Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist

I had an amazing time with this game over 10 years ago. Unfortunately, as it stands, the game seems barely playable on newer hardware. I've tried multiple fixes, including launch options one, but none of them helped to resolve the stuttering, audio issues, or low FPS after Alt-Tabbing. It's a shame; you can try to play through the whole game, but keep in mind that you should test it right away. If none of the publicly available fixes work for you, just get a refund.

I don't have enough time in [i]Splinter Cell: Blacklist[/i] to offer a true review of this product. However, I can share my impressions and why I doubt I'll continue playing. It's not the absence of Michael Ironside. It's not the script, the characters, or any glaring technical problems. It's the way it plays -- in particular, the way it controls. For all of Sam's new mobility, the controls in [i]Splinter Cell[/i] have never felt less precise. I find it odd having the same button inputs for multiple actions, which has worked for me in other games but not so much here. I also find it odd toggling between lethal and non-lethal hand-to-hand when [i]Chaos Theory[/i] did it more elegantly a long time ago: right click for knockout, left click for kill. This version of Sam feels clumsy, and I can't rely on these controls to make him do what I want. Sometimes, it's preposterous what it lets you get away with. In old [i]Splinter Cell[/i], a group of guards is a challenge. In [i]Blacklist[/i], a group of guards is a triviality -- most of the time, you can Mark and Execute. Some problems with this: (1) If he can Mark and Execute now, why couldn't he do it before? Same with monkey-hopping up the cliffside. (2) It takes control away while the game does something. You're not actually doing the thing -- actions not corresponding to your inputs. (3) How is such a feature realistic? I thought this was Tom Clancy. If you want a modern-day [i]Assassin's Creed[/i], you might enjoy this -- seriously, you might -- but if you want [i]Splinter Cell[/i] in the traditional vein, this isn't it.