When Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter was first unveiled before the Xbox 360 came out, it looked like it would redefine the third-person shooter genre. Fast forward to this E3 and Ubisoft has returned to wow us with yet another great installment of the Ghost Recon franchise.
The first huge announcement was that Future Soldier would be compatible with Kinect. The Gunsmith mode has enough customization to excite even the most hardcore of gun enthusiasts. Every gun–which can be fully taken apart and put back together with a simple gesture–in the game will have multiple parts that can be changed out, rotated, customized, and optimized. This mode almost screams Minority Report, and it sure does look like it, as well. What’s even more impressive is how much each gun can change depending on which parts are attached. Upon voice commands such as “optimize for long range” or “optimize for close combat,” the gun will literally take itself apart and reassemble with completely new parts that make it handle differently depending on what you need. If you’re not sure the gun you’ve assembled is right for you, a quick gesture takes you to a gun range, where you can test out the gun using the Kinect sensor. It’s truly a sight to behold.
This was all shown off at the Microsoft Press Conference, so those that saw it already know how absolutely cool it is. The show floor, however, demonstrated a mission that was playable with up to three other people. The mission called for rescuing a VIP held captive, and it showcased all the new gameplay elements we can look forward to. The first new addition is the Synchronized Takedown, which enables you and your teammates to take out four guys silently and all at once. An interesting aspect that one of the Ubi representatives touched on was that in other shooters, civilians never really play a prominent role–a fairly unrealistic detail considering cities and villages always have a population of non-hostiles. Civilians in the game will provide a sense of tension, as you’ll be tasked to avoid their panic and not to harm them when eliminating enemies.
The big idea that was constantly repeated was that your team will always be outnumbered, but thanks to the advanced technology you possess, you’re a force to be reckoned with. Any team calling themselves ghosts clearly must be outfitted with optic camouflage that renders them near invisible, but one of the most essential gadgets is the new and improved AR Drone. This little handheld machine can survey the entire area and mark each enemy on your and your teammates’ screens, helping with synchronized takedowns. This little guy can easily be deployed at any time and always flies back to you after you’re done with it.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is aiming high in all aspects. From the tense and action-packed storyline to the extremely customizable Gunsmith mode, which boasts over 20 million combinations, this is one recon team you’ll want to join come 2012.
