Skulking through the shadows and back into form, Blacklist borrows from its forefathers to craft a stylish and thoroughly entertaining experience.

Reestablishing Splinter Cell as a top quality series has taken several attempts, but Blacklist – though far from flawless – is an excellent example of how to capitalize on the potential the series possesses.

Blacklist is just about as much fun as one could possibly wish to have with a set of night vision goggles, whilst still operating within the law. Slickly presented and paced well, this tale of espionage drama is hardly revolutionary but nevertheless, is engaging from start to finish.

Trivial as it may seem, the mark of any solid stealth game is how much violence can be avoided. Stealth in its very nature is dedicated to avoiding contact with the thug with a sawn-off, not blowing him into six-pieces from the recess of the long grass. Splinter Cell: Blacklist operates within the elite niche of offering the pacifistic route, whilst also proving competent with the red stuff.

In fact, Sam Fisher’s latest trip even boasts a trophy/achievement for not killing a single enemy. Enemies can be eluded with all manner of fancy gadgets, such as smoke grenades, sticky cameras and UAV drones. Or for the traditional types, try hiding in the shadows and being extra quiet. All of said gadgets have many upgrades and variations meaning that a plethora of different approaches can be adopted in order to sneak on by that unsuspecting goon.

In similar fashion, the weapons on offer are plentiful, fully customizable and unique. From crossbows and silent pistols to incendiary grenades and assault rifles, there are enough bullet-launchers present to fuel a rebel army. The shooting feels responsive and crisp, meaning that when things turn south, it’s never game over.

In terms of interface, Blacklist is a breath of fresh air. Missions of several variations, including single-player story missions, local/global cooperative tasks and of course competitive multiplayer, are all loaded from an in game table known as the SMI. This gives proceedings a cohesive touch that is both functionally streamline and immersive.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist follows the exploits of 4^th echelon super-spy Sam Fisher, in yet another outing committed to stopping terrorist baddies. Gaming’s John McLane saddles up yet again to stop a terrorist organization known as the engineers, in hopes of preventing a series of catastrophic attacks referred to as, you guessed it, “The Blacklist.”

Cue lots of dramatic monologues regarding liberty and the president. This is the same kind of militarized patriotism any self-respecting gun-nut is likely familiar with. However, one means by which Splinter Cell deviates from the crowd is presentation. Blacklist is encased in triple-A sheen from top to bottom and really benefits from it. Snappy cut scenes and clarity to objectives kick things into action nicely, which is further extended within gameplay. For instance, whilst Sam whips through story missions, objectives smear themselves across the landscape in icy-white letters before fizzing into the backdrop. A small touch, that looks awesome.

The game’s mechanics focus predominantly on stealth. With distraction, illusion and deception all means by which Sam can slip past those dastardly terrorists. Like the very best stealth games before it, Blacklist ensures that an active approach to stealth can be taken. Using noise emitters and other gadgets from the shadows can disrupt enemy patrol patterns, or conversely, different routes can result in missing such guards all together. Which is fantastic for the sneaky types, but for those who like a more violent breed of stealth, silent assassinations and hidey-holes are present for the kind of work Agent 47 would be proud of.

One of the standout segments is a mission in London. Which sees Fisher sneaking across drenched rooftops, silently picking off guards as the rain lashes down around him, hiding his every move. It’s empowering, tense and thoroughly reminiscent of the classic series of games that this modern title takes its name from. Blacklist is a great game regardless of heritage, because it adopts the familiarity of its predecessors whilst adding creative additions to make a title that is currently relevant.

On a superficial basis, Blacklist ticks most of the boxes. It’s a very good-looking game by even this year’s very high standards. Some of the water effects and textures are unspeakably well done, all of which draws the eye across many of the international landscapes. Additionally, all of the included character models and animations are realistic; helping sell the events they lend themselves to. Unfortunately, in the last few hours of play (on the PS3) there are some serious frame-rate issues, which led to the console crashing on several occasions.

This aside, a gripping single-player and a more than competent multiplayer offering in the form of Spies vs. Mercs, make Blacklist a title that has a vein of raw fun just waiting to be tapped into. With several key missions standing above an overtly high standard of quality throughout, there are some real top-notch moments to drink in throughout. Not least of which is the iconic noise those night-vision goggles make.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a slick exhibition of espionage drama and high-end technology. It holds little in terms of surprise and borrows heavily from other titles within the industry. Yet despite this, it feels fresh and engaging thanks to a tightly woven set of stealth mechanics, all of which are served up on a pretty platter. Dust off those goggles and squeeze back into that wet suit, as Sam Fisher’s latest tale in the shadows is one not to miss.

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