Future Soldier is a potentially solid Ghost Recon game frequently undermined by its ongoing identity crisis.
Cons: Generic, uninteresting story; A little too simple occasionally; Frustratingly spaced checkpoints; Pacing is a bit off at times
Note: I have no intention of registering a UPlay account, especially given recent incidents (when this was originally written, the accounts had been hacked) and the fact that this game was a rental. Thus, I have not tried the multiplayer component and have no opinions to give in that respect.
A common cry among gamers is the "dumbing-down" and simplification of their favorite games. People bemoaned Mass Effect 2 removing the first game's clunky inventory and Mako sections. Players cried out when Oblivion and then Skyrim removed some of the more extraneous RPG elements. Super Smash Bros. Brawl got criticism for removing many of the advanced tactics from Melee. These frequent complaints obviously vary in validity (note: I fully defend the streamlining of Mass Effect 2 and The Elder Scrolls), but you can be sure if each sequel in a series is not of equal complexity or greater compared to its past entries, someone is bound to complain.
The Tom Clancy series has gotten hit particularly hard, since they initially gained a reputation for being very hardcore, almost sim-like games back in the day. Since the beginning however, pre-mission planning was removed from Rainbow Six, regenerating health was added to a couple of their titles, and Splinter Cell now essentially does the killing for you. Well, prepare your pitchforks again, folks, because Ghost Recon Future Soldier has done it again. The difference here is that I can't really defend it in this case.
I could actually justify most of their past decisions: streamlined interfaces allowed for faster tactics and improved pacing. Regenerating health made it so that you wouldn't have to worry about quicksaving and quickloading constantly because of mistakes. And in both cases, the loss of tactical options and required skill was typically very small and bearable. However, that's not the case here: for the first time in Ghost Recon history, the squad actually controls itself 90% of the time.
In their defense, the squadmates are actually really good at handling themselves, not breaking your cover, and placing themselves in advantageous tactical positions. However, your squad communication is now limited to identifying targets for them (often for the always-fun sync shots) and listening for enemies they've spotted. Whereas past games gave you satisfaction from successfully commanding your units to make best use of them, here you only have the comparatively simple task of watching yourself.
But here too things have been made significantly easier. Some of these changes are for the better: regenerating health is fine (you still can't take much damage), and the fast moving cover system is fantastic when it works. Neither of those really detract from the difficulty, and if anything, keep things focused. However, between drones, sensor grenades, magnetic visors, active camo, and a constant barrage of resupply stations, it's easy to feel overpowered most of the game. In fact, in one mission, you get a giant invincible vehicle that fires an unlimited supply of rockets wherever you tell it to. It's probably the easiest mission in the game as a result.
This isn't to say that there isn't still some challenge though: after all, sitting through the story is quite the challenge (zing!). But overall, the experience is easy, and the, frequently straightforward, encounters don't do much to keep you engaged. As a result, things start to feel drawn out towards the end of the game. It's even worse when it feels like the game is trying to match the high-octane action of Call of Duty-a feat it is never quite able to pull off. However, there are two times when Ghost Recon is actually a blast: when there are time limits and when you can use stealth.
The former is pretty self-explanatory: time limits force you to think fast and be prepared for unexpected quick challenges. Since most of the changes have made the game quicker, they feel pretty well balanced whenever you have a limited time with which to carry something out. Suddenly the game becomes less about discovering the enemies and waiting for them to become visible, one-by-one, and more about quickly identifying and disposing of each threat in an efficient way, usually in a matter of seconds.
On the opposite end of the spectrum (usually) are the stealth portions of the game, which are easily the portion that feel most in line with old Ghost Recon. Frequently the game tasks you with completing an objective without triggering a single alarm (ie: nobody sees you or any bodies you leave behind). This can occasionally be frustrating due to a few terribly spaced checkpoints, but usually it just forces you to be more thoughtful. You suddenly have to consider who you take out, when, and in what order. It almost becomes like a fun little puzzle game. And the best part? It's actually often beneficial to sneak right by enemies, leaving them standing instead of silently eliminating them. I actually played a mission where I snuck right through a base full of guards and only eliminated about two on the way in and it was exhilarating. Seriously, when's the last time you could say that about a shooter?
Moments like that are where Ghost Recon shines. You know, when it's being Ghost Recon and forcing you to approach every situation with care and/or efficiency. Not when it throws off its pacing by trying to throw in just one more Call of Duty-style action scene. Not when it's attempting to show a boring story about uncharismatic soldiers. Not when it reduces potentially tactical fights into straightforward cover-to-cover combat. Unfortunately Future Soldier is suffering this identity crisis, and has arguably "dumbed" itself down. The more thoughtful, actual Ghost Recon, parts of this game are a blast that trump most other shooters I've played recently, but unfortunately if things continue this way, these portions of the game may soon be drowned out by the same uninspired filler that we find in too many other games.