Microsoft E3 Press Conference Coverage - Splinter Cell: Blacklist

   
     Ubisoft's long running Splinter Cell series is making it's return with Splinter Cell: Blacklist.  The plot seems to run along the usual lines of "terrorist plot needs to be stopped and you're the one that has to do it".  I wouldn't let that deter your interest though because the game is looking great.
     The visuals are very nice but the hardware is really starting to show it's age.  It's obvious that Ubisoft is doing it's best to squeeze every bit of performance out of an aging console generation.  Nevertheless, the visuals are easily on par with some of the best the industry has to offer today.  Flags blow fluidly in the background, desert scenery looks realistically drab and drained of life, and Sam moves the way you would expect to see a human being move.

   As fans have come to expect from the series, Sam has the usual 007 laundry list of tools and gadgets at his disposal to aid him on his missions.  In this game, Sam has rejoined 4th Echelon giving him access to even more attacks that he can employ in real time on the battlefield.  This is where Kinect comes into play.  Functionality has been integrated so that now Sam can call in strikes to the battlefield and give commands to his support in 4th Echelon using simply voice commands.  A quick "Grim, Now!" and we see an enemy technical destroyed with what appeared to be a JDAM airstrike.  Kinect also made a splash during the demo when the player whispered a simple "Hey you!" into the Kinect microphone to draw the attention of a guard while hanging from the side of a building.
     Still not convinced to buy a Kinect?  No worries.  Sam still exhibits excellent control using the XBox 360 controller.  The execution system from Conviction makes a return here and makes for some very impressive looking cinematic neutralizations.  In one scene, we see Sam dispatch two foes via the execution system, run and vault over the hood of a truck, and then take out three more enemies with style without breaking a sweat.  When done correctly, it seems the game aims to make you feel like a true badass and, let's be honest, Sam shouldn't be considered anything less.