Ubisoft: Splinter Cell Series Held Back by Complexity

No single developer has the perfect formula to create a hit. Certain elements and gameplay conventions have proven to attract significant segments of the gaming market, but there’s no detailed guidebook on “how to sell 10 million copies.” Ubisoft is a company that’s found massive success with games like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, but it’s franchises like Splinter Cell that the studio believes are being held back by their complexity.

Ubisoft Toronto head Jade Raymond recently spoke to Eurogamer about the project her company was created to produce three years ago: Blacklist. During this period, the team has done its best to discover what’s prevented Splinter Cell from becoming a name that echoes throughout millions of households, and the bright minds on Toronto believe it has much to do with the game’s difficulty.

"One of the things that held it back is despite all of the changes that have happened over the years, it's still one of the more complex and difficult games to play," Raymond said. "Even though we do have core fans who are like, 'Oh, I want to have more of this experience,' when you play any other game that has stealth elements, they're all a lot more forgiving than Splinter Cell.”  

Developers have been discussing making core games more casual throughout the generation. Even brutal experiences like Darks Souls 2 are being developed to be friendlier to new players, so this philosophy isn’t exactly novel.

“Splinter Cell still really is a thinking game. It's really about being intelligent and taking that time in the first phase to plan out how you're going to do things, and understanding the elements, and even planning your gadgets and your load-out and being smart about it,” Raymond said. “That's where you get the thrill, but it's a different way of playing than most games on the market these days."

The less-stealthy, more action-based nature of Blacklist hasn’t exactly rubbed the series’ fanbase the right way. But Raymond believes that the work being done on this highly anticipated title is for the better – no matter what the comments say.

"There's a big difference between the vocal fans who write things on forums and what the larger base of players think," she said.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist will be launching on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC August 20.