Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

The in-game visuals are solid, the sound is just as good, and the single player, cooperative and adversarial multiplayer gameplay modes make Ghost Recon: Future Soldier a must buy for not only fans of the franchise but for anyone looking for a deep tactical shooter to play well into the summer.

GRFS is a solid entry in the shooter genre, and one of the standout third-person shooter experiences on any console. The emphasis on intel and squads make this a must-have for anyone looking to play as a team and work together.

With all the content on offer there should be something for everyone here to enjoy. It's not a perfect game, as parts of the story, some cutscenes and a few graphical missteps in some of the indoor environments disrupt the picture. But on the whole those are just minor complaints as Ubisoft has delivered a game of the highest calibre in both single and multiplayer.

It's one of the best military shooters I've played. It doesn't push the boundaries of what we expect from that genre, but Future Soldier takes an approach that leaves little room for stagnant gameplay or retreading ground.

Future Soldier's campaign does lose its stealthy way a bit right at the end, and the presentation can be rough at times, just like the throwaway plot. Ultimately, though, the game shines not only for staying true to Ghost Recon's roots, but also for doing so while successfully balancing the memories of old fans with the modern expectations of new ones.

Ubisoft packaged a great game both for single and multiplayer lovers, fully shifting the series to the cover based TPS domain but keeping intact its tactical soul. Only a dull and generic story prevents it from shining more - something we wouldn't expect from a Tom Clany family title.

A great title... Between the impressive campaign, the myriad of co-op options and the added replayability of the mission challenges, as well as the expansive multiplayer component, it's as solid a package as military shooters provide.

It's challenging the original idea of what Ghost Recon is, providing a new experience, and a new way to tell the tale of a new Ghost team. It works well, with a lengthy campaign and a very deep multiplayer experience. The gameplay is tight and the title's only flaws are some AI quirks and its quality control ,with frame rate drops, bugs in animation, and scripted sequences which can let it down at times.

An admirable amalgamation of all you fave shooters packed into one polished package. [July 2012, p.72]

In the end it's a solid game that Ghost Recon fans can sink into the game and enjoy, the multiplayer action is well worth the price of admission. The single player experience juggles so many different elements; one's opinion may conclude that the designers tried too hard to include several different types of gamers.

This is a good return for the original tactical series of Ghost Recon. Finally we can play a (co-op) campaign a little more slowly where you have to think before you act.

While it may not be as "Future" as it was when it was announced 5 years ago, the sum of everything it brings to the table sets it apart from its fellow shooter contemporaries.

This game is very good. A 10-12 hour campaign, that can all be played cooperatively, is supported by a good handful of multiplayer offerings. The "story" seems relative and sets the stage for a great experience, even with it being a bit repetitive.

Future Soldier is an unexpected surprise. The single player campaign is solid and well-paced, and lets the player experience a wide variety of situations. It reaches a modest perfection if played in co-op with 3 other friends.

Co-op as a whole is a superb addition to the Future Soldier package. The entire campaign is playable with four people and some missions feel very different when playing with friends than they do alone.

While it's pretty evident that the campaign isn't going to hold its own versus Warfighter or Black Ops 2 this year, Ghost Recon's multiplayer is a teamwork tour de force that'll hook you hard.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier guarantees many hours of intensive gaming experience. Although Ubisoft removed some tactical elements, the sync shot feature and the AI can plug this little gap providing fun and excitement.

After a long and complicated development, Ghost Recon Future Soldier has resulted in a very good third-person action game. It is recommended for those who are a bit tired of frantic action other titles offer, or classic warfare first-person game. It is not as complex as previous Ghost Recon games, but it is also more accesible and implements great cooperative options.

Future Soldier may not be the sexiest game in the world with some graphical inconsistencies particularly in the cut-scenes and backgrounds, but she handles like a goddamned dream. Friendly AI has totally got your back making it an engaging experience in any mode. The multiplayer offers a solid balance of familiar game modes and a few tasty new treats and Guerilla mode is packed to the hilt with over-the-top frenzied action.

Fundamentally, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a shooter with relatively familiar action game with standard cover-based mechanics. This shouldn't discourage your from giving it a try, because unlike a majority of shooters today, Future Soldier makes you scratch your head a bit before sending the Ghost Team into action.

A very solid, graphically impressive shooter with a lot of content in solo-, coop- and multiplayer-modes. Although the mix of tactics and more offensive shootout plays well, the mix of both leads to some frustration. The cluttered controls make that even more annoying.

If you buy games for the single-player experience it's hard to recommend Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Once you hop online it's a different story as the tactical, objective-driven modes manage to fill the five-year void left since the release of the superior Advanced Warfighter 2. It's heavily reliant on teammates who are willing to play specific roles, but with a group of dedicated soldiers it's a war that you'll want to keep fighting.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier looks amazingly bad at times, but the new tactical approach to combat is fun. Some timed events can get really annoying and the rail shooter sequences don't work that well. Co-op campaign is a good addition, even though the lack of matchmaking is a downer. [June 2012]

Future Soldier's multiplayer component is far better suited to the saga's quality level than its singleplayer campaign. Some AI issues and its eventual lack of inspiration on the single player campaign hold it back, but it's still great fun.

A surprisingly engaging campaign with a slew of co-op options, let down by okay graphics and inconsistent connectivity. Get some. [Aug 2012, p.66]

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a fascinating example of how a series may borrow several elements from other games while staying true to its bases.

The sharp thrill of a successful synchronised takedown never loses its edge. [Issue#86, p.76]

With satisfying shooting mechanics, a great co-op mode and probably the best sound design we've ever heard on a shooter, Future Soldier is a "must have" for fans of the genre.

Sadly, in this unforgiving age of Metacritic and the rest of the score-aggregation mafia, one number it's going to have to be. Just keep in mind, if all you're about to do is read this introduction and then scroll all the way down to see the score, that the multiplayer game deserves a better grade and the single-player missions don't.

Call of Duty is still unbeatable in terms of flamboyance but if you prefer a more tactical approach, enjoy sneaking around and using gadgets Future Soldier works great. [July 2012, p.78]

Future Soldier ends up being one of the year's most entertaining co-op shooters.

Despite the predictable narrative, it's a smarter game than the genre usually delivers with a satisfying focus on teamwork and technology.

So it's not COD, but whether it carves out its own niche is another matter entirely. Future Soldier emanates the soul of a game that has been lovingly crafted by a team that are devoted to pleasing its long-running community, allaying fears over too much dumbing down of the series to please the COD crowd.

The Ghost Recon series has changed over the years and if you are fan of what Ghost Recon used to be then this isn't the game for you. For others you'll find a fun shooter that you can enjoy with friends.

Future Soldier could have ended up a real mess - and some hardcore Ghost Recon fans may still think it is - but the majority of players will find a really engaging game in both single and multiplayer. Ubisoft has managed to simplify some of the tactical aspects of the series and unite them with a broader action focus.

There's a great deal of content here for the money, and a set of high-level weapon unlocks, combined with challenges to complete on every mission, should keep you coming back to the single-player or co-op games as to the online versus modes. Dismal story aside, this is a solid, professional, deeply enjoyable product. Like the Ghosts themselves, it's so good at what it does that you run the real risk of not noticing how superbly it's doing it.

The multiplayer is engaging, whether you're gunning down your friends or enlisting them for team duty, and the gameplay never lets up, even though it bounces all over the place between non-controllable gunning segments, stealth and run-and-gun action.

There is plenty to be taken from Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, yes the game is different to previous entries in the series, however those changes are different rather than being negative. Ghost Recon hardcore fans may not get on with the new direction, but in general it is a fine game will worth your attention. Just make sure you play it with friends.

Future Soldier is the title that will reconcile players with the tactical origins of Ubisoft's IP thanks to intuitive game controls, useful gadgets and a well-balanced difficulty. The main campaign offers a breathless experience through ten dynamic missions, while the multiplayer remains entertaining despite its different game modes lacking in originality. The future of the tactical shooter is definitely preserved with Ghost Recon Future Soldier.

Future Soldier can be an extraordinary gaming-experience, but it depends heavily on the conditions under which it is played. (...) This is clearly an experience, that has to be shared with friends in the cooperative modes.

As positive as this all is, though, it won't have escaped veterans of the series' that this all sounds very familiar. That's because it is. Future Solider follows the foundations that made Ghost Recon the name it is rigidly, its main twist falling on the vision of what's to come in the military. In many ways, this has worked in Ubisoft's favour, tying in to all the franchise's underlying themes.

An impressively well balanced shooter that manages to deliver a diverse and innovative feature set that should please almost everyone.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier offers deep gameplay, subtle tactical options, and a solid campaign, best played cooperatively with 3 other players. It's also comprehensive in terms of competitive multiplayer, and its well balanced stealth / action formula gives a near perfect pace to those who are looking for this kind of more evolved TPS.

An exceptional game housed in an exceedingly generic shell. The parts that work well do so brilliantly, while those that don't only serve to make the game feel incomplete. There are things that will annoy the hell out of you, no question, but there's also a ridiculous amount of fun to be had.

After playing all the turbo boosted first person shooters lately, it's good to be back with the more sophisticated ghosts from Ghost Recon. It's high tech, it's gorgeous and it's really fun to play. If this doesn't make you believe in ghosts, nothing will.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a game that excels with its fantastic campaign, although I'm somewhat dissatisfied that I can't move dead bodies, which is possible in other games featuring stealth. Anyway, you will definitely have a great time with this game if you like tactical shooters.

Although Ubisoft missed the mark in creating a genuinely unique, futuristic setting, the tactical, slow-paced gameplay and unique squad-based experience sets Future Soldier apart from the typical shooter.

Future Soldier exemplifies a developer honouring the 'fun first' ethos of its publisher's canon, even as it stays true to the seriousness of its espionage licence. Yes, it's lost some tactical edge, but a disciplined commitment to entertainment focuses the experience. In the overmasculine world of the thirdperson shooter, this is a game that stands out for being delicately beautiful even as it delivers brutal thrills.

While Future Soldier risks losing itself in the crowd of similar widescreen War on Terror blockbusters, it at least borrows its elements wisely, serves them up with style and polish, and retains enough of its strategic core to make it an easy recommendation for those hungry for another tour of duty.

All it's lacking is confidence. The game might not once dare to underwhelm, but moments of true brilliance tend to emerge from the art direction - creeping into the mouth of a supertanker, shooting your way out of a dank church, clambering through a shattered Nigerian school. That the most impressive thing in a game about wholesale murder is the visuals suggests that Ubisoft might be using the drawing board the wrong way - but regardless, it's produced a shooter that's well worth your time.

Focuses more on action and less on tactical advancement. Additionally the campaign is rarely a challenge. If you're into multiplayer (regardless if cooperative or versus) the Ghosts might be worth a closer look though. But if you're hoping to get a continuation of the virtues of Advanced Warfighter, you will be disappointed.

So what did I think of my first Ghost Recon experience? Well, I think it did a lot of things well. Despite lacking any kind of coherent plot, Future Soldier's campaign had the hooks in me and I couldn't help but finish it off, despite having no interest in the pay-off. Chalk this up to a great combat system and some pretty satisfying stealth segments.

Overall, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is the best tactical shooter to date. Despite a number of small problems, Future Soldier is a very entertaining game on the whole and, with a lengthy campaign and plenty of game modes to be getting on with, you certainly get your money's worth. If you're looking for a shooter to pass the time until Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Halo 4 release, this is certainly worth considering.

All in all, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a good game that tries too hard to fit into a market shaped by Call of Duty's success. Ubisoft's race against other franchises looks quite well, but losing the series' roots can be disappointing.

For a title with a famous author's name brandished on its cover like a medal of honour, frankly, Future Soldier's writing stinks. There's little to recommend the singleplayer experience, but ironically, those heading online to the plot-free pleasures of team multiplayer will discover the game's true strengths.

In the end, Future Soldier is a really engaging third-person shooter that tosses you into some hairy firefights armed only with interesting weapons and smooth controls.

Future Soldier is a turn toward action, an abandonment of the traditional military tactics. It doesn't lose the essence and the gadgets, and it knows how to bring them to the multiplayer. Fans of Tom Clancy games have a new mission, which is futuristic and fun.

The co-op campaign and competitive multiplayer offer adequate experiences, but the aged graphics, unrefined controls, and cliché-ridden campaign betray the Future Soldier premise and compromise the game's ability to compete with more technologically refined shooters.

Though the standard gunplay isn't very exciting, stealthly skill shots and diverse combat scenarios provide a lot of entertaining and satisfying moments.

A tactical shooter with focus on stealth and teamwork. Buy it for the multiplayer modes and play with a team of friends, as the campaign is missing a large portion of the Ghost Recon-identity.

Ubisoft gives us streamlined solutions for most of the problems any third-person shooter would encounter. But a nonsensical storyline, monotonous missions, daft tactics, and a dozen other unpolished edges together makes Future Soldier a not all too impressive package.

Without a breadth of tactical options longstanding fans of the series will be disappointed in its change of approach, and while action fans will get some enjoyment out of its expansive arsenal and competent combat they'll surely find something more worthwhile and noteworthy elsewhere.

There were a few spots that I truly did enjoy, like the on-rails sections where you're escorting a VIP and shooting anyone you see with your pistol. These moments, though infrequent, were the highlights for me, though I'm not sure if that's just because the rest was mostly unmemorable. I was expecting many new mechanics or something to wow me, and aside from Gunsmith, nothing really did.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is far from broken or even being a bad game. It feels more disappointing than anything considering the pedigree of the franchise. Weird design choices and lack of polish really stick out in the single-player game, while the online will likely continue to thrive for months to come.

It's blunt and silly, and that really describes the entire game. A popcorn flick of a Tom Clancy game if ever there was one.

Not quite the sum of its parts thanks to awkward level design and a reliance on repetition. Technically sound, but the overall experience fails to hit the high notes.

Future Soldier suffers from a sense of split-personality. It tries to follow in the footsteps of the popular crowd, employing predictable set-pieces and hopelessly manufactured scenes of controversy that lack any intelligence.

Something of a disappointment then, consisting of a half-baked story that suffers from a lack of context or character, some pretty poor mission checkpoints, samey objectives and a surprising dearth of futuristic technology.

Occasionally ambitious but ultimately too afraid to deviate from the genre's well-worn formulas, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier feels like it's stuck in the past.

While the last half hour doesn't ruin Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, it is a disappointing coda to a game struggling to find a reason to exist. There are glimmers of Red Storm's previous dedication to authenticity and feel, but in a quest for a wider audience, Future Soldier loses sight of the series' earlier appeal, and struggles to find a new role.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier seems to suffer the CoD syndrome. In the main Campaign most of the events are clones of various situations already played with the Modern Warfare trilogy. The good multiplayer experience, anyway, is fair enough to grant a good amount of fun, both with friends or against perfect strangers.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier is not bad game; it's simply a bad Ghost Recon game.

While Ghost Recon Future Soldier is enjoyable enough, in a genre as heavily populated as modern tactical shooters 'enjoyable enough' no longer cuts it.