Over the last year to 18 months I have somewhat accidentally become our resident gamer guy reviewing everything from The Amazing Spider-Man to Assassins Creed:Odyssey. Tell you what, I bloody love it. This time around I got the opportunity to check out Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint closed beta. While I’m normally not the biggest fan of military style shooters, there are a few that stand out. Ghost Recon is one such game.
Background
If you’re a fan of the Ghost Recon series, rejoice because Breakpoint put you back in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit. However, this time you’re stranded behind enemy lines playing in an entirely playable open world, either solo or as part of a co-op up to four players. Breakpoint lets you enjoy complete freedom to complete missions how you like with a number of new features and tactical options at your fingertips.
When you start, players get to customize their very own Ghost who will be their playable character throughout the game both online and in the main campaign. Speaking of the main campaign, you face off against The Wolves a lethal ex–US Military unit of former Ghosts who have taken over the Auroa an island where next level tech facilities are hidden among unforgiving woodland terrain.
This tech filled island is home to Skell, the big tech company and inventor of the humble drone….but Lt. Colonel Cole D (Played by The Punisher himself, Jon Bernthal) has taken over, reprogramming the drones for mass casualties. Your job is to survive, regain control of the island and take out the Wolves. Fun.
Initial Thoughts
As I mentioned I wouldn’t be the biggest fan of military shooters so you can imagine me sitting down going here we go again it’s just another Call Of Duty. Oh how wrong I was. Despite the limited timeframe we had to play there was plenty to sink the teeth in to. Ubisoft are changing and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is probably one of the companies biggest properties. That’s why this close up was fun for me, it gave us plenty of cues as to what not only the full game is going to be but also what Ghost Recon is going to become going forward. Graphically the game is nice, bar a few minor elements which we just presumed were beta bugs.
Tactics Over Tech 9’s
A Mixed Bag
Remember this is just my impressions on the Beta we got to test, not the full game. In general I was quietly impressed by Tom Clancy’s Breakpoint. It’s a well put together game and the strategy driven game play is a welcome change from the usual shoot em up mentality of so many of these modern warfare games. It just added that little extra layer of je ne sais quoi to make the game feel more intense and less one dimensional. Also when your character gets hurt you can’t simply hit the med pack mid battle and go about your business. You need to hide and sort yourself out and if you get spotted by a ground drone during this process god forbid because the cavalry will be coming for you.The controls are also simple and streamlined so all in all happy Jon.
On the flipside there are one or two things I didn’t like. I know it’s the Beta and missions were limited but it did feel a bit easy at times. I’d like to presume that when the full game launches on October 4th there will be a bit more difficulty in the missions. Finally as you can’t talk about a game without mentioning the all important graphics, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is simply meh. Like graphically it’s good but not stunning, terrains and the world around you isn’t in that sexy detail we’ve become accustomed too since titles like Red Dead hit the shelves. Now the beta might have been just waiting on a lick of paint as a finishing touch so don’t be surprised if the graphics are improved on launch.
Verdict
Personally I enjoyed the Ghost Recon Breakpoint Beta. It offers a cool insight into what we should expect when the game launches on October 4. You can tell from the outset that the future for the series means you will have to coordinate with your teammates better due to the co-op open world style mission system and tactical controls. There’s plenty to like for fans and newbies alike, so if you’re looking for a fun, fast and brilliant shooter game to play in the middle of FIFA season then Ghost Recon Breakpoint we think should be well worth a look.
