A new Splinter Cell game may be revealed at Ubisoft’s E3 press conference this year, if a recent tweet from The Division 2‘s creative director Julian Gerighty serves any indication. While the publisher did state that the social media post was “obviously” a joke, Gerighty’s plea to ignore his message and a PR representative’s reprimands may suggest otherwise. The following are a few features and improvements that the next entry in this award-winning stealth video game franchise should include just in case it really does exist (because it probably does).
New Splinter Cell Features | Renewed emphasis on stealth
Most fans agree that the last Splinter Cell title, Blacklist, is a great game and while it was way more stealth-oriented than Conviction, it was not as stealthy for some as other games in the genre like Hitman or Metal Gear Solid 5. Given the generational leap the industry’s made since Blacklist‘s release, Ubisoft should add new weapons, tools, and environmental hazards that allow players to take down opponents in a variety of creative ways.
The game could take a page from Rainbow Six Siege, for instance, so that fans can break down walls and lay traps where targets least expect them. CQC mechanics could be expanded for better up-close executions. Players could even incapacitate goons and wear their outfits in order to move through restricted areas. Unscripted events could also be included to make each mission feel more dynamic. Random enemies could appear just as Sam is making his escape, thus keeping veterans on their toes.
Of course, these suggestions shouldn’t replace some of the excellent features introduced in Blacklist. These include interrogations, which help make enemy encounters feel more intense. Ubisoft could improve on the formula by giving players new ways to torture their victims outside of Sam’s fists. The protagonist could go so far as to accidentally kill his source of information. This would result in a new story route or force fans to return to a level to find someone else to interrogate. There are tons of ways to make one of gaming’s best sneaks even more sneakier.
New Splinter Cell Features | Better multiplayer options
One major complaint with Conviction was its lack of the franchise’s popular Spies versus Mercs multiplayer mode. Though Ubisoft delivered the feature in Blacklist, it feels bare compared to its inclusion in other titles like Double Agent. The studio could improve the mode by offering players different classes, loadouts, or heroes before starting a new session and larger maps to make each mission feel more dramatic.
The developer doesn’t have to stop there, as it can bring back some of Double Agent‘s traditional multiplayer modes and include some new ones. For example, it can take a page from Hitman and include a feature that has players race to assassinate five targets. If Ubisoft wants to be cheeky, it can also introduce an Assassin’s Creed mode that has players hunt victims while trying their best to evade assailants.
A co-op mode needs to included as well, seeing how critics and fans loved the feature in Blacklist. The next Splinter Cell could go so far as to give players the option to play the entire story with a partner. A separate co-op campaign that ties into the title’s single-player narrative would be welcome too, so long as it’s a bit more fleshed out than the one included in Blacklist. Co-op missions were nice but the campaign in Conviction was even nicer.
New Splinter Cell Features | Semi-open world environments
If Metal Gear Solid 5 is anything to go by, the stealth genre has changed drastically since Splinter Cell‘s last release. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the next game in Ubisoft’s spy franchise needs to feature sprawling open-world levels, however. The developer should simply improve upon Blacklist‘s large environments and rely upon systemic gameplay to create unique player-driven moments, which is what made Metal Gear Solid 5 so popular.
Locations should be just as varied and open enough for players to use long-ranged rifles from a distance. Of course, each level should include more linear indoor areas that incentivize fans to carefully lay out traps beforehand or assassinate targets up-close with their bare hands. Including different spaces within a stage would allow players to use their imagination and change up the pace, which is always a good thing.
One of Blacklist‘s coolest aspects is that it takes fans around the world to places like Iran, Cuba, Paraguay, London, and the United States. The next Splinter Cell should preserve this sense of globe-trotting adventure, as it helps make the title feel like the video game equivalent of a Mission Impossible movie. If Ubisoft’s new entry can replicate the awesomeness of Mission Impossible: Fallout, it may just reinvent the franchise in the best ways.
New Splinter Cell Features | Michael Ironside’s return
Ghost Recon Wildlands reintroduced players to Sam Fisher with its free Special Operation I update last year. To everyone’s surprise, the original voice of the character, Michael Ironside, reprises his role as the mascot after being replaced with Eric Johnson in Blacklist. Ironside’s return reminds fans of the nuance he adds to Fisher’s demeanor. Ubisoft would be wise to have him back in the next game lest it draw ire from the series’ community again. It also seems that Ubisoft is aware of Ironside’s popularity too, given a recent quote by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
Right now is the great time to release a new Splinter Cell, given the absence of big name stealth franchises on the market. Ubisoft did state in 2017 that all of its Tom Clancy series are “coming along,” seemingly hinting that fans will be given the opportunity to reunite with Sam Fisher soon. This combined with recent evidence suggests that the mascot’s glowing trifocal goggles will appear at Ubisoft’s E3 press conference this year, though none of us will know for sure until June 10.
