I want to first apologize to those who expected this for postponing it several times. I had to have dental work done earlier this week and it has caused more fatigue than I anticipated. Also, I will be commenting/reviewing only the main storyline of this game because I believe that (if it isn't already) should be the main focus and selling point of any game. Also, I have not tried Spies vs. Mercs yet as I have a compulsion to unlock/collect everything from the main storyline mode before trying another. For those that call that weird or strange, I agree, but it is what it is.
Also, I would like to note that I do not have any set method for which game I review and when. I will be taking requests for which game I should review next, but keep in mind, I review a game based on single player capability. No I am not opposed to Multiplayer (I play multiplayer on many of my games) I just have a personal belief that games today are getting too far away from the single player mode of the olden days.
With that being said, I believe that Splinter Cell: Blacklist (as well as several others I could mention) has done an excellent job of mixing single player with multiplayer. The first thing one will notice when playing this game is that you have a companion named Briggs whose missions are all co-op only. Those who know me in the real world would normally assume that this would be a hot-button issue with me, and under normal circumstances they would be right. However, in this particular game, you can choose to play either split-screen or online with some random person you have never met before. Having not actually played Spies Vs. Mercs yet, I can only speculate as to how it is played, but I would assume that it is strictly online. Which I would consider another positive side to this games multiplayer enticement. It completes the trifecta of Single Player, Multiplayer Co-op, and Multiplayer Online.
Now that I have discussed the multiplayer section of the game, I can talk about the things that really matter: Storyline and Gameplay. Being a huge fan of this entire series, I will say that I like how this game has taken a chance with a different style of gameplay. Earlier games in this series were strictly stealth, by that I mean that most missions ended if a body was spotted or if an alarm was raised. Blacklist may not be the first game in the series to branch out into what I call the "Run and Gun" method of gaming, but I give it major props for adding a third method to that stack. This opens the game up for all types of gamers to play with ease. I personally don't know why someone would want to play anything other than stealth, but I am bias. The official names for each gameplay method are: Ghost; in which you have to complete the level by strictly non-lethal means (knocking out enemies or going around them altogether), Panther; which can only be mastered by silently killing each and every enemy in each level, and Assault; which is the Run and Gun method I mentioned before.
Since I am a stealth gamer already, the Ghost method proved the easiest for me to master. That does not mean I did not have difficulty. As I said before, in order to master the Ghost method, you must complete the entire level by non-lethal means. If even one soldier dies, you will not get the token awarded at the end of each level. If you wish to master this method, I would suggest upgrading the stun gun as much as possible as it is the only weapon you should need. I do believe that there are some missions better suited to each of the three methods, but what I especially find appealing is that they will not include a token when one is not possible. For example, if a mission requires silence and stealth then they will not have a possible Assault token at the end of the level as any attempt to enter into full combat will automatically fail the mission. This is one of those things that games of other titles have ignored in the past, or never took into consideration in the first place.
But I digress, The second (and my personal favorite) is Panther. In this method, you can use anything with real bullets and a suppresser is highly recommended. I personally think that the name describes the method best, but there are a few notes of caution. The first being that when you kill someone and hide the body, any other soldiers linked with him in a specific area will somehow know exactly where you stashed the body as that is the place the initially walk towards. Even this isn't exactly a bad thing though as it simply makes it easier to set up the next target. The second note of caution is that you have to be very careful of open combat. Even after fully spotting you, there are still a few seconds before the other guards are alerted. The word of caution is not to exceed those few seconds as it will give you an assault kill instead of a panther kill and you will not receive the token at the end. It is my personal opinion that there isn't any specific level that is easier for Panther since any level where it is easy to obtain a Ghost Token, you can just as easily get a Panther Token.
Lastly there is the Assault Method. In this method you much engage all enemies and kill them in open combat. I would assume that in a pinch if you emptied all your magazines and only had a stun gun remaining, a combat knock out would also count toward the Assault Token, but I can only speculate as I have not been able to master this method. If you want are looking for levels where it is easier to master this method, or if you are much better at this method and looking to make fast easy money with this method, I suggest accepting any and all missions given to you by Charley. Just remember that any kills not made in open combat do not count toward the Assault Token and you wont get the bonus cash at the end of the level, but with any and all Charley missions that should not be a problem. If you are proficient at the Run and Gun style and need money so that you can become better at the stealth missions, I would suggest playing all of the Charley missions as early in the game as you possibly can. Also, all of the Armor DLC from UPLAY are assault oriented, and give you an edge on assault missions (missions where you chose to get the assault token instead of one of the others) a good distance into the game.
Continuing with this positive review, I need to say that yet again, I was not by any means disappointed with the storyline of this game. This game had me on the edge of my seat from the very first opening cut-scene. The gameplay is what you make of it and the storyline is exciting and constantly keeps the gamer interested. There is one and only one negative comment I must make about this game and I think it is the obvious one and that is Sam Fisher's voice. I understand that there are sometimes unavoidable reasons that a voice actor doesn't come back to do sequels, but when replacing the original voice actor, I would have went with someone else who fits the character. Sam Fisher is a man in his 40's (I am estimating) and he now has the voice of a man in his 20's or early 30's. Sam Fisher is a man who has been through a lot in his years, yet they chose to give him the voice of just your everyday average American soldier who sounds like he is just out of Basic Training.
I give this game 4.5 out of 5 stars. Outside of the fact that I have to get use to a new Sam Fisher voice (which is a me problem anyway) this is by far my most favorite Splinter Cell game in the whole series. I hope you all enjoyed this review and if you have any comments or suggestions about what game I should review next or how to make my current reviews better, be sure to comment.
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