We can only gaze upon Ubisoft’s version of Ghost Recon for the Nintendo Wii and wonder, “What happened?” Here was a game that could have easily filled the void that the delayed Future Soldier left behind, but rather than capitalizing and making a top-notch third-party game for the system, the development team takes the lazy way out. Instead of a war game worthy of our time, we have a lame Time Crisis-like experience that isn’t worth the effort.
The plot is nothing special. You’re part of an elite military group sent in to take down some terrorists, and they’re heavily armed. That’s all you need to know since the story takes a backseat to the action anyway. In the game, you’re not in complete control of your character. Instead, you move automatically, while giving commands as to where your partner goes and shooting your enemies with an on-screen reticule. You do strategically move around in cover to avoid dying, but this isn’t Ghost Recon at all.
If the gameplay actually clicked, I could see this being an acceptable game for fans of rail-shooters. Commanding your partners rarely works, because they almost always run into gunfire, leaving you to rescue them and put yourself in harm’s way in the process. What’s more, the shooting isn’t entirely accurate. I have had enemies in my crosshairs multiple times and it’s almost like the bullets don’t want to hit them. Furthermore, if a foe tosses a grenade just right, you can actually die in cover. Apparently rock walls are more vulnerable than they appear.
The game supports two player co-op, but it’s equally pitiful, as you’ll both try to figure out where to go while facing an onslaught of enemies. It’s probably good for a drunken game session or two, but after that you’ll probably abandon this mess and go back to Dead Space Extraction or House of the Dead: Overkill.
Presentation fails to perk up the experience in any sense. While the graphics aren’t terrible, there are constant glitches and awful-looking textures that keep this game from looking as good as it should have. Some of the environments are honestly cool, making you feel like you’re in the middle of a war-torn city, but you’re more likely to be frustrated than involved. The lame voice acting and under-produced music fail to do anything on their ends either.
Really, do yourself a favor and forget this game exists. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon on the Wii fails to justify anything for the long-running military series with its bad gameplay and bland presentation. It’s safe to say this is a ghost of its former self. Wait for Future Soldier.
