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[Men_in_Boxes]

If you've ever said the following...

"I loved the gameplay in MGSV."
"Why don't they bring SOCOM back?"
"What happened to Splinter Cell?"

...then continue reading this post.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is currently on sale for $11.99 (PSN) and it's criminally underrated, especially for fans of the tactical shooter genre.

"You've peaked my interest. I'm listening."

Step 1. Buy Breakpoint.
Step 2. Choose Immersive Mode at the games start.
Step 3. Set all settings to ELITE. It's not that hard but it will encourage tactical, stealth gameplay.
Step 4. Turn off as many HUD elements as you reasonably can.
Step 5. Enjoy one of the most underrated games released in the last 10 years.

BONUS: Play co-op with a friend and wonder why games media whiffed so hard on this hidden gem of a game.

BONUS II: Main character doesn't talk like a 14 year old sassy girl.

Fans of MGSV, SOCOM, Splinter Cell, and possibly even the Hitman series should check it out.

(Visually, the game does look striking at times. Holds up well)

 

[R6Rider]

I actually have this downloaded from Extra I think and planned to play it exactly like this. Wasn't this mode added much later after release?

I remember the beta and it was a fucking mess.

 

[diffusionx]

The media didn't really whiff on the game, Ubisoft revamped and changed and added a ton of stuff to the game over the years. Like I don't even think the stuff you describe was in it at launch, and it had colored loot and shit.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Game is really a great time if you're in the mood for "army-man shooter game". I've loved the "realism" mode and you really can pretty much customize the game to almost have the exact experience you like. The weapon and outfit customization is pretty great too. The only real complaint I have and it's still a holdover from Wildlands, is that the ballistics are...less than ideal for what I'd like.

Still... For cheap, it's great. With buddies, even better. Go live out some Rambo/MGS/Splinter Cell fantasy for a while if you need to. I really wish the game had crossplay as I'd love to play with my Pops and brother in law.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

I actually have this downloaded from Extra I think and planned to play it exactly like this. Wasn't this mode added much later after release?

I remember the beta and it was a fucking mess.

Yeah, the game had an awful launch. A lot of the problems (not all) have been fixed.

It's still a strange game considering I wouldn't recommend it for people who were going to play it on standard settings. It really demands players correct the settings to get the best experience IMO.

 

[Raven117]

Man, Wildlands was actually alot of fun (if not a bit repetitive).

 

[phant0m]

Agreed on all points OP.

Game was trash when it came out but actually really solid now.

 

[GHound]

I'd say I'm good but I already own it.

 

[Gojiira]

Its just ‘ok’ OP, lets not pretend its at MGS or SOCOM level…

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Its just ‘ok’ OP, lets not pretend its at MGS or SOCOM level…

I think I like it better than MGSV because MGSV was too easy. There were no difficulty settings so I found myself playing it like an action game during the 2nd half. I can't stand Benny Hill music playing in my head as weak AI guards chase after me like imbeciles.

MGSV definitely did certain things better for sure. You're not crazy for preferring that.

 

[IAmRei]

I tried to play it a few weeks ago in PS5
then i find the graphic unbearable mess... (funny thing, i usually doesn't really care about graphic, i'm more into artstyle guy)
the control is kinda meh for me,
i returned to wildlands again ever since.

 

[Brigandier]

An embarrassment to the name Ghost Recon.

Ubisoft ruined the IP.

 

[Syphon Filter]

This is nothing like socom bro lol.

 

[Sleepwalker]

3 player coop in this was a blast

 

[Thabass]

I remember seeing the first trailers and stuff for the game and it seemed like it was going to be like a MGSV type of game...but then it was really bad and played liked ass. Are we sure it's good now?

 

[delfrickintree]

It's quite different from Wildlands and not as good, but it's definitely worth it if you're into the type of game. The setting is very cool with the swarms of AI drones and high tech colonies around the island. Super customizable so you can design the gameplay to your liking. My favorite part was the Terminator sidequests. You literally fight swarzenegger lookin terminators and find a factory that makes them (then making my whole squad terminators afterwards lol). Tomb Raider sidequest was totally lame though. And the final mission being in a volcanic industrial complex was really cool. Flying helicopters around in the winter storms, very memorable. The new voice actor for main character was not a good change imo.

The story basically drops off and I'm not sure if I was supposed to buy DLC to finish it or whatever. The whole story structure / menu system was confusing. I got my enjoyment out of the base game, however. Worth the sale price.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

This is nothing like socom bro lol.

I remember seeing the first trailers and stuff for the game and it seemed like it was going to be like a MGSV type of game...but then it was really bad and played liked ass. Are we sure it's good now?

Yes. It's 60fps on next gen consoles and plays great. Don't let the 2019 version deter you. Let it wash over your body like a fine wine.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

An embarrassment to the name Ghost Recon.

Ubisoft ruined the IP.

What do you think are the fundamentals, or pillars of Ghost Recon that it misses?

I just watched a series retrospective and to me, the action movie, Michael Bay direction of Ghost Recon from 10 - 20 years ago was the series low point.

Wildlands and Breakpoint feel like Ubisoft found their footing again.

 

[March Climber]

To help the OP:




I've gone to bat for MGSV multiple times here, and while I'll easily say that Breakpoint and Wildlands still don't match the depths of MGSV's gameplay, they do at times give similar feelings to the open structure MGSV presented.

This is also one of those cases where the game you will play in 2023 will not match the box art, launch reviews, and advertisements

 

[TheShocker]

Wildlands was….better. Breakpoint eventually caught up though and is a good game.

 

[StueyDuck]

breakpoint now is a great game.

it's a shame they borked the launch, didn't stop our crew putting 200 hours into it though

 

[Brigandier]

What do you think are the fundamentals, or pillars of Ghost Recon that it misses?

I just watched a series retrospective and to me, the action movie, Michael Bay direction of Ghost Recon from 10 - 20 years ago was the series low point.

Wildlands and Breakpoint feel like Ubisoft found their footing again.

A grounded FPS military game where it was more sim than arcade, Nothing about GR GRIT and GR2 was Michael Bay lol.

No silly gadgets or open world bullshit.

Online play where maps were well designed and the shooting felt on point.

Sometimes back to basics and grounded gameplay is where it's at a game series doesn't need to chase the future soldier and open world era... Modern GR is a new IP with the Tom Clancy GRA badge.

Yeah sure games need to evolve but not so much that it alienates the fans and becomes a totally different game.

 

[Chuck Berry]

The problem is that it's still an Ubibloat open world checkbox nightmare despite being a decent third person shooter.

Wildlands had the same problem for me.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

A grounded FPS military game where it was more sim than arcade, Nothing about GR GRIT and GR2 was Michael Bay lol.

No silly gadgets or open world bullshit.

Online play where maps were well designed and the shooting felt on point.

Sometimes back to basics and grounded gameplay is where it's at a game series doesn't need to chase the future soldier and open world era... Modern GR is a new IP with the Tom Clancy GRA badge.

Yeah sure games need to evolve but not so much that it alienates the fans and becomes a totally different game.

I guess I'm referring to Advanced Warfighter (2006, 18 years ago) and Future Soldier (2012, 11 years ago) as chasing the Michael Bay vibe. To me, the modern games feel much closer to GRIT and GR2.

 

[StereoVsn]

I liked Wildlands well enough, but Breakpoint had terrible Steam reviews so I never bothered.

Might take a look but I would be going SP so no co-op unfortunately.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I'd have bought Wildlands if there wasn't any uplay requirement

 

[Meicyn]

It’s a good game. I much prefer Division 2 though, due to the RPG elements that allow player expression via character builds. That and the setting which scarily enough, was very forward thinking in many aspects after seeing how covid played out.

 

[RoadHazard]

I'ma let you finish, but the word is "piqued".

 

[SmokedMeat]

They certainly fixed the game in a great way a while back. It’s also available for cheap on PC quite often.

 

[El Muerto]

Looks like it's gotten better. I guess i'll pick it up when it goes on sale for Steam. Wildlands was fun but i couldnt bring myself to finish it, got super repetitive. The Predator and Splinter Cell missions were cool.

 

[Hemingwayoffbase]

Also shoutout to the games hugely underrated SETTING! The story takes place on a jungle island that was purchased by a huge tech conglomerate, so you’re sneaking around these awesome sci-fi future tech buildings tucked away amid rolling island hills. One of the best settings in games, no lie.

 

[Bry0]

They did an amazing job adding content and modes, you can tweak almost every aspect of the game. It has a lot of neat contextual animations and stuff like that too, and you can turn off the loot crap. The mode where you conquer the island is cool too.

And despite all that the game still feels pretty mid ngl. I wish they would just take a direction and go with it. Actually have a vision for what the game is for once.

I don’t blame anyone for enjoying it in its current state, but it still feels like a somewhat directionless and somewhat soulless Ubisoft sandbox. There is fun to be had now but it won’t blow you away.

 

[Hemingwayoffbase]

If anybody doesn’t know, there’s also free Terminator DLC where Skynet takes over the island and T-800s hunt you like Tyrant from Resident Evil. They’ll just show up as you’re in the middle of another mission and it’s definitely an “oh shit” moment.

 

[semiconscious]

props, op! between ghost recon: breakpoint & watch dogs: legion, i managed to thoroughly enjoy the 2 most ignored, disrespected, & under-appreciated ubisoft releases releases of last gen. great games...

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

Bought it on sale a couple of years ago after it got a PS5 patch running at 60 FPS. Played for about 10 hours and lost all interest, isn't even in the same universe as MGS but if people dig it cool, it's solid for what it is

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Looks like it's gotten better. I guess i'll pick it up when it goes on sale for Steam. Wildlands was fun but i couldnt bring myself to finish it, got super repetitive. The Predator and Splinter Cell missions were cool.

If you get it on Steam, be sure to download the Spartan mod. It gives the AI better sight range, quicker visual response time, and makes the suppressed weapons significantly louder. The Ghost Recon subreddit seems to swear by it.

They did an amazing job adding content and modes, you can tweak almost every aspect of the game. It has a lot of neat contextual animations and stuff like that too, and you can turn off the loot crap. The mode where you conquer the island is cool too.

And despite all that the game still feels pretty mid ngl. I wish they would just take a direction and go with it. Actually have a vision for what the game is for once.

I don’t blame anyone for enjoying it in its current state, but it still feels like a somewhat directionless and somewhat soulless Ubisoft sandbox. There is fun to be had now but it won’t blow you away.

While I'm significantly higher on it than you are, I agree with the entirety of your post here. For me, the soul of the game exists as a difficult stealth / tactical sandbox. It got that right so I can ignore the rest of its shortcomings.

 

[Bry0]

While I'm significantly higher on it than you are, I agree with the entirety of your post here. For me, the soul of the game exists as a difficult stealth / tactical sandbox. It got that right so I can ignore the rest of its shortcomings.

yeah I just wish they got there out the gate. If they learn from their mistakes in the next one I think it has potential to be really good.

 

[Red5]

What do you think are the fundamentals, or pillars of Ghost Recon that it misses?

I just watched a series retrospective and to me, the action movie, Michael Bay direction of Ghost Recon from 10 - 20 years ago was the series low point.

Wildlands and Breakpoint feel like Ubisoft found their footing again.

Been playing Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six since Rainbow Six Rogue Spear and Ghost Recon 1. Modern day Ghost Recon and Rainbow are nowhere near the original, originals are slow, tactical and methodical, they're more brains over flashiness, originals didn't even care about rendering the weapons, what mattered was team coordination, tactics and strategy.

Starting with Rainbow Six Vegas and Ghost Recon after GRAW 2, it's all about flashiness and cinematics over tactics.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

The game is quite bad. However, it's basically all that's left of the AAA tactical/stealth genre.

It was one of the most egregious cases of false advertising I'd ever witnessed in games.

The game was advertised as a tactical survival experience with actual military advising. Instead you the opening mission as a "survival" experience and the rest of the game is a looters shooter where you rather quickly get access to a full assortment of weapons and vehicles.
And the "military advising" is an absolute joke as well.

Over time they added in coop ai partners, a more "tactical" mode that drops gear score and "realistic nights" that are supposed to be actually dark (they arent).

If you can get past all the jank, false advertising, and weirdness, you actually get a somewhat okay game that is actually far closer to The Mercenaries than old Ghost Recon.

Is it worth the sale price?
Probably.
Play it with a buddy.

 

[violence]

Nice. I played a little bit of the PSN plus extra version then immediately bought the PC version. I can tell the game is right up my alley.

 

[saintjules]