Splinter Cell Blacklist Diaries Part Four

This is my ongoing exploration of the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell games, played in release order. I will chronicle my playthrough of each title in turn and discuss any recurring themes and noteworthy events. This time I continue Blacklist.

The five days had elapsed into only two days before the American Freedom attack was due, and Sam had stupidly inhaled a chemical weapon, causing him to berate Briggs for saving his life…

"I know we all agreed to put itching powder in Briggs' suit, but I just think you're gonna turn me in..."

After a little updating of the plane and my equipment, we set course for Iran. Documents we’d recovered showed that they might be in with the Engineers, and Sam wanted to find solid confirmation before a war kicked off. My way in was to grab General Ali Rohani and blackmail him into letting me inside the old US embassy, now the heavily fortified HQ of Quds Force. On the ground, I grabbed him and showed him drone footage of his family returning home, implying that they would be blown up if he didn’t do as I said.

He led the way, distracting a couple of guards while I made my way along the hedges and walls, under strict orders to leave the guards alone. I was almost spotted twice, but managed to get to the parking structure without any hassle. I ran inside and ducked behind a car, then shot a light out to get a guard’s attention. I ducked around him and over a wall to grab a rope. I rappelled down, avoiding the sight of two more guards, before reaching the bottom. Grim had warned that the general’s tone had changed a few moments ago, possibly giving a signal, and that I should watch myself.

Wheee!

Meeting up with Rohani, he used his keycard to open the doors and led me through. It then turned out that yes, he was playing me. His men surrounded me, so Grim shut down the power. Rohani presumably legged it as gunfire erupted at me, thankfully hidden behind a pillar. I climbed up and onto a balcony, taking out one man before executing three others. I shot another, dropped down and clobbered a fifth, before sneaking behind the final one and taking him down.

After some exploring, I found an elevator as power was restored. I got inside and it took me to where the servers were - inside a glass room with half a dozen guards. I snuck around the balcony to the left, dropping behind the room and taking a guard out. I quickly hid his body, then deactivated the room’s security. I hopped into a tunnel system beneath the room, turned off the coolant and snuck back to the front of the room, which had been vacated as all of the guards were on the other side figuring out what was going on.

Plugging in a USB drive, the files I needed were copied as more men came in to block the door. The files finished transferring, but I was hidden behind a server tower and didn’t want to get spotted. I threw a smoke grenade at the doorway, blocking me from sight as I grabbed the drive and dodged past an armoured man and legged it out of the doors.

Bloody USB 2.0! Come on!

Extraction was still being worked on as I made my way through several vents and hallways, eventually getting to the lobby. Charlie opened the shutter for me when I gave him access, but three men burst through the main doors before I could reach them. After a brief, violent, gunfight I exited the building. Briggs was on his way in a van, I just had to reach him. Not that Sam was happy about him being on the ground.

Sneaking downstairs, I shot out some lights which got a sentry’s attention. I knocked him out and then shot out some more lights as I made my way around a wall. I spotted a high value target, so grabbed him before continuing along my way. I’m proud to say that I wasn’t spotted at all, reaching Briggs without incident.

That made the next section annoying, as we were being pursued by Quds Force. Against orders, Grim redirected the drone to help us out, and I blasted a dozen or so enemy vehicles, allowing Briggs to get us out of Tehran safely.

I wouldn't have thought she was enjoying it, if not for the "Pew! Pew!" noises

Back aboard the Paladin, Grim was being chewed out by the president. Sam understood why she did what she did, so she used that as a stepping stone for Sam to realise that he had treated Briggs unfairly. He seemed to aquess, but we’d see…