“The biggest, most ambitious Splinter Cell ever.”
Taking on global terrorists in the latest Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist PC game takes a whole new level of performance, firepower, and stealth. According to NVIDIA, that means a GeForce GTX graphics card is just the right weapon for the challenge.
So, because NVIDIA likes bundling things with their graphics cards (they only just ended the Metro: Last Light campaign not too long ago), the new title on the block is the Digital Deluxe edition of Splinter Cell Blacklist free with the purchase of qualifying GeForce GTX GPUs.
On the NVIDIA side…
Armed with DirectX 11 tessellation and exclusive NIVIDIA TXAA antialiasing, plus NVIDIA Surround, the GeForces promise stunning graphics and the most immersive experience. One-click settings optimization and driver support with GeForce Experience technology means that you’ll be up and ready to play in less than no time at all.
That’s a lot of promises for a graphics card. The qualifying cards are as follows: the GTX 660, 660 TI, 670, 680, 760, 770, and 780. These run from about $340 USD for the 660 and up to about $660 USD for the 780. Not exactly bargain bin prices you’re shelling out here, so it’s nice to get a little extra out of the lump sum.
You can be sure that NVIDIA is using this new bundle as another opportunity to pimp out their NVIDIA SHIELD, which still has the majority of the internet resounding with the words, “oh… you mean that’s still a thing?” in spite of NVIDIA’s enthusiastic pandering for pre-orders over the past few months.
Unfortunately for enthusiasts, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist does not appear to be optimized for the the little handheld, now much reduced in price at $299 USD. GeForce GTX graphic cards are required in order to stream your gaming and entertainment media on the lumpy Xbox-controller-sized handheld anywhere you want… so long as you don’t leave your house.
On the Splinter Cell side…
The Digital Deluxe edition of Splinter Cell Blacklist will include two extra single-player and co-op maps, five pieces of gear and gadgetry, five bonus stealth suits, and five weapons that will give you extra tactical options and advantages in both the campaign and co-op modes.
Fan excitement for this particular title is running high, which is likely exactly what NVIDIA is counting on.
“Blacklist” offers fans new insight on the life of operative Sam Fisher, and puts him in charge of the top secret agency he once worked for. The changes made to the control features for single-player remain largely the same; there has been some evidence of pick-and-choosing between elements of targeting and the point-and-click cover movements that echo Splinter Cell Conviction as well as Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. There are some slight changes to weapon selection, which promises faster selection of equipment, a vast improvement to previous games.
Furthermore, the latest title promises increased attention to level design, incorporating an open sandbox style to what used to be largely linear levels and paths to objectives.
Most importantly, the multiplayer mode is back! Widely-regarded as the fan-favorite element of the Splinter Cell games, the Spies vs. Mercs competition is back… and looking better than ever. Ubisoft Montreal devs have designed entirely new levels for a brand-new experience, but you have the choice of going full stealth as a spy… or rocking in as a mercenary where “going in guns blazing” is nothing more than an understatement.
If you’re interested in buying…
Qualifying purchases of the GeForce GTX graphics cards will be bundled with game codes, just like with Metro: Last Light. You can redeem them here (NA only).
There is no word yet as to how long this current bundle promotion will last, but as with Metro: Last Light, you can probably expect a buffer timeline of a few months before this deal goes away for good.
Maybe Best Buy will screw up and accidentally offer “Blacklight” for a penny too? Here’s hoping!
Published: Jul 15, 2013 07:16 pm