GR 2013 GOTY - Splinter Cell: Blacklist vs. GTA V

Welcome to the Game Revolution 2013 Game of the Year showdown!
Enjoy some well-written defenses of some of the year's best games, then vote on which game you want to see advance!
Today's round one match-up is: Splinter Cell: Blacklist vs. Grand Theft Auto V
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Splinter Cell: Blacklist is brought to us by Master_Craig!



Why is Splinter Cell: Blacklist the best game of 2013?

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a hell of a title and one that I feel is a little underestimated. For starters, it takes what made Conviction successful but also reintroduces mechanics and ideas from the past, allowing for more game play options and plenty of opportunities for replay and experimentation.

While the storyline is a little all over the place as with the recent Splinter Cell games, it's still a very intense experience filled with drama and action. It's enough to keep any action orientated gamer entertained and intrigued.

Single player campaign is a blast and as mentioned, the game play is intense. Not only that, the single player experience also offers a variety of side missions unrelated to the story line. While it may seem silly to some, the idea of upgrading Sam's equipment to suit the player's needs to the mission only further fuels the freedom, allowing the player to equip Sam to their desired specifications, whether they need equipment to be better at stealth, to be faster or to be a walking arsenal of an assault machine. There's just a lot of variety.

On top of the single player experience, there's also online co-op multiplayer which when playing, is a lot of fun and offers an intense "Oh s*** oh s***" experience. But if it's adrenaline and intensity you seek, then the Spy VS Mercs multiplayer returns to fuel such needs. The multiplayer is as fun as ever and now offers new modes and play forms, such as having mercs pit against each other or spies fighting one another. On top of that, players can upgrade their characters again to suit their needs for multiplayer game play.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist may not have a compelling narrative like The Last of Us or Grand Theft Auto V, but the game is a lot of fun and is one of the most intense game play experiences you will play in 2013.

Is Blacklist a perfect realization of the Splinter Cell series or do the new action-heavy mechanics betray the stealth roots of the franchise?

Oh yeah, I believe so. A lot of people, myself included were disappointed with Splinter Cell: Conviction as it focused purely on Sam's stealth abilities to be used in a lethal manner, "panther" game play they called it. To be honest it was fun, but to me it just didn't feel like Splinter Cell. The game made you kill people, it made you torture people, sure it was a story about a man on a mission with little to regard for his own life, but it ultimately drifted away from what made Splinter Cell so great in the first place.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist returns to such roots and at the same time, retains elements from Splinter Cell: Conviction before it, elements such as the mark and execute to the lethal but and close quarters combat. Despite these elements, Splinter Cell: Blacklist retrieves mechanics and ideas from its ancestors, allowing more players freedom and choice with three ideas of game play, being Ghost, Panther and Assault. Ghost is what I and many other Splinter Cell fans love, the option to get past enemies completely undetected. Panther, inspired by Splinter Cell: Conviction introduces lethal "hit and run" tactics, while Assault basically speaks for itself. Really, there's something for everyone in Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

My point is, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the perfect Splinter Cell title, as it not only keeps the exciting elements of Splinter Cell: Conviction, but makes it optional, as more subtle and quieter options of game play are introduced, allowing the player more choice to complete their mission.

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Grand Theft Auto V is brought to us by Urban_Masque!



Why is Grand Theft Auto V the best game of 2013?

GTA is the best game of 2013 because it is the most complete game you'll play all year and, in my opinion, the only one really trying. I should probably preface everything by saying my game and console library isn't as deep as some of you guys', but I honestly only play games that I'm pretty certain will have a great story - that's because its really the only thing that pushes me to finish a game. To the point where you don't even care if the graphics are virtually the same as the last one, because they've filled it with what you asked for - more content. People also don't spend XX amount on making a project like this, without appreciating the details of their work. In the same way people don't wait in line to help a project make $800 million on its first day - which also means it grossed higher than the top 6 Opening WEEKEND Movie's in the history of Hollywood... combined. They also don't spend that kind of money on a boring experience. Rockstar knew this going into making this title. Honestly I could go on about this FPS-RPG-Driving Sim with a ridiculous soundtrack, but why? You've all played the game. We all know that awards, and elections are driven by popularity, and this game shouldn't be any different. True, sometimes popularity gets Nazi's elected, make shoulder pads in suits seem cool on women, and give people like Justin Beiber a platform - but popularity also dictates the course of a culture and I think we can all agree that we would like to see games go in this direction. The team at Rockstar, and most reviews agree that this is the game of the year. You should acknowledge it as well. Don't be a snob and turn this into the Bush-Gore election scenario. Its not even close. This games content, edge, and popularity should be respected.

Vote for GTA V

Does the "GTA Online" multiplayer component badly scar the whole Grand Theft Auto V package enough to hurt its chances at GOTY?

GTA Online multi-player had some issues with their servers and to some people this led some people to develop a less than favorable attitude towards Rockstar and hold it against the game itself. I can concede that this type of an experience but I'd also want people to remember that this is what happens when MILLIONS try to access your server at once.

If people attend movie gatherings, music events, and festivals in the same way they attempt to access content on the internet - people would be getting trampled to death left and right. The velvet ropes and the choke points are put in place by venue security to prevent stampedes. The same preventative methods are used for server access, but because people can't see the virtual velvet lines they get aggressive.

The multi-player story line and interactive experience makes up for the multi-player debacle. This should also be a question about how GTA V is better than Blacklist... um, immersion. Create who ever you want to be and become a part of the storyline and even interact with the game on several different levels. From cutscene conversations, to hitting up PSN members via my cell phone - its all about creating the world of Los Santos and keeping you in that world. GTA V had a momentary hiccup, which aside from the features listed above, they made up for with 500K in virtual cash and Christmas in Los Santos!

How is Grand Theft Auto V better than Splinter Cell: Blacklist?

I'm not really familiar with the Splinter Cell series outside of what the trailers and Tom Clancey book titles would have me believe it is. Its a race against the clock-stealthy type government assassin game with 5 different levels of betrayal and double crossing. Please keep in mind, I haven't played it but I find it hard to believe that my assessment would be too far off base. My problem with Splinter Cell Black list is that if I asked you what type of game GTA was or was about you couldn't pigeon hole it in the same way I just did to Splinter Cell. That's my major feedback on why Splinter Cell doesn't compete with GTA. Blacklist may be a good game, Splinter Cell may be a good series, but GTA is in a class of its own.

You PC guys know deep down inside its probably one of the few significant factors on why you even have a console. You buy consoles for the games, GTA V is one of those games... or I could just be talking out of my ass.. your choice..



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Continue the discussion below and vote for which game you want to see advance to round two.
PLEASE PUT YOUR VOTES IN BOLD

Thanks!

 

Splinter Cell died the day Convicyion didn't unlock the Realistic difficulty achievement for me.

GTAV

 

GTA5 got snubbed by GR this year. I don't intend on letting that happen again.

GTAV

 

GTA V

I cant sneak too well in sneaky games.

 

GTA5 wins 9-0 and advances to round two!