Sam Fisher sounds a little different these days, but the accomplished spy is back for another game full of night-vision, technical gadgetry and general sneakery. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the debut title from Ubisoft's huge new Toronto outfit, and it's looking like they've made a strong start. AusGamers veteran reviewer Dave Kozicki takes the PS3 version of Blacklist for a spin in today's review and despite mourning the loss of the iconic voice of Michael Ironside, still has more than a few good things to say about the experience:

It’s a rarity when a title delivers engrossing, compelling, varied and highly replayable gameplay in both its single and multiplayer elements. Splinter Cell: Blacklist is such a manner of beast and other than a few graphical inconsistencies it remains one of the most solid all-around combat experiences I’ve snuck around behind and embedded my knife into.

Read on for his complete critique.

Ubisoft Toronto's upcoming Splinter: Cell Blacklist has reportedly gone gold, and the publisher has released a new seven minute trailer for the game. Narrated by the spy outfit's quartermaster, the latest clip serves as a complete overview of the game, touching on the various gadgets and abilities at Sam Fisher's disposal, as well as the game's campaign, and cooperative multiplayer modes.

Join Charlie Cole, Tech Ops Specialist, on a thorough debriefing of Sam Fisher's most challenging and complex mission. Meet the members of 4th Echelon, tour the state-of-the-art Paladin aircraft, learn more about the Strategic Mission Interface, browse through the armory filled with suits, gadgets and weapons, discover the different play styles, find out how to best team up in Co-Op and get ready for non-stop multiplayer action in Spies vs. Mercs.

Ubisoft has also outlined the official minimum and recommended specs for the PC version of the game, which you can read in full over here.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is due on August 23rd 2013 for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.

With recent news that Warner Bros. Batman: Arkham Origins would be skipping multiplayer for Nintendo's Wii U, Ubisoft has revealed through an interview with Nintendo Life (via Kotaku) that Splinter Cell: Blacklist will not be shipping with offline co-op.

Producer Liu Jun, who works at Ubisoft's Shanghai studio, revealed during the interview that "in order to ship at the same time as the other consoles, we unfortunately weren't able to delve into this feature." Luckily those who are looking forward to the game's release will be happy to hear that a number of additional extras will be coming to the Wii U, including off-TV support and no difference in DLC support between consoles.

Additionally, Jun also revealed that online co-op and the Specs vs Mercs multiplayer mode will be available on Wii U. The GamePad's built-in microphone will also be usable during online co-op and multiplayer for chatting.

Splinter Cell Blacklist is in the works for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC and WiiU, and due on August 20th 2013. If you haven't yet, you can check out our fresh interview with Blacklists's animation director Kristjan Zadziuk on a number of topics for the upcoming game.

At last year's E3, Splinter Cell: Blacklist made a splash not too many fans cared for. The demos run on the showfloor and during presentations looked heavily action-oriented and with the revelation that Michael Ironside would not be voicing Fisher, all signs pointed to "Outlook Not Good".

Since then, however, Ubisoft has stealthily let the game proper do most of the talking and, while action is a part of what's coming, the Sam we know and love is the core of the game: dark, ominous and deadly. We caught up with Blacklists's animation director Kristjan Zadziuk who spoke openly about AI, stealth, the series' rich history, systemic gameplay, using the original Splinter Cell engine, next-gen and much, much more.

Click here for our full video interview feature.

Ubisoft has released another multiplayer trailer for the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist, this time, demonstrating the Spies vs Mercs Blacklist mode, which in addition to upcoming the player account to two teams of four, features wider class loadouts than the classic mode.

The eight minute clip is driven by Level Design Director Geoff Ellenor, and Ubisoft Community Developer Zack Cooper, from the perspective of the spies team, and runs through a number of stealthy strategies. Check it out below. An upcoming Part 2 video promises to offer a merc's-eye view.

Splinter Cell Blacklist is in the works for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC and WiiU, and due on August 20th 2013.

The co-operative mode returns in Splinter: Cell Blacklist, with newcomer CIA operative Isaac Briggs joining Sam Fisher for 14 mission scenarios that are independent of, but tied into the narrative of the singleplayer campaign.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist offers two player CO OP mode with 4 mission types, 14 maps with 2 player split-screen.

Play as Sam Fisher or Isaac Briggs (a CIA operative) and work as a duo : help your teammate access parts of the maps you couldn't access on your own, create your own tactics depending on your Play Style and watch each other's back as you complete missions

Watch the video below.

Splinter Cell Blacklist is in the works for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC and WiiU, and due on August 20th 2013.

Ubisoft has confirmed that the infamous Sam Fisher will be sneaking his way on to the Wii U in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist. The new title will feature various improvements over the other titles in the form of the Wii U's GamePad usage, which will offer "a unique gaming experience that puts players in the role of special operative and 4th Echelon leader Sam Fisher."

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist on Wii U will deliver a unique gaming experience that puts players in the role of special operative and 4th Echelon leader Sam Fisher. Showcasing enhanced game-play features using the Wii U GamePad controller, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist allows players to operate innovative gadgets, take out enemies and move through the environment, and intuitively switch between weapons, among other features. The GamePad touch screen, along with motion-based inputs, are sure to immerse fans and gamers alike in this thrilling modern-day adventure.

While Nintendo's new console has come off to a shaking start since launching Christmas last year, it looks like things are starting to pick up which is always a great sign. A handful of screenshots have also been revealed showing off the GamePad in action, which you can check out below.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist will be available on August 22 for Wii U, PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Some new gameplay footage for Ubisoft's upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist has made its way online via IGN today, serving up an eight minute gameplay walkthrough narrated by Ubisoft Toronto Game Director Pat Reading.

The footage is of an early level in the game titled Abandoned Mill, and the video is split into two parts, showing two different stealth approaches to traversing the scenario. The first is a 'Ghost' strategy, which sees the player performing non-lethal takedowns and using sonar pulse vision to track enemies while making it through unseen. The second is referred to as Panther, in which Sam Fisher silently leaves a path of henchman bodies in his wake. Check it out below.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is due on August 22nd 2013 for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.

Ubisoft has today announced details of the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist Collectors Editions, revealing the 5th Freedom Edition, the Ultimatum Edition and the 5th Freedom Silver Edition to purchase for the upcoming action stealth shooter. Two of the editions have been revealed to contain a 24cm Sam-Fisher figurine complete with the iconic night vision goggles while the third edition will contain a digital "Special-Ops" watch clearly usable in times when stealth is at hand.

In Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, a group of 12 rogue nations have had enough of the United States’ military presence in their countries. In an effort to rid themselves of the occupation, they mastermind an ultimatum called The Blacklist - a countdown of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Given a presidential mandate and the power to act above the law, players take on the role of lethal special operative Sam Fisher. As leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon unit, players must hunt down and stop these terrorists before The Blacklist countdown reaches zero. The thrilling storyline along with a wide range of intense, eye-opening covert missions will propel players to locate and take down those responsible for these deadly assaults by any means necessary.

For those interested in what each edition contains, you can check out the images below or head over to our press release for the full details. Currently the 5th Freedom Edition and Ultimatum Edition are available for purchase from various retailers however the 5th Freedom Silver Edition is currently only available at Ubisoft's Uplay store, which you can find here.

Ubisoft has revealed yesterday's teaser as a run of graphics novels that will fill us in on the exploits super spy Sam Fisher between the previous game, Splinter Cell: Convicion, and the upcoming Splinter Cell: Blacklist:

Ahead of NY Comic Con, Splinter Cell is announcing a partnership with acclaimed spy-fiction comic writer, Nathan Edmondson and illustrator Marc Laming, to bridge the gap between Conviction and Blacklist. The series will also incorporate events from the franchise deemed by the Splinter Cell community to be the most iconic.

An interview with Edmonson can be found over on IGN.

The official Facebook page for Ubisoft's Splinter Cel franchise has begun revealing portions of an image of a purported "big announcement" they are getting ready to make, prompting fans to 'like' and share the page in order to reveal more (thanks CVG).

The image shown thus far appears to be a painting of series protagonist Sam Fisher wearing his iconic night vision goggles, and speculation on the announcement is currently ranging from a graphic novel series, to multiplayer details for Splinter Cell: Blacklist, to a movie poster for a Splinter Cell feature film. Any other guesses?

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is currently in development at Ubisoft Toronto, and scheduled for a 2013 launch on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3

We still have a few interesting bits of coverage left to share from our time at E3 2012 in Los Angeles last month, and today we have a video interview on the freshly announced Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist.

Steve chats with Ubisoft Toronto Presentation Art Director Wylie Styles to find out more about Sam Fisher's latest outing, and touches on the change of pace, new game mechanics, player choice, and the philosophies behind all of those decisions, as well as the change in voice actors.

As per usual, this interview is available both in video and written Q&A form and you can find both right here on AusGamers.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist is due on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2013.