Splinter Cell fans today got an unexpected glimpse at the game’s upcoming remake.
Some new concept art was released by Ubisoft as part of Splinter Cell’s 20th Anniversary celebrations, depicting Sam Fisher in action with those familiar multi-vision goggles… not to mention a particularly intense-looking interrogation.
Creative director Chris Auty confirmed that the Splinter Cell remake is still “very early” in production, and it sounds as though it’s still a long way off.
But by the time it gets here, it looks as though it’ll include some improvements on the original.
“20 years later, we can look back at the plot, the characters, the overall story of the game [and] make some improvements – things that might not have aged particularly well,” said creative director Chris Auty. “But the core of the story, the core of the experience will remain as it was in the original game.”
The game may be a way off, but Ubisoft also explained how some of these improvements will work, including an upgrade to the game’s AI.
“Obviously a special forces soldier will be better trained,” said technical director, Christian Carriere. “They’re going to breach differently or enter rooms differently to something like a regular security guard would.”
“We can really improve AI engagement, how they’re reacting, and what they’re reacting to,” added senior game designer Andy Schmoll. “With all of that, we can make improvements to the cat-and-mouse gameplay between Sam and the enemies, especially with our enemies behaving like trained professionals.”
Splinter Cell included some ground-breaking systems when it was released in 2002, including the use of the trademark Stealth Meter (or Light Meter) when sneaking through the shadows.
The remake will reportedly improve on the atmospheric lighting with ray-traced global illumination as well as better audio simulation that will “create some really, really, really compelling and detailed settings.”
Want to read more about Splinter Cell? Find out how the remake will update the story for a modern audience and check out every Ubisoft game currently in development.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
About Post Author
