Splinter Cell: Blacklist's trailers have proven to be incredibly divisive since E3 2012, with many fans concerned that the series is being taken in a more action-oriented direction. However, Ubisoft believes that this backlash is "uninformed," and that players aren't aware of the breadth of gameplay styles they'll be able to use in every encounter.

Whose fault is that exactly, Ubisoft?

"Everyone can make kneejerk reactions to a vertical slice of the game that are really uninformed as to what the whole experience is like," Splinter Cell Blacklist director David Footman told Eurogamer at EGX. "We really have to be patient as we roll out each item about the game."

"The proof is always going to be in the pudding. Talk is talk, and it is just all talk right now. We really need to get a demo out there, for people to see how you can ghost levels, to see the gameplay. It seems to be an overreaction because people are just seeing the 'pow!', the explosiveness."

"There are two distinct styles of gameplay - you can ghost a map, or you can go wild as well. There are some areas you'll have to play stealth, but there are areas where you'll find it hard if you don't use wide-open action."

Thanks to a guided preview, I was able to fully appreciate the fact that you can use pure stealth or action to accomplish your objectives - leading me to nominate Splinter Cell Blacklist as the most promising sequel of E3 2012. The Ghost playthrough, for example, actually demonstrated that pure stealth and non-violent surgical incursions are not just possible, but actively encouraged. But us hacks can only do so much, and Ubisoft needs to seriously rethink the content and tone of their trailers going forward to avoid misinforming fans themselves.

And, perhaps, learn what "vertical slice" actually means?

What do you make of Splinter Cell: Blacklist?