Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a Tactical Turn-Based title for 3DS, which was developed and published by Ubisoft. It is part of the 3DS's launch title in March 2011 along with their other Tom Clancy's game such as Splinter Cell 3D was also released in a same month.
To tell you the truth is that I wasn't a huge fan of the Tom Clancy's titles back then as I first enjoyed the original Rainbow Six on N64 which is surprisingly a decent shooter at the time and then until I couldn't get used with the later titles such as Rainbow Six 3, Ghost Recon 2, and Splinter Cell on my brother's Xbox originals which had prevent me from playing several of later Tom Clancy's games.
There is one of the Tom Clancy's title that had got my attention was Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars on 3DS, a Tactical Turn-Based title which is quite different from the rest of the Ghost Recon games which is more focused on shooter based genre, but this game is sorta like taking in different direction as it plays very similar to other well-known Tactical Turn-Based video games such as Fire Emblem and Advance Wars which I finding the idea of the game is surprisingly well done for its lengthy campaign mode, more skirmish missions, and has great local multiplayer battle which makes the game worth playing if you're into with this sort of turn-based genre.
It's a shame that this game couldn't get attention what it deserved due to 3DS had a rough list of titles at the launch release (except some games like Super Street Fighter IV, Ridge Racer 3D, Nintendogs + Cats and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask are positively received 3DS games), and some fans are bit disappointed that the game is not a shooter like every other Ghost Recon games has is the main reason why nobody had payed so much attention to this forgotten gem, so I think it's better off to give this game a second chance because there's a lot of positive things that I'm going to discuss why is it so good on the 3DS standards.
So without go further do, lets start the review.
Presentation
The story takes place on war in Russia. Due to gas station attack in Kazakhstan, The Russian Ultra Nationalist Yuri Treskayev had called Russia to invade Kazakhstan as he blames President Karkarzev's failure to protect Russia interests. The US has sent Ghosts team into Kazakhstan to battle against the Russian army as their main goal is to prevent Treskayev from taking his power in Russia.
Theres not a whole lot of story in the game as the story involves the war battle between US and Russia, but it seems that the whole plot in the game is not as straightforward to know the story well making very easy to forget. Despite the lackluster storyline, it does have a interesting Ghost team characters which I think its a positive part of the game in comparison with other Ghost Recon titles.
You have human artillery named Commando Duke, long range specialist Haze, heavy gunner Richter, medical professional Saffron, stealthy recon Banshee, and weapon engineer Mint which these are the Ghost teams is kinda does look like from the cartoon shows back in 80's such as G.I Joe for example which makes the character concept look more appealing than these generic foot solders from previous Ghost Recon games.
I also liked the whole presentation in the game which has different kinds of level's settings including outside desert areas, cave system of enemy bases, house building, launcher facility room, and all others seems to have really good scenery in each chapters. The FMV cutscenes seems to be look impressive on 3DS standards regarding with cart limitations could really handle well with the 30 secs sequences.
The in-game presentation on top of the 3DS screen is looking really spectacular which shows a large map of levels as you can able to highlight your own squads or enemies which contains their stats on the bottom of the 3DS screen showing their primary or secondary weapons you use, the health, hit points such as damage and range attacks, the movements, and finishing special attacks. While not highlighting the squads you will have full maps on the bottom of the 3DS screen showing where your team or enemies been located in the levels which is useful for your strategy plan. I also liked the looks of the grids in the game filled with nice transparency square shaped and bold looking arrows which is just like in a Fire Emblem or Advanced Wars games that has similar gameplay design makes the whole presentation pretty good for the 3DS title.
Overall, it has slight better characters, good use of scenery, impressive FMV sequences and spectacular in-game design except the storyplot.
Gameplay
The single player campaign has 7 Chapters with 5 or 6 missions each in over 35 hours of length. You are taking control of Ghost team in turn-based tactics to wipe out the enemies as your main goal is to complete all the main objectives been added in the list while trying not to lose one of your six Ghost members.
You will able to move squads by highlighting them in the blue coloured grids which allowing your character to move around the battlefield on the selectable blue squares, while the green coloured squares on blue grids had giving you option to attack on enemies depending on character's damage range attack which can be showed on bottom of the 3DS screen to help you figuring out if your squad can able to attack the enemy in better range. For example: it came with three different colours of damage range attack such as yellow represents long range, orange represents mid range, and red represents short range.
Each of your squad members has different classes such as Commando Duke is equipped with an assault rifle and a hi-tech shoulder mounted missile launcher which is effective for mid-range attacks. Haze has two long range weapon such as heavy and light sniper rifle works effectively on long range attacks. Richter has powerful chaingun works best for using heavy damage attacks and return fire. Saffron has her ability to heal the team using the medkits and providing power points with boost kits, but she also has pistol as a defense weapon. Banshee uses her stealthy cloak devices system to prevent enemies from attacking her unless she being caught by enemy nearby and she is also equipped with silenced carbines and deadly combat knife. Mint has his ability to deploy his turret and drone which is worked well for its counter attack, but he also has options to repair or retrieve his turret and drones.
Some of the squad members such as Haze, Banshee, and Richter are also equipped with different types of grenades which works effectively on enemies drones and vehicles. The squad members can also perform finishing attacks if its reaches on 100% showing on character stats as it allows them to instantly kill the enemy lot faster. You can also grab yourself an items in the levels such as health pack to increase your health, the ammo pack can add your ammunition, and blue box which increases your percentages of special attacks which is come in useful during the missions.
The Ghost team can also collect their command points by capturing the flag of enemy bases, so you will receive each points after taking turns as you can spend these points to use three commands options such as power charge for powerful character's stats, reactivating members, and using airstrike to blow off all the enemies in bigger range.
The game does have great objectives which keeps you very satisfied with overall missions. The objectives such as defeating officers, deactivating bombs, free all hostages, defend your bases, and many more fun goals that made the game really great to play. After completing missions, the squads will be awarded with star points which allows you to upgrade their levels adding new weapons and armors, increasing their health capacity and more damage attack points which really helps improves their strengths and performances for later missions.
The part that drawbacks the game was not having an option to re-recruiting your squad member because its important to bring all your squad members back in action, but no your squad member will purposely die in mission which led to failing the mission which I don't like because killing one member of six squad team can ruin the whole mission if you're trying the best to keep all the squad member alive as possible which is quite frustrating in most of the missions been repeated with all same failed objectives list, so be very careful with your team members while playing the mission.
You can always save mission on option menu in case you don't want to start the whole mission again at the beginning which seems really help for me to continue on last checkpoint that I've recently saved on.
So far, I've managed to enjoy the game quite well filled with great strategy gameplay, decent tactics, cool objectives, and has over 35 hours of lengthy campaign which makes the game quite non-stop fun single-player experience.
You can also enjoy the game with skirmish modes that has training, battle and challenge modes with different goals that you can able to test out your task to beat the battle and it has multiplayer matches where you can able to enjoy playing with your friends on single 3DS system through versus mode including deathmatches, capturing bases, gaining points to win and other objectives which is a positive part of the game.
Overall, it has great strategy gameplay, decent tactics, cool objectives, 35 hours of lengthy campaign and has skirmish and multiplayer modes.
Graphics
Despite this game had shifted away from third-person shooter to turn-based tactics genres, the overall quality of the graphics on 3DS system is looking quite decent for its overall design as it looks very good with displaying stereoscopic 3D effects that made the levels look more detailed for its top-down building environments, textured grounds and surfaces, and has well animated sprites for the in-game characters and drones. Its very impressive to look at the game that really stands out well for the 3DS standards as showing how good the game looks on the handheld system.
I'm very glad that the game ran smoothly well on the 3DS system which shows no sign of slow-downs and jaggy details which most of the environments are looking super clear as crystal.
Overall it has detailed environments, polished textures, well animated sprites, and has ran smoothly on 3DS standards.
Music and Sounds
The game sure does have some decent soundtrack on both presentation and in-game battle which really fits the personality of the game with very Tom Clancy's theme song and has intense tactical music during the mission.
I also liked the use of sound effects on every weapons, drones and has background noises of levels in the game which sure does sounds pretty good with the 3DS stereo speaker or headphones.
The game does not have voice cast in the game due to cart size limitation, except it does have a grunt voice sample where solders were getting hit or being killed in the warzone which is absolutely fine in the game that doesn't need a full voice over.
Overall it has decent soundtrack and great use of sounds.
Special Features
The game lets you unlock all your skirmish missions and multiplayer battles if you're able to beat all of the missions from the single player campaign and you can also increase your overall ranking of player's class if you're able to beat all of these three difficulty options will award you with more ranking points from sergeant to lieutenant class ranking which really improves your player experiences in the game.
Overall it has unlockable missions and battles, and ranking options.
Advantages
Fair presentation
35 hours of lengthy campaign
Great strategy gameplay
Has cool skirmish mission and multiplayer battles
Good looking graphics
Decent soundtrack
Disadvantages
Lackluster story
Repetitive deaths on failed objectives
Has no option to re-recruiting your squad member during the mission
Final Verdict
Presentation 7/10 - slight better characters, good use of scenery, impressive FMV sequences and spectacular in-game design except the storyplot.
Gameplay 8/10 - great strategy gameplay, decent tactics, cool objectives, 35 hours of lengthy campaign and has skirmish and multiplayer modes.
Graphics 8/10 - detailed environments, polished textures, well animated sprites, and has ran smoothly on 3DS standards.
Music and Sounds 7.5/10 - decent soundtrack and great use of sounds.
Special Features 7.5/10 - unlockable missions and battles, and ranking options.
Overall 8/10 - Despite my lost interest on all Tom Clancy's series from the past, this game is actually pretty decent that I never got disappointed to play as this game filled with very long campaign mission which really adds my single player experience for its great turn-based gameplay, fun tactics, and has numerous of objectives that keeps me very satisfied to play over 3 hours a day. I also liked the skirmish and multiplayer modes which is also pretty good that the game has to offer as I can able to enjoy the battle with my friends on the single 3DS system.
For retro perspective, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a underrated 3DS title of all Tom Clancy's series that the game is kinda harder to appreciate fans who aren't happy with the decision that had been shifted away from third-person shooter genres like the previous Ghost Recon games has, so just remember the 3DS is not always has to be designed for shooters because it might be very difficult to implement the game unless if the developers are being confident enough to fit well on the system.
This game is highly designed for people who are into with turn-based genres like those who previously enjoys playing titles like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and XCOM are the main reason why it made Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars quite enjoyable to play.
That being said, give this game a credit what it deserve because it's a great addition to 3DS's game library that is worth picking up and play.
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