Quick Update

Before i get to the game chat here, let me be clear about something really fast: I'm sorry I haven't been posting much, if at all. Work has been picking up, especially with my new earlier hours, and free time hasn't been, well, hasn't existed really. The time I have had has been spent either with family or playing Wildlands, so let's chat about that game for now.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands

First and foremost: That name is way, way too long. I know they need to keep the brand going, but, come on...

Anyway, let's get to the breakdown. Keep in mind that the following impressions are based on over thirty hours of play, possibly more, but I haven't officially "beaten" the game yet. Also, and this is important for a game like this, I haven't played ANY of the game in Co-Op Yet. With the disclaimer out of the way, let's begin!

Story

If there was one complaint to level at the game as a whole, this would be where it's aimed. The idea of Wildlands is that you and your crew of three other special forces members ("Ghosts") have been sent to Bolivia to overthrow the Santa Blanca Cartel. The setup itself isn't too obscure in regards to the usual world-ending stuff us gamers are exposed to, but the way the story is told is the problem. For all it's scope in the world itself, the tone never seems to settle. One minute your CIA handler is talking about how important it is to capture this particular person and the next she's making jokes about how they've become "more popular than a JV cheerleader who's on the pill." (Direct quote by the way.) Wildlands is full of moments like this, each attempt at seriousness throttled by poorly delivered jokes and vice versa.

Presentation

The overall look is actually slick, CG cutscenes and video briefings working hard to immerse you. It's a shame that the overall delivery is so all over the place. Those well-presented scenes are often hidden in overly bright menus that are constantly flashing new information at you. This interface isn't helped by slow loading in the PS4 version I'm playing which often brings delays when you move between tabs. To it's credit, Wildlands' map loads quickly and allows for fast placement of waypoints or just taking a look around the area.

Graphics And Performance

Even on my non-Pro PS4 and an older LED TV, the game is quite impressive to see. The draw distance is good, pop-in is kept to a minimum when on foot and the framerate holds up to boot. The problems begin when you start moving quickly and, if you don't fast travel between checkpoints, you're going to notice them immediately. This is most obvious when you get into a faster than average vehicle, such as a dirt bike. At first, you're doing well and cruising along, but once you pick up speed, the framerate starts to drop and/or objects start vanishing or appearing. to try and keep thing stable. The worst offender here is the large speedboat: Due to the horrendous pop-in whenever I used it, I just avoid it now altogether. Not a good sign when a player doesn't want to use one of the fastest forms of transportation in the game.

Now, let's talk glitches, because they can be a common occurrence. Despite what early impression videos had lead me to believe, I haven't had any that caused the game to crash or greatly affected gameplay...Not yet at least. Mine were purely of the "fun" variety. Helicopters flying with no main rotor, AI teammates 'warping' to my location, that kind of thing. They are certainly there though so don't expect a session of the game to go perfectly, online or off.

Controls And Gamplay

This is where the "true" Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six fans can dismiss the game outright: Wildlands is not, and will never be, a deeply tactical experience full of tense moments. There are no setting teams at doors and working through complex enter/exit strategies. This is a third-person action game first and foremost. True, you can't take as much damage as your Nathan Drake's of the world, but the consequences for being caught in a firefight are low. Tedious sure, but low all the same. To illustrate my point, I'll tell you a little tale.

I had arrived at a waypoint and decided to hunker down on a nearby cliff to scope the area out. It was the basic military checkpoint I had come to expect, a few soldiers patrolling outside while some remained indoors. I sent out my drone and tagged whoever I could see before moving a bit closer. As I approached, I missed a shot at a nearby guard and the base went on alert. With a few button taps, I had told my AI squad to go loud and called in Rebel Support. Within five minutes I had the base cleared out and the alert was gone. This kind of fast clearance is a common occurrence in the game, especially as you level up and gain more strength for both yourself and your computer-controlled friends.

The system in which you level up should also be mentioned here: It's pointless and leads to lots of grinding to get what you want. Like an odd combination of an RPG and the Mercenaries series, Wildlands uses both traditional skill points AND resources in order to unlock abilities. This leads to many instances of having enough of one currency but nowhere near enough of the other to unlock something you want. To a certain extent, you should have to work for these kinds of things, but getting resources and skill points is horrendously tedious, often requiring clearing out checkpoint after checkpoint in order to get what you need. The enemies are neither strong enough to provide a challenge nor smart enough to mix things up each time, leading to some by the numbers action.

Online

As mentioned earlier, I haven't had the chance to play multiplayer yet, but I imagine that it won't be much different in the long run, especially with how often the servers seem to be down anyway. For what it's worth, I have heard that getting a crew together is a great time, but I'll have to hold my judgement here until I've been able to try it for myself.

Conclusion

The real problem with Wildlands is that it could have been so much more. Imagine what it could have been with a more consistent tone, better voice acting and technical improvements across the board. Despite my misgivings, however, it provides a similar experience to Call Of Duty to me: Turn it on, lower the sound and crank a podcast or three. It's a fun game to poke around in, just not one you'll ever be absorbed in.