Fans have been begging Ubisoft for a new Splinter Cell game for years, but those hoping for a traditional sequel might be disappointed to learn that the franchise is finally making its grand return… to VR, where it will be joined by Assassin’s Creed.
Ubisoft announced the two new AR/VR titles at the launch of the Oculus Quest 2 headset, and both new titles will be Oculus exclusives. We’ve just reviewed the new Quest 2, which features a higher resolution & refresh rate display together with new and improved controllers, and we dubbed it “the only VR headset you should consider buying right now.” Two giant new games winging their way towards it can’t hurt.
Ubisoft has so far been tight-lipped on what to expect from the new Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell VR games, but they’re described as “new, made-for-VR entries” that are being “created from the ground up exclusively for the Oculus platform,” so don’t expect VR ports of existing games – it sounds like this is something entirely new.
Both games are under development by Ubisoft’s Red Storm studio, which has been making Tom Clancy games ever since 1997’s Politika, long before the company was bought out by Ubisoft. Ubisoft Reflections, and the company’s Dusseldorf and Mumbai studios, will also be working on the new titles.
Both franchises seem like natural fits for VR. Assassin’s Creed’s in-game Animus tech is essentially just fancy future virtual reality anyway, while the prospect of pulling down a VR headset to find yourself behind Sam Fisher’s night vision goggles should excite anyone who’s played a Splinter Cell game before.
And while Assassin’s Creed may be Ubisoft’s bigger franchise these days, especially with Valhalla just around the corner, I suspect it’s Splinter Cell that will get fans more excited. There hasn’t been a standalone Splinter Cell game since 2013’s Blacklist, and the recent appearance of a grizzled, older Sam Fisher as an operator in Rainbow Six Siege has no doubt whet fans’ appetites for more.
Ubisoft’s interest in virtual reality has been modest so far, with 2017’s Star Trek: Bridge Crew probably its biggest effort in the format so far, followed by the Elijah Wood-produced Transference in 2018. Bringing two of the company’s biggest franchise’s to VR is a sign that Ubisoft might finally be ready to commit – and their being Oculus-exclusive is a reminder of how much cash owner Facebook is willing to throw around to cement Oculus’s market share.
Check out our full guide to the Oculus Quest 2 if you want to know more about the headset, which is already available to pre-order.
Author: Dominic Preston, Deputy Editor
Tech Advisor's Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he's a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.