A new gameplay/interview video has turned up for the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Which, unsurprisingly, has been delayed until August (it's a conspiracy). Whilst it's a little odd that the video showed up on a third party channel, it's clearly genuine, so no worries there. An interview, from the looks of it. It's a fair bit longer than much of what we've seen so far too, though not lengthy. It clocks in at a little over eight minutes and, for me at least, goes a long way to calming a lot of those "ZOMGS Y IS ALL AKSHUNZ??!!one!?" complaints we've been hearing of late. Whilst it is undeniable, even mentioned during the video, that the series is moving more towards action gameplay, the core elements of stealth are clearly still present. They were a little lacklustre in ConViction, true, but that fit with the feel of the game. This time around, we're told, they're using the motif of Sam as a panther. Quick, agile, lethal. Moving efficiently and fluidly, able to pounce in an instant with ferocious accuracy. The accompanying gameplay footage showing precisely that.

What we really must remember, is that Splinter Cell debuted on a previous generation of technology. In fact, dozens of generations of technology for us in the PC community. The limitations of the time were such that, to balance between all the aspects they were going for, particularly the emphasis on visual fidelity borne out by the massive focus on the interplay between light and shadow, the gameplay effectively demanded a more sedate pace. If you look to its contemporary, the Metal Gear series, they may have been comparable in overall appearance, but their stealth mechanics were purely based on not being seen. There were no options of shadows and hanging from the rafters. Now that the technology has moved on, it's much easier to have the speed and fluidity of combat from the latter, combined with the intricacies of the former. Which, I think extremely effectively from what we've seen so far, is precisely what we're now being presented with. Some will agree and some will remain adamant the series has been ruined. Both are correct. It's purely about personal choice now, and opinion is never wrong, so don't be shy about putting yours in the comments below.

And watch the video. It's well worth your time.