Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist – Sam Fisher’s Abilities (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U)

Ubisoft turned a few heads when it announced Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist last year.  That’s because it went with a younger version of the character, rather than the old and grizzled Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell: Conviction.  Just because he’s younger, though, doesn’t mean he’s inexperienced.  Quite the contrary.  With this in mind, we chose to look at the abilities players will use to outwit Sam’s enemies.

The Master of Stealth Tactics

When it comes to sneaking into a room, nobody does it better than Sam.  He has the ability to move quietly without alerting people to his presence.  Better yet, he can do it from above or below. Sam can climb and scale surfaces with ease by shimmying along a pipe to get the drop on someone, or avoid being detected by a patrol.  He can also perform a split between walls, thanks to the strength of his legs.  He can hide behind objects and peer out, then use individual items in the environment to his advantage.

For instance, if he’s outdoors in a rain storm, he can wait for thunder following a lightning strike and use the noise to get the jump on a target or find another cover spot.  He can also shoot out light bulbs to employ the cover of darkness. Sam also possesses faster running skills than usual, should he need to pursue someone or quickly subdue a guard.  

The Master of Takedowns

With gun in hand, Sam is easily capable of shooting and killing enemies.  Since he is a master of stealth, there’s nothing sweeter than snapping someone’s neck.  He’s also quite good when it comes to close quarters combat, using his knife to quickly stab someone in the dark or a couple of punches to put a gun-toting terrorist out of commission.  He can even stab enemies while hanging from the ceiling.

As you can see in the new Abilities trailer below, Sam can take out multiple baddies at once by using darkness to his advantage and tactically clearing the room.  

Tools of the Trade

Sam not only utilizes a firearm, but also various other gadgets that give him the advantage over his adversaries.  The wire cam enables him to peek under doors and see who’s in the next room, and he can also use a special mine that enables him to knock out a group of enemies with invisible gas.

Perhaps the most signature of Fisher’s tools is the pair of night vision goggles he wears atop his head.  Giving off a green glow, these allow him to see in the dark.

Killing In Motion

Finally, let’s talk about Fisher’s new capabilities that involve being able to take out targets while on the run.  Dubbed “killing in motion” by Ubisoft, this ability lets you “tag” targets within the vicinity once you have the “Execute Ready” go-ahead.  It doesn’t take long to recharge and then “execute” the order by launching into a run. As you do it, Sam automatically targets and shoots bad guys.  This is ideal for more action heavy segments.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist will appear on August 23rd for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Wii U.