installment in the series since Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. According to McCaffrey, the game was a satisfying stealth experience and an excellent, capable shooter (increasing its replay value). He noted that several segments forced players to use the Mark and Execute feature, frustrating players who favored stealth over action. Ben Reeves of Game Informer praised the return and refinement of Mark and Execute, which he found satisfying, and praised the game's intense, varied mission design. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer disliked the game's direction, particularly its action elements (which he compared to 2012's Hitman: Absolution). Blacklist campaign was also generally praised. According to IGN's McCaffrey, the game's story is superior to those of its predecessors: well-balanced and believable. He criticized Sam Fisher's new voice actor, who he thought failed to replicate Ironside's charm. Ben Reeves praised the story's plot twists and sympathetic characters. On the Joystiq blog, Xav De Matos liked the game's narrative urgency and engaging plot twists but criticized its rushed ending. Simon Miller of VideoGamer.com called the game forgettable and boring, with Fisher's new voice actor failing to bring personality to the character. Eurogamer Bramwell also criticized the game's lack of character development. Its multiplayer features were praised; according to McCaffrey, the co-operative multiplayer mode had enough content for a separate game. Although he appreciated Spies vs. Mercs' faster pace, he found the mode less innovative than its predecessor. Reeves partially agreed, describing the revived Spies vs. Mercs mode as refreshing, intense, and bloody. De Matos wrote that it was one of the best multiplayer modes he had ever experienced, and the Blacklist version had evolved and modernized while remaining creative. Daniel Bloodworth of GameTrailers praised the game's satisfying co-op design, which tasks players to plan and coordinate strategy. Blacklist graphics and lack of difficulty were criticized (the former likely due to the game still using Unreal Engine 2.5 that Splinter Cell games since Chaos Theory have used). McCaffrey found the visuals unimpressive and most character models to be ugly; he also noted technical problems, such as screen-tearing and frame rate issues. Bloodworth criticized the game's invisible wall and unresponsive controls in certain segments, although he thought those minor issues did not drag down its overall experience. McCaffrey noted that even when the game is played in perfectionist mode, it is less challenging than its predecessors. He thought Blacklist gave players too many rewards, making its