Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

For the series, see Ghost Recon

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (also known as simply Ghost Recon) is a tactical shooter video game created by Tom Clancy. The game was developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft subsidiary, and published by Ubisoft in 2001 for the PC; it was later ported to the Mac in 2002, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube in 2003, and then later to the Nokia N-Gage in 2004. Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six (computer game), Ghost Recon'' is not based on any of his books.

The latest patch for Ghost Recon is version 1.4 and was released August 23, 2002.

Ghost Recon's success has spawned 2 expansion packs, Desert Siege and Island Thunder, as well as numerous sequels for video game consoles and the PC.

Overview

Ghost Recon puts the player in charge of a fictitious, newly-conceived squad of U.S. Special Forces operators from Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG) stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. Except for the "5th SFG" designation, this unit is entirely fictional. They are sometimes referred to as "The Ghosts". Their role is not unlike other real world Special Operations Forces, in that their operations are kept highly classified.

The Ghosts are organized into three fireteams named using the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, with a maximum of three soldiers per team. However, since the player can only assign a total of six men in a single player mission, it is not uncommon for one of the fireteams to be disregarded, depending on the preference of the player. The player enjoys limited tactical control on the battlefield environment, and can issue maneuver commands as well as rules of engagement for each of the fireteams through a command map.

In the original game, the soldiers themselves are organized into four different distinct roles (or classes). Every class can carry a primary and a secondary weapon, which are organized into "kits". Even though the primary weapon remains the same in all the kits (being defined by the soldier class — see below), there are several different equipments to be chosen as the secondary weapon.

Rifleman: this class provides the majority of the selection pool of personnel that the player can choose from. He can use a variety of different weapons and equipment (or kits). His primary weapon is the M16 (rifle) assault rifle. Secondaries include the M203 grenade launcher (which is attached under the barrel of the rifle), the M9 pistol , additional spare magazines, or binoculars (in later versions these were replaced with deployable sensors).
Support: this role is to provide a high volume of suppressive fire with the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). In addition to the machine gun, the support class may also carry the M9 (silenced), M67 fragmentation grenades (known as "frags"), Claymore mines, or binoculars (again, changed to sensors in later updates to the game).
Demolitions ("Demo"): although the name is self-explanatory, this class also serves in the anti-tank role. His primary weapon is the M4 carbine, a compact cousin of the M16 rifle. This soldier can also be equipped with demolition charges (explosives), frags, extra magazines, or the M136 AT4 light anti-tank weapon.
Sniper: this class is complete with a camouflaged Ghillie suit, and the U.S. Army's M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS), also camouflaged. The sniper may be equipped with the M9 sidearm, with optional suppressor, extra magazines or frags. Unlike the other soldiers, the sniper can not rely on sheer firepower to overcome his enemies, should he ever get involved in a direct firefight. The sniper relies on cover and concealment, and his ability to move stealthily. Although a deadly advantage on maps with longer ranges (such as some of those found in the expansion pack Desert Siege), the sniper is to be used wisely if the player intends on keeping him. Reinforcement from the rest of the team should never be too far behind when deploying the sniper in a combat situation.

As the player progresses through the single player campaign, his soldiers gain Combat Points to add to the skill level and effectiveness of the individual men. There are four basic categories of skill:

Weapon: affects the accuracy and aiming of the weapon; the reticule will close faster and tighter as more points are added to this skill.
Stealth: enhances the ability of the soldier to remain undetected by enemy forces, and reduces noise generated by the soldier moving.
Endurance: improves recovery time when taking hits, increases the soldier's ability to survive a wound and reduces the effect of heavy equipment on speed.
Leadership: for every three points of skill, all other soldiers in the same fireteam gain an extra point to each of their stats.

The player also unlocks "specialists" from NATO or allied countries by completing special mission objectives. The specialists are more experienced than the Ghosts and have more Combat Points, making them an essential addition to the team. They are equipped with weapons from their homeland. Two of them, in particular, are armed with the infamous Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), as part of field tests and implementation of the U.S. Army's Land Warrior program. The format of the game may seem somewhat odd and unfamiliar to those who have not played other Tom Clancy games. It's played entirely from the first-person perspective, and there are no in-game weapon models. A Heads-Up Display (HUD) relays information such as the name of the soldier you are controlling, his fireteam, weapon and ammo inventory, a threat indicator (similar to the heartbeat sensor made popular in Rainbow Six), health status, and a stance indicator (whether the character is standing, crouched, or prone).

Weapon characteristics and ballistics seem to be a bit off from their real-life counterparts. For example, bullets will not penetrate dry wall, but they will break glass. A grenade launched from a grenade launcher will blow a door apart, and kill anyone within the blast radius on the other side. Depending on the armor on your target, it is possible to neutralize a threat with one or two well-placed shots. Silencers are accurately portrayed, with a slight degradation in bullet performance and subtle differences in the accuracy at longer ranges.

Ghost Recon has both single player and multiplayer modes of play. Up to 36 players are supported in the PC version's multiplayer over an internet (TCP/IP) connection or LAN.

Expansion packs and related games

Ghost Recon: Desert Siege is an expansion pack that debuted in 2003; available for the PC as a separate purchase, and bundled with the Mac port. It added 2 new multiplayer game types (Domination and Siege), 5 new multiplayer maps, new weapons for use in multiplayer, an eight-mission single player campaign, and new characters.

Ghost Recon: Island Thunder was released later in 2003 as an expansion pack for the PC, and as a standalone game for Xbox. It contained eight new single player missions, 12 new weapons, 5 new dedicated multiplayer maps, 3 new multiplayer modes (Cat and Mouse, Defend, and Behemothh). On the Xbox, Island Thunder featured five additional missions and twelve multiplayer maps.

Island Thunder was never released for PS2, but its content was combined with eight new single-player missions set in Columbia and additional multiplayer maps and released under the title Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm in 2004.

Plot summary

Ghost Recon begins in 2008, with civil unrest in Russia. Ultra-nationalists have seized power in Moscow, with plans to rebuild the Iron Curtain. Their first step is clandestine support of rebel factions in Georgia and the Baltic States. This is where the Ghosts come in: to silence the rebellion. Armed with some of the most advanced weaponry in the world, the soldiers of the Ghost Recon force are covertly inserted into Eastern Europe and given specific missions to curtail the rebel actions and overthrow their benefactors.

Desert Siege

In the year 2009, old hostilities between Eritrea and Ethiopia have resurfaced. Colonel Tesfaye Wolde of the Ethiopian military had participated in illegal arms trades with Russian ultra-nationalists. Sparing no time at all, and with a newly refurbished arsenal, Col. Wolde seized the opportunity to reclaim Eritrea (which won independence in 1993). The situation garnered international interest when the conflict threatened the shipping lanes in the Red Sea. In response to a plea from the Eritrean government for international support, the Ghosts have been mobilized to stop Col. Wolde from advancing any further.

Island Thunder

In 2010 Cuba is free, or at least it's supposed to be. Since Fidel Castro's death in 2006, the island of Cuba is wary of the communist rule it had been under for nearly 50 years. It's time for the first free and open elections since Carlos Prio Socarras, who was overthrown by Batista in the early 1950s. The FDG (El Frente Democratico del Pueblo or People's Democratic Front) has fronted a man named Priego as their candidate. The FDG are an outspoken anti-American political faction that wishes to return Cuba to its perpetual state of independence. Although the FDG publicly denies utilizing violence as a means of coercion, the reality is quite the contrary, as the Ghosts quickly discover. Now it is up to them to set things right again, without making it appear that America is getting their hands too dirty, and ensuring the elections proceed smoothly.

Jungle Storm

Taking place just after Island Thunder in Bogotá, Colombia, the drug cartel that had aided and financed the FDG in their efforts in Cuba has initiated a number of terrorist attacks against the Colombian government who has allied themselves with America. After Colombia's call for help following an attack on a U.S. Embassy, America responds by deploying the Ghosts to restore order and put the cartel out of business.

Awards

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon was named Best Game of the Year in 2001 by both IGN and PC Gamer, as well as receiving the Best Sound award from PC Gamer magazine. Ghost Recon was a runner-up in IGN's Best Action Game 2001 and Best Use Of Sound (Reader's Choice). Wargamer gave it three bronze awards in Game of the Year, awarded Red Storm with Game Developer of the Year, and gave Game Publisher of the Year to Ubisoft.

System requirements

Minimum PC requirements

Windows 2000/XP
Pentium II 450 MHz processor
128 MB of RAM
DirectX 8.0 or higher (included on CD) (must have compatible sound card)
16 MB VRAM 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 8.0
2 GB hard drive space
4X CD-ROM
Internet/network with TCP/IP connection at 28.8 kbit/s

Minimum Mac requirements

Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 or higher
PowerPC G3 processor or higher
256 MB of memory (128 MB if using Mac OS 9)
ATI Technologies Rage 128 graphics card with 16 MB VRAM or better
1 GB of hard disk space

External links

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon | Ghost Recon | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon | Ghost Recon

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