There’s been a lot of talk about collector’s editions of games on here lately, but this might just be a first. Sure, we’ve seen drones and missile launchers, but Ubisoft seems to have set a new bar for what is included in these special bundles.
Ubisoft Toronto announced today that Splinter Cell Blacklist would have a version of the game called the Paladin Collector’s Edition and come bundled with, among other things, a remote controlled replica plane from the game.
Yes, A PLANE.
The RC plane you get (seriously, a plane!) is a replica of the one in game which contains a full armoury, infirmary, holding cell, can take care of news and internet data mining, predictive analytics, and photo and video forensics. As a character says in the game, “this puppy looks Air Force One look like a paper airplane.” And it does.
The dual high-speed engine plane operates on a three-channel frequency (you know, so your friends can bring theirs and you can dogfight), and seems to be able to do some pretty awesome manoeuvres. We don’t know how big the actual thing is, but we’d guess it’s about 18-24 inches in wingspan based on the photos we’ve seen, and if you think about it, that’s huge.
For your $170 (you do get a plane, after all) you also end up with an 88-page graphic novel called Splinter Cell Echoes which should bridge the gap between Conviction and Blacklist for die-hard fans.
As you might expect, you also get a bunch of downloadable content for the game, and there’s quite a bit more than the typical extra gun or two. The biggest DLC component is called Billionaire’s Yacht, a co-op map that looks nothing short of gorgeous. It’s a unique setting for the franchise, given that it takes place on the water, where only a pair of Splinter Cell missions ever have.
There’s also the Dead Coast map, a middle-eastern war setting from the looks of it, a bonus suit for Sam, as well as gold-tinted goggle lenses. The whole package wraps up with a limited edition poster and will be available on August 20th of this year.
Take a look at Ubisoft’s announcement video for the collection below and let us know what you think about it! Is this the best collector’s edition you’ve ever seen or is there another that you still look upon as your favourite? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below!