“ Inserted deep behind enemy lines, they strike swiftly and then vanish. When a stolen military grade bomb takes out a Ghost squad, a new Ghost Unit must track down the source of the weapons. But the trail Ghost Lead, Kozak, Pepper and 30K follow leads around the world, into the corridors of power where rebellion and war are brewing. Soon, the Ghosts are all that stands between the world and a devastating global conflict. - Description”
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a video game published by Ubisoft Entertainment available on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Excluding expansions to previous titles, this is the fifth installment in the Ghost Recon series, and brings the universe into a post-modern setting.
Development
Initially, the title was revealed to be Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Predator by an OFLC release. However in December 2009, "Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" was trademarked by Ubisoft, raising speculation that this could be the name for the upcoming Ghost Recon 4. This was subsequently confirmed by an official announcement that same year. In November 2010, Ghost Recon: Predator was released exclusively for the Playstation Portable and took place during a conflict in Sri Lanka.
While the release of Future Soldier was targeted for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, Ubisoft later announced that the release date would be pushed back until the 2010-2011 fiscal year to "strengthen" its video game line-up. In May 2010, Ubisoft announced that the release of Future Soldier would be delayed until the "March quarter of 2011". It was later delayed until May 2012. Ubisoft Paris wanted to ensure the best experience for players by holding it back for a few months to ensure as much of the game is as good as they can get it to be.
The game was released on May 22nd, 2012 in America and May 24th, 2012 in Europe for Xbox 360 and PS3. The PC version was released on June 12th 2012. Planned Nintendo DS and PSP versions were cancelled in 2011.
Since its release, three downloadable content packs have been made available for purchase.
Gameplay
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a third-person cover-based shooter; however, aiming down the sights will cause it to switch to a first-person camera for more precise aiming. In addition, cover is partially destructible and fire from enemy machine guns will cause an FOV reducing 'suppression' effect.
Unlike previous Ghost Recon games, squad micromanagement is replaced by target marking: the Ghosts' AI handles the details. During firefights, the player can mark one high priority target on which squad-members should focus their fire, and outside of firefights, the player can mark up to four targets for the Ghosts to shoot either with them, or on their command, in perfect synchronicity.
Gunsmith
- Main article: Gunsmith
During E3 2011 Ubisoft, debuted Gunsmith, which allows the player to customize and test weapons with alternative optics, attachments, trigger groups, barrels, and more in both singleplayer and multiplayer. This groundbreaking feature allows the player to fully customize their weapon selections. In the campaign, players will unlock weapons complete with every one of their respective attachments by completing missions and challenges. On the other hand, in multiplayer, players will unlock weapons and earn credits for weapon parts as they level their character. Furthermore, on the Xbox 360, players can use Kinect to customize their weapons through hand gestures and voice commands.
The types of attachments and modifications for Future Soldier include:
- Optics: Allow the attachment of both close-quarters and long-range optics.
- Paint: Camouflage (aesthetic only, has no effect on weapon performance).
- Trigger Groups: Allow fire mode adjustments, such as full-auto and burst fire.
- Magazines: Allow for greater capacity, alternative ammunition, and faster reloading.
- Under-barrel: Grips and bi-pods for increased accuracy, or launchers and shotguns for increased damage.
- Gas Systems: Fire rate adjustments are made here.
- Side Rail: Aiming lasers and heartbeat sensors attach here.
- Barrels: Change the length of barrel for long, close or mid range combat.
- Muzzle: Add suppressors for stealth or recoil compensators to increase precision or hide muzzle flash.
- Stocks: Change the stock to increase maneuverability or accuracy.
In single-player, Ghost and Russian weapons are unlocked by completing missions and challenges, respectively. In multiplayer, weapons are unlocked per class as rank is increased with a class.
At any time while using the Gunsmith a player can visit the firing range, permitting him/her to test their weapon at close, medium, long, and extremely long ranges.
The game has approximately 52 different weapon variants through customization.
Storyline
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier opens with a four-man Ghost Team, code-named "Predator", led by Joe Ramirez, deployed in Nicaragua to disrupt weapons traffickers. Upon inspection of the convoy vehicles, a dirty bomb detonates, killing the team. Investigating the cause and tracking down the source of the bomb is tasked to another Ghost team call-signed "Hunter", consisting of Ghost Leader Captain Cedric Ferguson, Staff Sergeant John Kozak, Master Sergeant Robert "Pepper" Bonifacio, and Sergeant First Class Jimmy "30K" Ellison. The team ships out under the supervision of Major Scott Mitchell.
Mitchell informs the team of their new mission to rescue an arms dealer named Gabriel Paez in Bolivia who has information about where the bomb came from. The team rescues Paez and then proceeds to follow the trail of guns from Zambia where they eliminate a local warlord, then to Nigeria, Pakistan, Norway, and finally into Russia, where the team destroys an arms shipment at an airport, causing an international incident.
Some time later, a nuclear missile fired from Russia impacts London, but the nuclear warhead is eliminated at the last minute by the US Missile Shield. The launch is traced to a rogue Russian group known as Raven's Rock in Dagestan. The team is ordered into Dagestan to rescue a Georgian Special Forces unit who went to investigate the launch site. It is later found that only their commanding officer, Sergeant Osadze is alive but is captured by the Russians. During the rescue operation, which successfully frees Osadze, the team is ambushed by Russian Spetsnaz that have access to high-tech equipment on the same level as the Ghosts, and it is later revealed that these soldiers are part of Russia's elite "Bodark" unit, which have sided with Raven's Rock.
Raven's Rock then stages a coup and is now in charge of the majority of Russia. "Hunter" then heads to northern Russia to secure a drilling ship to support the Loyalist Russian Forces in attempt to stop the Raven's rocks's forces. After accomplishing this, the team is assigned to rescue a loyalist general who is seen as the leader of the resistance. After destroying the artillery that was attacking the General's forces, the team is pinned down by overwhelming Russian forces, until air support from H.A.W.X. squadron arrives and eliminate all opposition. Next, Kozak is tasked with a solo operation to rescue the Russian President, Volodin, from a 'black' prison in Siberia. Kozak is successful, and then the team protects the President in his return to Moscow, and eliminates a Raven's Rock General. The Raven's Rock forces are overthrown and the crisis ends.
While everyone else is celebrating, the team receives intelligence on the location of the seven other leaders of Raven's Rock, which orchestrated the whole crisis. The team is sent in on a clandestine operation to eliminate the seven. After eliminating six of the seven, the team chases the last member, code-named "Ace", to a train station, where they wound him. The wounded Ace taunts the team that they will not kill him because the American government will stop them. Just before they are about to execute him, Major Mitchell calls them off, stating that Ace is to be kept alive and brought back to America, that the orders came "from the top", and that they are "not to touch" Ace. At that point a train comes, and Ace, who is wounded on the tracks, calls for the team to save him, reminding them that their orders were to keep him alive. Ferguson corrects him, saying that that their orders were not to touch him, as the team leaves Ace to be run over by the train.
Raven Strike
Following the mission in Georgia, the Ghosts are deployed to help a loyalist Russian General. They steal a Russian command train to kill four Bodark leaders while covering their involvement in the operation.
Missions
- Nicaragua - Nicaragua
- Nimble Guardian - Bolivia, March 3
- Subtle Arrow - Zambia, March 28
- Noble Tempest - Nigeria, April 10
- Tiger Dust - Peshawar, April 17
- Silent Talon - Arctic, April 25
- Firefly Rain - Airfield, Kaliningrad, May 13
- Ember Hunt - Georgia, May 14
- Deep Fire - Barents Sea, June 2
- Valiant Hammer - Russia, July 13
- Gallant Thief - Russia, July 17
- Invisible Bear - Moscow, July 21
- Shattered Mountain - Archangels'k Oblast, July 22
Raven Strike
- Secure Dawn - Kazakhstan, September 22
- Cold Walker - Russia, September 22
- Argent Thunder - Moscow, September 23
Multiplayer
Ghost Recon Future Soldier's multiplayer modes allow you to experience the future of warfare like never before. Select from three classes (Rifleman, Engineer, and Scout) and unlock new gear to battle on ten maps. During your online career you gain experience and levels, all leading to decisions that you make to customize and develop your character. But it's not all about you. You won't be successful without teamwork. The multiplayer modes offer many opportunities to work together and help your team gain the upper hand in each battle. Gather intel on your opponents' positions and share it with your teammates. Or use the suppression system to pin your enemies down while your teammates flank them.
Classes
Divided into three distinct classes, the combatants on either the Ghosts or Bodark teams are not necessarily carbon copies of each other. On the contrary, they have their own weapons, unlock progression, XP levels, and abilities, allowing for full customization of not just a particular style of play per class, but also per round.
Classes | Description |
---|---|
Rifleman |
Has access to Assault Rifles, Light Machine Guns, and heavy body armor. They have the greatest skill in conventional combat with superior weapons for mid-range engagements by default. Through customization these personnel can field variations of standard firearms to fight effectively at all but the longest ranges. Be it suppressing enemies with their LMGs, allowing the team to advance, or engaging targets with a marksman rifle, the rifleman is a versatile class that can absorb and inflict heavy punishment. |
Engineer |
Has access to Shotguns, Personal Defense Rifles, and a wealth of intelligence and defensive equipment. They focus on support and excel at area defense and thanks to the use of their specialized equipment, which grants them and/or the team bonuses when they are set up. Due to their short to mid-range weapons, Engineers generally lack any reliable form of weapon to engage enemies at long-range, making them best suited for tight quarters. |
Scout |
Has access to Sniper Rifles, Sub-Machine Guns, and active camouflage. They are best used with stealth based tactics, as they lack the body armor that the rifleman possesses and field weapons that leave them with a "blind spot" where both their main weapons are ineffective (at mid-range). Due to the few number of other weapons that can compete with them at the longer ranges, they are virtually unchallenged at long-range combat. |
Maps
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Multiplayer Maps) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Alpha |
Cargo |
Rig |
Underground |
Market |
Sand Storm |
Overpass |
Pipeline |
Mill |
Harbor |
Arctic Strike (DLC) | ||||
Evicted |
Riot |
Skyline |
||
Khyber Strike (DLC) | ||||
Switchback |
Palace |
Transit |
Gamemodes
Conflict
- Objective Game Type.
- 15 Minute Time Limit.
- Respawns: Yes.
- Rounds: 1.
Conflict is an objective game type where two teams fight over numerous random objectives placed on the map. Interact with the objective to take it for your team. After taking an objective, your team must defend it until the time runs out and activates another objective somewhere on the map. If you start capturing an objective while the timer (objective or game timer) runs out, you will still be able to capture it, unless killed by the enemy.
Completing objectives will add 100 points to your team's score. One point will be added to your team's score for various Objective Based bonus points. Examples of objective points would be killing an enemy that is trying to take your objective. The team with the highest score at the end of the 15 minute time limit wins.
Some objectives will require you to interact with them to capture them for your team. Once captured, you will have to defend them. The enemy can recapture some objectives after your team has captured them. Your team can then capture them back.
Each round lasts around three minutes. If neither team can capture the objective before the time runs out, a new round will spawn on the map.
Decoy
- Best out of 3 Rounds.
- 3 Objectives (1 Key, 2 Decoy).
- Neither team knows the Key.
- Complete Key objectives to reveal final objective.
- Attackers win round by destroying final objective.
- Defenders win round by stopping attackers.
Decoy is an objective game mode in Adversarial Mode. Two teams fight over three objectives throughout three rounds, each lasting ten minutes long. Two of the objectives are decoys, one is the key objective. Once the Key Objective is completed, it will reveal a fourth, final objective which ends the round when completed / defended. Neither team will know which is the key objective. After completing the Key Objective, the Round Timer will increase, giving the Attacking Team more time to go after the final objective.
Teams will switch between defending and attacking after each round, but teams will not switch Factions on each round. Attackers must complete all objectives to win the round. Defenders must defend objectives for the ten minute time limit to win each round.
Saboteur
- Objective Game Type.
- 10 Minute Time Limit.
- Respawns: Yes.
- Rounds: 1.
Saboteur is an objective game type where two teams try to blow up the other team's base. A neutral bomb will be placed in the middle of the map. The first team to take the bomb and detonate it in the other team's base wins. If the bomb is not detonated after the 10 minutes, the team with the most Teamwork Actions (Score) will break the tie.
The user holding the bomb will not be able to run. In addition to that, they will only be able to use their secondary weapon. Use the bomb near the enemy's base to earn 100 points. Fill the gauge to detonate the bomb and earn an additional 500 points.
Siege
- Best out of 3 Rounds.
- No Respawns.
- Attackers win round if objective is completed or defenders are eliminated.
- Defenders win round if time expires or attackers are eliminated.
Siege is an objective or elimination based Game Type. Two teams face each other in three rounds, each lasting a max of five minutes. One team is on offense and must transmit intel from an objective, while the other team is on defense and must protect the objective. Defense spawns near the objective from the start of the match. Offense must wait ten seconds to spawn and can spawn on any side of the map.
Rounds can also be won if one of the teams is completely eliminated. There will be no respawns, which means once you die, you have to wait until the next round. Since there are no respawns, each kill awards you with 750 Points instead of the regular 75. Completing the Objective will award you with 3000 points! All other Points will be the same.
Stockade
(Arctic Strike DLC)
- 10-minute rounds.
- Team-based match.
- Players are sent to the "stockade" upon death. Killing an enemy player releases a teammate from the stockade. Killing all enemy players results in an end to the match.
- Teammate points are scored as a tiebreaker.
- Hacking an objective frees all teammates from the stockade.
Stockade mode is the newest playlist from the Arctic Strike DLC. Stockade takes an interesting spin on Team Deathmatch. Every one spawns at the beginning with one life. If you die you can not respawn until a teammate kills an enemy. Each kill results in one respawn. When the last man for a team dies the match is over.
There are also objectives that periodically appear throughout the match. If the objective is secured your entire team will receive a respawn.
Important Note: Your team can not queue up respawns with kills. For example: When all six members of your team are alive and you kill four enemies and the fifth kills you, you will not receive a respawn until another enemy is killed.
Takeover
(Khyber Strike DLC)
- 10-minute rounds.
- Death-match style.
- Killing an enemy player is one point.
Similar to the classic Team Deathmatch, Takeover has you score points for your team by eliminating enemies. However, you can tip the scales by taking control of the enemy's objective and earn a score multiplier to your team. You'll also need to defend your team's objective to prevent the enemy team from getting the same advantage. The team with the highest score at the end of the mission wins.
Guerrilla
The objective in Guerrilla Mode is to secure and defend an HQ against 50 waves of enemies on each map. After 10 waves, you must move to a new HQ and defend for another 10 waves, all the way until your each 50. The game can be set on Recruit, Veteran, or Elite Difficulty.
- Gunsmith is not available in Guerrilla. All weapons are found on enemies or from random drops every wave.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (Guerrilla Maps) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Shanty Town |
Office |
Airstrip |
Mansion |
Rooftops |
Tramway (Deluxe) |
Arctic Base |
Sawmill |
Village |
Drilling Ship (Deluxe) |
Armory
The weapons and equipment of Ghost Recon Future Soldier.
Weaponry
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier Weapons | |||
---|---|---|---|
Assault Rifles | 417 • A-91 • ACR • AK-200 • AN94 • TAR-21 |
||
Light Machine Guns | LSAT • MK 48 • PKP • Stoner 96 • Type 95 • Ultimax MK.5 |
||
Submachine Guns | MP7 • P90 • PP19 • PP2000 • Skorpion • Vector |
||
Personal Defense Rifles | AKS-74U • Goblin • L22A2 • PDR-C • SA58 OSW • SR-3M |
||
Sniper Rifles | KSVK • M110 • MSR • PSL-54C • SRR • VSS | ||
Shotguns | M1014 • M12 • M590A1 • MTS-225 • RMB-93 • SAIGA 12 | ||
Handguns | Taurus PT-24/7 • 45T • GSh-18 • MP-412 • OTS-33 • KADR • Stun Gun • BLD-3 Flash Bulb |
||
Grenade Launchers | Mk40GL • G106 | ||
Gadgets | Claymore • Flashbang • Frag • EMP grenade • Decoy • Incendiary • Smoke grenade • Demo Charge Augmented Camo • Optic Camo • Camera sensor • Magnetic Sensor • Stun Field Computer • Jammer • Sentry • Medkit • Ammo Box • Thermal/Magnetic Visions |
||
Drones | UAV • Warhound | ||
DLC
Since the release of Future Soldier, three DLC packs have been released. Each pack increases the level cap for the multiplayer characters.
Arctic Strike
The fight continues with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier Arctic Strike Map Pack, as the battle takes you from the streets of Moscow to the far reaches of the Arctic. This all-new downloadable content pack extends your Ghost Recon Future Soldier experience with new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer mode, a new Guerrilla Mode co-op map, and six additional weapons to give you the supreme edge over your enemies.
Three adversarial multiplayer maps:
- Riot: Ghosts and Bodark struggle for control of a desolate wasteland.
- Skyline: This skyscraper’s rooftop is a two-level CQB nightmare.
- Evicted: Old-school Soviet architecture becomes tomorrow’s battlefield when combat spills into a sleepy residential neighborhood.
One new map in Guerrilla Mode:
- Arctic Base Guerrilla Co-op Map.
Brand New “Stockade” multiplayer mode. In this mode, every time you get killed you are sent to the Stockade. Each defeated enemy will enable your team to free one of their squad members, or you can complete an objective to free all squad members from the Stockade at once. Game ends when all opposing team members are jailed in the Stockade.
Six exclusive weapons:
- Ghost Weapons: F2000 Assault Rifle, Mk17 PDW Defense Rifle, MP9 Sub Machine Gun.
- Bodark Weapons: SS805 Assault Rifle, OCP-11 Defense Rifle, Type 05 JS Sub Machine Gun.
Raven Strike
The second downloadable content for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Raven Strike is a throwback to traditional Ghost Recon gameplay. It features larger maps, complex missions and an increased level of difficulty. There are three campaign missions, and a new Guerrilla mode map, each playable with up to four players.
Three new missions in Campaign Mode:
- Secure Dawn: a foggy marsh in Kazakhstan where the Ghosts will not be allowed access to advanced technology (no optical camouflage, drone, or sensor grenade).
- Cold Walker: a train depot in the Russian countryside.
- Argent Thunder: a nighttime urban setting in Moscow.
One new map in Guerrilla Mode:
- Sawmill: face 50 waves of enemies in a foggy Russian countryside
Khyber Strike
The third downloadable content pack for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier, Khyber Strike features three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game mode called Takeover, a new Guerrilla Mode co-op map, new achievements, and an increased level cap.
Three new multiplayer maps:
- Switchback: Step off the main road leading down into the city and into a maze of ancient buildings and narrow alleys. The twists and turns of the alleyways turn every corner into a close-quarters death trap.
- Palace: There's no time for reflection, even in this magnificent relic. What once was a museum dedicated to showing the glories of the past, is now a battlefield with a massive courtyard at the heart of its contested ground.
- Transit: A Moscow metro station makes for close-quarters and close-range combat. Trains pulling into and out of the station add to the danger as Ghosts and Bodark slug it out underground.
One new multiplayer game mode: Takeover.
One new map in Guerrilla Mode:
- Village: A peaceful country village finds itself transformed into a battleground, as fighting rages around its central bus station. Long alleyways that run between war-damaged buildings make a perfect hunting ground for snipers, and a shootout near the town's gas station could turn explosive.
Level cap increase of +10.
Game Editions
Thus far three editions of Ghost Recon Future Soldier have been released, beyond the standard version:
Signature Edition
- 2 Exclusive weapons (Multiplayer Only):
- 2 Custom Weapon skins (Multiplayer Only):
- Penny Skin.
- Winter Digital Skin.
- 48 Custom Headgear Skins (Multiplayer Only).
- Tramway (Moscow Suburbs): (GameStop Guerrilla mode exclusive map).
- Steelbook Case (Not for United States).
All content is exclusive to EB Games/GameStop.
PC Digital Deluxe Edition
- AK-47 – Available for Bodark Rifleman class.
- Mk14 – Available for Ghost Rifleman class.
- M40A5 Sniper Rifle – Available for Ghost Scout class.
- MN 91/30 Sniper Rifle – Available for Bodark Scout class.
- 48 custom Headgear Skins (Multiplayer Only).
- 2 Custom Weapon skins (Multiplayer Only):
- Tiger Stripe Skin.
- Winter Digital Skin.
- Drilling Ship: An exclusive co-op map where you play in harsh arctic conditions on a massive drilling ship.
- Tramway (Moscow Suburbs): This exclusive multiplayer map plunges you into the heart of an intense urban firefight.
Collectors Edition (Australia only)
- Limited Edition Packaging.
- Embossed Steelbook Case.
- Compressed Pack T-Shirt.
- Hardcover Artbook with Exclusive Artwork.
- Alpha short movie DVD.
- M40A5 Sniper Rifle – Available for Ghost Scout class.
- MN 91/30 Sniper Rifle – Available for Bodark Scout class.
Film
- Main article: Ghost Recon: ALPHA
With a budget of eight to ten million dollars and Francois Alaux as its director, Ghost Recon: ALPHA is a 24-minute live action prequel to Future Soldier co-written by Herve de Crecy and Tim Sexton. A copy will be included with the game's collector's edition.
As of May 25th, 2012, Ghost Recon Alpha' is available for free in Xbox LIVE Market Place. The film was a prequel to the original idea of a squad-based tactical shooter. It is canon and serves as a prequel to the events of Future Soldier. During the events of Alpha, the Ghosts are tasked with disarming and taking several nuclear devices. They manage to disarm several but the team encounters Bodark (their Russian equivalent) and a member of the team is killed during the conflict. The nukes are airlifted out and the film ends with a shot of London, identical to the shot seen in Future Soldier.
The squad seems to undergo some changes between Alpha and Future Soldier. In the film the only African American member of the team is killed and another becomes the leader of the squad in Future Soldier. It is unknown whether the leader of the squad in Alpha is Kozak or not, however Kozak is meant to be the technical expert of the squad so it wouldn't make sense for him to have someone else disarm the weapon as is done in the film.
Believe in Ghosts miniseries
"Mac" Machowicz hosted a three-part miniseries titled "Believe in Ghosts". Here Machowicz looks at elements in the game and compares them to real life operations performed by special forces.
Episode list
# | Title | Original airdate | Operation | Video |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Deadly Edge" | February 2, 2012 | Maersk Alabama hijacking | Episode 1 |
2 | "My Weapon Is Me" | March 7, 2012 | Operation Neptune Spear | Episode 2 |
3 | "Team or Die" | March 14, 2012 | Operation Acid Gambit | Episode 3 |
Videos
Trivia
- This is the first Ghost Recon in nearly 10 years to be rated M by the ESRB.
- The overall look, storyline, and certain gameplay elements were completely changed from the original version that was shown at E3 2010, to the current version. Originally it was much more futuristic and included non-existent weapons and an automatic shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.
- The original version had a trailer, Ghost Recon Future Soldier: Future War, which featured a storyline around a team of Ghosts conducting Operation "Take Down Overlord".
- The E3 2011 trailer showed off the new build of the game with sync shots and a tri-rotor UAV.
- Ghost Recon Wildlands and Breakpoint both received unique John Kozak oufits from Future Soldier. In addition, Breakpoint with the release of Operation Motherland had the Bodark reintroduced as the antagonist in the post-released Conquest mode.