Splinter Cell: Blacklist announced

That sneaky Sam Fisher is to return in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Ubisoft just revealed during Microsoft's E3 press event. He's off to distant and dusty lands to take down the titular terrorist plan, and armed with some snazzy Kinect tricks. It'll come to PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in spring 2013.

Kinect voice recognition can be used to yell and enemies in-game and distract them, as well as call down airstrikes. Sam's 'mark and execute' ability from Conviction returns, too, though Ubisoft boldly describes it as a "new 'Killing-in-Motion' fighting style." Like M&E, KiM lets Sam mark several enemies for death then take them all out in one smooth sequence of shootings and stabbings.

You see, a group of "rogue nations" are, for reasons one cannot imagine, sick of the USA's military presence in their country, and hatch a cunning plan. Enter 'The Blacklist,' a series of escalating attacks on US assets to push the big bullies out, only they don't consider the possibility of Sam Fisher stabbing them in the face.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is in development at Ubisoft Toronto, the new studio headed by Jade Raymond, with help from Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Shanghai.