Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Ghost Recon is a welcome break from death match, you-must-be-on-speed-to-keep-up type games. Instead of pulling a trigger and running around until you kill someone, this game forces you to develop detailed strategies to accomplish your tasks. The action you do encounter (and there is plenty) is intensified by the fact the stakes are much higher -- a couple of bullets or a well-placed grenade takes you out of the game. This forces you to develop a properly planned and well executed course of action.

The game is squad based. During single player mode, you play one of six soldiers and can switch between them at any time. Your player leads one squad of three, and you set a course of action for the other squad which is controlled by AI. As you complete missions and tasks, you unlock addition items such as new soldiers to choose from. Surviving missions also increases soldier skill.

Ghost Recon has significant replay value. It has 15 levels and 50 different tasks to complete, but because there are so many strategies that can be used to complete a level, they can be played numerous times with the same enjoyment level. Of course, on-line play adds tremendous replay and excitement.

In my opinion, the mark of a good game is how quickly time slips by while you are playing. Time after time I have intended to wrap up in 10 minutes only to find that an hour has passed. This is a fantastic game.

I do have a few complaints. The graphics are generally good, but can be on the choppy side at times. I have also experienced instances where the AI squad didn't do what I had mapped out. But, for the most part, the game is a welcome addition to my game library.

After burning out on Halo deathmatch and hankering for some good action to get the gaming juices flowing, I finally bought this game a couple weeks ago. The result? I am seriously addicted, and find myself creeping out of bed after the wife is asleep to just try one more mission!

I pretty much missed the whole tactical shooter phenomenon on the PC. I had gotten bored with endless varieties of Quake and tournament deathmatch and more or less gave up on the genre in favor of strategy games that take more thought and planning. So it's been a pleasant surprise to see how far a shooter can be taken and how a game like Ghost Recon is more of a military simulator than anything else.

I wanted a game that has both a compelling single-player mode as well as deathmatch capabilities. Ghost Recon delivers on both. The single player game is great for the ability to select and customize the six soldiers that comprise your squad. You only directly control one at a time, but can guide the actions of the others through a command interface that sets movement waypoints as well as aggressiveness, and you can take control of any soldier at any time. In playing against others you control a squad of three. The command interface and squad set-up interfaces take a bit of getting used to, but I had it down pat after a couple sessions.

The gameplay is great and full of suspense and anticipation. You usually need to proceed through the map very carefully, keeping a low stance to evade detection while constantly scanning the terrain for your enemies. Unlike Halo, in which your targetting reticle lights up when it scans over an opponent, you may be unsure at times over what you're really aiming at: an enemy soldier or just a tree? Also, forget about taking insane amounts of damage or finding a "health pack" to fix your wounds. A couple shots will kill your soldiers, and if they get wounded, they limp around for the rest of the mission. If they die, you lose that character forever and have to train a newbie for your next mission.

The game is great at creating a sort of spooky atmosphere. You are plunked down in a strange area with a map but no idea where your enemies are. The blowing wind makes trees sway and rustle, adding random movement that keeps you constantly on your toes. When gunfire has erupted from aside or behind me, I have literally jumped in my seat. One drawback is the total lack of interactivity with the environment. You cannot pickup objects, even weapons or ammo from your own dead. You cannot even open or close doors.

I have seen lots of complaints about graphics and while they are not stellar, as in Splinter Cell, they are good enough to convey a sense of realism. There are also complaints that the AI is too dumb to rely on to guide your other squad members. My biggest gripe with the AI is that it is sometimes TOO effective. Often my soldiers have taken out the enemy without me ever seeing where they bad guy was. I wish there was some sort of notification after which you could instruct your unit to fire at will or something. The bad guy AI is generally decent, with them running for cover, etc. In one scenario, I watched a dude drop to the ground, then crawl around the other side of a car, then re-emerge to try to shoot at me.

The only other main complaint I have is that the deathmatch option only supports two people playing on one Xbox, as opposed to the four allowed by Halo. And I understand if you do a system link, it is only one person per box. Unfortunately I am living outside the US and don't have access to Xbox Live, but everything I have read says this game rocks when playing multiplayer online.

It short, Ghost Recon has a few shortcomings, but the outstanding gameplay simply overrides all of that. This is one of the best game purchases I have made -- up there with Halo and Max Payne. I am a new convert to tactical shooters, and will definitely keep my eye on further Tom Clancy-tagged games and those from the wizzes at Ubi Soft.

With Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, squad based combat on the XBox lets you play through single player missions or take it online with XBox Live for up to 16 simultaneous players.

Gameplay involves you running a team of up to 6 members. The team members can be snipers, foot soldiers, engineers, and more. As in Rainbox Six, you can build your teammates up through the levels so they can gain more skills.

The single player missions are interesting, with landscapes varying from countryside to small towns to big city streets. You have to use stealth and strategy to achieve your objectives without dying or running out of ammo. Each teammate must use his strengths and help cover for each other's weaknesses.

The graphics aren't exactly stunning - while the buildings have windows and doors drawn on them, for example, you can't shoot out the windows. It's more like they are giant squares with murals painting on them. On the other hand, the human bodies are extremely well done, with their movement and actions.

The sounds are immersive and draw you in. There's background noises of wind and cars which can make it harder for you to hear the footsteps of your enemy ... or at times mask the noise of your own footsteps. If a loud noise happens near you, it gives the realistic temporary 'underwater' sensation as in real life.

Single player is just practice for the real fun of Ghost Recon - XBox Live play. Unlike PS2 or Computer gameplay, with XBox Live you're guaranteed that other players all have a high speed (Cable Modem) connection speed. This means the lag you see in many other on line games is pretty much completely avoided.

We play a ton of games on line and this is one of our current favorites. Recommended for XBox Live owners who enjoy team-based gameplay.

I was extremely excited when I found out Ghost Recon would be a launch title for XBOX Live. Reviews gave it high marks, and the PC version won a game of the year award. But the XBOX version suffers in several areas (which I assume also apply to the PC version).

1.) The draw distance is extremely obvious with night-vision goggles on. This means that trees just pop out of nowhere ahead of you. This detracts from the immersion of the game.

2.) The game plays as if you are on a set track - meaning you cannot jump or leap down from elevations. In fact, if you are on a hill, and wish to get down from the hill, you run into a "hidden barrier" that prevents you from getting down except for a ramp-like part of the terrain.

3.) Online matches typically take a long time to load - games are usually in progress and you must wait several minutes (if not 10 minutes or more) until the game ends and you may join. I was only lucky once and got in a game before it started, but then I waited 5 minutes for enough players to join (now, I will admit, this situation may improve as the number of gamers playing the game at any one time grows, but it is still very annoying). Other XBOX Live games do not have this issue because of the way their opti-match system is set up.

Aside from these points, it is a solid game - those gamers who like a slow-paced semi-realistic war game should enjoy Ghost Recon (although the items I mentioned above do detract from the whole experience).

I would caution, however, against you gettin this game if you prefer faster-paced shooters such as Halo or Unreal Championship - it might be worthwhile to try it out in the store first, if you can. You may decide this game is not for you.

Quite frankly, I'm shocked that this game hasn't gotten so many good reviews. This is one of the best military sims I've ever played, and I've played quite a few. If you don't believe me, at least download the GR demo somewhere.

Graphics-
I don't really pay much mind to graphics unless they're truly bad or make me think I'm watching something real, and Ghost Recon is neither. The environments are nice, but everything else is only standard.

Gameplay-
This game is rather unforgiving. Where running into one area without being careful can mean the difference between life and a character change, the overall experience is very intense on par with survival horror games. Rambo-to-be's need not apply.

Sound-
Not terribly groundbreaking here, but some of the explosions and gunshot sounds were nice.

Playability and controls-
If you've grown up on run-and-gun games, prepare for a complete mental plastic surgery. The only complains I have here are the enlarging aimers of all Clancy games. They take a bit too long to get small enough. But, since targets (including you) go down at 2 shots at most, this probably won't be a problem anyway. The lack of jumping is a bit odd too.

Replayability-
Through the roof. There are multiple modes for playing each mission. For example, you could do the actual mission, or select firefight mode (where you just have to kill all the baddies) or recon (where you just have to make it to the checkpoint). Both bring suprising longetivity to the game, as well as the many unlockables, and of course, Live play.

This is the first game that I have owned that will be going back to the store. If you are looking for a Conflict Desert Storm type game with better graphics, do not look here. There is a huge flaw in the execution of same screen co-op mode. The game only allows the selection of a primary dossier, once selected, co-op can be started, however when the game loads, no matter which profile is selected for the second player, the game will default the second player with default settings. This is a big problem if the second player wants to play with non-inverted controls. The next big disappointment was in the system link mode. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE HALO! It limits players to one player per x-box, 2 players per game, however it will play 8 games simultaneously. The design of this game was clearly written for x-box live, with little attention to system-link, or co-op modes. There are some good things, the graphics are decent, and the environments are large. Game movement is smooth, and the AI enemies are challenging. I'm left wondering if the release of this game was forced before completion, with the intention of having release titles for x-box live.

First off let me start by saying that Ghost Recon is NOT like Halo. You do not charge in throwing grenades and holding the trigger button for 3 minutes straight. This is a strategy game. Instead of one path you have a wide open area. You could go straight, you could go right, you could go left. Its up to you. The Ghosts are divided into two three-man squads. One squad follows you, and the other you command where to go. This way you can split up or stick together, its your choice. This is a game of patience. You will often be moving only a few feet at a time. Every now and then you have to stop and scope the area for enemies. If you go in fearlessly, you'll be ambushed and killed. Oh that reminds me, this game does not deal with any "life bar" bull. This is realistic. If someone shoots you in the head once, sorry buddy, your dead. You might however get away with a shot to the leg in which case you'll be injured and move slower and your skills will be hindered. Online this is a fantastic game. With some good teammates, you'll have a great time working together. Hell, even with team mates who dont care about you and watch out for themselves only, you'll have a great time. The game's that good. If you dont have Xbox live, you might just wanna rent this and see if you feel like beating the missions on all difficulties and unlocking everything which can get a little repetative but QUITE challenging. I would recommend this game for adults who dont mind strategy, stealth, and planning your course of action. I wouldn't recommend this game to people who would rather take 300 bullets and live and who like to just blast away untill everyone's dead. And to those who say that it's stupid that you cant see your gun, shut the f^ck up and find something relevant to complain about. The only complaints I have about this game is that its not very interactive. Although hiding behind a tree or corner is very effective, you cant go in most buildings and none of the missions require you to flip switches or pick up anything. Also, you can't jump but you CAN crouch, and even lay on the ground. There are tanks in the game but you can't drive them which is a shame too. If this game had drivable vehicles and a few more commands it would be top notch.

This game is actually very serious and scary when you consider that it's based on a futuristic battlefield scenario and depicted realistically. There's no fantasy or sci-fi element, it's uniquely raw and unformulated. Rather than having unlimited ammo, sexy allure and sharp wit to get you through, you have only have to rely on your own inituitive, quick planning, stealth and skill. Your actions also have consequences and you're enemies are just as intelligent and determined as you and your allies.
If you also consider the context - if this is real - it could be very scary and emotional. You're in a vast foreign environment and you could be killed instantly if you're not careful. Just imagine that this is what soldiers really experience (obviously worse in reality). This is a very provocative and insightful gaming experience which really teaches the player about the 'real world' (to a certain extent)...
This, in a way, is a form of escapism from other more conventional and mindless video games. It's nice to have a bit of a change and this isn't likely to influence a new notion of 'reality-based' gaming anyway (for those who dislike it).
- This is more suitable for older gamers and those with patience who prefer challenging strategy games. Don't buy this game under the impression it's another 'Halo'.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon pits you as an elite special forces member taking part in various missions against Russian Ultranationalists who want to re-create the Soviet empire.

Similar to other squad-based first person shooters where you pick a team of soldiers from 4 classes: Rifleman, support, snipers, and Demolitions. You then pick a weapons kit for each member, outfitting him with the gear you think they'll need for whatver mission you are on.

Some great maps and settings to play in. But this is one tough game. Tougher enemies than usual, I think. You can play with a friend via split screen, or go online and play on Xbox live.

Lots of depth to the various missions. Good graphics but not as good, in my opinion, as Rainbow Six.

Online play is very good, with a variety of different games to play and little lag.

This real life simulation of squad-based combat tactics requires foreplay-- you just don't go charging in like MOH. My first thoughts upon playing it was "wow, this is like deer hunting" only you and your squad of elites are hunting humans, that are out for you! It's a game of chess, with well thought out moves in positioning and "cover your a**". There are 15 missions to complete, but with the game being so non-linear, the replay value is tremendous. Some have criticized the game because they "didn't see anything" before they got KIA. My answer: look around a lot more, and anticipate ambushes! Place your squad on "suppress", and fire in those bushes if you suspect enemies lie in wait. Some have criticized that you "can't see your weapon". My answer: take the focus off your member, and concentrate on looking around! (that's probably why it doesn't stick out in the first place--it obstructs your field of vision). Set up (2) members in Alpha and Bravo teams with good leadership, then switch between them as you set up your squad for an ambush of the enemy. After some practice, this tactic becomes second nature and you truly feel in command. My ONLY criticism of the game is this: whichever team you are on, Alpha or Bravo, the other two guys follow you around like dogs, helpful though they are. My only problem with this is, sometimes you would like to do RECON on your own, for short distances, and you could do it more effectively if these guys weren't always on your tail.