Spectre Hands-On Preview: Splinter Cell Multiplayer’s Spiritual Successor?

ign.com:

While there are several popular multiplayer archetypes in 2022, one that is notably missing is Spies versus Mercenaries. The game type was originally introduced in Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and became a huge hit among fans – as well as a big part of Splinter Cell’s identity moving forward. But with Splinter Cell seeing no new releases in nearly a decade, Spies vs. Mercs has been all but forgotten..

Developer Symbiosis is planning to change that with Spectre, a new title that takes its inspiration directly from the classic multiplayer mode. The build I played definitely felt like an ever-growing work in progress, but I saw a lot of potential for those who have been waiting to scratch that itch. With a variety of gadgets in your arsenal as well as several different options to approach your objective, I believe that Spectre could finally give us what Ubisoft won’t.

Spectre, if you’re not familiar with Spies vs. Mercs, is a team-based objective multiplayer game where each side has a different goal. Spectres, which are played from a third-person perspective, are stealth operatives whose objective is to hack all the terminals on the map. Reapers, on the other hand, are played from a first-person perspective with one simple goal; kill the Spectres.

Both sides are equipped with different equipment and abilities in their kit. With Spectres being more passive when completing their objective, most of their tools consist of ways to escape combat or to stay hidden, so they’ve got gear like a flashbang or cloak. Due to wanting to be as sneaky as possible, Spectres are not equipped with a lethal weapon. Their stun gun can temporarily disable an enemy Reaper, but it can also disable cameras, elevators, and laser detection grids