Xbox gamers got a double-dose of the high-tech military tactics of Tom Clancy late last year with the release of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon,both coming to us from the talented developers at Ubi Soft. LikeSplinter Cell, Ghost Recon takes place in the near future, when political upheavals in the former Soviet Union have led to a resurgent Russian threat to the free world. While stealth is a necessity in both games, Ghost Recon puts you in control of an entire tactical squad (in the single-player missions) or lets you play with or against other gamers over Xbox Live.
The combination of realistic combat, tactical squad control, and mission planning can be a bit daunting at first. We’ve got your back with these helpful Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon hints to get you off to a running start.
The Best Laid Plans
Be Prepared Whether you’re controlling the entire squad or working with a team over Xbox Live, take some time to study the mission and establish your tactics. This may look like a traditional shooter, but you (usually) can’t just charge in, guns blazing. Plot your moves on the map screen, and be ready to switch waypoints on the fly.
Team Players Unless it’s your first game, don’t go into combat with the default teams; they may not have the specific troops you’ll need. A sniper should be considered essential for almost any mission, and some missions will be impossible without a demolitions specialist.
Learn the Map, Love the Map It’s not glamorous, but you’ll be spending plenty of time in the command screen, giving assignments to your squad members and getting the lay of the land. In missions with well-hidden enemies, it’s also a good way to pinpoint exactly where that enemy fire is coming from—live bad guys show up as red circles.
Fighting the Good Fight
Training Day It’s easy to blast through the tutorials and miss key bits of advice. Take the time to listen to all of the instructions, especially those covering squad control, which can overlap depending on where you’re standing. You can also practice to your heart’s content with all of the major weapons in the game—in particular, put in some grenade practice. Those things are tricky.
Duck and Cover This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning: you’re a lot harder to hit when you’re crawling on the ground, and your shots will be more stable when sniping.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled This ain’t Halo, where all of the enemies are brightly colored to stand out against the background. This is realistic Clancy combat, and enemy forces, realistically, blend in well with the surroundings.
Lock and Load
Survival Kits Once you begin to make progress, additional weapons and items will appear for your team to use. Get the most out of your specialists by giving them the right kit.
Point by Point While it might be tempting to use your team as human shields, do your best to keep them alive. Every time a soldier gets through a mission alive, you get a combat point that can be used to increase his skills. Wouldn’t you rather have an experienced veteran watching your back?
