JOE got the chance to have a chat with the creative mind behind the latest (and pretty brilliant looking) Splinter Cell installment, Blacklist
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell games have been pretty popular for many a year on the Playstation, and the latest installment sees a group of terrorists calling themselves The Engineers initiating a terror ultimatum called the Blacklist – a deadly countdown of escalating attacks on U.S. interests. Special operative Sam Fisher is now the leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon: a clandestine unit that answers solely to the President of the United States, and he’s charged with getting the job done, whatever it takes.
We sat down to chat with Maxime Bleland, the Creative Director behind this latest project, about what makes this title the best so far.
JOE: What makes this the best Splinter Cell game yet?
Maxime Bleland: This is the biggest Splinter Cell ever – it features unrivaled scope and variety for fans of the series. We’ve built the game with player choice at its core, and we put the full control in the hands of the player powered by the Strategic Mission Interface or SMI.
The SMI blurs the lines between all game modes and allows the players to choose the content they want to play when they want to play it. If you want to dive into our deep Single Player experience, jump right in as elite spec op Sam Fisher, back as leader of the newly-formed 4th Echelon. You play as Sam and it’s up to you to stop The Blacklist – a deadly series of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Or you can choose our unique co-op mode, The 4th Echelon Missions, 14 exciting, distinct missions that complement our SP experience. And of course we showcase the return of the legendary Spies Versus Mercs multiplayer, including the new Blacklist mode.
JOE: Ubisoft has talked about innovating from the roots of the franchise with Splinter Cell Blacklist, what do you mean by that?
Maxime Bleland: In Splinter Cell Blacklist, we have focused the game on Sam Fisher. We want you to really feel like Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell Blacklist – you can make decisions the way you think Sam actually would. You’ve got access to all the tools Sam needs to take down the intense threats and challenges he will face in this game. The Blacklist is going to push Sam’s abilities to their limits and we think gamers will find the game compelling and engaging.
JOE: What is the story about in this game?
Maxime Bleland: The United States has a military presence in two thirds of the countries around the world. A group of rogue nations have had enough and mastermind a terror ultimatum called The Blacklist – a deadly countdown of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Sam Fisher is the leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon unit: a special operations unit that answers solely to the President of the United States. Sam and his team must hunt down these terrorists by any means necessary, and stop The Blacklist countdown before it reaches zero.
JOE: What is “Killing in Motion” all about in Splinter Cell Blacklist?
Maxime Bleland: In Splinter Cell Blacklist, Killing in Motion is not a feature, but a gameplay philosophy. The introduction of Killing in Motion completely rebuilds how Sam Fisher, moves through the world, and how he takes down his enemies. We’ve added three elements to support Killing in Motion – active sprint, Mark and Execute in motion, and takedowns in motion. Once players master Killing in Motion, they will be able to play seamlessly through the environment, taking out enemies quickly and efficiently.
JOE: Let’s talk about stealth gameplay, which Splinter Cell series have been known for. So far we have seen the return of night vision, moving bodies, knife, whistling and Non-Lethal Combat. What else will make a come-back from previous titles that you can share with us?
Maxime Bleland: We’ve included a wide range of features and gadgets that support the player that loves to play in the Ghost and Panther playstyles. Takedowns from cover are back and better than ever. The sticky shocker returns in an exciting new way. Fans of stealth can also make the most of Sam’s sneaking abilities, ability to abduct and carry enemies, and use the silent, but deadly, karambit. We’ve built variety in every level to ensure there multiple paths for the player to choose, and many ways to tackle any challenge facing Sam and 4th Echelon.
JOE: How does Blacklist walk the line between stealth and action?
Maxime Bleland: When we conceived the design for Splinter Cell Blacklist, gameplay variety and the ability to play your way, and be rewarded for your choice, was a priority for our team. It’s a huge and extremely daunting task from a design perspective to create a game that supports multiple play styles, and then add game elements that support each style.
Splinter Cell Blacklist will have a lot of variety in the game and its design, supporting a wide range from non-lethal right through to full action. We’re also providing a number of unique moments where gameplay mechanics and perspective will change based on the challenge at hand. In addition, we’ve built the economy system to support play style choice and this goes a long way to rewarding the player and the way they choose to play Splinter Cell Blacklist.
JOE: What new features and abilities will the upcoming game have?
Maxime Bleland: Splinter Cell Blacklist supports classic features and a wide variety of new innovations. Sam is back in his suit with his legendary goggles, and he has new gadgets and weapons making him more deadly than ever. We are also introducing Killing in Motion with Splinter Cell Blacklist, allowing Sam to move efficiently through the environment while taking out multiple targets quickly and fluidly. And there will be a great deal more revealed about Splinter Cell Blacklist features and innovations over the coming months.
JOE: How important is realism in Splinter Cell Blacklist?
Maxime Bleland: Splinter Cell has always revolved around realism; we’re not making a fantasy game or a sci-fi game; we’re putting a realistic hero in a realistic environment against a strong, but realistic new threat. Everything in the game is feasible; it’s an important element of what makes Splinter Cell so popular with gamers. We’ve used a real-life Sam Fisher in our stunt actor, an ex-military weapons and technical expert. He’s teaching our actors how to fight, handle weapons and do holds and throws so all the action is as authentic as possible.
JOE: Will Sam’s iconic goggles be back?
Maxime Bleland: Yes, Sam is going to have his iconic trifocal goggles back in this game. He’s back with 4th Echelon – and this time, it’s his team, his way. He will have his goggles, tactical suit, gadgets, and so much more – and gamers will be able to upgrade and customize everything to support their playstyle.Due to the severity of this threat, a new mandate was given to Sam directly by the President of the United States and he’s granted the fabled Fifth Freedom to do whatever he has to, by any means necessary, to take down the Engineers and stop The Blacklist attacks.
JOE: How important is character creation in a game?
Maxime Bleland: Good stories depend on interesting, relatable characters. In Splinter Cell Blacklist, Sam Fisher moves from lone wolf to pack leader of Fourth Echelon. The dynamics between the 4th Echelon team are important to our story in Blacklist, not only to showcase Sam as leader, but to also really go deep into the dynamic tensions that build and evolve over the course of the game.
We were really excited when we found Eric Johnson to act as Sam Fisher – we knew we had found someone strong and powerful enough for the role. Right away, we knew that we had to find an actress who could play Grim in a way that could hold her own with Sam. This requires a smart and powerful woman, which we definitely found with Kate Drummond. I’m really proud of the actors. They’ve allowed us to tell what I think is our most emotional and relevant story in the series to date.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist is released on August 23rd, not long to go now! If you fancy a copy, JOE will have a few to give away on Xbox, just keep an eye on our Twitter feed for how to enter.
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