When I was asked to contribute a post for PlayStation Blog about the Fifth Freedom and its role in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, it occurred to me how timely this request was. Splinter Cell is a franchise that has always been grounded in realism, and the latest installment of the game features a story ripped straight from today’s headlines.
In reality, there are conflicts in the world we are aware of. But then there are the conflicts we will never hear about – a war in the shadows that will be defused by the few who must make difficult decisions, and who carry a heavy burden to protect our fundamental liberties.
This is the context for granting Sam Fisher the Fifth Freedom in Splinter Cell: Blacklist – the power to do whatever it takes to protect the greater good. Only the President can authorise the Fifth Freedom, and only the most skilled and trustworthy operatives America has to offer have ever received it.
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I am not in the position to judge what is happening out there – but it did make me think. We play on our €500 iPhones, sipping our Venti lattes. We go on living blissfully unaware of what goes on, every day. But the ugly truth is that there are real people out there making incredibly difficult decisions to protect our comfortable way of life.
These current and mature themes form the foundation of our story in Splinter Cell: Blacklist. As game creators, we hope to put players into difficult situations that will push them to think about the consequences of their choices. And it’s our greatest hope it will be an experience that will immerse gamers and maybe even get them to examine their own perspective.
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