Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

"Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon" is a series of military tactical shooter video games created by Red Storm Entertainment, the game development studio founded by American author Tom Clancy.

The game uses weapons common to today's military. Tactics used by modern day military are also taught to the player during training.

In the series, the player is in charge of a fictional, newly-conceived squad of United States Army Special Forces operators from Company D, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG) stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Except for the "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.

Games in the series

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"Ghost Recon"

"Ghost Recon" begins in April 2008, with civil unrest in Russia. Ultra-nationalists have seized power in Russia, with plans to rebuild the Soviet Union. 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 invasion. Armed with some of the most advanced weaponry in the world, the soldiers of the Ghost Recon force are covertly inserted into the area of operations and given specific missions to curtail the rebel actions and overthrow their benefactors.

"Ghost Recon: 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 the same Russian ultra-nationalists who launched the coup the previous year (see above). 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.

"Ghost Recon: Island Thunder"

In 2010 Cuba is free, or at least it is supposed to be. Since Fidel Castro's death in 2006, the island of Cuba is wary of the communist rule it had been under for nearly 50 years. It is time for the first free and open elections since Carlos Prio Socarras, who was overthrown by Fulgencio Batista in the early 1950s. The FDP ("El Frente Democratico del Pueblo" or People's Democratic Front) has fronted a man named Priego as their candidate. The FDP are an outspoken anti-American political faction that wishes to return the Cuban working class to power and end capitalist inequalities. Although the FDP publicly denies utilizing violence as a means of coercion, the reality is quite the contrary, as the Ghosts quickly discover. Now it is up to them to illegally manipulate foreign democratic processes again, without making it appear that America is getting their hands too dirty, and ensuring the elections go the way the US want to.

"Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm"

Taking place just after "Island Thunder" in Bogotá, Colombia, the drug cartel that had aided and financed the FDP in their efforts in Cuba has initiated a number of terrorist attacks against the Colombian government who have allied themselves with U.S.A. After Colombia's call for help following an attack on a U.S. Embassy, America responds by deploying the Ghosts to restore order and put the cartel out of business.

"Ghost Recon 2"

Ghost Recon 2 is set in the Korean Peninsula in the years 2007 and 2011. The settings of the PS2 and GameCube versions (both of which are labeled 2007: First Contact) are linked with , particularly the sinking of the fictional intelligence-gathering vessel Clarence E. Walsh. They depict a new Korean War brought about by a renegade Korean People's Army general, Jung Chong-sun, who launches a coup against the North Korean government. The Xbox version is the direct sequel of the two games, in which Jung plots revenge against NATO and South Korea. Ghost Recon 2 also marks the debut of the series' main character, Capt. Scott Mitchell.

"Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike"

Kazakhstan has fallen into chaos. The Kazakh president and Security Council were assassinated in an explosion set by a notorious Pakistani warlord and arms dealer named Asad Rahil. With the President dead, the Kazakh military fractured into factions vying for political control of the country. Rahil quickly moved in and consolidated power using his corrupt Kazakh military contacts. A large group of soldiers loyal to the country of Kazakhstan has been working closely with U.N. ground forces to stabilize the region. The Ghosts have been sent in to capture Rahil and neutralize his military presence. They are working closely with a contact in the Kazakh military named Grigoriy Koslov. Together, the Ghosts and Koslov shadow the U.N. ground force’s assaults against Rahil’s troops and track him from the southern mountain ranges to the wastes of the arid badlands.

"Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter"

Often identified by the acronym GRAW, the game takes place over the course of 72 hours in 2013, beginning in Mexico City. The plot revolves around Mitchell's efforts to rescue US President Ballantine from Mexican rebels, destroy a secret communications device that they captured, and prevent a launch of the United States' nuclear arsenal. The game is mostly known for its new combat mechanics and next-generation graphics as well as new weapons.

"Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2"

The game takes place in 2013, just 24 hours after the events of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW), just south of the United States border, and deals with the conflict between a Mexican rebel group, Mexican loyalists, and the U.S. Army for a time span of 72 hours. A wide array of location types are included, featuring mountains, small towns, urban environments, and a large hydro-electric dam just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.This game, as well as , has been noted for rectifying Squad artificial intelligence problems that the series has been afflicted with.

Reception

Though well-received by game reviewers, the games however are criticized for poor squad Artificial Intelligence ["Electronic Gaming Monthly", Issue #202, April 2006. pg. 90-91] , something that had yet to be rectified until Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2's release.

Equipment

In the original game and its expansion packs, the Ghost Recon unit was outfitted with the standard small arms and general equipment of the US Army Special Forces. These items include:

*M16 Rifle
*M9 Pistol
*M249 SAW
*M67 Fragmentation Grenades
*Smoke Grenades
*M24 SWS
*SR-25
*Binoculars
*Night Vision Goggles
*body armor

The three Ghost teams were organized by each individual soldiers combat specialty (rifleman, support gunner, demolitions expert). Each operator's kit was limited to one primary weapon and one secondary weapon/equipment item that was decided by their specialty, although there is some sort of leeway to each kit (for example, a rifleman could choose an undermounted grenade launcher as his secondary weapon).

Ghost Recon 2 introduced the Future Force Warrior program being implemented into the Ghost Recon unit. The advent of advanced weapon systems, integrated communications/command system, and other equipment upgrades greatly enhanced the Ghosts lethality and combat effectiveness, as well as forging the concept of the Ghost Recon's cutting edge warfare tech. The Ghosts were reorganized into a platoon sized force that was led by one single officer (dubbed 'Ghost leader'). The Ghost Leader (Captain Scott Mitchell) also acted as the 'Lone Wolf', a special operator deployed for solo operations deep in enemy territorty and armed with specialized integrated weapon systems. Each individual Ghosts kit was expanded so that each operator could choose a primary and secondary weapon, explosive, along with an optional anti-tank weapon or extra ammunition. The general equipment is now much more specialized, and now includes:

*XM8 Modular Weapon System
*Special Purpose Rifle
*M249 SPW Special Operations variant
*XM29 OICW
* Laser Airstrike Designator
*M320

ee also

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References

External links

* [http://www.GhostRecon.com Ghost Recon Official Site]
*MobyGames|id=-group/ghost-recon-series|name=Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series
* [http://www.ghostrecon.wikia.com Ghost Recon Wiki]
* [http://www.ghostrecon.net Ghost Recon Community Site ]