• Confirmed that there is a team dedicated for the PC version, but not specifically who. Very likely it is a team within Ubisoft Toronto working on it to optimise the game and create proper control schemes.
  
• DX9 and DX11 builds
  
• PC features: TXAA, HBAO, higher-resolution shadows, parallax mapping, tessellation (DX11)
  

• Gamepad can be used for multiple features such as inventory management, to fly the tri-rotor drone, or as the snake cam (to see under doors), mark enemies, hold it up for night vision, and much more.
  

• Sam Fisher returns as the leader of the new Fourth Echelon (4E).
  
• Team members include: Anna Grimsdottir (from the previous games), Charlie Cole (hacker), Isaac Briggs (CIA officer). Also joining the cast is loveable rear end in a top hat Andriy Kobin from Conviction.
  
• The plot of the game revolves around a series of attacks on American interests orchestrated by a group of rogue nations: they demand that the United States withdraws its armed forces from every country in the world. Each attack is on a countdown and it is up to Forth Echelon to stop the Blacklist attacks from happening.
  
• From what is revealed and shown from trailers the first attack happens in Guam and is very likely Sam Fisher happens to be there as it occurs; this is before he returns at the behest of the President to lead 4E.
  
• Sam Fisher, normally a recluse and solo operator is now in charge of an organization; the goal of the dev team/narrative is to show how Sam Fisher has to adapt to a leadership role throughout the game.
  
• The hub for 4E is in the C-147B Paladin, a large airplane re-purposed as a mobile HQ. From here you can access everything in the game or wander around the plane (like the SSV Normandy).
  
• There is an integrated economy system that runs through all gameplay modes (SP, COOP, SVM). You can earn currency in any game mode and spend them for any game mode with no restrictions.
  
• The Strategic Mission Interface (SMI) replaces any main menu present in the game and allows for extremely quick drop-in/drop-out into other gameplay modes without having to dig through menus or sit through quit/confirm screens as well as showing weekly/daily challenges (on ShadowNET) as well as integrating your friends lists and their progress (think Sleeping Dogs).
  

• Blacklist is an attempt to merge the faster, lethal gameplay found in Conviction with the more traditional elements in the older games such as systemic stealth gameplay (yes, that actually had to come back), gadgets, non-lethal and lethal options for players.
  
  • The developers have gone on to admit that many of the ideas in the final version of Conviction ended up being very half-baked and incomplete. Either way it was a decent base with not much systemic gameplay around it.
    
• The devs have three main gameplay pillars: navigation, combat and stealth. The level design and AI should always be challenging one or more of those pillars and the player's mastery of the systems in the game.
  
• The goggles return with a full feature set: night vision, sonar and thermal toggle modes. Some upgrades exist to merge thermal and sonar together.
  
• Being hidden in the dark is no longer binary and there are different stages, though probably less precise than the older games. The lights on your back, goggles and watch light up brighter the more hidden you are, turn off to let you know you can be seen rather than turning the screen from colour to a black/white filter.
  
• Closer Than Ever returns: In Chaos Theory, this is when a different set of animations play as you get closer to an enemy and start stalking over sneaking.
  
• Lethal/Non-lethal toggle: Now you have the option to either knock out an enemy or outright kill them. There are pro/cons to each option. The game is supposed to feature almost a hundred different takedown animations depending on stance, context, etc.
  
• Picking up bodies: Now you can hide bodies either in dark corners or occasionally in containers. You cannot carry a body while crouched however.
  
• Variable speeds: Not as many as the old games but control and precision in movement speed is still required for stealth, especially if you are right behind an enemy. There is an active sprint button that puts you into parkour mode for most things in the environment.
  
• The launcher returns (sorta): in the older games there was a launcher attached to a FNF2000 that fired certain gadgets, this is replaced by a crossbow that fires different bolts.
  
  • The crossbow can fire sticky shockers (non-lethal), EMP bolts (AOE EMPs an area), gas arrows , possibly others.
    
  • This replaced the launcher from the previous games to accommodate the customization system and not force players to have to pick a weapon that could accommodate a launcher over one without.
    
  • Other gadgets are simply thrown, like in Conviction. Such as the sticky camera, probably to nerf abuse with firing sticky cameras at people for free KOs.
    
• Whistling: Sam can once again attract enemies with a whistle/whisper. What you do with that is up to you.
  
• The Knife: instead of a straight double-edged blade, you now have a Karambit which functions nearly the same as any other knife except with occasionally flashier animations, plus you can cut fabrics again to create paths.
  
• Mark and Execute/Killing in Motion: A very polarizing feature but with some more depth built into it this time around.
  
  • The M&E token has its own 'gauge' that fills up to allow you to use the execute portion. A melee takedown is worth 100% while a regular kill is only worth 25%, etc. The gauge is 4 pips.
    
  • Mark and Execute also works with the crossbow and possibly with whatever ammo it holds for non-lethal use.
    
• Gadgets:
  
  • Sticky Camera: can be upgraded to distract, release sleeping gas or detonate. Can be used to mark enemies.
    
  • Sticky Noisemaker
    
  • Proximity Shocker: throwable AOE shocker when there isn't water around to propagate a sticky shocker through multiple enemies.
    
  • Tri-rotor drone: A small flying drone that operates like a sticky camera except instead of sleeping gas it fires sticky shockers. Can be seen and heard and destroyed.
    
  • Spider-bot: possibly a late-game gadget that probably replaces the sticky camera/operates similarly enough
    
  • Sleeping gas grenade
    
  • Flashbang grenade: flash! bang!
    
  • Frag Grenade
    
  • Incendiary Grenade
    
  • Remote and Proximity mines
    
• Customization system: Equipment and their respective upgrades can be purchased for SP/Co-op with the economy system for many of your body armour slots and weapons. There are equipment pieces that vary differently between attributes that affect things like noise generation, armour, gadget capacity, ammo capacity, etc. You are free to mix and match pieces as you choose.
  
• Enemy types: rather than simply all the same guard with slightly different AI routines and uniforms, there are some different enemy types that vary wildly and try to force the player to re-evaluate their options.
  
  • Dogs: Can sense you even if you aren't in line of sight, will bark and cause attention to other guards in the area.
    
  • Snipers: extremely long distance enemy, you will notice them right away with their laser sight scanning back and forth. Most reports say that regardless of difficulty and armour combination, they will very likely one-shot kill you regardless.
    
  • Heavies: heavily armoured enemies as the name suggests, they can take more punishment from gunfire, wear a helmet/gas mask (cannot be sleeping gased directly) and cannot be meleed from the front. Also equipped with a shotgun. One mark and execute against him will only remove his helmet and you must follow up somehow, whether it be a gunshot, melee, or your partner's mark and execute.
    
  • Tech enemies: They actively jam your thermal/sonar vision modes from working unless taken out. They also seem to be as well geared as heavies. If alerted they will release remote controlled cars that search for you and explode.
    
  • Night vision enemies: The dark is no longer safe!
    

• The designers have stated that the goal was to create a sandbox-lite feeling within the levels; so even as levels are linear in a sense (as most Splinter Cell levels are), there are plenty of sections that open up and are rife for the player to tackle as they wish to achieve whatever objectives.
  
• The developers did not want to 'force' trial-and-error stealth on players throughout the entire game (there are sections with forced ghost stealth) but they are doing their best to encourage stealth by making it more rewarding (points, currency) and trying to make it difficult to tackle enemies head on; you will still get overwhelmed and killed easily even with the improved gunplay if you try to play it simply as a cover shooter.
  
• The most drastic change is that all levels open up with the enemy unaware of your presence (or, "by default you are stealth" to quote the devs) whereas in Conviction where 99% of the time the enemy was immediately aware of you are as soon as you passed a predetermined spot in the level.
  
• Therefore it is better to see different levels as 'ecosystems' where for all intents and purposes the AI run as if you don't exist or were never there but will react accordingly if they become alerted to your presence.
  
• All levels have been carefully crafted and playtested ad nauseum to allow for all playstyles but not with separate "paths". The devs has stated on the record they have 'advocates' that play each level specific to a playstyle and co-ordinate with the level designers to ensure all three playstyles are supported through level design.
  
• Levels are 'blackboxes' as explained by the devs, they do a 2d pass (for cover, lines of sight), then 3d pass (for things like ledges, pipes, vents), then light and shadows to ensure levels are full of options, opportunities and obstacles.
  
• Stealth is rewarded much more than playing lethally or loudly to where knockouts are worth 66-100% more points (in turn more money) and completely leaving guards undisturbed is worth even more alone.
  
• There is a trophy/achievement for completing the game without any kills though there will be sections where you are forced to neutralize the enemy to proceed.
  

• Guards will not notice your presence in a level unless you make a mistake or decide to tell them and will go about their way in the world. You will still hear conversations but there are no interrogation dialogues as in the older games or interrogation sequences from Conviction.
  
• AI more likely to hear you if you aren't almost completely still or at the slowest speed, even decked out with equipment designed for maximum stealth.
  
• AI more aggressive if you disturb the environment, especially if you do something like shoot out a light versus turning it off; they will go to investigate regardless but they might react differently and/or escalate/call for help.
  
• There are different AI roles, some that are leaders that will co-ordinate with others to start searches rather than having a bunch of stragglers walk off while others stand still, especially if you caused a ruckus.
  
• AI will now hear nearby abductions (character grabs) unlike other games. This also makes it harder to pick off guards slowly one-by-one as they will notice their fellow guards going missing.
  
• AI work better when investigating, covering one another rather than roaming alone. If you are spotted they will try to funnel you into compromising positions with cover fire, grenades, etc.
  
• AI has better detection and notices things better, you cannot simply walk between blobs of shadows to get to where you want; observation and planning is more important especially if you wish to remain undetected.
  

• Ghost
  
  • The style that most old-school players will want to play and the most rewarding of all playstyles. Almost entirely enforced in Perfectionist mode.
    
  • Everyone has their own definition of what ghosting entails but the game rewards you for non-lethal KOs (takedowns, gadgets, etc.) and leaving enemies alone
    
• Panther
  
  • The optimal style the devs hope some players will play or for people coming in from Conviction.
    
  • A lethal take on stealth formalized in Conviction, you are rewarded for killing an enemy in stealth by any means or if you slip past enemies alerted to you (but currently cannot find you).
    
• Assault
  
  • If you are detected when you kill an enemy, you will get assault points, knockout or kill or whatever.
    
• From latest footage, it looks like a KO (ghost) is worth 150, a stealth kill (panther) is worth around 100-125 and a straight up kill while detected (assault) counts as 'combat kill', only 75 points. There are also points rewarded after points of no return for ghost (enemies undisturbed,this value MAY be greater than simply enemies undisturbed x 150points and may be more for full ghosts) and panther (enemies evaded). Mark and Execute kills also seem to possibly have diminishing returns per kill to discourage use.
  
  

• New 4th difficulty to encourage older Splinter Cell gameplay
  
• AI has better detection, much deadlier if spotted
  
• One-shot one-kill against the player
  
• Cannot melee any enemies from the front
  
• Cannot see through walls with Sonar goggles
  
• No option to "execute" with Mark & Execute; can still mark however
  
• Last Known Position ghost is disabled: Surprise! It's been in all the games the entire time! You just couldn't see it until it was in Conviction.
  

• There are 14 distinct co-op missions that are completely different from the single player and SvM maps.
  
• Co-op maps were developed by Ubisoft Shanghai (SCPT, SCDA)
  
• Your co-op partner is Isaac Briggs, who plays exactly the same as Sam Fisher and has the same customization options.
  
• With the exception of the Isaac Briggs missions, many levels can be soloed and can be repeated for points/money for customization.
  
• Devs don't want co-op to become a 'follow the leader' mentality where one player knows everything and does the majority of the work; greater emphasis on co-op moves to traverse environment or situations where players are asked/encouraged to split apart for periods of time to accomplish tasks.
  
• Mark and Execute no longer works the same in Conviction, you can only execute the targets you have marked. For enemies like the heavy that require two shots to kill will require some timing on behalf of both partners.
  
• There will be paths in some of the soloable maps that are inaccessible because they require co-op moves to access.
  
• Co-op missions are given by Grim, Isaac Briggs, Charlie and Kobin with their own flavour to it. The Deniable Ops label has been abandoned but analogues are very similar to how they worked in Conviction, but with a better spin on it:
  
  • The majority of the missions will be narrative based and will feature a mix of play styles. These missions cannot be soloed. (Co-op campaign)
    
  • Grim's missions are very old school SC (ghost style), there are usually extreme restrictions such as no-kills or instant-fail upon detection. (Infiltration mode but with objectives, no forced terrorist hunt)
    
  • Kobin's missions are more panther style, not much is revealed. (probably traditional terrorist hunt from Conviction)
    
  • Charlie's missions are more assault style though they have confirmed they can still be ghosted, but (my note) the overall theme is probably more action-oriented. (maybe a horde mode or that EMP defense mode I never tried)
    

• Two versions with similar general map layouts but laid out similarly and lit differently depending on game mode.
  
• Original creator of SvM (Gunther Galipot) is back as director of SvM along with Ubisoft Montreal.
  
• Basic premise involves the spies (play in third person) hacking 3 terminals in any order, mercs (play in first person) have to prevent that, then teams switch.
  
• There will be extensive custom match options provided.
  
• Apparent changes since PT/CT/DA SvM:
  
  • Both sides have unlimited lives so spies trying to kill mercs and burn their lives no longer possible; have to hack instead.
    
  • Hacks are now initiated on the spot, but wireless after it has started, so the spy can go off and try to hide. The area is cordoned off and the other nodes cannot be hacked simultaneously.
    
  • The spy who initiates the hack has to stay within the area to finish it; if killed there is a small grace period where someone can continue the hack before it resets.
    
  • Spies have a knife that can kill mercs up close, but usually difficult. They also have environmental attacks (ledge grabs, death from above) while most merc kills are either weapon-based and they have more humiliating melee finishers.
    
  • When mercs are killed, they spectate based on security cameras in the level instead of on their teammates.
    
• Classic variation (2v2):
  
  • Extremely light-and-shadow based, maps are lit appropriately that spies can blend or hide in the shadows, more claustrophobic feeling
    
  • Mercs armed with flashlights, though apparently they can be turned off to hide and ambush spies as well.
    
  • Spies do not have offensive guns (only a knife), carry only non-lethal weapons like shockers and gadgets; also armed with night vision goggles.
    
  • Limited to no customization involved, at least with the economy system.
    
• Blacklist variation (4v4):
  
  • Maps aren't lit as extremely as classic mode and the pace is a little faster with 8 players, slightly opened up with less dark shadows and layout.
    
  • Both sides come with pre-set classes that have their own gadgets and abilities.
    
  • Takes full advantage of customization with create-a-class slots unlocked fairly soon after playing, similar to SP where you can customize all body slots plus a special ability, total of twelve slots (6 each, 3 available and 3 unlockable)
    
  • Weapon customization similar or on-par with what exists in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier gunsmith.
    
  • Spies now can equip regular guns but mercs more armoured, better handling than spies with guns.
    
  • Spy Presets:
    
    • Intel Scout - tracks enemies
      
    • Predator - stronger at CQC, has a digital camo suit that allows you go temporarily go invisible
      
    • Saboteur - distrupt or take out enemy gadgets and equipment
      
  • Merc Presets:
    
    • Peacemaker - strongest merc with extra armour, adrenaline shots to boost stats
      
    • Hunter - has drones that can be used to mark and track spies or detonate them
      
    • Distruptor - can distrupt spies equipment and HUD
      

• Gameplay:
  
  • Abandoned Mill walkthrough with commentary
    
  • Gameplay video: Hacker's Den (co-op map), no commentary
    
  • Gameplay video: Silo (co-op map), no commentary
    
  • Spies vs. Mercs footage roll, no commentary
    
  • London Comicon footage with commentary Benghazi gameplay starts at 14:10
    
  • E3 2013 off-camera footage (very little commentary) (London map)
    
  • E3 2013 off-camera IGN footage with commentary (London map)
    
  • E3 2013 off-camera gameplay on PC (London map)
    
  • E3 2013 gameplay demo with IGN, dev commentary (Louisiana map)
    
    • Louisiana mission, no commentary part 1 of 3
      
    • Louisiana mission, no commentary part 2 of 3
      
    • Louisiana mission, no commentary part 3 of 3
      
  • E3 2013 off-camera SvM gameplay
    
  • Off-camera of someone repeatedly failing a forced stealth section (humour/hard to watch)
    
  
  
• Trailers:
  
  • World Premiere trailer (CGI)
    
  • The Fifth Freedom trailer
    
  • Inauguration trailer
    
  • Abilities: Strike, Stalk, Silence trailer
    
  • The Blacklist Begins trailer
    
  • Co-op trailer
    
  • Spies vs. Mercs trailer
    
  • Wii U trailer
    
  
  
• Dev Diaries/Interviews:
  
  • Dev Diary with Michael Ironside and Eric Johnson
    
  • Dev Diary with Kevin Secours, the combat stunt director
    
  • Dev Diary with the Spies vs. Mercs Team
    
  • Dev Diary with art director Scott Lee
    
  • Dev Diary with animation director Kristjan Zadziuk
    
  • Interview with SvM lead level designer Geoff Ellenor
    
  • IGN preview about Perfectionist Mode with Maxime Beland
    
  • Adam Sessler E3 interview with Maxime Beland
    
  • E3 2013 interview with Richard Carillo and Maxime Beland on co-op and SP
    
  • E3 2013 interview with Patrick Redding on SP
    
  • E3 2013 interview with SvM producer Sebastian Ebacher
    

06/10 -
There is a free mobile companion game out on iOS (and soon to Android) called Spider-Bot.

Sober fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jul 7, 2013

• The first appearance of Sam Fisher, what else do you need? Probably one of the first games that really relied on shadows as more than just eye-candy.
  
• The coolest level where you infiltrate the CIA and you have to ghost it.
  
• Some crazy plot which takes place mostly in Georgia (the country)
  

• The debut of Spies versus Mercs, an asymmetrical multiplayer mode. Terrible confession time: I was never much of an SvM player.
  
• A really cool train mission, but everything else was rather hard to remember. Or I only played through the once.
  
• President David Palmer/Snake Doctor as your handler (they had different VOs except Sam this game)
  

• The goddamn gold standard for stealth games, in my opinion. Best levels, best music (Amon Tobin), best goddamn everything. The Sam Fisher head could've used some work in retrospect, but that is it's only bad mark I can give it.
  
• A knife. You use it to shank fools if you so please. Or you can open up tents and stuff and sneak in. In fact, they vastly expanded the gadgets you could use and just generally made stealth gaming more accessible.
  
• The voices in your ear not taking everything so goddamn serious: Sam joking about being set up on dates with fat girls via your communications expert, or having her tease you about being an old man, Sam just being grumpy the entire time, or joking about your handler being divorced way too many times while in the middle of a mission.
  
• Co-op mode: ran concurrent with the game's story as you played two other different splinter cells. Also, your voice chat could be heard by guards, so whisper.
  
• Did I mention it's the best loving Splinter Cell game, if not the best stealth game in recent memory?
  

• The only decent Sam Fisher head model. Oh, and a semi-hub level that takes place between globe hopping missions.
  
• Two versions of the game - X360/PS3/PC and a Gamecube/Wii/PS2/Xbox version that are vastly different. I am told the latter is the superior version, but I only played the former on PC.
  
• Day-time stealth: I guess I should give this game something, because there isn't much else I liked about the game. Stealth is simplified to 3 states - green/yellow/red for undetected, suspicious and alert. Maybe because of day time levels, maybe not.
  
• You also manipulate loyalty bars but the Double Agent thing is a cover, but at least it provides some interesting X or Y objectives during missions.
  
• The world's loving dumbest minigame that you probably want to just youtube or gamefaqs because it's not worth the trouble.
  

• HoboSam FisherPanther: The crystallization of "Panther" stealth, aka Predatory Stealth. If you've played the Batman: Arkham games, it's similar except you have a gun and you murder the poo poo out of everyone instead of knocking them unconscious. Seen by the hardcore stealth fans as the loving worst thing ever, the developers wanted to take stealth in another direction, away from "grandma" stealth where you sit and wait and move slowly and plan to "panther" where you might do some planning, but you end up viciously murdering everyone without them knowing (at least hopefully).
  
• A storyline reminiscent of 24. You basically play Jack Bauer who wants revenge throughout the whole game, so some of it is memorable.
  
• Mark and Execute: Basically an extension of Panther Stealth that most people find completely repulsive one way or another because it either makes stealth too easy by letting you murder up to three or four people at the press of a button, or it just makes games seem like they play themselves. Basically you can mark guards, a nice way to keep track of them. If you melee kill one, you can now 'execute' and whichever marked targets are in line-of-sight and range will get instantly murdered in a cinematic fashion.
  
• Some cool interrogation scenes, projected text (think Fringe, etc.) in the missions.
  
• Black and White to go stealth: some people liked it, most of the hardcore at it since it basically removed your night vision goggles (at least the mode), it looked hideous to most and it made their game/stealth accessible to those filthy common denominators.
  
• Also they removed SvM, so you can get mad at that.
  
• Very familiar guards
  

Sober fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Jun 11, 2013

Utnayan fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Feb 6, 2013

TyroneGoldstein fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Feb 7, 2013

Chafey fucked around with this message at 12:11 on Feb 7, 2013

rizuhbull fucked around with this message at 13:07 on Feb 7, 2013

Nelson Mandingo fucked around with this message at 08:23 on Feb 12, 2013