Parents' Guide to

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Brutal, lifelike stealth game is for mature audiences only.

Game Nintendo Wii U , PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360 2013
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Game: Screenshot #1
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Game: Screenshot #2
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 14 parent reviews

bailey9
bailey9 Adult
September 9, 2021
age 6+

Great game

2010 game graphics so the violence is kept to a minimum. Lots of fun. Stealth based so you don’t NEED to kill everyone.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
JD1985
JD1985 Adult
December 17, 2020
age 12+

Ok

mild blood, guns, swearing, and politics. Adding this rating in preparation for the VR game

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
See all 14 parent reviews

What’s It About?

American superspy Sam Fisher takes on a major terrorist threat in TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: BLACKLIST, a highly realistic stealth action game designed with adult audiences in mind. A group calling itself the Engineers carries out an attack on an American military installation, then claims it will undertake additional attacks on a regular schedule until the United States calls home all troops stationed in more than 150 countries across the globe. Working with a small team, Sam flies around the world in a stealthy airborne headquarters as he follows leads, carries out missions, and slowly works his way closer to the source of the menace. The game's open, integrated structure means players can choose from a variety of campaign missions, side jobs, and cooperative and competitive multiplayer games on a single map, earning cash to upgrade Sam's arsenal of gadgets and weapons along the way.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (14 ):
Kids say (23 ):

Blacklist manages the unusual feat of taking a well-established franchise in new directions while simultaneously appealing to fans of the series' stealth-based roots. The ability to choose between multiple missions, visit with team mates aboard a plane that acts as a central hub, and deeply customize Sam's appearance and loadouts represent steps forward for Splinter Cell. Also, combat action has never been smoother, more cinematic, or more accessible. This is a game that's nearly as much fun to watch as it is to play.

At the same time, there are plenty of missions and sequences that hearken back to the Splinter Cell of old. These have Sam stalking quietly through the shadows using classic gadgets -- sticky cameras, sleep gas, noisemakers, and the like -- to stealthily knock out or eliminate entire compounds full of enemies. It isn't quite as polished as one might hope -- you'll likely notice a few minor quirks and bugs along the way -- but it's hard to imagine many fans of stealth and action gaming coming away disappointed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the impact of violence in media. Do you think there's a way to believably portray the business of a soldier that doesn't include the glamorization of violence?

  • Families also can discuss how acts of terrorism make them feel. How do you respond to and cope with news stories about terrorist attacks?

Game Details

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