13. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U) – 2013

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist first gameplay demo

The sixth mainline Splinter Cell video game, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is an amazing stealth-based third-person game in a genre that is decidedly less popular than others. Developed by Ubisoft, it continues to story of veteran agent Sam Fisher, Fourth Echelon head field operative. Blacklist sees Sam Fisher and his allies as they seek to stop the Engineers from going on a global scale destruction. The series itself is well known for popularizing the stealth genre, with each outing taking players into scenarios that make each and everyone feel like a super cool secret agent. Blacklist is, in all essence, a must-play for any player that values silent efficiency and cunning over loud and brash brawn. Although, no one’s going to stop you from using mines to blow terrorists and enemy agents away, if you’re that kind of player.

The game plays out level by level, and in between the main storyline missions Sam is based in the Paladin airship, which is the base of operations for the newly formed Fourth Echelon. Here, you can talk to other crew members and teammates, while also being offered side quests by them. A multiplayer mode is also available, lengthening the game’s shelf life and providing some content for those fans of playing with others.

Similar to MGSV in that: the game offers an amazing array of gadgets to complete each mission, therefore tailoring it to your preferred experience. The stealth elements of the game are also quite similar, especially the way the enemy AI behaves with regards to the environment.

Better than MGSV in that: the storyline is more straightforward and easier to grasp, but still highly enjoyable. The inclusion of split-screen play is also amazing if you want to play it side by side with a friend, and has over 14 missions that run parallel to the main story.

‘Choose Your Loadout’: In order to streamline the gameplay to various scenarios, Blacklist makes use of preset slots for different loadouts to be used under different situations. A bar under the main aspects of the loadout (armor, stealth and kit) assess how effective each is.

New, Exotic Locations: In one of the first missions of the game, Sam Fisher is tasked in securing an arms dealer in Benghazi. Blacklist features a myriad of different locations all around the globe as Sam and the Fourth Echelon is tasked in bringing down the Engineers, a rogue terrorist organization.

Co-Op Gameplay: Blacklist features cooperative gameplay with fourteen missions, with each seeing Sam Fisher team up with Isaac Briggs, another operative of Fourth Echelon. This side story runs parallel with the main story and is accessible through the Paladin, Fourth Echelon’s base of operations.