The Mark VIII Tactical Operations Suit is a standard Fourth Echelon operations suit for field operatives. It first appears in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist and it is the first suit available to the player. Unlike previous suit types, the Mk VIII suit can be customized by the player with different camouflage types for different environments. Both Sam Fisher and Isaac Briggs use the Mk VIII in Splinter Cell: Blacklist during The Engineer's Blacklist attack. It is the first customizable Splinter Cell suit (not counting the 3E Eclipse, which only provided Armor, Gadget, and Ammunition Upgrades in Conviction without any changes in physical appearance) and comes with many modifications for Stealth and Assault purposes, in which both Sam and Isaac take advantage of to suit their needs.
Technical Information[]
The Mark VIII is a more advanced and versatile version of the Mark VII Special Ops Suit (also known as the 3E Eclipse suit). Despite being a later version suit, the Mk VIII actually holds less gadgets than previous tactical operations suits, in both gadgets and ammunition amounts. Despite this, however, mobility seems to be improved as the user is able to make less noise despite the user moving quickly through the environment. The suit can be freely customized by the player to apply different camouflage types, however they have no real impact on the gameplay itself.
Overview[]
The Mark VIII is composed of the Torso, Gloves, Pants, and Boots. All parts except the Gloves, which improve Weapons Handling instead, contribute to the Mark VIII's Armor and Stealth Capabilities. All five parts can also have their own camouflage, but must be bought separately to have a complete matching set. The camouflage is aesthetic and does not affect gameplay in any way. It also comes with a Balaclava that, unlike the ones that the Mark V and VIII, cover the eyes completely with a visor lens while leaving enough room to use the Goggles. The balaclava is only used in Site F - Denver, Colorado.
Components and Modifications[]
All modifications shown below are those available to the suit, but not counting the Exclusive Components. Exclusive Components are also known to be a different suit from the Mk VIII such as the suit's predecessors the Mk VII (4E Eclipse) and the Mk V (Upper Echelon), the Raven Suit (VR SV1 Akula) and the Revenant Suit, as well as the Alpha Suit. Some components requires completing 4E mission to be available.
Components[]
Torso, Pants and Boots[]
- Classic Ops Suit
Stealth[]
- Tactical Mesh
- Nanopolymer Coating
- Stealth Nanofiber
Combat[]
- Kevlar Weave
- Ab Gel
- Ceramic Plate
Gloves[]
- Classic Gloves
- Covert
- Operative
- Sharpshooter
- Marksman
- Gunslinger
- Deadeye
Modifications[]
Camouflage[]
- Black
- Desert Camo
- Urban Camo
- Forest Camo
- Navy Camo
Trivia[]
- While Sam starts out with his gear by default, in the main campaign, Isaac has a customized Mark VIII of his own. However in certain missions, he does not wear them while in the field, having to blend within civilized areas. In the last mission of the game, he wears the same exact gear as Sam does, and in Co-Op, Isaac's suit components depend on what the second player chooses. He wore the same default black suit as Sam did in the Co-Op trailer for Blacklist with Sonar Goggles.
- Isaac's customized Mark VIII is mainly suited for Assault, and he even plays exactly like a Mercenary in the main campaign. His suit is composed of:
- Goggles: Default
- Torso: Kevlar Weave
- Gloves: Covert
- Pants: Kevlar Weave
- Boots: Kevlar Weave
- Even if the player is wearing a customized suit, Site F - Denver, Colorado reverts the player back to the Classic Ops suit in the beginning cutscene, but then transitions to gameplay where the player is wearing customized suit in addition to a Balaclava that remains Black regardless of the worn camoflauge the player wears.
- Sam is also seen wearing a Balaclava during this cutscene, making it the first time Sam has worn one since Double Agent.
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