Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (video game)

Infobox VG| title = Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon


developer = Red Storm Entertainment
publisher = Ubisoft
designer = Brian Upton
composer = Bill Brown
engine =
version = 1.4 (August 23, 2002)
released = PC

• flagicon|USA November 13, 2001
• flagicon|Europe November 23, 2001
• flagicon|USA June 15, 2002 (Game of the Year Edition)
• flagicon|USA 2003 (Gold Edition)

Xbox

flagicon|USA November 11, 2002

flagicon|Europe December 6, 2002

flagicon|Japan September 25, 2003

Playstation 2

flagicon|USA December 1, 2002

flagicon|Europe December 6, 2002

flagicon|Japan March 13, 2003

Gamecube

flagicon|USA February 9, 2003

flagicon|Europe March 28, 2003

genre = Tactical Shooter
modes = Single player, multiplayer
ratings = ESRB: M
CERO: Z
OFLC: MA15+
platforms = PC, Mac, Xbox, PS2, GameCube
media = PC: CD (1)
requirements = See Requirements
input = Keyboard, mouse "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, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2002 and to the GameCube in 2003, and then later to the Nokia N-Gage in 2004. A port for Game Boy Advance was planned, but was canceled. Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, "Rainbow Six", "Ghost Recon" is not based on any of his books. In a 2006 interview with the "New York Times", Clancy suggested that the plot for the original "Ghost Recon" was inspired by a "letter" he had received from a CIA "official." When asked to provide more detail about the "letter," Clancy refused to comment further.

"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. "Ghost Recon's" soundtrack is composed by Bill Brown (composer).

Overview

"Ghost Recon" puts the player in charge of a fictional 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 "1st Battalion, 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 allowing for a distribution of three soldiers per team (the XBox and Playstation 2 versions do not have a Charlie team available). 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 is a variety of equipment 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 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). As the soldier is equipped for short range, he also carries more protective armour. In addition to the machine gun, the support class may also carry the M9 (suppressed), M67 fragmentation grenades (known as "frags") or additional magazines.
*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 and fully automatic cousin of the M16 rifle. This soldier can also be equipped with demolition charges (explosives), frags, extra magazines,Claymore mines, 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.Due to the lower armour than the other classes. 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, offering several additional weapons not available to standard soldier classes. Two of the specialists are armed with the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), as part of field tests and implementation of the U.S. Army's Land Warrior program. Two of the specialists are female, the only female characters in the game.

The game is played entirely from the first-person perspective. There are no first-person weapon models, just the targeting reticule. A Heads-Up Display (HUD) relays information such as the name of the soldier the player is controlling, his or her fireteam, weapon and ammo inventory, a threat indicator (similar to the heartbeat sensor made popular in Rainbow Six), health status, and a stance indicator (to show whether the character is standing, crouched, or prone).

Bullets will not penetrate most objects, but they will break glass. Explosives or heavy gunfire can be used to destroy wooden doors, and (in the case of explosives) potentially kill anyone within the blast radius on the other side. Depending on the armor on the player's target, it is generally possible to neutralize a threat with one or two well-placed shots.

If a soldier under the player's control is downed in combat, he or she is effectively dead and not available for later missions in the campaign. Earlier Tom Clancy games in the "Rainbow Six" series offered an incapacitated feature, where members of the player's team could be taken out of action without being killed; they would be recovered after completion of the mission and remain wounded for several additional missions, but this feature is not present in "Ghost Recon". A wounded soldier that survives the mission will remain wounded until a mission in which he did not participate has been completed, though.

"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

"" is an expansion pack that debuted in 2003, and it is available for the PC as a separate purchase. It is also bundled with the Mac port. The expansion pack adds 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 several new characters. The PS2 version of Ghost Recon allows you to unlock levels of Desert Siege as a bonus.

"" was released later in 2003 as an expansion pack for the PC and as a standalone game for Xbox. It contains eight new single player missions, 12 new weapons, 5 new dedicated multiplayer maps, 3 new multiplayer modes (Cat and Mouse, Defend, and Behemoth). On the Xbox, "Island Thunder" features 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 Colombia and additional multiplayer maps and released under the title "" in 2004.

Plot summary

The plot of this game has been discussed as an exemplification of the influence of various groups of anti-Castro Cuban exiles. [Montes, R. M. " "Ghost Recon:" Cuba in the Virtual Battlescape." p.154-169 in Williams, J. P., & Smith, J. H., eds. (2007). "The players' realm: studies on the culture of video games and gaming." Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 9780786428328 ]

"Ghost Recon"

Ghost Recon begins in April 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.

The game's storyline stems from political turmoil that came to light a few years earlier, in which the Ultra-nationalist regime came to power and placed its leader, Dmitri Arbatov, as Russia's president. By 2007, the threat posed by the Arbatov Administration became clear. Russia forms an alliance called the Russian Democratic Union (RDU), which is made up of the previously conquered countries of Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Together, they launch a campaign to revive the long-dissolved Soviet Union by taking back all of the former Soviet republics.

During the first few missions of the game, the Ghosts battle Georgian rebels who are harassing the legitimate government and its allies. The Ghosts fight in the forests, on farms, and in villages while assisting their NATO allies in fighting the enemy. The Russian government complains to the United Nations that the Americans have interfered in their affairs, and eventually they send in their army to aid the rebels. The U.S. cannot hope to stop the Russian Army from invading Georgia, so the Ghosts slow down the invading forces so that their allies can evacuate. Eventually, the Ghosts are all that's left of the U.S. forces in Georgia, and they evacuate by SH-60 Seahawk helicopter on the rooftop of the American Embassy in T'bilisi, just barely avoiding the Russian forces. The Georgian government flees to Geneva and sets up a government-in-exile. With the fall of T'bilisi, Georgia surrenders and is forcefully incorporated into the RDU.

After Georgia falls, the Caucasus region is vulnerable to further attack. The Georgian government, Great Britain, Germany, and the U.S. all protest the Russian invasion, but Moscow ignores them. Russia then focuses on invading the Baltic States on Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. In response to this, the Ghosts are sent behind enemy lines to find intelligence on the enemy attack. The Russians launch their attack early and overrun the Baltic States within days. The Ghosts then are sent back in to slow the invasion down so NATO reinforcements can arrive from Germany. After cutting off the Russian reinforcements, the Ghosts fight alongside American forces to push the Russian Army out of the Baltics. Victories are won within the next months in Utena and Rezekne, and finally, NATO reaches Vilnius, Lithuania. The city was almost leveled after the invasion, but it is eventually liberated with some help from the Ghosts, forcing the Russian Army to abandon the invasion.

The loss of the Baltic states takes its toll on Russia. President Arbatov is blamed for the disaster and placed under house arrest, starting rumors about a coup de'tat. The Ghosts then run into Russia to free American and Russian POWs opposed to the government. Some time later, President Arbatov is executed. This sparks a rebellion all across Russia that borderlines on civil war. The Ultra-nationalists quickly lose the support of the people, and many members of the RDU are also liberated or quit the alliance. The Ghosts are then sent on a campaign to disable the combat capabilities of several Ultra-nationalist military bases, such as the naval base at Murmansk and the airbase at Arkhangel'sk. They destroy several subs and prototype aircraft, making Russian Forces combat ineffective in Naval and Air warfare. While the Ghosts are striking bases, the Ultra-nationalists engage in battle with American troops and Russian forces based North of Moscow that now opposed the Russian government. The Ultra-nationalist forces detonated a nuclear bomb during the battle. As a result the Ultra-nationalist regime loses legitimacy in the eyes of the international community, prompting an immediate invasion of Moscow.

After the Ghosts succeed in weakening the Russian fighting force, NATO forces launch an assault on Moscow, with the Ghosts spearheading the assault. By this time, the Ultra-nationalists have lost control of most of their territories, and the RDU effectively dissolves. The remaining Ultra-nationalist forces hole up their tanks, snipers, Spetsnaz, helicopters, and artillery in the wooded areas surrounding Moscow as a last line of defense. However, the Ghosts break through the lines and clear a path for NATO forces. On November 10, NATO forces finally reach Moscow and are joined by friendly Russians. The city is partially deserted, as many Russians fled prior to the attack. The Ghosts are sent in to finish the job once and for all. After assisting NATO forces, the Ghosts attack Red Square. The Ghosts then proceed to wipe out the Russian defenders guarding the walls of the Kremlin. Without any remaining defenses, the Ultra-nationalists, led by Prime Minister Karpin, finally surrender and both the Americans and the newly-liberated Russians celebrate their victory in Red Square. However, the world feels the effects of the war for years afterward.

"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"

The year is 2010, and great changes are afoot in Cuba. Fidel Castro's heirs have been unable to keep the fire of his revolution burning, and a popular uprising has toppled the Communist regime. In its wake, a fragile hope for democracy emerges. The interim President, Pedro Ebana, promises free elections, and requests international assistance to safeguard the elections. For there are those in Cuba who do not want to see a democratic regime, and they will do anything it takes - subversion, violence, or open revolution - to make certain that Cuba's future is the one they create for it. From the midst of chaos, the call goes out for the Ghosts. Their mission: to ensure the integrity of the Cuban elections by thwarting any attempts made to subvert them.

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.

ystem 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

References

External links

* [http://www.ghostrecon.com/ Official "Ghost Recon" website]
* [http://www.redstorm.com/ Red Storm Entertainment]
* [http://www.ubisoft.com/ Ubisoft Entertainment]
* [http://www.planetrainbowsix.com/ "Planet Rainbow Six: Tom Clancy Community" fansite]
* [http://www.ghostrecon.net/ Ghost Recon.net]
* [http://ghostrecon.3dretreat.com/ Ghost Recon Retreat]
*moby game|id=/tom-clancys-ghost-recon|name="Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon"
* [http://www.ghostrecon.wikia.com Ghost Recon Wiki]