Ubisoft just announced 'Ghost Recon: Breakpoint,' and it's the survival shooter I've wanted for years

Kevin WebbMay 10, 2019, 00:40 IST

&quotGhost Recon: Breakpoint"/Ubisoft

Ubisoft just announced "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint," which is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 4.
"Ghost Recon: Breakpoint" is a tactical, open-world shooting game, and a direct sequel to 2017's "Ghost Recon Wildlands."
I got to try the game during a hands-on session, and found that "Breakpoint" builds on the strengths of "Wildlands" and adds new survival elements like weather effects, semi-permanent injuries, and crafting.
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Ubisoft just announced "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint," the latest game in the tactical shooting franchise, and a direct sequel to 2017's "Ghost Recon: Wildlands."

"Breakpoint" will launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 4, but I got a chance to try the game in its alpha stage. I was a big fan of "Wildlands," which brought the "Ghost Recon" series into an open-world format for the first time. The game felt like a hybrid of "Grand Theft Auto" and "Call of Duty," with a light sprinkling of the squad-based military tactics "Ghost Recon" is best known for.

"Ghost Recon: Breakpoint" builds on the most successful parts of "Wildlands" and introduces new survival mechanics to make the game feel more grounded. You play as a "Ghost," an elite soldier on a team tasked with investigating a mysterious tech company called Skell. The Ghosts explore Skell's island base, Aurora, completing missions and finding new objectives along the way. "Ghost Recon: Breakpoint" supports up to four players at a time in campaign mode, and will also have competitive multiplayer.

In "Wildlands," players were mostly free to run around between missions, but "Breakpoint" will force players to consider factors like the weather, time of day, and terrain. Harsh conditions will limit your ability to travel; even simple things like moving up and down steep slopes can stop you from running at full speed. New enemy types in "Breakpoint" will force players to change their tactics as well.

"Breakpoint" also introduces semi-permanent injuries that can impact your gameplay, like broken bones and bullet wounds. The Ghosts can collect resources and supplies to heal themselves, but players will need to visit bivouac campsites to treat their injuries, exchange items with their teammates, and craft new supplies.

A lot of the changes are lessons learned from "Wildlands," where enemies were often too easy to take down and there wasn't a ton to do between missions. With the new survival mechanics players will have to focus more on the tactical aspects of the game. "Ghost Recon: Breakpoint" will also have a greater emphasis on storytelling, with more voice-acted cutscenes and dialogue choices than "Wildlands." Actor Jon Berenthal, best known for his starring roles in "The Punisher" and "The Walking Dead," plays the game's primary antagonist, Cole D. Walker.

Here's what you need to know about "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint."

See Ubisoft just announced 'Ghost Recon: Breakpoint,' and it's the survival shooter I've wanted for years >>

In "Ghost Recon: Breakpoint," players are sent to investigate Skell, a futuristic tech company based on a private island named Aurora. Skell has produced a massive fleet of drones that can be used for military strikes.

Things go south for the Ghosts before they can land safely on Aurora, leaving most of the team dead, and the survivors stranded behind enemy lines.

With no mission details at the start of the game, players will need to figure out how to survive and where to go next on the massive island.

The Ghosts aren't alone — an elite team of mercenaries called The Wolves are constantly hunting players across the island.

To make things worse, Skell's armed drones can track and shoot players as well.

Players will also need to survive the elements; gathering food and resources will be an important part of staying alive as conditions get worse. Aurora has a wide range of environments, from dense forests to snowy mountain ranges.

The Ghosts can suffer serious injuries that can force a limp or otherwise impact your gameplay. You'll need to camp out at a bivouac to treat your wounds and collect supplies between objectives.

Players can swap between four different character types that change their abilities. Some are best suited for sneaking and survival, while others are better for big shootouts. When playing with a squad, you can roll out with all different skill sets.

Jon Berenthal, best known for his roles in "The Punisher" and "The Walking Dead," plays villain Cole D. Walker, a former ghost turned mercenary.

Walker leads the Wolves on their hunt for the Ghosts, but it's not exactly clear what he wants. "Ghost Recon: Wildlands" recently added a prologue mission that explains why Walker has gone bad in "Breakpoint."

While surviving the open-world campaign is the main goal of "Breakpoint," there will also be competitive multiplayer and extra difficult challenges waiting for players at the end of the game.

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