Ghost Recon: Wildlands

The Ubisoft sandbox design finally stared to wear me down last year and this former tactical shooter franchise now got hit with it too. To a degree that I can't even recognize the series anymore! I have no problems with the barley there narrative (the ending is a huge middle finger btw), it's a Tom Clancy game after all, but can anyone name me even one thing that makes this game "special"? The shoehorned in skill tree frankly breaks the do-it-your-way design as you need to grind your way to a good character build and gameplay variety is near nonexistent. Especially if I consider that the main missions play just like the utterly interchangeable side-quests. I wasn't crazy about The Division or Just Cause 3 but these at least had elements that made then unique. What does Wildlands offer? The facts that most of your in game time will be spend driving or flying to your next objective? I can see a certain appeal to the 4 player co-op but who has 3 dedicated friends on standby? Back to the drawing board Ubisoft as this one is a nice looking washout.

Edit: The sequel is even worse and finally flopped with everyone. I think we are done here.

It's truly a masterpiece of a game.

I have thus far played through it several times including tier mode and still can't get enough.

It is a living and breathing world of Bolivia where you will find the beauty of the world and the really dark and twisted characters of the Santa Blanca cartel that you hunt down and while you are dismantling the cartel

The tier one mode is one of the most fun aspects of the game that is unlocked after reaching level 30 and will while you level up(down) from tier 50 to tier 1 and the difficulty will increase as you reach tier 1 and will quite punishing but really fun and tactical.

Seriously one of the most fun multiplayer experiences I've had in the latter half of the 2010s. Ubisoft isn't a company with a catalog of games I typically gravitate towards but when my buddy told me this game felt like Metal Gear Solid V gameplay-wise minus the future tech, AND had co-op, I was in day one. I have pumped well over two-hundred hours into this game, 100%'d it and snagged the platinum trophy and I STILL come back sometimes. There are thousands of combinations for your character's build/setup to accommodate your preferred playstyle. The story here is honestly not that good, but I don't really care... The gameplay here is PHENOMENALLY engaging! And that's enough for me!

The game takes place in Bolivia, an utterly massive open world map, where you and up to three other players are tasked with systematically dismantling a drug cartel. You have the freedom to do this any way you want. There is no real order, so you can go to the hardest province to easiest if you want.

Customization is by far the best I have seen in any game ever. There are literally millions of combinations you can put in for your character.

The weapons are also notable, in that you can carry up to two 'primary' guns and a sidearm. I personally use an assault rifle and a sniper rifle for a versatile load out but there are more options like SMGs, LMGs, shotguns and even a crossbow. These guns are also highly customizable, with dozens of attatchments and camos.

As I mentioned before, you can play with up to three friends. If you don't feel like buddying up then you can play with the mediocre A.I. accomplices. If you feel like challenging yourself, you can turn off the A.I. partners.

That's all I have to say about this game. It goes down as one of my top 5 games ever. I really do recommend this game.

I've never been a fan of Assassin's Creed and never understood why it's so popular to this day. Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, and Ghost Recon are all better video game franchises. E3 was disappointing this year with no new Splinter Cell 7 announcement. but the dlc in this game makes up for it. I've never had so much fun playing a Ubisoft game since 2010's Splinter Cell Conviction. The Predator, Splinter Cell, and Rainbow Six dlc makes this the best Ubisoft game in years! Personally I think their best series is Splinter Cell, and Chaos Theory to me is their biggest accomplishment! Hearing Ironside's Sam Fisher voice, Predator's roar, etc... this is a game worth owning for years to come! Now Ubisoft, please release a new Splinter Cell game already! Did I forget to mention how great the graphics are in this game as well?