WeView: Ghost Recon Future Soldier

Until Ghost Recon Future Soldier the Ghost Recon series was probably my least favourite of the Tom Clancy series. Splinter Cell is still at the top of that list, Sam Fisher’s adventures really appeal to me, but Ghost Recon has now managed to insert itself ahead of Rainbow Six (although Patriots looks great). Of course that doesn’t include H.A.W.X. but that series barely counts anyway.

Everything about the look of the game and the concepts driving it really appeal to me; the augmented reality interface in particular shines through as something that feels fairly unique and special. Unfortunately it seems the core of the game didn’t quite translate into an unmissable experience, with Peter scoring it at a 6/10 in our review of the game.

He highlighted graphical flaws in the game as an annoying issue, particularly as certain moments show you what it could have been. That inconsistency pops up again in the way the game flips from allowing the player freedom and choice to forcing you through on rails sections.

However, when it does gives you freedom the game really comes into its own, particularly when playing with human team-mates. The level of teamwork the game promotes, encourages and enables is a real highlight, and probably its strongest point.

Peter also found the Gunsmith mode better than expected, with the diversity it offers making it enjoyable and the motion  controller support actually feeling worthwhile.

The final mission seems to be the campaign’s real failing though, something that Peter picked up on in his conclusion:

There’s a lot to like about Ghost Recon Future Soldier but, unfortunately, there’s just as much to dislike. If you don’t care about narrative, don’t need the latest and greatest game engine powering your HD shooters and can live with the confused juxtaposition of stealth and over-the-top action braggadocio then you’ll love it. If you want a tense, tight, stealthy experience then you’ll probably love around half of it and loathe when it robs you of that pleasure. The squad co-op elements are brilliant and the multiplayer is at least trying to be innovative but some terrible decisions throughout the campaign mode – particularly in the final mission – let this game down in a huge way.

Whether you agree or disagree with Peter’s opinion on the game we’d love to hear what you think, and if you feel like sharing all you need to do is drop a comment below. You’ve got till Sunday evening to get that done, and once you’ve written your comment remember to add your verdict, picking one category from the Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It and Avoid It.

5 Comments

  1. Nice choice, this will be a good’un! ;)

    The Ghost Recon series has always been known for it’s slightly more tactical approach to the 3rd person shooter genre. Players could easily issue commands to fellow squad mates, as well as a variety of different forms of support such as tanks and helicopters. The genre is pretty crowded, so these extras have really helped the GR games stand out over the years.

    Which is why its so confusing that Ubisoft has dropped all of this and instead given us, what is essentially, a third person Call of Duty game! The ability to issue commands to squad mates? Gone. The (incredibly useful) tactical map which allowed you to survey the area and plan out your attack? Forget about it. Putting it simply, Ubisoft has taken the original GR formula and clobbered it around the head with a brick a few times in order to dumb it down for the mainstream.

    If you can look past the fact that this is not a GR game however there is still a lot of fun to be had. Firstly the actual gameplay is rock solid and probably some of the best I’ve seen from the genre. Shooting is punchy and responsive, its cover system is fluid and there are some nice stealthy sections scattered between the countless “we’re Oscar Mike, Oo-rah!” shootouts. The game also borrows the “mark and execute” mechanic from Splinter Cell Conviction, meaning you can tag up to four enemies at once for you and your team before pulling the trigger. Future Soldier doesn’t re-invent the wheel (far from it) but its suitably entertaining nonetheless, particularly if played co-operatively with 3 buddies.

    Something to be aware of however is how shocking the online support is at the moment. Expect huge amounts of lag and disconnects if you intend to jump into the competitive modes, which is bizarre given they ran an initial beta test and that seemed perfectly fine. System Link, for the most part, seems to work fine so I would opt for that approach if possible.

    Overall, Future Soldier is certainly worth a look if you intend to play through the campaign with a couple of friends, just don’t go into it expecting it to match the quality of the older games. RENT IT.

  2. Borrowed it from a friend.
    It’s sat under my tv, I played the first 3 or so missions.
    Felt very “been there done that before” to me, didn’t grip me to say the least.
    I imagine it might be good in co-op, but from what I played, the drone thing does 95% of the level for you.

    AVOID IT.

  3. While I wouldn’t put it on a list of worst games I would put Ghost Recon:Future Soldier on a list of most disapointing games of 2012. I was so excited for it and it does have it’s moments (4 player co-op timed headshots) it was a let down for me in most areas. The campaign was so bland that I’d be hard pressed to recall a specific moment beyond the first couple of missions while the new-game feel was still fresh. They soon began to blend into one another.

    The Guerilla survival mode was fun for a while but again fatigue set in after playing it a half dozen times. I found the multiplayer frustrating and you could argue that it’s because I suck at it and that would be fair, however I suck at Battlefield 3 but I still have fun playing it.

    Sound and graphics are areas where the title “Future” Soldier really ends up looking like a game that was in limbo for years. Every single voice actor in the game seems to have a perfomance more wooden than an IKEA showroom and while the in game graphics aren’t terrible the cut scenes are so ugly and stiff you’d think you were watching something from an early PS2 game.

    Lest you think it’s all bad news the game does shine in co-op and the more the merrier. I’ve had the opportunity to play with 3 friends on a number of occasions and the games limitations were quickly set aside. Coordinating with friends on tactics is the only time I thoroughly enjoyed myself. As I mentioned above, the satisfaction of lining up 4 enemies in your sites and taking them down simultaniously to avoid detection is a twisted pleasure I never got tired of.

    Sadly the negatives outweigh the positives. If you see it in a bargain bin for a couple of bucks/quid then it’s worth checking out but if, like me, you dropped cash on it at full price it just adds to the remorse.

    BARGAIN BIN IT (If and only if it’s seriously dirt cheap and you have friends who have the game)

    • “Every single voice actor in the game seems to have a perfomance more wooden than an IKEA showroom”
      LOL, very nice, have a +1

  4. Burn it!

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