Last night massive developer Ubisoft announced that it is remaking the very first Splinter Cell. It has promised to stay true to the stealth-heavy 2002 game, which is a good sign. But it will also introduce a variety of modern mechanics to bring it up to speed with the modern gaming market.
The actual development is being managed by Ubisoft Toronto, which will harness the Snowdrop engine it has co-developed, which was used for The Division series. This will help push the newer consoles to their limits, and promises a gloriously re-imagining of the much loved classic.
Better still, Ubisoft has put together a video introducing new gamers to the Splinter Cell universe. The video also introduces the team behind the development, who discuss the remake and what they felt was special about the first ever game in the series. You can check out the video yourself below
The Splinter Cell Remake Steps out of the Shadow
Another great slice of news from the usually side-quest loving Ubisoft; Splinter Cell will not be open world. Instead of the typical format expected from the developer, it will focus on linear levels where “every square inch is part of a choice, or directly offers a choice”. As well as updated visuals, there will also be tweaks to “some of the design elements” to make the game “match player comfort and expectations”.
Initial fan response seems mostly positive following the announcement. Of course, if Ubisfot decide to litter the game with NFTs this could de-rail the mood somewhat. But don’t hold your breath for a release date. In a Q&A with the developer, one of the game’s producers said it was “in the very earliest stages of development”. A lot of the promotional material clearly calls out that Ubisoft are “now hiring” for the Splinter Cell remake, so we would assume the team is not yet at full capacity.
Ubisoft Toronto are a good choice for the remake, too. The last game in the Splinter Cell franchise, 2013’s Blacklist was the very first game the team shipped. It was universally well received, too scoring 8s and 9s across the board, with 83 out of 100 on Metacritic. Since then the studio has worked on Far Cry 5 and 6, as well as Watch Dogs: Legion.
Source; The Verge
“Video games are great. I should know, I’ve played some.”
Olly S, July 2020