Ubisoft Announces Splinter Cell Remake
After months of leaks and rumours pointed towards a full reboot of the series, Ubisoft has just announced that the original Splinter Cell game is getting completely remade.
The remake will be helmed by Ubisoft's Toronto studio, the team behind the likes of Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6.
The announcement was bizarrely made on Twitter with a short video that reveals Sam Fisher's iconic night vision goggles, putting forward a call for applications to join the team making the game.
It's a bizarre way to announce the remake, but we'll certainly take it - especially after so much time away from the series. Welcome back, Sam Fisher.
What Else Has Been Said About The Splinter Cell Remake?
Ubisoft has released a Q&A with Creative Director Chris Auty, Producer Matt West, and Technical Producer Peter Handrinos.
When asked why it's a remake and not a remaster, Matt said: "To me, a remake takes what you’d do in a remaster and goes a little bit further with it. The original Splinter Cell has a lot that was amazing and revolutionary at the time it came out, 19 years ago. The gaming public now has an even more refined palate. So, I think it kind of has to be a remake as opposed to a remaster.
"Although we're still in the very earliest stages of development, what we're trying to do is make sure the spirit of the early games remains intact, in all of the ways that gave early Splinter Cell its identity. So, as we're building it from the ground up, we're going to update it visually, as well as some of the design elements to match player comfort and expectations, and we are going to keep it linear like the original games, not make it open world. How do we make sure that new fans are able to pick up the controller and dive right in, and fall in love with the game and the world right from the get-go?"
What Engine Is The Remake Being Made In?
It was also revealed that the remake is being made in the Snowdrop engine, which will enable things that wouldn't have been possible with the original game 19 years ago.
Peter Handrinos explained: "Snowdrop is a proven modern AAA engine. It empowers content creators and programmers alike to try things quickly, see what works, and ultimately find success. I think that's one of its major advantages, allowing us to quickly find the modern equivalent of that core Splinter gameplay. Some other AAA engines out there do not afford this type of iteration speed, necessarily, and so this is really what gives Snowdrop an edge when bringing Splinter Cell up to speed on a modern engine."
