Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 19
  2. Negative: 1 out of 19
  1. 93
    But exciting as the mission design is, the one thing Ghost Recon scores biggest on is atmosphere...Do not miss this one.
  2. Ghost Recon has some real strengths, but handholding micromanagement, an awkward interface, bugs, and other problems and weaknesses often sap the fun out of the game just when it starts to get entertaining.
  3. It is both stimulating to the eyes and ears and will have you jumping out of your chair when the fit it’s the shan. The character rendering and animation is top notch.
  4. GR does an incredible job of mimicking the movements and strategies of soldiers in the field, while simultaneously giving the player a feeling of complete tactical control. [Feb 2002, p.99]
  5. 76
    A decisive step backwards from the combat dynamics of Operation Flashpoint and the team command structure of SWAT 3.
  6. 80
    Ghost Recon’s in-depth gameplay closely resembles that of the previous Tom Clancy games—but it also has its faults, such as some weak A.I. pathfinding.
  7. It's very hard indeed...That said, cracking a mission is an incredibly rewarding experience, and the inclusion of a 'quicksave' facility does make the process somewhat less painful.
  8. Hands down the best tactical shooter this veteran gamer has seen in his entire ass-kicking, name-taking, tango-stalking life. Get it? [Holiday 2001, p.54]
  9. In many areas Ghost Recon has the balance between shooting and thinking just about spot-on.
  10. The sense of immersion through intelligent AI, captivating missions, wonderful visuals, atmospheric sounds and the balance of action/strategy has opened my eyes.
  11. The missions, while varied, are wildly uneven in difficulty, and many are totally unsuited for the sort of unit that you're ostensibly commanding...It is, however, extremely good-looking, great sounding, and very entertaining.
  12. Richly designed and well-balanced gameplay, adding new squad-based and tactical interfaces to an already complex style of play, Ghost Recon is the thinking man’s shooter.
  13. AI has always been a bone of contention with these games, and Ghost Recon is no exception. Basically, you're playing 3D Lemmings - with guns.
  14. Ghost Recon's Interface is the smoothest I've seen in any of the titles in the genre.
  15. I am absolutely thrilled with this game and already I can’t wait to see where Red Storm takes it next.
  16. Unfortunately, Ghost Recon’s AI is little improved over the ugly R6 original, and the RPG element is given lip service at most. Add a handful of familiar R6 bugs, and you have a potential blockbuster game marginalized. [Mar 2002, p.70]
  17. Adds tougher artificial intelligence, realistic outdoor environments and a streamlined command interface.
  18. Another reason I like this game is because there is a number of ways to go about playing it. You can be aggressive and pick the soldiers for that, or you can be stealthy and snipe through your missions.
  19. 40
    Same old formula adds nothing new to the genre.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Ok, so I go to the store to get a new PS2 game (yes, I STILL play the PS2) with my brother, and he says "hey look, a Tom Clancy game, didn't you just read a book by him?" (Just to let you guys know I'm not a big gamer.) Sure enough I pick it up and it's Tom Clancy's Ghost recon for about $3. I decide to buy it, at first, I was a little bit discouraged by the fact that it is over a decade old, but lets just say, decade old or not, I definetly got my $3 value out of it. Ok, now If you play a lot of Call of Duty games, you may not like it, for multiple reasons.
    1. Its not just a mindless shooter, it has STRATEGY
    2. Unlike in COD, if you die you continue on as one of your squad mates, an idea that I found ingenious, fun, and it added a whole other degree of realism to the game.
    3. Picking your weapons before you go out for battle, YEAH, YOU WISH YOU COULD DO THAT IN COD!
    4. The game has almost an open world aspect, the fact that you can choose your route to advance and you aren't just restricted to a single street or alley (like you are in COD)
    5. Directing your men where you want them to go. Do you ever get the feeling when playing COD, that you just want to throw the controller at the screen when your fellow squad mate isn't doing what you want him to do or going where you want him to be?
    Now, I could go on and on about the differences, but I figure I'll stop there. Honestly, the only con I can think of is that sometimes the missions might be short, and overall the game is just dated, but don't let this stop you from buying the game, because if the PC port is just as good as the PS2's, you'll get hours of replay time and overall have lots of fun, as this is a great game.
    Full Review »
  2. This game brings back so many of my childhood memories, and this game was awesome.
  3. Without going into detail, the game is good but dated. It came out several months after Operation Flashpoint and is inferior in almost every meaningful way. Full Review »