Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is not the sequel to the previous game, Wildlands, one might think. For that reason, we compiled a list of things to be aware of before purchasing the game.
On top of that advice, it should also be noted that the game is in a rough state, which is to say at times it feels like a Beta. That is to say (at the time of writing) it is buggy beyond heck and yet still fun. Find out more in our tips below.
10 You Need An Internet Connection To Play
Ghost Recon: Wildlands could be played offline, or with friends for some co-op espionage action online. The same is not true for this. We were actually surprised to see our copy had the “requires internet connection” note on the box.
It cannot even be started without updating the game. This is a pretty big warning for those that don’t have reliable Internet and enjoyed Wildlands who were hoping this would also offer offline play.
9 It Has Adjustable Difficulty
On the plus side of things, even though the game is framed like Destiny or The Division, there are several difficulty settings. Certain missions in those two examples have challenge levels noted, but the difficulty cannot be adjusted overall. It’s the opposite here. In fact, the difficulty can be changed on the fly in the menus.
So if you want to play this alone and enjoy the story, the Arcade option is perfect to ease up on stress. On the other hand, if you want this to turn into a deep survival simulation, those factors can be cranked up to Extreme.
8 It Feels Like Tom Clancy’s Version Of Metal Gear
We have talked around it up to this point, but we have yet to explain what this game actually is. While it shares a lot aesthetically and mechanically with other Tom Clancy games, Breakpoint also has a lot in common with both Metal Gear Solid V and Metal Gear Solid 3.
Players can roll in the mud for camouflage and need to bandage wounds with wraps. On the other end, it is a huge open-world with both side missions and main missions to tackle at one’s own pace.
7 Get Ready For Loot
It may also surprise players to know that this is also a loot game. Enemies don’t drop gear as often as Destiny, but there are chests throughout the environment with plenty of equipment to grab.
Each gun or piece of armor has a stat assigned to it, which will raise your score like a Light Level. The better the gear, the stronger you will be. On the same note enemies also have gear levels so scoping a situation out beforehand will let you know if they can take on a given mission.
6 The Protagonist Speaks
As one would expect from an open-world loot game, players can customize their characters right from the start. Although there aren’t many options, which is pretty standard for Ubisoft games. What did surprise us was the fact that players actually have a voice and aren’t silent in the game.
Whether one chooses to be a male or female, they will refer to themselves by their call sign, Nomad. This might not be big news for a lot of gamers, but we hate silent protagonists so this was great to find out.
5 A Class For Every Operative
Besides gear levels, taking down enemies and completing missions will net players with experience. When a player levels up they gain a skill point they can then spend on the skill tree.
We should also mention that there are four classes, which basically break down to a healer, rogue, attacker, and sniper. If one plans to play this alone we suggest going with the rogue or Panther as it is called in the game. The smoke bomb getaway is great for solo missions.
4 Ghost War Mode Offers A PVP Option
Once players get through the opening tutorial, they can start matchmaking online with friends. Once they get a little further after that, at the base camp, they can also unlock a PvP mode called Ghost War.
As far as we have seen, the matchmaking between friends, or random people is pretty good whether or not one wants to play openly or to tackle missions. It reminded us of a more jungle ridden Grand Theft Auto Online.
3 There Are Lots Of Vehicles To Drive Or Pilot
Why did it remind us so much of Grand Theft Auto Online? Besides the open-world, this game is littered with tons of vehicles, which makes it stick out from similar looter shooters.
There are bikes, cars, planes, boats, helicopters and so much more. Plus one of the earliest skills that can be unlocked is a parachute. The world may be a bit barren in that there are long stretches of nothing, but at least there are plenty of ways to get around from the get-go.
2 The Bonuses Of The Bivouac
Let’s go back to the aforementioned base camp for a second. It is here that players can interact with others online, like the Tower in Destiny. One essential thing to be aware of is the campfire, or bivouac as they call it.
Resting at one of these can boost certain stats like being able to gain more experience for an hour. It's kind of like Monster Hunter in this way. Players can also use materials to craft stuff or to buy items. Don’t forget to warm up by the bivouac especially before a big mission.
1 Headphones Are A Must
We give this advice out a lot in similarly-formatted articles, but it is a trait worth repeating. Wear headphones. This applies to both online play, and solo.
There aren’t a lot of options to communicate what one wants to do in game, so a headset is essential for playing online. Even though talking to strangers is scary, we know, it is a must. As for adventuring alone, having headphones will help you be more aware of your space. This is especially important if you want to be a stealthy ninja.