review and only want a score it's 4/5. Seems to echo most of the other reviews where the narrative falls flat but everything else makes up for it. Narrative has never been SC's strong point so I'm ok with that.

 

[Kintaro]

Spies vs Mercs saves Blacklist from the ignominy of being merely good.

Doesn't this just sum up this generation's reviewers?

Its like being good is no longer good anymore. Being a good game is like calling it bad. No wonder the scoring system is so fucked up.

When I buy a Splinter Cell game, I expect a Splinter Cell game.

Nope, we can't have this anymore. Like Final Fantasy, things have to change for changes sake!

 

[MJLord]

Does it not REALLLY bother anyone that Sam should be like 60 by now? But seems to have started ageing backwards Benjamin Button style.

 

[Scoops]

Will pick up Wii U version day

Spoiler

$20

.

 

[DecoyOctopus]

Ígn thinks every aaa game is perfect or almost perfect

Same for GameInformer.

 

[Bony Manifesto]

To quote myself from a few weeks back:

I hope [perfectionist mode] is a good faith move on Ubisoft's part, and the game is actually designed to be played without the abilities that are disabled in that mode.

The Edge review makes it clear that, just as with Conviction, it's designed to be played as a 'Stalky Panther' (or whatever buzzword they coined for the murderous-but-sneaky playstyle), and the focus they've made in their marketing about it being all things to all players was just that: marketing.

 

[Courage]

But seems to have started ageing backwards Benjamin Button style.

Honestly, it would be the most interesting thing that has ever happened to this boring franchise.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

When I buy a Splinter Cell game, I expect a Splinter Cell game.

It is, granted. You can play it as stealthly as you want: the fact you can also act more aggressively doesn't mean you're forced to and that it will be as rewarding, exactly like you can do in Dishonored.

 

[Pops Maellard]

BTW, what a great month: Saints Row IV, Splinter Cell Blacklist, XCOM: The Bureau... best august in years?

Best August in years. Picked up The Bureau and Saints Row IV as a birthday present to myself today, and I'm really tempted to grab a copy of Blacklist for a month or two to co-op with a friend.

 

[Jb]

Does it not REALLLY bother anyone that Sam should be like 60 by now? But seems to have started ageing backwards Benjamin Button style.

He's actually Dr Who's forgotten brother. He reincarnates every time Ubisoft decides the previous VA is asking too much for the next game.

 

[Samir Sedlar]

6-7hrs campaign !!!, Sigh, I said to myself I'd never buy a game that short day one, I still don't want to, I don't want to support such short campaigns.

 

[Kifimbo]

When I buy a Splinter Cell game, I expect a Splinter Cell game.

I wasn't judging if it was right or wrong. Just pointing out what angle he chose. I'm pretty sure a lot of fans are glad he did.

 

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Does it not REALLLY bother anyone that Sam should be like 60 by now? But seems to have started ageing backwards Benjamin Button style.

What? Since when in games time flows like in the real world? Blacklist takes place 6 months after Convicion, while IRL it's been 3 years.

 

[Horp]

I'm going with Edge on this one. Not because I have any particular trust in them, but because the way they, and the others, describe the game really turns me off.

This is a game for many people, but it really, really isn't a game for me.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

Judging by how logical the thought process is in the EDGE article without actually having played the game, I am going to assume they're right. Especially given their praise of Chaos Theory in their original review of it.

I had a feeling the "three style" system was going to just be WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOOT ANYTHING BUT IT'S COOLER IF YOU DO!

 

[StevePharma]

Lol Edge review for it no being Chaos Theory. This is not your next video game Edge.

Chaos Theory is THE litmus test for SC now. Any SC not like it is pretty much worthless imo. I agree with EDGE on this one. Fuck this ghost panther shit.

/drunk ironside

 

[Recall]

Didn't Conviction review well even though it was a game with quite a few odd design choices and poor elements?

All the reviews except the Edge review seen like they are written and given scores simply based on the name/brand rather than the actual content.

 

[Crawl]

So did no one receive PC review copies? Should we be worried pc gaf?

 

[Andrew.]

Well fuck that then.

Pretty much.

So glad I gave up on this series after Pandora Tomorrow.

 

[weevles]

The reviews overall (lol Edge) seem pretty good. It sounds like it's an entertaining game that I will likely pick up later on down the road. I was kind of already in a "wait" mode, but I admit I did want to grab the CE for dat RC plane. Maybe that edition will stay in stock long enough to get a sweet sweet discount...

 

[MJLord]

What? Since when in games time flows like in the real world? Blacklist takes place 6 months after Convicion, while IRL it's been 3 years.

Yeah but he was old in conviction. (spoiler)

Spoiler

Not to mention had Just found his daughter again.

I think it would have been a better route to put him as an NPC, Ironside could've voiced him without the motion tracking. Not to mention breathe a little more life in with a new main character.

 

[MMaRsu]

Edge is the most fucking pretentious outlet alive. I never listen to their shit - I actually cringe reading issues of their shitey magazine.

Oh but good for Blacklist. I never expected this to be any good. Woo!

Sounds like you've never even read an EDGE magazine but just base that opinion on scores. They are not pretentious at all. Give me a few examples of the pretentious writing on EDGE's part..

 

[dhonk]

I'll buy it when it's 5 bucks, a thank you!

 

[DukeBobby]

So glad I gave up on this series after Pandora Tomorrow.

You made a huge mistake.

 

[DyslexicAlucard]

Kotaku is on the EDGE

Am I the only one that finds 3,600 words for a review absurd? More isn't always better.

Just my 2c; people are free to read and write how they wish, obviously.

 

[Betta Lines]

Where Chaos Theory had you sneak through darkened spaces populated by two or three thugs, Blacklist has you sneaking in broad daylight past six, seven, or – in Kobin’s terrorist hunts – up to 20 heavily armed soldiers.

You don't have to use shadows? Wat?

 

[DangerStepp]

Sounds like you've never even read an EDGE magazine but just base that opinion on scores. They are not pretentious at all. Give me a few examples of the pretentious writing on EDGE's part..

It kills me how strong the outcry for more professional 'game journalism' is and yet people rip on EDGE being pretentious.

 

[ZeroXZee]

Edge gonna Edge.

 

[ElectronicOldMen]

So glad I gave up on this series after Pandora Tomorrow.

Man, that's just about the worst possible point to stop playing the series. You gotta play Chaos Theory ASAP.

 

[neorej]

It is, granted. You can play it as stealthly as you want: the fact you can also act more aggressively doesn't mean you're forced to and that it will be as rewarding, exactly like you can do in Dishonored.

The point is that playing it non-stealth isn't punished, but actually rewarded. Yes, there's an option to play stealth, but there's also an option to play assault and this option isn't a switch, but decided by the player on the fly.

That, and taking on 20 guys guns blazing in broad daylight, is what makes Conviction and Blacklist a departure from Splinter Cell.
It's akin to a movie called Pirates of the Caribbean that has a pirate character named Jack Sparrow, set in space, featuring a bike race tournament to the death and giant robots.

 

[Recall]

Edge is the most fucking pretentious outlet alive. I never listen to their shit - I actually cringe reading issues of their shitey magazine.

Oh but good for Blacklist. I never expected this to be any good. Woo!

Because a review says its good doesn't mean it is. Reviews are not an article on fact, opinion is there too.

I can think of quite a few games that get given 9's that I thought were shit and games given 5's that actually were well thought out and different from the norm games.

People put way too much stock into reviews and being told what is good or bad, without having an opinion of their own. You can't diss the Edge review until you've played it yourself. Then you know which review is closer to your own opinions. What happens if you get the game on the basis of 9 review scores but think its shit and closer to 6 afterall?