Ubisoft have revealed the the multiplayer Spies vs. Mercs mode for the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist is set to contain two gameplay types: “Classic” and “Blacklist”. In Classic Spies vs. Mercs, you’ll have the traditional 2v2 setup just as you remember from Chaos Theory and Pandora Tomorrow.

In Blacklist Spies vs. Mercs, the game mode is expanded to 4v4, the maps are lit differently, and there’s a much bigger element of customisation including weapon loadouts and gadgets. Check it out below.

Blacklist lands in Australia on August 20.

New footage of Splinter Cell: Blacklist has emerged, showing the long-awaited Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer mode which hasn’t been since Chaos Theory. It’s essentially business as you know it: lightly-armoured, agile stealthy spies attempt to hack the data being guarded by powerful, heavily-armoured mercenaries. A brilliant cat-and-mouse game and some of the best multiplayer fun I’ve ever had, Spies vs. Mercs is making a very welcome return in my book.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist hits Australia on August 20.

Source: IGN via Sneaky Bastards

Blacklist is looking better each time I see it, as the team seemingly moves more and more towards recreating that classic Chaos Theory experience that, for me at least, defined the series. Now a new trailer has leaked (updated with official version), showing Sam in a variety of stealth-driven scenarios and showcasing both lethal and non-lethal takedowns. It’s a bit hard to get a good look at the graphics in this leaked version, but an official one surely can’t be too far away. Check it out below.

Source: Sneaky Bastards

Ubisoft have released a new walkthrough of a level from the delayed-but-still-coming Splinter Cell: Blacklist, showing eight minutes of gameplay and developer commentary on the ‘Abandoned Mill’ level of the game.

As this video shows, Blacklist is increasing the power and presence of technology in the Splinter Cell series, with Sam being able to deploy his own drone to reconnoitre enemy areas as well as having to watch out for what director Patrick Redding calls a ‘tech enemy’, someone who jams Sam’s goggles while alive and can release hunter-killer drones to find him in the shadows if he is detected.

Source: Press Release

I’m looking forward to Splinter Cell: Blacklist quite a bit, in fact, and so to see that Sam’s fairly iconic night vision goggles will make a traditional return is of course welcome. I’m not sure I needed an entire minute-long video to point it out, but at least it’s a chance to see more of the game in action, which is always nice.

Blacklist is currently slated for August, and Ubisoft have recently announced a variety of editions, including the Upper Echelon Edition and the Fifth Freedom Edition. A uPlay-exclusive edition will also be available but doesn’t appear to have made its way to the site yet.

Avid readers may remember there was some controversy over some Splinter Cell: Blacklist‘s gameplay seen at E3 last year. The violence — in particular a scene in which Sam Fisher is seen torturing a person — turned many away.

Blacklist‘s director David Footman was quick to defend his game, saying that once people actually play the game and see what game play choices can be made, the truth will come out and that much criticism was ‘uninformed’.

Fast forward to today and Andrew Wilson, Blacklist‘s producer, has admitted to Eurogamer that the game will now contain exactly zero torture scenes, with Ubisoft Toronto having scaled the violence back. They stand by what they said at the time, admitting the action side of the game is far easier to showcase at an event like E3 than the stealth side, and that what was seen was taken out of context of the rest of the game.

“We’ve scaled a lot of that back,” he said, “and as we’ve gone through the process of development there are always things that you feel are not working as well. Every game does this, and cuts certain things.”

That now infamous torture scene (and any others we might not have seen yet) have been completely removed, though. “Definitely we are not going to see when the game’s coming out that there are torture scenes in it. That scene is not there any more. I’ve not really heard anyone say they loved it.”

Source: Eurogamer

Ubisoft have a hit-and-miss record when it comes to releasing PC versions of their major titles on time, so it’s good to know that Sam Fisher’s next outing — now delayed until August — will hit the PC at the same time as it hits consoles.

“The August 20th date is also for the PC version as well,” claimed an Ubisoft representative to Rock, Paper, Shotgun. “It is day and date with the console versions.”

Good news!

Source: RPS

Splinter Cell: Blacklist has pushed its projected release date back from “sometime in Q2″ to “August 20″. Bad news for Splinter Cell fans, but perhaps it’s for the best as it’ll give the team more time to polish it up — and with Conviction still leaving a bad taste in some fans mouths, they may need that extra time to give it the punch it needs. Check out the new trailer below, courtesy of IGN.

Time to update our PC Gaming Calendar already!

Ubisoft have released an ‘Art Direction’ trailer for the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which also serves handily to demonstrate the level of graphical fidelity that we can experience. Lighting, shadows, reflections and lens flares are all covered, though it’s not made clear which platform the video is captured on. Art Director Scott Lee mentions going to back to the ‘iconic’ Chaos Theory which — as everybody knows — is the best Splinter Cell, so that’s reassuring. Take a look.

I’ve seen so many videos of Sam Fisher popping fools in the face bullet time-style, snapping necks, and generally using his “fifth freedom” to the fullest extent. But what about those of us with – dare I say it? – a little more panache, a little more finesse, a little less psychopathy; those of us willing to do whatever it takes but well aware that it takes chloroform and tip-toeing just as well as hand grenades. Well, we get a look in too. This latest video has Ubisoft Toronto showing off how Sam’s fluid combat system adapts to non-lethal situations, along with a bit of Hitman-style body stashing. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is due in autumn next year.

Source: VG247

Haha, cool. So we have a new video for Splinter Cell: Blacklist, giving us the first look at the actual gameplay for the game. Admittedly, it is the first look and it is kicking off a series about stealth-related content. But really, I was a little underwhelmed by this one. It’s not a good opener. Give it a watch, you’ll see what I mean.

It’s good to know this is happening though, and we’ll keep an eye on it and report back next time something interesting comes up. Until then, let this tide you over.

Although it may be all about AAA games right now, Splinter Cell: Blacklist director and Ubisoft veteran Patrick Redding thinks that’s not sustainable. The future, he says, is ‘aaa’ games.

I was confused too, but here’s his explanation: “The market as a whole is going to undergo a critical shift in priorities, a shift away from the absolute primacy of graphics and production values and content creation toward systemic depth. This trend is going to trigger a reality check for developers like me who work on established franchises with a large succession of sequels, and it’s also going to be a call-to-arms for smaller game creators,” he said at the Gamercamp festival in Toronto over the weekend.

Redding pointed to Minecraft as a good example of ‘aaa’ design, allowing for players to take control of the game and make whatever they wanted with it rather than having one “right” way to play the game. The shift, he claimed, would be primarily driven by digital distribution channels, the rising cost of game production, and players keen to embrace games that allow them greater control. If the sales of Minecraft and the staggering popularity of Day Z are anything to go by, he may be right.

Source: Games Industry International