While I try to avoid giving any press to the countless rumors in the video game industry, the latest hot rumor about Splinter Cell is that it’ll be.. open world.
Ubisoft has been all-in on open world gaming. Nearly every major title they have is open world, and has been for some time. I personally love open world games, but there is a limit to the usefulness here, and in the case of Splinter Cell, it’s going to be a bad idea (both for gamers AND for Ubisoft).
Splinter Cell is heavily focused on close-quarters sneaking; environments in Splinter Cell rely on solid interior and urban environments that provide a lot of cover as well as verticality allowing for close-range stealth.
In order to accomplish this, Ubisoft would need to drastically alter it’s formula for open world design.
In most open world games, interior locations are severely limited. Take Ghost Recon Breakpoint or Far Cry 6 as an example: Buildings have minimal interior detail, and “urban environments” are limited and more sprawling than traditional Splinter Cell environments.
AI pathing in open world games is also a major headache: Most of Ubisoft’s games have absolutely atrocious AI at the best of times, but when open worlds are involved, it gets even worse, eliminating the challenge required for Splinter Cell to succeed.
Once again, I encourage fans to join the open letter to guide Ubisoft on the next Splinter Cell. With enough of an outcry, there may be some hope that we’ll get a genuine loving creation that honors the Splinter Cell saga.