Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Preview

The wait is just about over.  On May 22, Ubisoft will finally release its long-awaited entry in the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, the futuristic third-person shooter Future Soldier.  The game will definitely change the pace of combat games as you’re used to thanks to a number of new features and multiplayer that will take the summer by storm.

In Future Soldier, you’re part of an elite Ghost team made up of several high-tech soldiers investigating the murder of a fellow Ghost team at the hands of a dirty bomb.  Your squad is tasked with finding out who set off the bomb, why they did it, and making sure they never have a chance to do it again!  

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a third-person action/shooter where you’re going to be scrambling for cover as you take on enemies, and the developers made sure the environment is destructible – nowhere is really safe.  You have to keep moving while formulating a strategy to get through each mission in one piece. 

Alongside the drones are high-tech gadgets like “optical camouflage” which, when activated, gives you a “Predator”-like view of the action.  You become completely invisible except for a silhouette that’s barely noticeable to anyone close around you.  This allows you to sneak up on and tag enemies appropriately.  The tech tools only last so long so make sure you’re keeping your wits about you as you stay low.

You can also use camo to your advantage when it comes to marking targets, making objectives easier for your fellow teammates who are acting AI or fellow soldiers you meet through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.  Ghost Recon: Future Soldier promises great coordination amongst teams, especially in competitive multiplayer where you’ll need to work together to defend points on a map or bring down several perpetrators at once.  We expect the competition to pick up on a pretty maximum level once the game releases next week – and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

The intensity of combat pops throughout Future Soldier with a ton of firefights, and the game makes it easier to give you a view of the action as you switch between third and first person for better precision.  When you come under fire, your field of vision actually decreases, increasing the threat of the situation and forcing you to act quickly so you can stay alive.  The later missions become increasingly tough, so make sure you step up.

In addition to an array of impressive weaponry, you’ll also have access to multiple drones, including a small remote controlled quadrotor known as the Drone Crawler which can fly and drive around land to incapacitate enemies.  Also useful is the War Hound, a huge walking beast that not only takes some punishment but also serves as mobile cover, should the situation call for it.  Using these alongside your squadmates can help you complete the mission, so make sure you consolidate these resources properly.

For a futuristic entry in the series, Future Soldier has the best of both worlds – a high-tech look that shows the next generation of combat, coupled with the same intense third-person action that made the previous GRAW games so much fun.  The environments look great, and the combat situations definitely don’t let up, either in single player or online matches.  

We’re just getting started on the final version of the game but fans will definitely be in for a treat – especially when they check out the Gunsmith menu for the first time, modifying their load out however they please. 

If you’re a fan of Ubisoft’s action games, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is obviously a must.  Check it out when it hits stores next week.