24-Dec-2001 Be a soldier. But not a fun videogame soldier
You're a soldier in the open countryside. There are enemies out there somewhere. You creep along the bottom of a steep hill. Not dead. You crawl out from the cover and hide in some bushes. Not dead. You stand up for a better look around. Dead.
SHOOT ON SIGHT Ghost Recon is a realistic war game. No health bars, finite ammo, and little clue of where the enemy is. You're in charge of three squads, creeping into occupied territory to shoot bad guys and free hostages. Every footstep is fraught with danger; each mission has you hitting Quicksave like a madman after a few steps. It's very well done, but not that much fun.
A scanner shows you the general direction of enemies, but you still need hawk eyes. In the wide-open levels it's annoying as you're never at ease with your position. Your squad mates will fire on anyone they spot, but they're relying on you to lead. You'd be more willing to keep trying if the levels are interesting, which is why the shootout in Moscow's Red Square is infinitely more fun to replay than the boring countryside missions.
ON THE JOB Fifteen missions are run through in linear order, but they're surviveable rather than enjoyable. Ghost Recon's painfully steep learning curve means it is less satisfying than the realistic action of Operation Flashpoint, where you feel part of a larger effort and can learn on the job.
The Russian dissident uprising plot is believable, and the different abilities of the soldiers come across well. You'll love the sniper with his big zoom sight, because it makes up for the fact that no-one on your team ever remembers the binoculars. And these guys are supposed to be elite? They can't climb or jump either, not even a bit.
Dean Scott
// Overview
Verdict
A great soldier simulator, but it's rock hard and isn't fun enough.
This game's predecessor, Rogue Spear, was interesting despite the fierce difficulty curve. Why? The levels. There was a shootout in a museum, on a plane and in Kosovo – all realistic settings. Ghost Recon has a couple of brilliant urban levels, but also its fair share of boring fields.
"These outdoor missions are a bit of a snore. I'll just fetch a pillow and a blanket while the game loads..."
Urban warfare – now you're talking. More of this would've been mint
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