Splinter Cell Blacklist - Better Than I Remember | Retrospective

[@ChrisDavis_Games]

Intro - 0:00 Making of - 1:25 Story - 4:51 Gameplay - 24:58 Maps - 37:16 Optional content - 39:07 Economy - 42:59 Future of the series - 45:49

[@ralphwarom2514]

Blacklist is really good at the highest difficulty.

[@koma9sensey]

I have to dissagree with your analisis on a personal level (for a lack of a better word). You see I enjoyed CONVICTION allot and have to say that ghosting that game is possible, aside from the setpiece moments. But thats kindoff the thing; going against the vision of the creator and sticking to a play-style you want, finding enjoyment in going against the current (You could say I like being different). On a BLACKLIST note altough a fun game to me its also one the easyest games in the franchise, and ghosting most missions even Grim ones on Perfectionost is easy... so easy in fact that I used unsilenced weapons to add to the chalange. P.S SvM CLASSIC is to a alive-ish on a PC but the playbase is too... extreme. For COOP its easyer to find a friend than to matchmake... IF I HAD ANY!!!(T_T) P.S.S The low sales of SCB could be to lack of advetisments cuz to me it looked like it came out of nowhere havent heard a peep untill the game was already out. P.S.S.S Love your stuff keep up the good work.

[@olechristianhenne6583]

Great video Brother

[@philip2404]

Splinter Cell Blacklist is indeed the second best game of the series. The best still is the original Splinter Cell up to this day. Chaos Theory is amazingly overrated ! However, you have to play Blacklist on professional difficulty and in addition to that I used the original outfit and guns, and had basically nothing more equipped, than the crossbow and the tricopter. Looking forward to the Next installment ! I think they should definitely get rid of that engine they used for Conviction and Blacklist !

[@TheJohnomac]

Having a remaster of blacklist would be fine, atleast until a new one gets released.

[@CriticalNobody]

If Micheal Ironside was available to reprise his role as Sam, I think Blacklist would be MUCH more fondly remembered. It’s a big elephant to get over, but once you do, the game itself is really enjoyable

[@e2rqey]

From the legend himself! I can't believe nobody has noticed you commented on this video. I love your content! I've watched every one of your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@lukky6648]

I mean yes , though i absolutely love the performance of the blacklist actor , i do agree if micheal ironside was there people would have loved this game more. It just become another reason for fans to shit on this game tbh

[@z0ck3y23]

Can only agree with that as someone who has played all the games in german, since the voice actor for Sam didnt change there in Blacklist. Sam is still Sam for me in Blacklist. Even if he does act differently than in the previous games, its not that big of an issue. And if you think about it, it does make sense why he is acting differently. Thats because he plays a different role than in the previous games. Before, he was just a soldier, the only thing he had to do, was listen to the voices in his ear, no responsibility for the consequences of the mission or whatsoever for him (except maybe if he killed civilians or anything lol). In blacklist, he is the one in charge. There is no Lambert. Everything that could go wrong, is on him, and obviously, there isnt gonna be much time for sarcasm in a situation like that.. And gameplay wise, it took every good thing in conviction, and made a good stealth game with it again. I really really enjoyed Blacklist. Probably even my second favorite game in the franchise after chaos theory.

[@criskii]

Luckly i don't have this problem because i play in italian and the og voice actor came back After not being there in double agent and conviction, but i Heard Eric Johnson and he Is Just not Sam

[@Rimland23]

While I do agree that the game probably would be more fondly remembered (particularly by those who auto-dismiss(ed) it because of Ironside´s absence), it still wouldn´t redeem the fact that - like Chris mentions - Fisher in this game is an unlikable dick. Personality-wise it´s just not the Sam we know and love (same goes for Grim, who´s change is even worse, but we have Conviction to thank for that) and if Ironside did voice him, he would still be a dick, just a cool-sounding one. Blacklist really is great gameplay-wise, but Ubisoft´s greatest crime with this series is the character treatment in the last two games. I´ve said it before, but if we ever do get one final proper sequel with Fisher, they should just retcon the last three games (yes, DA as well because of the whole Sarah´s death plotline; plus we all know Sam would never have shot Lambert) and pick up where CT left off.

[@KristjanZadziuk]

Thank you Chris... this is a great retrospective, I was the Animation Director of Splinter Cell Blacklist and love that you have highlighted some of the work we put into it. There was a lot of room for improvement and the team had tons of ideas of how to expand on all the things we did right and how to fix some of the areas that weren't quite on the money. We felt that Blacklist was underated and it's really nice to hear that fans of the series do too... Splinter Cell would now of skipped an entire generation here is hoping for it's return in the near future, if only it had sold more (and not come out 1 month before GTA5 we might of stood a chance of a follow up) Also if you are interested there are a bunch of videos on my channel talking about how we did some of the things we did.

[@StevieWick]

I loved your work in blacklist, and also 007 bloodstone as well right?

[@soundwavetimus]

Hey man, just wanted to comment that y'all did great work! I hope Ubi pulls through and revives the series as it feels like this new generation could use a Sam Fisher!!

[@abelperez1434]

I think it would be a good idea to redo the first 3 games but all in the chaos theory style of gameplay.

[@JAYALLDAAY]

Great game

[@TheLilmuzzy]

Great work my friend, I genuinely hope your land a job with the next studio that develops the splinter cell sequel. It will come. I believe. If publishers are desperately remastering games with such poor quality while Ubisoft is simultaneously pushing splinter cell based season releases for R6 Siege.... there is no doubt that the crackheads that run the marketing and management departments of *insert publisher name here* (Ubisoft) will be looking for the splinter cell reboot/Chaos or Pandora remaster and I really Hope you’re on board. Best of luck and congrats on your past achievements.

[@markst.5383]

You can play every single Mission as Ghost - even the later ones - you need to be patience, but its doable (even on the hardest difficulty).

[@jackbill5283]

I played the whole game on the realistic difficulty stealth it isn't that hard if you are patient and wait.

[@clawzx1195]

@@jackbill5283 now do professional, I CANT but panther it (I like panther anyway)

[@jackbill5283]

@@clawzx1195 I did professional not realistic fucked up the difficulty name. Excluding the missions I forgot which but there are some where you can't fully ghost it. It's pretty easy to ghost it if you just use the crossy and non lethal gadgets.

[@zubzero304050]

Stealth in a stealth game . . . . Woah... Amazing

[@Hasbulla761]

tal ion you’re the only person in this comments section that doesn’t understand this incredibly easy to understand comment

[@leandrociarrapico9256]

Finally I see someone that agrees with me that Blacklist is Underrated.

[@matthewtorres8860]

I’m here with you

[@admiraltonydawning3847]

Finally I see someone that acknowledges the Blacklist's existence.

[@mrdeath9198]

Yes it's very underrated

[@BigC60]

I didn't know it was underrated until this video. Even the multiplayer was great

[@barrettharger]

This game is underrated but amongst Splinter Cell fans it's very well received with a high majority of fans.

[@BritishMarsh]

I enjoy Blacklist plenty, I love the fact that you can play full ghost but if you're not in the mood, you can go full John Wick panther style.

[@RRRRRRRRR33]

It's nice to see people taking John Wick as the standard for action performances (movies or games alike). It deserves the recognition.

[@vdayucla]

@@RRRRRRRRR33 | "Conviction" and "Absolution" are my guilty pleasures for this exact reason. I understand why fans dislike both, for deviating so much from their mainline instalments. But being able to cinematically "gun fu" everyone in a room in seconds means they're the closest unofficial John Wick simulators we've got.

[@robbiepullan7805]

​@@vdayucla Man I am so glad that someone shares the same opinion on these games as I do. I love both the Hitman and Splinter Cell franchises but conviction and absolution just made me feel like an absolute fucking badass while telling a story that I was invested in. To be honest, I think I would rate them higher than guilty pleasures, I legitimately think they are in the top tier of both franchises when I think about how much I have enjoyed and replayed them over the years.

[@clawzx1195]

I fucking love killing in a stealth game just to see how impressive it'd be if the protagonists were fucking murderers

[@vdayucla]

@liquid sword | You're right, "Absolution" is a good stealth game, just not a faithful "Hitman" game. It wasn't just the the Wick-like gun fu, but also the removal of the usual large maps and disguise system. Had the game kept those elements, it would have gotten much better reception, even if 47 basically became a god of headshots.

[@chuongfang1276]

"No one wants to play as a geriatric undercover agent" but that was the best part of MGS4 tho

[@lincolnpascual]

Yes it was. Dude doesn't speak for everyone. He was wrong about a lot of the things he said, especially in light of the revival Blacklist has been having throughout 2020 and 2021.

[@KlyneDMC]

Assuming there was some defining gameplay elements between those 30 minutes exposition cutscenes.

[@Spence.1]

Just finished Blacklist a few days ago. Other than a flat ending, really enjoyed the viable approaches to both stealth and combat, unlike Conviction’s cold-blooded killer approach. Despite enjoying the first 3 in the series the most, Blacklist was definitely enjoyable and challenging on the perfectionist ghost approach.

[@NickHunter]

I totally loved the campaign, really felt like you were part of an anti-terrorist organisation. And the villian was excellent. Co-op in this game is also a blast

[@sahilsehdev4235]

Yo bro u should definitely play the solo co-op missions from grim charlie and kobin. They're as entertaining as the campaign

[@RRRRRRRRR33]

As story goes, I always found this to be the weakest aspect of this franchise. I don't remember anything about it. Say what you will about Kojima's craziness and bad writing (I am definitely not a fan of this degenerate, but...) he made some memorable stories and characters. Splinter Cell tells a generic tom clancy military conspiracy, nothing extraordinary about it. I only remember Fisher and Lambert by name, because they banter nonstop. But everyone else? Fisher's daughter, that woman who helps him with on-mission advice... I have no clue about their names. I only remember the plot of pandora tomorrow, fisher and his friends trying to stop a biological weapon attack... And that's it. In this blacklist game, I do remember the black dude who was supposed to be the next agent, Fisher had a giant plane or something to serve as HQ, no more lambert, black list was about... terrorist attacks or something? It's bizarre how the tom clancy facade (the guy is dead for almost 8 years now) ended up more as a random detail than an actual source of interesting plots. The concept of the "cells" agents? Cool, but never expanded upon... and that's it, the only worldbuilding from this franchise.

[@conaldeugenepeterson2147]

R just curious, but what do you mean by Kojima being a degenerate?

[@bobpage6597]

@@RRRRRRRRR33 "It's bizarre how the tom clancy facade (the guy is dead for almost 8 years now) ended up more as a random detail than an actual source of interesting plots." - Why?? Tom Clancy never actually had ANY creative input into the Splinter Cell concept, something which so many Splinter Cell fans seem to miss. The whole idea was infact originated by Ubisoft with writers J.T Petty and Clint Hocking. They paid Clancy a significant sum for the rights to be able to slap his name on the product as a marketing ploy to encourage good sales, but TC's purpose was never one for providing detail in the games story lines. Its the same with all the other games that bore Clancy's name. It was for marketing, nothing creative. The only anecdote that is known was that Clancy griped to the devs about Sam's goggles being multi-vision, because at the time of the first SC the technology didn't yet exist for multiple vision forms in one NV headset (now it does). They told Clancy that for game play purposes, having more than one headset would be cumbersome and thus he was fine with it after.

[@Rythian]

This video actually got me interested in buying the game, I could go for a cool stealth game.

[@kingcrossy89]

It's a good game for multiple playthroughs. I liked the panther and ghost runs, using different styles of stealth

[@mattd3978]

I can definitely say that my impression of it is similar to his. But I'm also a fan boy of the series

[@cidfacetious3722]

I can tell you this game is amazing haters call it out because you have the option to run and Gun play Panther or ghost in you will find one of the greatest stealth Action games the most people missed out on. It's like the DMC drama it's my favorite Devil May Cry combat in the whole series but because Dante's hair was black haters going to hate which doesn't make sense cuz who plays those games for the story anyway

[@willppp]

Unfortunately you need uplay even if you buy it on steam

[@lonnieburrow5086]

the dishonored series is on sale on steam and all 3 of those games are incredible stealth games with huge potential for different playstyles and runs

[@Ty-sm9cv]

Honestly a mo-capped Ironside groaning, knees popping as he squats down to take cover throughout blacklist would have been a great leadup to retiring the character.

[@MD_Hooligan]

(Spoilers) I'll never forget this one small detail. When you play the Abandoned Mill mission and reach pretty much the end (where you are all groggy from the nerve gas), you pass out and get the mission's last cutscene. BUT... If you manage to actually sneak through all the scientists/guards and get to the quarantine room thingy, you get a whole separate cutscene where Fisher passes out and is found by the terrorists. Even though the cutscene is literally seconds long and it doesn't change anything, it blew my mind the first time i actually discovered it. Especially considering I have replayed that mission like 500x times with every possible playstyle. Such a minor, but cool detail.

[@retarddog6505]

Wait I just played this mission for the first time do you mean where he collapses just outside the entrance to the room with sadiq in it?

[@DrEcho]

@@retarddog6505 you’ll know you got far enough when a cutscene plays instead of gameplay just fading out and you get points for exploration.

[@teddycarr179]

I played to where the marker was and got a different cutscene. Yup. Did blow my mind. I tell people this- every time i play the game, i find something different

[@vdayucla]

As good (or at least not bad) as the last "Splinter Cell" was, Ubisoft has obviously quit caring. For today's Ubisoft Forward event, the description reads, "Our rich portfolio of world-renowned brands includes... Tom Clancy’s video game series including Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six and The Division." Uh, what about Splinter Cell? It's like Ubisoft doesn't even want credit for giving birth to the modern stealth genre anymore.

[@saintallison]

It's quite sad :( I've been playing through Last of Part 2 on the hardest difficulty (which makes stealth essentially mandatory) and it's left me craving a new Splinter Cell game that could take advantage of all the modern advancements in AI tech and a focus on cheeky dialouge & a non-lethal approach. Oh well.

[@Darkstar198]

"The Division", Lé-MAO. The game that was highly controversial and broken on release, only climbing to the mediocre standards of a looter-shooter at the tail-end of its lifecycle. And yet, somehow they can't even be bothered to mention Splinter Cell.

[@titantrader5661]

Metal gear gave birth, splinter cell was a really good game which came out to capitalize off of metal gear solid success

[@romulocasas4906]

I do love that Sam has a mission in ghost recon wild lands. And they brought back the original Sam voice

[@sista_fista_0364]

They could make a free roam splinter cell

[@Anindyatejo]

"It only sold around 2 million copies in the first three months of release." I kept hearing this line, and makes me wonder, what is the actual sales figure for a year?

[@benmwall94]

Ugh you hit the nail on the head dude. It's sad that Ironside had to always speak up for what makes the Sam Fisher character authentic, and the company can't just write that crap down so that they'll remember how the character is supposed to be for future games.

[@isumkitchens5329]

I think it's more or less also the fact that they keep bringing in new writers to try and fix the silliness we're already stuck with. Each metal gear game has the same problems bc of previous silly writing mistakes where they put themselves in a corner and the best way out is either to retcon or just find a way to completely throw the player off the fact that they don't know what tf is happening anymore lol

[@karanvirsingh7829]

Im glad to see people defend this game. It's easily the second best game in the series after Chaos Theory. The combat, the stealth, movement, levels and side missions were all some of the best I'd ever played at that point, but fans sleep on this entry simply because Michael Ironside had been replaced.

[@namesclassified7422]

The fans grievances toward this game are more plentiful then Michael Ironsides absence.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

@@namesclassified7422 And more unjust at that.

[@cashuflakbreakdancer]

You can't replace an iconic voice and still expect people to feel for the character. Imagine if they changed nathin drakes voice, or vin diesel as Riddick? The characters would just feel off

[@eziospaghettiauditore8369]

No it's because Sam Fisher was replaced with an imposter

[@eziospaghettiauditore8369]

@@m.a.k.dynasty4504 wow... You must not have played any of the previous SCell games. Because they all had more deeper mechanics and challenging gameplay for sneaking around

[@melloncollieowl]

Stealth gamers want stealth games. Developer brings in COD dudebro to play-test, who plays it like it's COD. Developer says no one wants stealth games.

[@jackspade5316]

That was my first thought, too.

[@SoftyWalterGames]

Fax

[@granite_planet]

AAA publishers are very good at focus group testing. They know how audiences work. It's all about minimizing risk and maximizing the potential customer pool, which is kinda tragic, but not because the devs didn't know how to do playtesting.

[@granite_planet]

@@mrmusashi QA testing and focus testing are completely different. You pick focus testers to represent the whole pool of potential audience your game might have, so by design they're not all going to be stealth game fans, or know anything about the genre. And that's the point, to see how the game works for a mainstream audience.

[@hunterromano5562]

@@granite_planet that is like bringing in a bunch of people that have only ever driven sedans to review a new diesel truck. They wouldn't know what they're looking for or why it's so entirely foreign to drive. Sometimes pooling the largest population for a focus group is the wrong focus group for the product.

[@miguellemir242]

I tended to rationalize isher´s attitude in Blacklist as due to a number of factors: The mounting stress of Victor´s being nearly killed (which made the quest against Sadiq personal) and the pressure of being in command of 4th Echelo, an institution that is under the microscope both because the Engineers must be stopped and because the previous incarnation attempted to coup the goverment. There could also be a bit of generational gap between Sam and Briggs: Where the younger generation might not be on board with the "victory at any cost" modus operandi of the Old Guard personified in Sam. I belived Black list was setting up thsi dynamic beetween Anna and Charlie and Sam and Briggs to show that the old dogs of war must concede and open the way for a new generation that will continue their task. I really, REALLY wated to see what would happen in the next Splinter Cell...but, I´ve this gut feeling that if it happens at all it will be eerly reminsicent of MGSV Phantom Pain: with semi open sandboxes where Ubisoft can implement its trademark collectatons.

[@AxisChurchDevotee]

Reading this and taking into account what happened the last time Fisher was with a noob, his behavior makes so much sense now.

[@RichardDansky]

Yup. The phrase I used with the team was "Sam was a lone wolf, now he needs to learn to lead the pack."

[@deskrabbit2190]

Great video, but some things I have to say: -The Special Missions HQ mission is FULL of bugs if you're going for ghost undetected. -Leaving an enemy undisturbed awards more points than knocking them out, so it is more rewarding to fully ghost. -Lots of the sections where you're encouraged to play combat can be beat with the ghost playstyle fully undetected (besides Special Missions HQ), and the train level has no undetected objective due to the combat section at the end. -The cover button will never vault you over cover. I'm not sure what was causing that for you, but it's unrelated to the cover button. -In co-op, both players play in third person (Briggs does not play in first person) -There are certain times of day at which you can find a few games in SvM (generally around 6:00pm BST), though the fact that you can't find a match is still technically a flaw. The games also tend to be full of cheaters, but I play a lot of private matches with my friends and it's very fun (and would be happy to invite you wink wink put me in a video pls k thx). P.S. I'm definitely biased with this game as it's my favourite Splinter Cell.

[@granite_planet]

That Special Missions HQ ghost objective is so broken... I tried it *so* many times, I still have the level memorized. :(((

[@sinenomine8739]

To be fair Blacklist SvM does not worth it. It is very limited in it's design, especially if you compare it to a brilliant Chaos Theory and Double Agent multiplayer. Those games could be played online with an infinite ammount of thought. Blacklist SvM has only 2 useful game modes out of 5, only 6 little maps and less unristricted gameplay to justify it. It feels like a harsh add on, because it was made separetelly by Far Cry 4 developers from Ubisoft Shaghai.

[@ice7223]

@@sinenomine8739 tbh I don't agree. Ofcourse, Chaos Theory may have way more maps and is a bit more unique but since the servers are down for it Blacklist is the best option. It still offers a really unique experience(maybe a bit more action packed) and it's still worth playing. 6 maps don't seem like a lot and it certainly isn't but it's still very fun to play on those maps. Yes, there are cheaters and spawnkillers fuck them and fuck ubisoft for the spawn system.

[@mikethechemis]

"That Special Missions HQ". Sorry, what are you talking about? What kind of missions?

[@granite_planet]

@@mikethechemis The mission in Iran. Named "Special Missions HQ".

[@Cody-ch2lc]

You had a PERFECT example of Ironside's Fisher. You definitely always got the dark, humorous, "same shit different day" vibes from the old Sam

[@PhoenixFireZero]

They made something great with Chaos Theory, and then they ruined it and made him a miserable dick.

[@Danimita92]

One thing I have to praise Blacklist for is not necessarily just the writing or acting in its cutscenes but how they're directed. They were flashy, got straight to the point and damn did they pump me up for the next mission! Other action games *wished* they had cutscenes this good!

[@weslipscomb4766]

In here you mention people hated Conviction (understandable as it feels more action-y) AND Double Agent, but looking back I actually loved Double Agent. I thought it was like an extension and story driven version of Chaos Theory but now I realized I only played one version and that was the original Xbox one. I did get the game on steam and it's a different thing altogether and while I like you get more story of what the game gave you in the older version I had the studio tried a lot of things that just didn't really work in my opinion. I think Splinter Cell would do fine if they just kept it simple like it used to be but had awesome gameplay. I don't think people loved Chaos Theory because of its story at all. I actually loved Blacklist as it definitely felt a bit more modern than replaying CT for the umpteenth time. What blacklist didn't do well to me was have memorable missions of intrusion and exploring some compound while simultaneously doing my mission. CT for instance didn't feel linear like I could run from point a to point b and instead had me feeling like I was actually trying to accomplish a mission while infiltrating a place people worked at (the battery, the ship, the bank, etc). I want to feel like I am a spy breaking in again. I don't want to feel like I am running through a trail with obstacles every few feet while the cutscenes show me doing the stuff I WANT TO DO.... Let me plant the bomb, or hack the computer and read through e-mails or turn off obstacles in another area of the mission. Let me have the freedom of going about the mission the way I want to and stop making me follow the path you set for me....

[@romulocasas4906]

Wes Lipscomb I also loved double agent. It’s a solid entry in the series and had some great stealth mechanics, I hated the hq missions though. I also enjoyed conviction, it was the final splnter cell I had left to play out of the whole series since it was a 360 exclusive

[@mckinleyfisher-lynd3896]

As a classic splinter cell lover something different that I love about this game is that I don't just immediately replay a save when I get caught. Sometimes its genuinely a blast to have everything go to shit and just roll with it because the shooting mechanics are actually good.

[@espirite]

"Stealth doesn't sell" - Yet games like MGS and Hitman still have a market. Regardless i think Ubsofts model of offering both action and stealth works well for me. Allow the player to chose which aproach they enjoy. Most ubi games have great stealth - and then when it all goes wrong you can go rambo. Farcry and Ghost Recon both do this incredibly well.

[@hyleenpognaire8134]

Yep man, after playing dishonoured 1, my love 4 stealthiness grew more, Since then I try to play farcry n AC games as much stealth as possible.

[@RZ_2K]

personally think stealth is one of the most underrated genres and that more games should atleast include an option even if it is a tactical shooter, wolfenstein tno did a great job at adding stealth even if the only stealth weapon was a silenced pistol

[@jordanscott4543]

Pontry Tamling dude definitely play dishonored 2. It compounds on what dishonored did along with even better multifaceted level design

[@hyleenpognaire8134]

@@jordanscott4543 yep bro, thanx I'll surely try.

[@drivanradosivic1357]

styx the stealth goblin games can also work. Plus Deus Ex and Thief are also stealth games.

[@heavilyaugmented5308]

2:46 It's a bit funny to quote him of all people considering that not only was he responsible for taking SC into the Conviction territory (meaning the guy has a blatant bias for shitty stealth design) but early this year, Ubisoft overhauled its entire editorial team because of how homogenized its was making their games. Wouldn't exactly take his word to say the least. Also at the end of the day even if they're smaller budget games, stuff like Shadow Tactics, Desperados 3, Invisible Inc. and even something like Plague Tale show there's an audience for stealth centric titles

[@jackspade5316]

I don't buy it either. Maybe their in-house playtesters weren't stealth fans, or maybe they got outside playtesters that aren't specifically stealth fans, but fans of the franchise were never going to like the new direction and new players aren't going to buy a new entry in a historically stealth-centric franchise for the generic cover-shooting mechanics.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

@@jackspade5316 You don't just hire random people who have never played or a stealth game or aren't fans of a stealth game to play test a stealth game. That's not how it works. Believe or not, not everyone plays stealth games the way that they are intended same.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

His point wasn't that stealth games don't have an audience. His point was that stealth games don't sell nearly as well today as many out genres of games on the market.

[@Zsandman11]

How about payday 2, Wolfenstein (1 and 2, fuck the assplay that was just released) metal gear solid, deus ex, dishonored etc. Sadly alot of the more recent implementations of these franchises have been let downs.

[@heavilyaugmented5308]

@@m.a.k.dynasty4504 The examples he gave towards modern stealth games selling "bad" were pretty piss poor then. He did acknowledge the 2016 episodic approach which was a major point in what didn't get the game to sell well but also failed to mention aspects such as it's horrid online systems which locked item progression (a system which is still in Hitman 2 as well), bad beta reception before release of the first episode, SE's failure to properly advertise the game once all the episodes were out, the fact that it originally wasn't even supposed to be episodic but rather in "two parts", and so on. Dishonored 2 sold poorly not because of being "stealth centric" (which is an absurd claim to make to begin with given how action like it can become like its predecessor) but because of how badly optimized the game was across the board and people getting wet feet about Bethesda's general quality control on first and third party titles. Even then, Bethesda said they were more "underwhelmed" by the sales and only said the series is on hiatus after Death of the Outsider bombing (more due to the fact that outside of its E3 announcement, most people were unaware of it being a thing). As for Ass Creed, that's more to do with people being burnt out on its design as a whole and not specifically the stealth aspects of it. Besides, Ubisoft didn't have much of an issue with minimizing the stealth component when AC's stealth has always been a shallow joke at best. Even funnier he failed to mention MGSV sales which had surpassed 6 million by the end of 2015 and that was much after the fact people realized how unfinished the game's story and certain elements were, yet it still sold well to most likely make a profit despite its long dev cycle. Also at the end of the day, even without all this, it doesn't change the fact that Chaos Theory sold 2.5 million copies within 11 days, a sales goal Blacklist couldn't even reach in three months. The argument of one genre selling more than another is null and void when the sales gap is that large (especially since I'm sure Chaos Theory went on to sell even more after those initial sales). This is on Ubisoft's part of their awful handling of the IP and advertising of it. Old fans were still burnt from Conviction so they probably weren't interested in Blacklist despite its improvements. Stealth in a "stealth" game should not be a secondary objective like the Blacklist devs did when they decided to "add in" the options of hardcore stealth elements for people who wanted it. They should've designed around it.

[@Crlarl]

I think the game sidelined the wrong character: Victor Coste and Sam Fisher should've switched spots. This would've reduced Michael Ironside's work. Alternately, Fisher could've taken the Lambert role as the voice in the ear of a new operative.

[@RRRRRRRRR33]

You know what could be cool? If they hire David Hayter to do the voice. His normal tone, not the forced and cheese voice he is know for. That could be a neat detail for stealth fans. I know Ironside is a well liked figure, but the guy is too old for this shit

[@have_a_good_day420]

@@RRRRRRRRR33 you can’t be too old to voice act. It’s not like Ironside is jumping rooftops.

[@Nofixdahdress]

@@have_a_good_day420 Have you heard James Earl Jones' performance in the Lion King remake? You can absolutely be too old to voice act.

[@have_a_good_day420]

@@Nofixdahdress wrong. He’s not too old to voice act. The character he voiced may be too young.

[@granite_planet]

Blacklist was my first Splinter Cell and I thought it was a pretty incredible stealth action game. Later on I understood how it had to fight an uphill battle to be recognized as a good game by longtime series fans - iconic voice actor lost, sequel to two disappointments, more casual than the pinnacle of the series. And that's fine, I have also been there, crying foul when a pretty decent sequel didn't replicate what I thought were the best parts of the game it was based on. Thanks for your analysis. I agree with what you said about missed potential on the plot. I would have loved loved _loved_ if the developer and publisher had the guts to write in something that questioned the jingoism. Just a bit of grey in a story that's otherwise completely black and white... I didn't think Fisher's "change of heart" about Briggs was that strange. To me, Fisher came across as a moody and grumpy soldier who overreacted at first, and took a bit of time to realize Briggs was still more useful as an operative than an overpaid secretary.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

It's a good game. Don't worry about what others think.

[@cashuflakbreakdancer]

Man have you guys played chaos theory? Even today it holds up and it is just a unique game and still one of the best all time stealth games. Ubisoft is selling the first 3 right now for like $5 and if you haven't played them I highly recommend it. After chaos theory I think you'll see why fans are still mad. That game is a masterpiece

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

@@cashuflakbreakdancer We can like other games you know.

[@eziospaghettiauditore8369]

The last paragraph is a complete character assassination. Sam is anything but by the books cough saving the pilots in Seoul cough

[@eziospaghettiauditore8369]

@@m.a.k.dynasty4504 which he did not in any way say or imply you could not like Blacklist. Tho if you did like it more than Chaos Theory you are probably on drugs

[@Larry]

Ubisoft ruined the Spies Vs. Mercs multiplayer in Blacklist, the whole premise of it in the original Splinter Cell games was asymmetric gameplay, as spies you had to do everything in your toolset to keep away from mercs to complete your mission as you stood absolutely zero chance of going toe to toe with them. Only pure luck or skill could you take out a merc in the originals. Blacklist the Spies were WAY TOO overpowered, to the point you stood zero chance of winning as a Merc as spies had guns and could dart about all over the place on screen taking you out easily. Just ruined the format to the point we never wanted to play it anymore.

[@Phoenix-214]

I wholeheartedly disagree with this comment. If anything, the Mercs were slightly overpowered, you just needed to use the right loadouts effectively. (A skilled Merc using the sonic detection system can actually beat a Spy in hand-to-hand combat almost every time, nullifying their biggest advantage in direct combat: Their instantly-lethal hand-to-hand takedowns.) Overall, I actually found the gamemode remarkably balanced considering the highly asymmetrical nature of the gameplay. I didn't feel like I was outmatched as either a Spy or a Merc. Now that might not fit _your_ definition of what makes SvM good, but I could see such a game having even an esports scene if Ubisoft had bothered to cultivate one. And the gameplay is just sheer fun, it's genuinely tense and down-to-the-wire on both sides, and encourages unconventional, creative approaches to one tactical situation or another. Once I literally trolled my way to victory by taunting and teabagging as a Spy at the Mercs, and tickling them with my weak little popguns, distracting them by pissing them off enough for my teammates to complete a hack and win the match. I rarely see shenanigans like that work in other competitive shooters.

[@Shittyrapper]

There’s a classic gamemode on blacklist where the spies don’t have guns only a shocker that temporarily disabled mercs and it only holds one round at a time. It’s also 2v2 rather than 4v4 like the svm blacklist mode.

[@Larry]

@@Shittyrapper ah interesting, did it have a name this gamemode?

[@Nanorisk]

This game really shines when you try a pure style approach, that is applying one style exclusively in one stage. Trust me, kill spree is not easy to maintain in the highest difficulty, and you need combo to stack style points, especially in Assault style. Effectively you get 3 game for the price of one by doing so.

[@SlipperyDad]

I recall it being great, I was a huge fan of the series and I wasn't let down by Blacklist I even platinumed it

[@nervigeskind3131]

I absolutely LOVE this game. This was my first Splinter cell and it is still one of my favorite.

[@JAIMEGARCIA-gw9re]

Just imagine what a next gen Splinter Cell game could look like with high end graphics, frame rate, and ray tracing enable. You could really take advantage of shadows and lighting.

[@OCMOOO]

I don't know how I got here but the ""algorithm"" must be working But this is a positively great review; honestly, the way you weave your wording really captures your own style and I must say you have a voice that would be excellent for an audiobook, I really enjoyed Blacklist especially the multiplayer component but it'll never surpass Conviction's co-op between Kestrel and Archer.

[@Bassist-Beneath]

If you like Chris’ vids you should check out Joseph Anderson, Strat-Edgy Productions, and Noah Caldwell-Gervais. They all make similar content that is also phenomenal

[@MidnightSt]

"The german government after the ww2 didn't call itself The Fourth Reich for a reason." true, but i think the reason had more to do with the word "reich" than "fourth" XD

[@Texelion]

If there is ever another Reich I wonder if they'll call it the Fourth Reich or reboot it and call it the Reich : Reborn or something.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

@@Texelion Reich: The Reichoning.

[@LINKchris87]

@@fuzzydunlop7928 You jumped the shark there 🤣

[@ambrose3560]

Yeah a Reich is something else entirely

[@clawzx1195]

Btw, fun fact if you have multiple targets marked for execution pressing the button while running into one of the marked targets changes up the animations, fisher sometimes holding the target down, shooting his other two, and finalizing it by either melee-ing or shooting the enemy from his chest to face :)

[@sirbonple]

i always loved how mark and execute looked, i used to watch the original ubisoft showcase of blacklist and replay the mark and execute section over and over and over its so cool lmao

[@clawzx1195]

@@sirbonple i wish more ubi games did that. But at the same time, every stealth based ubi game has the most cripsy lineup of animations. Just wish ghost recon wildlands and breakpoint got more love, especially with that specific feature

[@chrisflodberg]

IMO, this is a phenomenal game. The more you explore it and play with the gadgets and playing styles, it becomes extremely deep from Chaos theory type gameplay to the fast paced style of conviction. It's a total sandbox blast. I love it

[@adamdominguez656]

I couldn’t roll my eyes hard enough when the final mission had me press “launch mission” from each member of the team.

[@NateT3]

The game doesn't punish you for playing Assault However, you will get less rewards for mixing Assault, Ghost and Panther playstyle. You will need to fully commit to one playstyle per mission to get the full score.

[@Agge-h6y]

Re7 sold a total of 7.5 mills, with an overly ambitious expectation of 10 overall before release. Capcom's 2nd best seller Re5 sold a total of 12.8 mills (though which i think is not a bad game at all, all credit is due to Re4 and a real coop introduction to the series). I think Capcom should be appreciative with the sales even they screwed up lots of times with the series. Imho Re7 is a great entry and even a better direction for the series.

[@ChadHellgado]

Eternal I like Resident Evil 7 and it doesn’t deserve most of the hate it gets but best game in the series? The game would’ve been better if my enemies didn’t consist of just shooting tall black people. I’m excited for RE 8 to give us more enemies and flesh out Ethan more.

[@hawken796]

Say that to square enix. They stopped giving a fuck about anything that isn't final fantasy or avengers. At least hitman and tomb raider ended on a good note. Deus ex and just cause desperately need a sequel

[@onlyonekrillz]

I hate how people also shit on Conviction, I agree the gameplay was a bit off at times, but this is Sam Fisher without any rules, without anything to hold him back, he’s not going to crawl everywhere when his daughter is possibly alive, conviction showed Sam at his best, as good as he could be, it showed what happens when you piss off sam fisher.

[@Albert_RIP]

The redesign for Fisher in Siege makes me think there might be a new game.

[@Shittyrapper]

We’re getting a gimmicky vr title apparently.

[@PhoenixFireZero]

​@@Shittyrappernot anymore. That got kiboshed.

[@Rez090]

Why would you think that by the time of Blacklist Sam is in his 50s? He's pushing into his 70s. That is probably the main reason why there hasn't been another game, Sam is too old for the field.

[@profk1972]

The blacklist Coop missions are amazing EXCEPT for when you are both downed at the very end with pistols, and waves of dudes keep coming. So many frustrating evenings with my buddies trying to beat that one section. Ive done it 4 times with 4 different people and every time it sucked.

[@qdllc]

Co-op has no place in Splinter Cell. It cuts off people who don’t have someone else to pay with.

[@HyraxusPrimus]

My best friend and I had that last mission down to a science. 0 kills, undetected. Then you walk out that last door, and it makes you get detected and kill the guards. (It's not the only area that does that, either.) Other missions in the game have you escort someone through an area, and if you don't get detected, you don't get detected and reinforcements don't get triggered. I don't know why they didn't do that for that part.

[@nfernalDrago]

@@qdllc Blacklist had online co-op. i played alot of it with strangers and found it enjoyable since all of us seemed to know what we were doing.

[@kikook222]

I used to love Blacklist but after playing Chaos Theory I get why people dislike it. It's very enjoyable but we need another Chaos Theory stealth game.

[@TheAxlSnaks]

Honestly, one thing I would LOVE to see is the first three games re-made with the style of Chaos Theory in mind - but as one big game This would be quite the overhaul - many levels would need to be redesigned from the group up, the AI would need severe upgrades, and the story would need to be puffed up, as well, so that it feels cohesive. But, honestly, seeing these games get that kind of remaster treatment would feel so fantastic, it would be a great thank you to longtime fans and could potentially bring in new fans, as well

[@Jiiinxyyy]

I've played most of the games in the Splinter Cell series, but Blacklist is not only my favorite Splinter Cell, but one of my favorite games. It's a fantastic game that I got all the achievements for and I even played through it again on PC years later. I really miss the series and I love stealth games so it's a shame there aren't many around these days.

[@JJ28469]

A really great review; I like that you went into so much detail about almost everything in the game. As someone who played all the games in the franchise, I can tell Blacklist adapted the best. I've been playing it for a long time now and I don't regret my +1000h spent on this game; the main story was really good, still, once you master some skills it's boring to play it over and over again. Side missions are a great experience although I wish there were more. Undoubtedly the best thing about Blacklist is the Spies vs Merc multiplayer. I found it so enjoyable that I actually started a YT channel just to share my game experience with others weather it was a recording or livestream. With that aside, even if I played a lot of other way more popular multiplayers online, I personally think SvM is the best of all (one of the best think about it is how 1st & 3rd perspectives are combined). Idk what's gonna happen with the SC series but I wish for a Remastered Blacklist at least. The community is awesome but most of the players quit because of the big number of cheaters that ruin the game for everyone. Hoping for the game to be saved, it's a masterpiece on its own...

[@sinenomine8739]

I disagree about multiplayer. It is very limited in it's design, especially if you compare it to a brilliant Chaos Theory and Double Agent multiplayer. Those games could be played online with an infinite ammount of thought. Blacklist SvM has only 2 useful game modes out of 5, only 6 maps with the same hiding spots all over again. Spies are even glow in the dark unless in old Splinter Cell multiplayer, so the whole stealth thing is mostly about killing or running away to a different spot. Maps are overall too small and can be full of spawn kills. The whole thing is also hardly balanced. In classic mode mercs can just set up a mine fields with ammo crates. Spies can jump on you from a fucking Dubai skyscrapper. Spies can call of duty their way with guns in blacklist mode. I am somewhere around 100+ place on the leaderboards in this online mode and i can tell you: 1 year is a maximum value you can play out of it, unless with SCCT and SCDA online, they are trully endless. SCBL SvM feels like a harsh add on, because it was made separetelly by Far Cry 4 developers from Ubisoft Shaghai.

[@roryb5512]

Loved this game. Finished it three times. Perfect blend of action and stealth, they finally found the sweet spot.

[@adrianchannelle8651]

Blacklist was awesome. I didn't even mind that Fisher was voiced by a different actor.

[@rfsantosc]

The only moment I saw of a player choice having any repercussion was after killing that guy in jail. When you start the next mission, you'll hear a conversation between Briggs and a former friend that says the CIA is pissed by the prisoner's death, tell Briggs to never call him again and to transfer permanently.

[@Jasina85]

Y'know what was the biggest moment Blacklist made me go "Wait what?" The Guantanamo mission - it felt so unnecessarily ass backwards. If the team could arrange Brigs entry so he can lead Sam to the target's cell... why not just have Briggs interrogate him and just let Sam sit this one out? Yeah, I know, we wouldn't have a level if that was the case and at this point Sam doesn't trust Briggs to do what it takes, but it just took me out of the experience by doing something so needlessly convoluted.

[@jdpc9391]

Blacklist is what i was hoping Splinter Cell would become after Chaos. When I was playing Chaos, my only grip with it was when fights would break out. I always felt that Sam SHOULD be able to handle fighting people like a killing machine, being the top-tier black ops agent but should be restricted to do it by the mission's parameters. When Conviction came out, The thing i liked the most about it was the Execute system cause for me, it was a perfect system to turn Sam into the over-train agent he was. While it was the way to OP in conviction, I felt that this system was perfect but should have to be used as a last resort or with some restrictions. Then Blacklist came out with its freedom of playstyle and I felt it was what splinter cell was made to be. A stealth game at heart but with the possibility for an action playstyle when things go south and the mission turns into a survival situation. Basically, the Execute system is perfect for when the fifth freedom is in the play. While Chaos will always be the series' top game, the game I have the most fun coming back to will always be blacklist. Also, The Spy VS Merc was top tier in this game. I think Ubi should try releasing a stand-alone remake of Spy Vs Merc from Chaos (All the level and tech) but with a Blacklist gameplay style. Make it a 30$ stand-alone remake, just the multiplayer. If it sells, I means that Splinter Cell is still alive, Also being a stand-alone, with a kind of game as a service (since the company loves this so much) could mean the server and player base wouldn't drop with the release of a new game. This multiplayer was so unique, half launched the asymmetrical multiplayer and was so fun to play. Hell, they could make it free to play with cosmetic pid stuff, i wouldn't mind as long as it doesn't give advantages. The blacklist Spy vs Merc was the best but lack the iconic level from chaos. Mix the two together. Iconic levels from Chaos and "new gen" gameplay from Blacklist. What would i give to be able to play Aquarius or Warehouse!

[@johnsmith-oh9is]

I always like playing an extremely aggressive stealth. Though sometimes I would go unsuppressed which was pretty fun at times

[@Aries0098]

I personally rate this game a 9/10. This game is definitely underrated and my favorite out of all the entries, well probably second to Chaos Theory.

[@TotallyToonsTV]

I get why Blacklist was dunked on when it came out (and ultimately didn't sell particularly well...thats what you get for listening to playtesters instead of their forums hahaha). Conviction left a sour taste and people still wanted the old gameplay back...but in hindsight (7 bloody years later) Blacklist was dam solid. Pretty good stealth, great movement and traversal animations, lots of approach options to work with, no glitches that I know of, a great co-op campaign, good game length and we all know now the REAL reason why Michael Ironside didn't voice Sam that time and it's completely understandable. While I still want a modern returns to the classic gameplay with light bars and methodical movement instead of assassins creed with goggles, I do consider Blacklist a fine part of the series. Probably my 2nd favourite game in the franchise.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

Listening to forums isn't highly recommendable. Ubisoft's problem with Siege tight now is that they listen to much to what certain people want (Which are goofy things.) instead of properly fixing the game.

[@kimbercustompro1911]

Blacklist is my favorite Splinter Cell, right after Chaos Theory of course. The freedom of movement and more open level design just leads to a better game then Pandora Tomorrow and OG Splinter Cell. Not to mention the rating system and unlocks actually incentivize repeat playthroughs.

[@cookieface80]

RE7 didn't sell poorly.

[@MamoMark]

RE7 didn't sell too well at launch and didn't meet Capcom's initial expectations. It eventually sold as much as RE6.

[@robbinrobbin5582]

I really enjoyed blacklist, it gave you lots of stealth options like you don't have to go in loud or kill people. It gives you the options to move fast and hit hard, but doesn't exclude you from sneaking, knocking out, and taking your time.

[@StrengthScholar0]

Blacklist was one of my favorite stealth games period. I didn't realize anyone thought it was bad.

[@shuboy05]

So I decided to check out the latest Splinter Cell novel which has Sarah joining Fourth Echelon. And now I’m wondering why Ubisoft didn’t go down this route sooner with Blacklist. At the very least I feel a Sarah Fisher game would be very interesting.

[@Vaelosh466]

Fischer looks like a discount Commander Shepard.

[@qdllc]

I would blame the loss of Ironside as the voice actor, but the move to MoCap meant the character would look much like the actor. So, they needed someone close to the character model...and it falls flat.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

It's actually very distracting.

[@theinsp3ctor368]

@@qdllc Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you HAVE to make the characters resemble the actor playing them, it's just easier for facial capture if the have a similar face

[@PhoenixFireZero]

Has about as much personality, but without the snarky options.

[@elderrusty541]

The voice, attitude and ability of Fisher could be excused if this was a prequel to the first one, make this one of his first ever missions, that would explain why he’s so angry, he’s not used to this kind of mission and needs 100% from his team, cut the new characters and bring back Lambert

[@ClapperDan]

Playing this game right now. Honestly the best game in the series IMO. Great shooting, rewarding stealth whether you kill or don't, the direction that the series was heading in following Blacklist is very promising.

[@e2rqey]

Completely agree

[@5FmUke]

Conviction's story was fantastic, as well as the introduction of the remarkable mark and execute system

[@PrinceRPG]

Idk why people hated this game tbh I probably beat it around 4 times and got it on release. Before MGS 5 this was the best modern stealth game to me I honestly don’t see Ubisoft topping this off so I’m honestly okay with this being the last game

[@e2rqey]

A lot of the people who disliked it did so because they were the type of people who only want to ghost through the game and really just want something like Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Conviction was not the type of game they wanted and they refused to try and play the game on the games terms. A lot of the hate on Blacklist comes from the same people that disliked Conviction because they still hated the new gameplay style and felt it was still too much like Conviction. Personally, I really enjoyed both Conviction and Blacklist. Blacklist was definitely better than Conviction, but that's just because Conviction was their first attempt at that new style and Blacklist allowed them to further iterate on the fundemental gameplay of Conviction, while also allowing for much diverse play-styles.

[@R-C.]

because its called splinter cell. if it had a different title everything would be fine like literally. - A hardcore splinter cell PURIST fan.

[@rookie9309]

A thing that you can do is when you finish the headquarters mission is that you can talk to Briggs on the plane and Sam will actually apologize to him It is a thing that many people missed because they dont bother to talk to the characters after each mission to see their thoughts on what's happening The apology with Briggs though I feel shouldn't have been optional And it would have helped with the story a bit

[@Bella_Rei]

ive been replaying all the splinter cells lately, and its funny you upload this a day ago and youtube serves it to me now, because im on Chaos Theory which most people who ive seen videos about splinter cell they say is the best one, but i remembered enjoying blacklist and conviction a ton more. I always felt Blacklist was the best. I also played these as they were released over the course of 10 years, never played them back to back and compared them. so yeah. idk. i'll figure it out after i get done replaying the whole series, but i see this video and now i must click. lol

[@marcoslaureano5562]

I honestly loved the game right away. The only thing it was missing was Michael Ironside's voice. Honestly I'd like to see them take Sam back in time to the Cold War when espionage was absolutely insane. Maybe the late 70s early 80s. Very interesting political climate back then. They could make it a tactical stealth game with some RPG elements so players who love stealth can customize Sam that way and players who want to go a more aggressive John Wick type of style can do that as well. Because Sam is over 60 right now. That's another small gripe I had with Blacklist was Sam moving around the way he did at the age of 53 (I think). I would have preferred they did with Sam, what Rockstar did with Max Payne in part 3. Made him look battle scarred and not very agile early in the game, make it a bit more difficult for him to climb and hang from pipes and leap over obstacles. Idk just my two cents.

[@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii]

I played it in a different language. Maybe I got same actor.. who knows.

[@negan2714]

My main issue with the game is changing the voice actor. I understand why they did and I'm glad Ironside is better but it just isn't Sam. It claims its Sam but doesn't sound or act like him and it pulls me out of the game everytime. The missions are great and the side activities are fun but I can't stay in the game because of that.

[@rabbitribbit8710]

Personally, I think it's not the voice actor at fault here. I feel like the scriptwriters and directors are the reason why it doesn't feel like the Sam everyone knows and loves. In my opinion, I kinda like how Sam sounds in Blacklist, but I don't really like the things he says.

[@gustavosifuentes3991]

Ikr

[@gustavosifuentes3991]

Lance Talon yeah they act like Conviction never happened. Kobi didn’t even , idk I felt like something was missing in their interaction, too much comedic or trying to be comedic, not enough seriousness

[@samuelstephens6163]

I'm a Splinter Cell fan who had to skip certain games. Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory are uncredible games. I was massively disappointed that Ironside didn't return for Blacklist, but the game is absolutely incredible. The embassy levels are really tough. Never understood the hate for Blacklist; or the lukewarm reception for the series in general.

[@Particle_Ghost]

Double Agent pissed people off with how poor it was and Conviction divided the fanbase with it being a Xbox exclusive, so when Blacklist came around many skipped it. I still play it, this and Fear 1 still have the best AI ever made.

[@andrewaustin8135]

Even after replaying Blacklist, I still find it underwhelming overall. Chaos Theory actually makes you feel like a spy with the slow methodical pace, hacking, lock picking, interrogations, reading files and emails, forcing guards to open retinal scanners, etc. Blacklist has none of that, and just feels like a third person shooter with optional stealth. It's way too action focused and fast paced with imprecise movement. There are way too many setpieces, too. Also, the checkpoint system renders detection pointless, as there are no consequences. The story is filled with non-sense as well, like how the U.S drone striking military vehicles in Iran has no political blowback consequences to the U.S, and it's just a generic race against the clock action narrative instead of a tense, slow burning political thriller. The best missions in BL were Grim's side missions since they were non-linear sandbox levels like most of Chaos Theory's, and actually emphasized stealth. The campaign missions, while having mostly solid premises, are cheapened by being overly linear and reliant on setpieces. Overall, Blacklist is a decent game, but I find it to be an underwhelming Splinter Cell game.

[@PresidentBarackbar]

Chaos Theory is a Tom Clancy novel, Blacklist is 24

[@MyJourneyConcludes]

Exactly! Blacklist would make a great John Wick game with a few visual mods. It's a trash Splinter Cell game though.

[@MarylandBF]

I miss the darker environments in the first 3 games and I always thought it would be an interesting optionable device to add in the future would be in certain areas to shut down the power in a particular facility which would force them to use generator power (making the environments much darker)

[@NovaStrike118]

28:37 That combat footage is actually of an avoidable encounter. You won't have to fight reinforcements if you're not detected from the point of picking up Kobin until you reach the window.

[@garretwoeller7669]

Ubi should make A mix of blacklist and the slower more methodical holstered moving stance and drawn aiming stance of the first 4 games.

[@michabecik1823]

Objective markers ruined this game for me. No more exploring, just rushing forward... It would be so much more enjoyable and without these stupid markers. In Chaos Theory you had to find the way to your objectives, here you just head towards the marker...

[@FraserSouris]

CT still had a map with an indicator you had to access using the OPSAT. BL still lets you explore. You're not forced to follow the marker if you want to explore. It's not like there's a timer on missions.

[@MyJourneyConcludes]

Marking targets and killing a whole room of badguys like you're John Wick is what ruined this game for me.

[@vladymirvonrootintutin6618]

@@MyJourneyConcludes You don't have to play it that way. It is more enjoyable if you ignore that stuff. As a matter of fact, The highest difficulty is how the game is supposed to be played. It completely removes mark and execute and sonar goggles and makes the game a lot like CT. Since i switched to perfectionist, i've never looked back to the lower difficulties.

[@HyraxusPrimus]

@@vladymirvonrootintutin6618 You've got that right. Beating those stealth-only missions without touching anyone, on Perfectionist difficulty, is one of the most satisfying things ever. I forgot the X-ray goggles and executions were even available features after a while.

[@arturdepaulafurtat4557]

Caos Theory was fantastic but ,this is the best, more polished and consistent Splinter Cell Game. And look at those graphics, damm good even for today standards.

[@2000istheyear]

Any chance of a series retrospective similiar to this for another long running series? Really interesting to hear how story, gameplay and development changes over a franchise's lifetime.

[@vidukathejan2671]

I think splinter cell black list is an amazing game, and there is no lack of stealth in the game unless u want to treat it like call of duty. I didnt even realize that people didnt like this game untill i watched this cuz everyone i know who has played this game loved it including myself

[@davidbeyerle6996]

Double agent was fun, but didn't know what kind of game it was trying to be. Some parts were fun other parts were pretty boring. I think it came out 5 years too early. A more modern attempt would have been a lot better.

[@youmayhaveheard7316]

Nah DA on the 360 was unique

[@lanarkorras4411]

I wholeheartedly agree! Blacklist become one of my favorite stealth action games right at its release. It is what Conviction should have been - which was the devs the intention to begin with, because when Beland and Parizeau came in to fix Conviction after the original concept apparently didn't turn into a fun game, they had very little time to do so. So they made Blacklist and it would shine in almost every aspect.

[@HeadsFullOfEyeballs]

2:49 "...but when we bring in people who know nothing of the series, they default to shooting stuff. So instead of designing the game to teach and encourage the intended style of play, we made it conform to an ignorant person's assumptions." Like, I understand that this helps make a game more marketable, but artistically you've basically declared bankruptcy at that point.

[@pixlman]

Hard to believe Blacklist runs in UE2.5

[@rayyanali4471]

No way. Isn't it UE3? They were using tech like TXAA and HBAO+ for that game.

[@pixlman]

Nope, TXAA wasn't a thing on consoles (until the next generation) so it's exclusive to PC, as well as HBAO+ which is exclusive to Nvidia GPUs.

[@lorenllbj88]

This was probably the 2nd best game in the series. We need one more for post 2020.

[@liamray2088]

Thanks for this! Something to listen to while I grind in WoW xD

[@Jehannum2000]

I think many were simply annoyed that Michael Ironside wasn't in it. That simple fact got everybody's hackles up before the game was even released.

[@johntempleton5030]

Great video man, I generally don't watch a lot of videos with somebody talking in them, but you did a terrific job with this. To be completely honest I lost interest after about 45 min lol, but appreciate all the effort that you put into the presentation. Thanks boss.

[@SwagDemon]

What's truly funny and Ironic is when Sam refers to snake from metal gear. Snake in MGS 4 was old and had back problems. He was too old and it had gameplay effects and it was enjoyable.

[@_cripticon8004]

“Stealth doesn’t sell” 3 words: metal.. gear.. solid...

[@sinenomine8739]

Yeah, but MGS wasn't about stealth alone, to be honest it wasn't about it at the first place, because you could have always shoot everyone. Not many true MGS players beat it properly, but they should, this a humanistic series. SC games before Convcition perfected what stealth truly means, so do Thief before terrible reboot. Hitman franchise is more about crative puzzles and it plays in it's own league. Dishonored is not a well thought out stealth experience, it even doesn't focuses on that and feels boring as a stealth game, even wrong at times.Deus Ex and WD 2 also brought a lot of quality stealth gameplay to the table, but they are in a hardly winning state for now. So this genre is still unfortunetely pretty niche, real stealth died long ago aside from new hitman games. And games like Styx, Clandestine, Aragami, Monaco, ECHO are either B class or unpopular indie titles, but i still recommend them.

[@Sleexb]

Mgs sells so well that konami did everything in their power to get rid of kojima and killed the series?

[@_cripticon8004]

Sleexb that’s because they’re dumbasses. Mg survive sucked, and guess what it wasn’t stealth oriented. Mgs sells good, Konami just blew it bc they kinda just suck

[@_cripticon8004]

MuDDy BLooDy well I’ve only played mgs games on higher difficulties, so just shooting and being loud never really worked

[@Shittyrapper]

@@sinenomine8739 you could shoot everyone sure. But it was heavily discouraged by the health and grading system in every game except V. You overall made some good points though.

[@ds90seph]

I'm very glad this game is more beloved than people think, and that it gets attention like this from time to time. I enjoyed Conviction for what it was, and I enjoyed the evolution of that gameplay here because it took it in a direction which I felt was more in the line of the original titles in the series. Hopefully in the future we can get a bit of a refresh (hopefully still with Mike Ironside voicing Sam) but until then this is probably the best and most modern splinter cell to replay especially if you're unable to play on PC.

[@gringobronx7670]

I feel this game was well balanced, it let you play how you wanted

[@DJ_POOP_IT_OUT_FEAT_LIL_WiiWii]

Sam Fisher can be silent or bad ass with his weapons in Blacklist like he should be able too.

[@habadasheryjones]

People only hate this game because it lacks Michael Ironsides. I miss his voice too, but what's done is done. Blacklist is actually a great merging of the classic tactical Splinter Cell and the freeform movement of Conviction.

[@andrewaustin8135]

The lack of Ironside is hardly the only reason Blacklist gets criticised. I've already made a long comment elsewhere, but in short, Blacklist is a run of the mill modern Ubisoft action-stealth hybrid game, no different than AC, Far Cry, Ghost Recon, or Watch Dogs. Hell, WD Legion gameplay looks exactly like what a Blacklist 2.0 would look like. It's a decent game, but is nowhere near as tense or immersive as Chaos Theory.

[@TGP482]

Nah Irosnide isn't the only reason people hate the game

[@Robert_K_Wolf]

WHO WANTS TO PLAY PVP THIS WEEKEND ON PC? I'M ALSO OK WITH DOING SOME CO-OP MISSIONS.

[@mikethechemis]

I can't tell you for sure at the moment, but it definitely would be great to play co-op

[@isiahmaliklevantezimmerman6570]

Would love to, but I can't go online in this game :(

[@mikethechemis]

@@isiahmaliklevantezimmerman6570, some specific problems with online? Maybe, I can help. It was common problem everybody suffered from since the release of Blacklist.

[@Robert_K_Wolf]

@@mikethechemis I managed to play with few people two nights ago.

[@Robert_K_Wolf]

@@isiahmaliklevantezimmerman6570 I hope you will find the way to.

[@systemmonitor5295]

As someone who loves classic SC stealth but did enjoy the fluidity of Conviction, I LOVED Blacklist. I aced every mission Ghost non-lethal on Perfectionist with all HUD elements turned off. It's very, very satisfying when you do it that way. Also, it's fun going through just using classic gear - i.e. only weapons or gadgets you'd get in the original trilogy.

[@ifstatementifstatement2704]

Blacklist is an excellent game

[@juancarloszernatorres1023]

I stumbled upon this in-depth analysis of Splinter Cell Blacklist and was thoroughly impressed by Chris's comprehensive commentary on every aspect of the game. His analysis is fair and leaves no doubt about the depth of his understanding. Personally, I've always had a fondness for this game. From the moment I first played it, I found myself immersed in its world. While many consider Chaos Theory the pinnacle of the series, I believe Blacklist easily secures a spot as a close second favorite for many fans. One aspect that particularly stands out to me is the inclusion of the split-screen option for offline play. It's a feature that's sadly rare in PS3 games, often overshadowed by the prevalence of online co-op modes. However, for those of us who enjoy gaming with a close friend or family member by our side, the offline split-screen option is a treasure. Playing through the optional missions with my brother was an absolute blast. Our actions were perfectly coordinated, from synchronized takedowns to covering each other's backs. And even when we inevitably messed up, the rush was unparalleled. It's a shame that the split-screen option doesn't get more recognition, as it truly enhances the experience for those who have someone to share it with. I've searched for reviews specifically focusing on this feature, but to no avail. Perhaps there's a hidden gem of a KZbin video out there somewhere. Overall, Splinter Cell Blacklist remains one of my all-time favorite games, and I eagerly await the possibility of another installment in the series, hopefully with the inclusion of the beloved offline split-screen option.

[@MerryOlSoulGigglesmith]

I know I'm in the minority but all i want is to sneak in & out without engaging the enemy. To me, that's the DNA of Splinter Cell. Blacklist was cool. It just wasn't Splinter Cell.

[@simonaspalovis1204]

You can do that in Blacklist. Each mission has a checkbox for "Non-lethal" and "undetected", meaning it can be done.

[@DylanSunkel]

Blacklist's gameplay was never really the issue for me. It was the narrative inconsistentcy that lauded itself as a sequel to a 50+ year old vet's journey while de-aging him to his 30's. It had no respect for canon. The best thing this game could've done was make a new agent the focus, and let Michael Ironside's Sam be the voice in your ear, just as Lambert once was.

[@shockstormswag]

I love Convection and wish the they do a remasterd edition

[@chucho35pewdsmiester78]

Unpopular opinion but this is actually my favorite splinter cell game. for me it goes 1. Black List 2. Chaos Theory 3. Conviction (under rated game) 4. Double agent 5. Pandora tomorrow 6. Stealth action re defined

[@cidfacetious3722]

This game does not need defending it’s one of the best in the series

[@patterngrey]

I feel as though it's worth noting that you get more points for leaving an enemy "undisturbed" rather than knocking them out.