Amazon UK have outed Splinter Cell: Blacklist‘s release date of March 29th, 2013, which makes Splinter Cell: Blacklist perhaps one of the least stealthy games ever – being one of the few you can see coming from eight months away. Also revealed are the game’s mandatory pre-order bonuses. Buy now and you’ll get a big poster for your bedroom wall, an “exclusive steelbook” (ie. metal case) and a “bonus content leaflet”, whatever that is. You’ll also get the ‘Upper Echelon’ pack of digital content, which includes the Upper Echelon sneaking suit, special goggles that “shine gold” and an exclusive mission.
That Upper Echelon suit comprises five armour pieces and gives Sam a “unique visual” appearance alongside a “damage protection bonus”. Sadly for wannabe spies looking to bling up their forehead, those golden goggles are digital-only too. Presumably the same magic technology that renders those three bright green trifocal dots invisible to enemies also prevents shiny, gold, breadbin-sized,head-mounted goggles from drawing the attention of every guard within a two hundred foot radius.