One of the most iconic aspects of the Splinter Cell series is the pair of night-vision goggles that protagonist Sam Fisher wears over his face. In their first, and newest, ComDev video, Ubisoft has given a brief overview on when players should expect to receive the goggles in-game, and their function.

It's safe to assume that the necessity and overwhelming popularity of the gadget influenced Ubisoft's decision to make them available very early on in the game. The goggles will we able to illuminate the darkest of rooms for players, with a slight delay for Fisher's own eyes to adjust. Ubisoft also teased additional unannounced features of the goggles.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is being developed by Ubisoft Toronto and will be published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U on August 20th, 22nd, and 23rd (North America, Australia, and European Union; in that order) of 2013.