Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Review

Ghost Recon is the latest tactical first-person-shooter in a genre that is practically owned by Tom Clancyâs inspiration. It was with some trepidation that I took to Ghost Recon, usually preferring my FPS to be less tactical and more intense, 20 frags p/minute⦠yes please.



On initial inspection the game confirmed my fears, having to select a team from various units each differently skilled to suit a variety of tasks and locations. Thankfully the option to auto-assign is there, so having selected that the game loaded and there was I in the battlefield charged with organising five other units, heck Iâm going to have trouble looking after myself in this territory let alone five others. Eventually I found out the command screen, and was pleased to find placing waypoints and directing fire, intuitive and relatively easy. 

After strategically working out the correct placements for each of the three different teams, it was time to make a move on the tent camp that we were to storm, everything was quiet, trees blew in the distance, the song of birds emanated from far down in the valley, as we hugged the cliff face. Alpha Team reached the first waypoint, all was clear⦠and then the sound of gunfire, a mounted gunner high on a cliff was taking down my men, quickly we got to the location to find every member of Alpha Team dead. Taking stock of the situation, a new plan was needed, something to take away the intention of the gunner whilst a sniper could get an accurate target on him. The plan was successful so we advanced to the camp site, savage gunfire emitted as units from each side fell, and then quiet, a deafening silence, and the stark realisation that I was the only member left⦠well I did say looking after them would be hard! Rushing around the campsite I realised we hadnât taken down the entire enemy, there were still troops about but where? The faint noise of conversation broke the deadly silence, trying to take up a hiding position amidst the nearby trees was my final mistake, as the two remaining troops poked their heads above the surface and spotted my position.



Ghost Recon is set in 2008; Russia has fallen under the control of ultra-nationalistic leaders intent on rebuilding the Iron Curtain. This leads to conflict with NATO as Russia attempts to reclaim the breakaway republic of Georgia, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. As the war escalates, casualties mount, hostages are taken and the Ghosts are sent in.



Ghost Recon features 15 story based missions taking place over a variety of locales, and involving such tasks as, assaulting enemy camps, rescuing downed pilots from their captors, blowing up bridges and ambushing an enemy tank column. Before each mission youâre given a detailed briefing, after which youâre free to select your team from the variety of troops on offer. Each offers varying attributes (weapons skill, stealth, leadership, and endurance), as you complete a mission youâll earn extra points to increase these.



Having selected the troops you can arm them from an impressive selection of weapons, including; assault rifles, sniper rifles, sub-machine guns, light machine-guns, pistols, grenades and anti-tank rockets. There are over 22 weapons in total, giving you the scope to select the right team for the job.



Once youâve selected the troops and the weapons, itâs onto the battlefield. Here you control one troop, and must give orders to each of the other teams. This is done through a command panel, which pops up and displays a map, allowing you to place waypoints, affect the direction of fire and issue their rules of engagement, such rules include; hold position, advance and hold if fired upon, advance at all costs, shoot on sight, lay down suppressing fire, or avoid firing unless fired upon. 

There have been some complaints that the list of commands is too basic for some, however if like me youâve been put off previous games in this genre by their complexity this will be a welcome change, allowing you to get somewhere in the game before you turn it off in frustration.



The map that pops up lacks detail, so making any detailed plans is difficult, and youâll occasionally go off wandering in the completely the wrong direction because you canât get any worthwhile references from it.



The game requires an extremely stealth based approach, sneaking against cliff faces, hiding behind trees and bush ensuring youâre concealed at all times. The sense of immersion during these times is often astounding, as youâre keeping a trained eye for any movement and alert ear for any sound. 

The actual combat is very hit-and-miss, and never quite gets to the level of excitement that youâd expect after all of the sneaking, when you finally reach your destination, combat seems slightly anticlimactic. Some times it heats up when things go wrong, guns fire, your colleagues get pinned down and that sense of desperation creeps in, but on the whole combat isnât as well portrayed as it could have been, especially with the wide selection of weapons on offer.



Occasionally I noticed some suspect AI problems, with troops wandering off on their own, straying into friendly fire and adopting unwise firing positions, on the whole itâs not that bad, but occasionally youâre left asking yourself if this really is special forces youâve come in with.



Visually Ghost Recon is marvellous, the environments are startling realistic due to the wonderfully detailed textures, with expansive locations populated with such touches as trees swaying in the win. Character models are detailed and animate well, the detail is an important point as itâs usually the only way to distinguish between different units. 
The illusion is further enhanced by some beautiful sun glare emerging over hill
tops, and some delightfully detailed sky textures, whilst atmospheric touches
such as volumetric fogging only go to enhance the sense of immersion.