10. Ghost Recon Predator
Released on the PSP, Ghost Recon Predator isn’t the worst game. It has good gameplay and it’s a great way to pass the time but it isn’t particularly memorable within the Ghost Recon circle. Being released on the PSP probably didn’t do it any favors to reach a broad audience either.
Also, the graphics could have honestly been a lot better. Games like God of War: Ghosts of Sparta and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep came out around the same time and they looked a thousand times better.
Ghost Recon Predator could have been planned a little better to be a great handheld game but it just doesn’t compare to the rest of the games in the Ghost Recon series.
9. Ghost Recon 2
Coming out in the jolly good year of 2004, Ghost Recon 2 was the first of the Ghost Recon games to be played in third-person. Back in the day that wasn’t as common as it is now.
The game is held back by the 2004 hardware it’s running on, giving players clunky movements, hard to follow controls, and a bumpy gameplay experience.
Your player character also frequently gets in the way whenever you want to do anything which is a personal frustration of mine.
Ghost Recon 2 is now more a good nostalgic trip over being a game someone is just randomly willing to replay. You can still have some great times within the game but its gameplay mechanics hinder that a little bit.
8. Ghost Recon (2010)
Probably one of the least memorable games in the series, Ghost Recon (2010) was released for the Wii nine years ago.
Despite being a first-person shooter on the Wii, the game actually has some solid gameplay that doesn’t really clash with the console’s particular mechanics.
For this game, the nostalgia doesn’t cover over its bad parts and instead reminds those of us who played it back in the day of it being a surprisingly pleasant experience.
Even though every character liked yelling in that game for some reason.
7. Ghost Recon Breakpoint
The newest and freshly released game in the series, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint continues Wildlands’ success with more action and gameplay. However, you’ve probably noticed that Wildlands has yet to appear, meaning it beat out Breakpoint as a better game.
Breakpoint isn’t bad, but it doesn’t particularly improve on what Wildlands has to offer. Sequels are meant to essentially be upgrades for their predecessors and, so far, Breakpoint doesn’t really do that.
Regardless, it has exciting characters, a generally alright story, and gameplay that is pretty enjoyable. It’s a solid game but it could have been a lot better.
6. Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
A turn-based take on the Ghost Recon series, Shadow Wars puts strategy ahead of action and excitement. It makes up for the static imagery and more or less boring visuals with surprisingly entertaining gameplay.
A lot of thought has to go into player actions and the strategy aspect of the game is never lost throughout missions and objectives.
Shadow Wars is a nice change to the Ghost Recon series and it adds a different perspective to what we had gotten used to. It shows that the premise of a game series can switch between genres.
It also doesn’t hurt that the game was made by Julian Gollop, the man who started the popular X-COM series.
5. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Ghost Recon took a different turn in the series with Advanced Warfighter by making gameplay and technology a little more futuristic than the previous games in the series. It didn’t go as far as Future Soldier but it still went more advanced. You know, with its warfare.
It’s a nice continuation of the Ghost Recon story especially for those of us fans who’ve followed Scott Mitchell from his first appearance in Ghost Recon 2.
Though, its gameplay is a little lacking in fluidity and responsiveness. It stutters more often than not and it really feels like a product of its time.
Despite that, it actually is a pretty fun game to play especially with all of the gear, weapons, and exciting missions.
4. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
The sequel to Advanced Warfighter, Advanced Warfighter 2 beats out its predecessor on the list mostly because of the improvements and upgrades it has comparatively.
The A.I. works a lot better, gameplay is smoother, the HUD is clear and useful, and there are quite a number of vehicles and assets at your disposal throughout many of the missions.
The diversity in gameplay really makes the game stand out against many of the others on the list especially thanks to the fact that it has a story that’s easy to follow.
Overall, Advanced Warfighter 2 is a game that you should totally replay or, for some of you, play for the first time.
3. Ghost Recon Wildlands
A nice return to the original Ghost Recon style, Wildlands brings players back to a less futuristic setting in a vast and open location. You know, a wildland.
Despite having a story that is easily forgettable, Wildlands actually has a very enjoyable gameplay experience. There’s a lot to do within the game from numerous side quests, to leveling up, to gathering collectibles. You can always find something to do.
However, much of the game’s story and many of the missions become repetitive with many objectives simply being the same thing you just did but on a different side of the map.
Though, Wildlands’ gameplay does carry it through much of the mission drag. That’s why we gave the game a 3.5/5 in our review. It’s not great but it’s not terrible.
2. Ghost Recon
If this list was determined by nostalgia, the O.G. Ghost Recon would be, hands down, in the number one spot. It does get close though.
Despite having come out in 2001, Ghost Recon doesn’t show its age when replayed now. The gameplay is still unique and enjoyable with enemy and player A.I. being surprisingly advanced.
Missions were long but they never felt that way because you were always doing something whether it was surveying for enemies, completing objectives, or making sure the area was secure before moving your team up.
It is akin to a proto-X-COM with the player responsible for the actions of each member of A and B team. You can certainly become attached to these characters as well, so their possible deaths can hit you right in the heart.
1. Ghost Recon Future Soldier
This may or may not be a controversial number one entry for this list but Ghost Recon Future Soldier is a great game with fun gameplay and the least poorly-written story in the series.
Despite only having a few cutscenes in the game, they give enough insight into the personalities of the main character and of your teammates. Add in a few off-handed and witty jokes from time to time and you get a team that is more than two dimensions.
The gameplay itself is an improvement on all of the other games before it, implementing many mechanics that we also end up seeing in Wildlands and Breakpoint. There’s a diversity in the tools and technology at your disposal too, in addition to many ways to get to the objective.
Wildlands and Breakpoint are solid games with enjoyable gameplay, but Ghost Recon Future Soldier just adds a bunch more together to create a pretty great game.
Published: Oct 8, 2019 09:09 am