It's pretty easy to forget just how big of a deal Splinter Cell is when we're surrounded by annual Assassin's Creed releases and Metal Gear Solid coverage, but the game that provides one of the most enjoyably pure stealth experiences is also one of Ubisoft's multi-million dollar landmark franchises. Last year's Blacklist saw the team opt to tell a different sort of story, losing veteran-voice Michael Ironside as hero Sam Fisher and instead recruiting younger actor Eric Johnson for the sake of motion-capturing some more intense cutscenes. It definitely peeved off some fans, but overall Blacklist was a return to the more stealth-focussed approach the earlier titles - and crowning achievement Chaos Theory - are still know for, as oppose to the more ragtag approach seen in both Double Agent and Conviction. Luckily having been confirmed by Ubisoft a next-generation Splinter Cell is on the way, leading to fan-speculation kicking into overdrive as we ponder on everything from whether Ironside can return again - he's almost 65 - to just how serious the game will take itself, and even if there's more to be told about Fisher himself. Whatever happens the series itself has rarely faltered on the whole with fans sticking by it every step of the way, regardless of the sporadic direction changes.
