During Microsoft's E3 2012 Press Conference, there were a few unexpected surprises, and even more known quantities unveiled during the hour-long event. Among those known quantities, but one we'd yet to have officially confirmed, was Splinter Cell: Blacklist. For their next entry in the long-running stealth franchise, Ubisoft was looking to eliminate the memory of the less-than-favorable Splinter Cell: Conviction, while also introducing some faster-paced gameplay -- and they proved that with the game's demo.
However, what Splinter Cell: Blacklist's unveiling ended up doing was segmenting the fan base, with a large portion of Sam Fisher fans crying foul of the game's action-heavy inclinations. By all accounts, this gameplay suggested that Splinter Cell had become a third-person shooter with a few stealth elements thrown in for nostalgia's sake.
But Blacklist Director David Footman feels that's a misnomer, and says that the demo seen at E3 2012 was meant to be an "explosive" piece of tantalizing footage, but not necessarily indicative of the full game. It was a "vertical slice" that played well on television, but was arguably not what fans were hoping for, and Footman realizes that.
Talking with VG24/7 Footman promises that there is still plenty left to show of Blacklist, and that hardcore fans can expect "a lot more diversity" and "a lot more of what [they] are expecting to see." In other words, yes the footage was "explosive and very violent," but that's not necessarily what the entire game will be like.
There's plenty more to show, and that forthcoming footage/trailer should hopefully convince fans that this is still the Splinter Cell they know and love. Earlier this month a 7-minute gameplay trailer was released that once again highlighted that E3 mission, but was played through with stealth in mind. That's what fans were hoping to see, and that appears to be Footman promises more of.
While Footman wouldn't outright admit it, he suggests that a demo is in the works, one that would hopefully provide gamers with the proof-filled pudding they so desire. The game's not slated to release until Spring of next year, though, so we don't expect that to be available just yet.
“The proof is always going to be in the pudding. Talk is talk, and it is just all talk right now. We really need to get a demo out there, for people to see how you can ghost levels, to see the gameplay. It seems to be an overreaction because people are just seeing the ‘pow!’, the explosiveness."
The decision to showcase a more explosive piece of gameplay footage will always be a confusing one for fans, but when you consider these games are gambles worth several millions of dollars it's easier to understand why the flashier footage gets shown first. It could be argued that Ubisoft's choice of demo suggests a lack of confidence in the Splinter Cell franchise's pre-established fan base, but considering Conviction wasn't as well-received as Ubisoft had hoped, they might be grasping at the game's more action-heavy gameplay options in an effort to cover all bases.
Hearing Footman promise that Blacklist isn't as explosive and violent as its E3 2012 debut led us to believe is an important clarification, and hopefully should convince fans that there is more left to reveal. We'll keep you posted when more footage is released.
What was your immediate response to the Splinter Cell: Blacklist E3 demo? Did you think the footage showed a stark departure from the series' bread-and-butter gameplay?
Splinter Cell: Blacklist is targeting an April 1, 2013 release on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.
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Source: VG 24/7