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Splinter Cell Blacklist reviews

H

hatchx

Banned
I was debating picking this up for wiiU, but I just watched the game trailers review as this game looks like everything I don't like in games. Streamlined, by-the-numbers affair without interesting characters. Also looks to lack polish.

Looking at all the 9s this got and SR4 got....I don't know if I really trust 9s anymore.
 
S

Sober

Member
Pazuzu9 said:
So they've phrased it in a negative way even though nothing has changed? (If there was a brightly-lit area in Chaos Theory you could also sneak past enemies with line-of-sight stealth)
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I think in the context of that quote, the EDGE reviewer is more critical of the series in general having to be "more more more" because it is no longer as slow and cerebral as Chaos Theory. In this way, he's trying to say that one guard in Chaos Theory provided more tension than say half a dozen in Blacklist because Sam Fisher is faster, more deadly, etc (except Chaos Theory already did that). I don't really get the fascination with "amg daytime, stealth is ruined" when stealth gameplay is more than just checking off boxes to see if it is dark and there is sneaking.

Not to say Blacklist sounds like a typical TPS either as most reviewers seem to have noticed stealth is the best/most satisfying way to play the game.

EDGE said:
Blacklist’s level design defies improvisation and ingenuity
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...is really one line I don't understand when every other reviewer seems to point out the fact that even if the SP story is a load of dreck and some of the action sequences are utter shit, the game shines in level design and was built for experimentation/replayability.
 
H

haikira

Member
hatchx said:
I was debating picking this up for wiiU, but I just watched the game trailers review as this game looks like everything I don't like in games. Streamlined, by-the-numbers affair without interesting characters. Also looks to lack polish.

Looking at all the 9s this got and SR4 got....I don't know if I really trust 9s anymore.
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If you're looking for more level headed reviews, I find Eurogamer are among the best these days.
 
C

Coolwhip

Banned
Every major release seems to get good grades (8-10) from the majority of websites/magazines. Except Edge, are they the only one that understand the 10 point scale?
 
Barry Burton

Barry Burton

Member
Without making a judgment either way on the review for Blacklist, I appreciate that Edge doesn't subscribe to the "AAA games get at least an 80% just for showing up" philosophy.
 
K

kurbaan

Banned
Dont really understand Edge's cant be stealth during the day. If its still sneaking around and not run and gun its still stealth

GT made it sound like the game is pretty good now if the WII U version is good will probably get that.
 
V

Vermillion

Banned
Ein Bear said:
Is this true, or is it just a case of them not implementing a way for one player to play on the TV and the other to play on the GamePad? Or is basic splitscreen not in the Wii U version either?
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No local multiplayer at all, according to Ubi. There's still online modes, though!
 
J

jmls1121

Banned
hatchx said:
I was debating picking this up for wiiU, but I just watched the game trailers review as this game looks like everything I don't like in games. Streamlined, by-the-numbers affair without interesting characters. Also looks to lack polish.

Looking at all the 9s this got and SR4 got....I don't know if I really trust 9s anymore.
Click to expand...

If its AAA and from a western publisher, many sites are guaranteed to give it an 8 or 9.

Watch this game get a higher metacritic score than Pikmin 3.
 
Z

Zep

Banned
Im....Im getting Hitman Absolution (review thread) flashbacks. The overall scores were a bit more inconsistent, but the same overall feeling of "Buy it". I hated it.

I've already bought a code off Ebay for $20 but still, I'm going into this unsure after the shitfest that was Hitman.
 
B

Bloodworth

Member
Zep said:
Im....Im getting Hitman Absolution (review thread) flashbacks. The overall scores were a bit more inconsistent but same overall feeling of "Buy it". I hated it.

I've already bought a code of Ebay for $20 but still, I'm going into this unsure after the shitfest that was Hitman.
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For what it's worth, I went into this game expecting it not to be great, and was poking fun of it through the opening tutorial. The more I played it, the more it won me over.
 
B

Barack Lesnar

Banned
Kinda surprised at so many good reviews, maybe the lack of hype lowered my expectations. "Improvise, replayability, different play styles"... these type of words get me hard. Sigh, too many fucking games I want.
 
TheRedSnifit

TheRedSnifit

Member
MAX PAYMENT said:
I've got to disagree here. MGS has almost alway been a get seen-you're fucked kind of game in almost all difficulties. If you get lucky enough to escape you could continue, but no way can you take the action approach that 4 allows for.
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Only because of the controls; once you figure out what you're doing, it's pretty actiony. I've run through Snake Eater guns blazing several times. Seriously, the shotgun is an insta-kill in most situations.
 
S

Sober

Member
Blacklist finally climbing the top sellers chart on Steam, at 30ish or so now. Was sitting at 50s-70s before today.

Thank their lucky stars.
 
G

grandjedi6

Master of the Google Search
Bookoo said:
Or you know its like it was reviewed by 2 different people with differing opinions.
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This.

I think people forget a lot that this is the idle situation. A wide range of opinions to cover all viewpoints, which also helps diminish bandwagoning.
 
T

TheFLYINGManga_Ka

Member
That Edge review, it seems like the reviewer is criticizing the game more because of its modern trappings rather than the game quality itself.

I know reviews are opinions and they're entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that. However, I don't like it when games are reviewed that way. Criticism for modern gaming cliche, criticism for copying another popular series, character design choices (like Dragon's Crown), or other unnecessary criticism that otherwise overlooks the most important thing about a game: is it good and is it fun?

Tomb Raider for example, some reviews thrashed it for being like Uncharted or falling under modern gaming design. But that game is amazing and a masterpiece. Those reviews are so biased and misinforming and undermines one of the best games ever made this gen.

The other reviews for Blacklist seem pretty solid though.
 
H

HoJu

Member
TheFLYINGManga_Ka said:
That Edge review, it seems like the reviewer is criticizing the game more because of its modern trappings rather than the game quality itself.

I know reviews are opinions and they're entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that. However, I don't like it when games are reviewed that way. Criticism for modern gaming cliche, criticism for copying another popular series, character design choices (like Dragon's Crown), or other unnecessary criticism that otherwise overlooks the most important thing about a game: is it good and is it fun?

Tomb Raider for example, some reviews thrashed it for being like Uncharted or falling under modern gaming design. But that game is amazing and a masterpiece. Those reviews are so biased and misinforming and undermines one of the best games ever made this gen.

The other reviews for Blacklist seem pretty solid though.
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so wait are you saying that games shouldn't be judged by their game design? or their graphics?
 
N

NullPointer

Member
TheFLYINGManga_Ka said:
Tomb Raider for example, some reviews thrashed it for being like Uncharted or falling under modern gaming design. But that game is amazing and a masterpiece. Those reviews are so biased and misinforming and undermines one of the best games ever made this gen.
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No offense, but Tomb Raider is exactly the worry when it comes to fans of the series staples. The game is called Splinter Cell, so how it stacks up in the series and what Splinter Cell fans can expect seems more than reasonable to include in a review.

And I'm just gonna walk away from the "masterpiece" part...
 
L

LiquidSolid

Member
TheFLYINGManga_Ka said:
That Edge review, it seems like the reviewer is criticizing the game more because of its modern trappings rather than the game quality itself.

I know reviews are opinions and they're entitled to their own opinions, and I respect that. However, I don't like it when games are reviewed that way. Criticism for modern gaming cliche, criticism for copying another popular series, character design choices (like Dragon's Crown), or other unnecessary criticism that otherwise overlooks the most important thing about a game: is it good and is it fun?

Tomb Raider for example, some reviews thrashed it for being like Uncharted or falling under modern gaming design. But that game is amazing and a masterpiece. Those reviews are so biased and misinforming and undermines one of the best games ever made this gen.

The other reviews for Blacklist seem pretty solid though.
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I don't think you understand what a masterpiece is.
 
TheRedSnifit

TheRedSnifit

Member
NullPointer said:
No offense, but Tomb Raider is exactly the worry when it comes to fans of the series staples. The game is called Splinter Cell, so how it stacks up in the series and what Splinter Cell fans can expect seems more than reasonable to include in a review.

And I'm just gonna walk away from the "masterpiece" part...
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You wouldn't give RE4 a 6/10 because it doesn't play like its predecessors, would you? It's the same deal here: you should judge Blacklist based on its merits (or lack thereof), not because it doesn't play exactly like CT.
 
T

TheFLYINGManga_Ka

Member
LiquidSolid said:
I don't think you understand what a masterpiece is.
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It's subjective, isn't it? Some people thrash RE4 or Ocarina of Time, but does it mean those games are bad or not masterpieces?

Like judging a painting: you may not like it, but I may think it's a masterpiece. Same with TR. Doesn't mean I'm wrong and doesn't mean you're wrong.

In the overrated games' thread, Last of Us was listed a few times. Opinions can be all over the place.
 
N

NullPointer

Member
TheRedSnifit said:
You wouldn't give RE4 a 6/10 because it doesn't play like its predecessors, would you? It's the same deal here: you should judge Blacklist based on its merits (or lack thereof), not because it doesn't play exactly like CT.
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That's a matter of degree really. Removing points because a stealth game is filled with design decisions that work against that style of play seems fair. Removing points because a game about player choice seems to restrict those choices too often also seems fair to me.

I'm on the outside looking in though, so I'm just giving the benefit of the doubt here but the complaint seems reasonable. Enough to keep people from enjoying the game? Well that depends upon a player's expectations going in, so exploring those seems a good thing to me. Since I'm not going in expecting a completely tailor-made Ghost experience I don't expect those complaints to bother me quite as much as they will others.

But hah, ultimately we're talking "points" here, which are so damn subjective and useless. I can't really take too hard a stand here on something so ephemeral.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
People are being kind of ridiculous by inferring the Edge review is the only one that matters. Not saying Edge isn't credible, but they seem to have the outlying opinion. As for me, I never read reviews for score, but more for the info and use that to determine buy/pass. Obsession over score is something I never understood.
 
S

Sober

Member
serenewarfare said:
People are being kind of ridiculous by inferring the Edge review is the only one that matters. Not saying Edge isn't credible, but they seem to have the outlying opinion. As for me, I never read reviews for score, but more for the info and use that to determine buy/pass. Obsession over score is something I never understood.
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What the fuck? You expect us to actually read the content of these reviews? Who sounds stupid now?
 
X

Xater

Member
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.
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That sounds exactly what it looked like in the videos. Splinter Cell as a stealth game seems to be dead. my decision to skip it like the last one seems to be right.
 
S

spekkeh

Banned
Xater said:
That sounds exactly what it looks like in the videos. Splinter Cell as a stealth game seems to be dead. my decision to skip it like the last one seems to be right.
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I always feel that this is kind of a weird self-imposed construct though. Who says you have to finish a stealth game undetected? Deus Ex HR for instance really shone if you went undetected most of the time, got caught close to the exit and had to make a run for it. There's a reason spies in movies always get caught too. It creates conflict/climax at the height of buildup of tension.
 
S

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
spekkeh said:
I always feel that this is kind of a weird self-imposed construct though. Who says you have to finish a stealth game undetected? Deus Ex HR for instance really shone if you went undetected most of the time, got caught close to the exit and had to make a run for it. There's a reason spies in movies always get caught too. It creates conflict/climax at the height of buildup of tension.
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I see what you're saying. Personally, I think it is more thrilling to nearly be caught. Hiding in the high grass in MGS3 and having a patrol wander mere inches away, unaware of your presence, is much more tense than actually getting caught.

I guess getting through undetected is simply super bad ass. Do you think it would be as much of an issue if there wasn't a scoring system for it...?
 
B

Bloodworth

Member
Xater said:
Splinter Cell as a stealth game seems to be dead.
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I think the videos have played up the action because that's what video editors tend to do. Sure, there are a few action scenes that break up the pacing now and then, but I've been playing it pretty much pure stealth and loving it. Barely touched mark and execute and totally forgot I even had an assault rifle for a long while (and I'm never buying a shotgun in this game c'mon). Plenty of missions where being seen at all is insta-fail or destroys your bonus and brings in reinforcements.
 
X

Xater

Member
But I have to say, watching the Rev3 review now it seems like they learned the right lessons. Weird, that some people think the stealth work well and others don't.
 
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