by Arielle Antonio, contributor
On October 1, the world lost one of the most prolific military thriller novelists, Tom Clancy. However it isn’t just a loss for the writing community, but also a loss for gamers. It was in video games that he blended his great stories of military feats and espionage with high-octane action, strategy, and an amount of realism that left you sweating as you attempted to hack an enemy’s computer while hanging right above him. Without “Rainbow Six” and “Splinter Cell,” nerdlings all over would have no “Call of Duty” or “SOCOM” to play while shouting at each other over headsets. So, in honor of the man who was once arrested for climbing the walls of the Tower of London as a child, I present to you his last game, “Splinter Cell: Blacklist.”
A mysterious terrorist group that calls themselves “The Engineers” has attacked an Air Force base and promises that if their demands are not met, they will continue with a countdown of attacks on US soil called “The Blacklist.” The demands? The US must recall all troops that are deployed abroad. In response, the President has called together a small group of black-ops agents to stop them. They’re dubbed “Fourth Echelon” and Sam Fisher, our main protagonist, will be the leader. Oh, and they’ve been granted the Fifth Freedom, the freedom to protect the country by any means — even by breaking the law.
No spoilers here. It’s high stakes from the start and the intense character interactions let you know this is not business as usual for them either. Because of the events of 9/11 and the War on Terrorism, the story doesn’t seem farfetched. It’s easy to be emotionally invested as it hits close to home. The US was attacked at home once and we civilians couldn’t do much about it. “Blacklist” gives you the opportunity to be involved and your choices directly affect things, adding to the realism aspect.
I was playing this on my trusty PlayStation 3, so the graphics were crisp and realistic. No monochromatic stuff, this is full HD color that does not leave you lost in the dark. From cut scenes to in-game play; transitions are seamless with no drop in quality. It’s so smooth that in the beginning, I actually didn’t realize the cut scene had ended.
Honestly, roleplaying games are my bread and butter. But “Blacklist” has great game mechanics that don’t require you to already be a pro at third-person shooting games. Using items for cover is easy, allowing you to focus more on where the guards are that you need to avoid or snipe. Stealth is key. Sometimes entire missions can fail if you’re detected.
Co-op side missions are important to complete between the main missions. That’s where you’re going to get cash to give Fisher ultra stealthy boots to creep in. Or more powerful weapons if you take the guns blazing route. In “Blacklist,” you can develop your own style of play as either Ghost, undetected without killing, Panther, attacking from the shadows, or Assault, frontal attacks on everyone. There are all kinds of challenges you can complete for each category to earn more cash.
The online multiplayer mode is called “Spies vs. Mercs,” where you can pit your own customized spy or mercenary against others online. They have weekly and daily challenges you can participate in. You won’t want to trade this one in after you complete the last solo mission; there’s plenty of replay value here.
I haven’t played a shooter game in years, but “Blacklist” made me feel right at home. If you’re looking for a highly customizable stealth game with a great story to blow steam post-midterms, “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist” is worth a look. You won’t be disappointed and it is worthy of Clancy’s name. Maybe I’ll school you sometime online — after midterms of course.