Ghost Recon Online Review
Ghost Recon Onlinewith gameplay video
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Publisher: Sometimes online shooters can be a little bit hectic and often your best bet towards topping the leader boards is just running towards the enemy, hoping for the best. If you’ve had enough of that sort of game, perhaps Ghost Recon Online is for you. Taken from the hugely popular Ubisoft/Tom Clancy series, Ghost Recon Online brings everything you know and love about the series and places it into a free-to-play online title. Those of you that have played the most recent game in the series, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, will already be familiar with the idea behind the game. For the rest of you, it’s easy enough to learn as you go.
Ghost Recon Online Gameplay HD
Strategic Gameplay – It’s not very often you get to play an online shooter that offers a degree of thought, strategy and even – dare I say it – stealth. It’s even less common if you expect to be able to play for free. That’s what makes Ghost Recon Online such an important game. Not only is it an incredibly fun, competent third person shooter, but it also demands a touch of team work and thought.
AAA Gameplay, Free-to-Play – As mentioned above, Ghost Recon Online isn’t a million miles away from what you’d expect from Future Soldier. I even recognised part of a (if not the full) level. This is an AAA effort, perfectly polished and suitable for core gamers at the low, low price of nothing. What more could anybody want?
Recon Style – And with AAA quality comes AAA graphics. Ghost Recon Online isn’t the best looking game I have on my computer, but it’s nowhere near the worst and is up there with End of Nations on the MMO front. This is a full game experience in every sense, and that includes visually. You won’t be disappointed.
Play, Your Way – Some free-to-play shooters force you into playing a certain class or using a certain sort of weapon. This, I can only guess, means players will buy extra character slots or different sorts of gun with real money instead of losing a high level account. Ghost Recon lets you change class whenever you want, meaning you can experiment and work on your skills in your own time. You can buy Ghost coins for extra stuff.
Be The Bullet – It’s also got to be said that Ubisoft have got the controls down very well. While first person shooters have been and always will be the best with a mouse and keyboard, I’ve often felt the benefit is lost when it comes to third person games. Platformers are a no-go and shooters are often a little inaccurate. Ghost Recon Online seems just fine and I rarely found myself longing for less buttons. Jumping into cover, sliding along the ground, crawling between shots are all natural, easy moves.
This is a tactical shooter. Take cover!
Back from the Future – Along with solid gameplay, the Ghost Recon IP brings with it a collection of futuristic weaponry and equipment that are a joy to use. Although this will give those who put the time into perfecting their use an advantage, it adds an incentive to keep experimenting and levelling up. Turn invisible on the fly or us recon to see enemies ahead, pick carefully, there are advantages to all the equipment available to you.
Uplay – Although not a massive inconvenience for the average gamer, those with any sort of digital collection may be put off by the fact that Ghost Recon Online requires Uplay to be installed on your system. You have to make an account and sign in with that account. I suppose it’s no worse than the stuff that comes with a game from Aeria, but there you are. If you’ve played an Assassin’s Creed game in the last four years, or anything from Ubisoft, there’s a good chance you already have an account.
Follow your team-mates and see if they've tagged an enemy
This Again? – There aren’t a huge amount of maps and modes to choose from in Ghost Recon Online. This would normally warrant a spot in the negatives column and rightfully so, but I feel in this case I can make an exception. The gameplay is such that each game is likely to offer a level of challenge that will hold your attention regardless of surroundings. It might not be as easy to forgive for everybody, and playtime may be limited as a result.
Matchmaking Mischief – Perhaps the only complaint I have about the game is its ridiculous matchmaking system. Although it doesn’t seem nearly as bad as when the game was first released, I’m still hearing stories of ten minute waits and joining nearly finished games far too often, but from my own experience I can’t complain too much. It’s not as lightning quick as, for example, Call of Duty, but once you’re in a game you’ll likely be there for at least an hour. A few minutes every hour isn’t too badly. If you’re consistently waiting more than a few minutes, I would be less happy. Some people talk about random crashes but we haven't experience any crashes in Ghost Recon Online yet.
Ghost Recon Online review
The Verdict
Ghost Recon Online might be one of the better third person shooters on PC and the low cost of entry makes it even better. Some might prefer old favourites like Blacklight Retribution or new innovators like Planetside 2, but in terms of solid entertainment, you can’t fault the teams behind the Tom Clancy games. There’s a lot on offer here and enough to keep you coming back time and time again. That alone makes it worth the download and I am sure many of you will add this to your list of Top Shooter Games.
Similar Games
- Blacklight Retribution,
- Planetside 2
- Metal Gear Online
