Initially released in 2002,Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cellwore its influences on its sleeve and offered up one of the most compelling stealth-centric experiences of the sixth console generation. Unfortunately,Ubisoft’s ex-marquee franchise has been sidelined since 2013’sBlacklist, but recent rumors suggest that a new open-worldSplinter Cellinstallment is currently in the works and that it will borrow from the publisher’s semi-controversial design philosophies.
Per a tweet from gaming journalist Tom Henderson, Ubisoft is in the early stages of developing the first mainline installment in theSplinter Cellseries in eight years. According to Henderson, the new game will feature an open-world environment and play like “a more stealthy version ofAssassin’s Creed.”
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Henderson also mentions that the forthcomingSplinter Cellgame will borrow fromHalo Infinite’s approach to open-world gaming. There’s no way to know definitively howHalo’s new gameplay stylings may impact the early development stages of a game in an entirely different genre, but it can be assumed that, rather than touting it as the defining characteristic of the release alaFar Cry 6orGhost Recon: Breakpoint, Ubisoft will downplay the game’s open-world aspects, and exploration won’t be as integral to progression as it is in its other games.
Withno official word from Ubisoft, it’s difficult to parse speculation from parody; Ubisoft’s penchant for shoe-horning open-world gameplay mechanics into its recent releases is often mocked by the wider gaming community, but Henderson’s history of reporting onBattlefield 2042pre-release rumors adds authenticity to the claims being made.
The concepts of stealth and open-world exploration may seem to be at odds, and Ubifosft’s strategy for sandbox level design may seem played out, but that’s not to say it can’t work.Games likeMetal Gear Solid: The Phantom Painand Ubisoft’s ownAssassin’s Creed: Odysseymarried these two estranged ideas, and, barring the more fantastical elements, comparisons to theDishonoredseries may not be unwarranted.
That said, gamers have a right to be skeptical about the future of the dormant series. With the status of apreviously announced VR gameup in the air and rumors of various canceled installments in the series still kicking about, the future ofSplinter Cellseems to be anything but definite. While seeing Sam Fisher don his iconic trifocal goggles once again is a hallmark gaming moment long overdue, fans may have to wait a while longer before they receive any kind of concrete confirmation.
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