Ghost Recon Future Soldier

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According to funny-named US military advisor Jean-Louis DeGay, "The future of the solider is an F-16 on legs." It conjures up weird images of Metal Gear Geckos and constipated Transformers - but it's also the philosophy at the heart of Ubisoft Paris' latest foray into near-future military warfare. Hard to believe, but the gazillion-selling Ghost Recon series has been in hiding for three years now.

"GRAW was a big learning curve, a new engine, a new machine - and a very different approach to the series," reflects senior coordinator Adrian Lacey. "Now we're trying to capitalise on what we've learned in those ensuing years. Lots of titles have come out in the meantime; some have done an extremely good job. Do I feel the pressure? Every day! But it makes it more of a challenge." Lacey's team hasn't been afraid to shake things up, and the big news is: Future Soldier doesn't look much like GRAW at all - and it sure as hell doesn't play like it.

Release either of the GRAWs today and they'd still hold up as engaging, ultra kinetic shooters - both on and offline. Future Soldier also principally revolves around the team unit on the battlefield. Ghosts are the best - the Spec Op geezers hunkered behind the furthest, deadliest enemy lines. They're a compact, precise unit packing complimentary skillsets -in this case, that means Commando, Recon, Sniper, Engineer and Drone classes - and they've got enough tech, firepower and savvy to take on an army. Sounds mostly pretty familiar, right?

AFGHAN ROUNDS
Actually, not really. As the effectiveness of guerrilla warfare is proven time and again in Afghanistan, surgical incursions that even tactical missile strikes can't perform become the answer. This is where the new breed of Ghost comes in. GRAW did a superb job of conveying medium-distance gunplay, even if blasting away at red diamonds did begin to outstay its welcome after a while. In something of a paradigm shift, Future Soldier's central premise involves getting close enough to see the whites of an enemy's eyes... before blacking them with a dose of Close Quarters Combat. In other words, this is a shooter that's all about the melée. "We've basically been trying to fit it into Ghost Recon since the first Advanced Warfighter," reveals Lacey. "Players have been begging for that extra little facet for ages. It's effectively the same principle as the knife in Modern Warfare - but evolved."

This isn't simply a fistful of knuckles to the gob then, but a fully realised range of takedowns - from sliding tackles and Krav Maga locks through to wrestling-style slams. It's primarily down to the new exo-suit tech donned by the Ghosts, which ramps up their range of movement and physicality. "It's real world-influenced, and not a Crysis suit or accelerator suit like in GI Joe," warns Creative Director Olivier Dauba. "It's handy when it comes to deflecting knives, but since bullets are evolving too it won't necessarily stop a high calibre round." That said, the Thermoptic Camouflage many fans lamented after seeing Future Soldier's second trailer is coming - and it'll help the Ghosts get close enough to unleash their new brand of physical hurt. However, when you fire your weapon, the camo switches off and you become detectable. "Capturing somebody could prove more important than killing them," explains Lacey. "That's another advantage of CQC. Detaining foes grants access to their Cross Com variant, and the position of each member of their squad. Plus, when we really want to add pressure, when you're getting close to a scenario's objective - that's when CQC will really come into its own."

MUSCLE MAN
Ubisoft are aware of the backlash from hardcore Ghost Recon fans, who appear to prefer their terrorist foiling to be grounded in real-world military tech. Lacey is at pains to quell suggestions the series is going sci-fi. "You wouldn't believe some of the prototypes Olivier and I have seen. Some prototypes - such as the DARPA research on muscular tissue regeneration and real-time holographic gun sights - we're like, 'f**king hell that's too futuristic!' But it's real! Be assured that every device and item we incorporate into Future Soldier has undergone a detailed process of deliberation about its functionality and usability. Most importantly, it needs to translate into a fun gaming experience."

The build we were shown was very early, and illustrated one of the opening missions - a foray into Norway. A series of crippling cyber attacks, which had limited the States' ability to see what was going on in Russia, had been identified as emanating from the land of the fjords. Enter new man Kozak (allegedly Scott Mitchell with added personality) and his team to 'sort things out'. Later on, we witnessed a multiplayer level that was almost certainly Afghanistan, replete with obligatory stone huts and sinister cave network. While both levels lacked the polish of a finished game, the action was running at an eye-popping 60fps on an advanced iteration of GRAW's YETI engine. Notably, it also sported a bold palette of bright blues, greens and whites - a far cry from the oranges, yellows and khakis that the GRAWs were comprised of. (Intriguingly, the Cross Com HUD was entirely absent, though we were later reassured that it simply "hadn't been added yet.")

Even better, Ubisoft is laudably promising to maintain this spanking visual quality through single and multiplayer, as well as a "seamless transition" between the two modes. That means single-player, split-screen, jump in/jump out co-op - quite possibly for up to four players. Bonus. Also expect bigger explosions than ever, no mean feat considering GRAW pulled off some of the most memorable kaboom in the business in 2007.

As for the plot? Well, it's typical pseudo future territory - a "techno thriller
with a Clancy level of detail", to quote Ubi - even if the aged Mr C isn't directly involved in writing duties. Pesky Russian ultra-nationalists have abducted the legitimate President, and invaded Northern Europe to boot. The US and what remains of the loyal Ruskie army leap into action, and the scene is set for another jingoistic, ever-so-morally-patronising globetrotting adventure packed with fun shooty bits. Interestingly, Kozak's Cross Com will no longer relate titbits of story info; instead, Ubisoft Paris wants Future Soldier to convey the 'humanity of war'. To that end, you'll see the story unfold through the eyes of its various protagonists. Examples cited included a Kremlin-based mission as a Russian Presidential bodyguard attempting to foil his abduction, or as a brave civilian defending his hometown from invasion. Lacey and Dauba assured us these won't just be inconsequential titbits, but fully fleshed-out levels - if not quite as long as the Ghost scenarios.

Granted, it all sounds very Modern Warfare - but if you've ever read one of Tom Clancy's Bible-long thrillers you'll know the man himself was weaving first- and third-person narratives together when Grant Collier and his Infinity Ward strike team were still wearing their varsity jackets. "The overall geopolitical stuff, the tale of the terrorists - we really wanted to make more of this," stresses Lacey. "We told a good story in GRAW, but perhaps it didn't let you focus on the true events. Now we let you physically play the plot, you'll understand it more, plus it'll inform your attitude towards the enemy - make you really want to take them down." Even better, it also means the devs get to mollify fans who like their weapons 'real world' - their loadout of approximately 45 firearms will include classics like AK-47s and AN-94s, not just fancy stuff like SCAR-Ls.

SQUAD DAMAGE
Recognising that no game so far - not even GRAW - has really nailed the squad mechanic, the Paris team moves onto their second massive reveal. First of all, they set the scene - expounding upon the real-life function of the squad. Spec Ops live, train and (sometimes) die together, they're a band of brothers with a hive mind, and are constantly aware there's no room for mistakes. Ubi wants to transfer this synergy to Future Soldier, while keeping it as simple as possible. Using the metaphor of pro-gamer clans, they claim they're consigning squad babysitting to the history books. Their baby? The Link-Up system. Okay, so Future Soldier technically isn't the first game to sport this mechanic - Army of Two beat them to the punch there - but this is a much more refined evolution, and here's how it works.

Just one contextual button snaps you in and out. Up to a squad of four are then tethered within a certain radius (a couple of feet by our estimation), and can all move through a 360 range of motion, making for fast, fresh, dynamic gunplay. To counteract your new versatility, linear maps are out and enemies will now rush you from all angles on the battlefield, utilising a vast range of flanking and pincer attacks. Another advantage of Link-Up is that it also grants you access to an ally's unique class abilities and weapons, opening up entirely fresh tactical avenues, while also incrementally increasing your firepower depending upon the size of the cell. (You'll also gain access to class skills, including mortar shots, EMP bombs and even air strikes.) Every class is able to heal one another, and you'll also have access to tech like acoustic monitors and heart rate detectors to help identify and track the enemy. Link-up also spells an end to squad commands; there's no more move to point A or B, no more being spoon-fed field orders by superiors. It's a drastic departure, but an exciting one.

TIES THAT BIND
Ubisoft are billing Link-Up as a multiplayer revolution, at once both a teaching/accessibility tool for newbies and a point of pride for veterans. When we raised concerns over online piggybacking, Ubi couldn't disagree more. "When you're a good player you'll take pride in people tethering to you, in being the 'leader' as you show them around levels and sweet spots," reckons Lacey. There's another good reason for sticking together - there's less chance of being captured. "Go lone wolf and get knocked out by the enemy, and you'll give away precious team info," warns Dauba. While Ubi controversially haven't yet deigned to implement any new multiplayer modes along the lines of Bad Company 2's brilliant Squad Rush (expect stalwarts like Capture the Flag, Team Domination, Deathmatch instead), they're banking on the Link-Up mechanic to provide fresh online impetus. "Eight versus eight at 60fps guarantees exciting, fast-paced matches," promises Lacey. Once again though: Red Storm are not directly involved in coding the multiplayer. Also: there is weapon unlocking, but no actual vehicle action.

Ghost Recon games have traditionally been bombastic affairs, but Future Soldier is also promising sonic revelations - conveying the illusion you're in the heart of battle like no other shooter. The new 360 battlefield means, armed with the proper surround setup, bullets really will be whistling past your ears from all angles, while GRAW's shock effects have been pumped up to new heights. And if you're able to remember rounding that corner in the original Advanced Warfighter only to be flattened by the embassy blowing into a billion pieces and flattening Mitchell and squad, you'll understand how exciting this is.

MORAL VICTORY
With time running out, we pulled Ubisoft up on the press release for Future Soldier and its promise of the Ghosts 'using a perfect combination of diplomacy and force'. Was that just PR guff? "Um, yeah," admits Lacey with
a grin. Doesn't he reckon that with Ghost Recon's potentially epic body count that the devs have some sort of obligation to deal with moral issues on the battlefield, though? "There will now be civilians in certain missions running about so you're not able to simply blast away. You're not necessarily punished for killing them, but you will get a ticking-off." Nevertheless, the team remain interested in the addition of role-playing elements to the shooty-shooty stuff, in the Mass Effect 2 vein. "I think the Clancy universe lends itself to that, more than any other series I can think of. But Ghost Recon specifically? I'm not sure it'd be something we'd ever do. Interconnectivity is interesting though."

One final question: are those legendary helicopter chaingun sections making a comeback? "There will be certain rides," teases Lacey. "Plus, obviously fixed machine guns and the like. But we've tried to put extended focus on drones and UAVs this time round - they're our 'vehicles' now." Like we said, GRAW, but not as you know it. We can't wait to play more.