Bullet sponges need not apply.
Forget everything you know about modern shooters. In
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, teamwork is your most powerful weapon. Failure to take cover, work as a team and use the variety of gadgets at your disposal will result in an early grave.
It is very easy to pick up
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier with the assumption that you can take a few bullets and take every mission on in Rambo’s trademark style. However, after collapsing under heavy fire several times or seeing the option to restart a mission on multiple occasions you learn that a different tactic is required. Knowledge is power and
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier equips you with an array of tools to gain knowledge of the battlefield in front of you. There are sensor grenades, a recon drone – which can be piloted as a remote controlled car – and magnetic vision. Combine these with capable teammates who are willing, and able, to take orders and you have a small yet formidable force.
Characters on both sides of the battlefield know what they are doing. Enemies will take cover and flank while teammates can be ordered to focus on particular enemies or vehicles. This is particularly handy when the player is being suppressed. This really brings the reality of situations home as players cower behind cover. With bullets reigning down players have a few options – make a break for alternative shelter, attempt to shoot their way out of a situation or instruct teammates to provide cover fire. This is not as easy as it sounds as the player’s viewpoint sways erratically to reinforce the franticness of the situation and, as mentioned earlier, players aren’t as great at soaking up reams of bullets as in other titles.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier stands out as a smart shooter. There are times when players can run and gun, but it will make things more difficult. Also, it’s hard to pass up the novelty of stealthily stalking an enemy, moving slowly to engage optical camouflage and then taking them down from close quarters. Thinking about what way to engage an enemy can make a world of difference. If players position themselves correctly, they can mark targets to be taken out in one coordinated effort. This engages slow motion for a moment to allow players to pick out their next target or action, similar to how Navy SEALs interpret a scenario unfolding.
Ubisoft has put a lot of effort into fine details. The development team worked with four Navy SEALs to capture motion and to ensure that different models would have subtle differences. Additionally their input was sought regarding technologies to ensure that every gadget had an actual purpose. That’s certainly one way to stay grounded in the realms of reality.
It seems that each player will be able to create their own experience based on how they play the game. At the preview event, different players took different routes or different approaches to reach the common goal. It is interesting to see and one feature that could lend great replay-ability to the title.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will also feature a multiplayer element, but unfortunately that has not been discussed. At present, all that can be revealed is that there will be a wave-based survival mode.
The title will also feature Kinect support. Players can hit the shooting range and play around with the range of weaponry unlocked. The most novel feature of the Kinect support is the
Gunsmith. Players can modify and customise weaponry by simply stating commands or desired setups. The system will pull together components to maximise damage or accuracy for example, or players can play with each part themselves to build their personalised weapon. Of course, nothing feels better than impersonating Magneto as you pull a gun apart to see every individual component by outstretching your hands.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier requires a different mindset from other shooters that are out there. While it is possible to play in an action-orientated way, it is more natural to tone it down and play tactically. This is something that sets it apart from other games on the market. There is a great variety to missions and the level layouts mean that it is possible to go back to missions and experience them in a different way.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is currently slated for a May 24th release.