Bolivian rebels can help take down the cartel in ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’

By Gabe Gurwin June 24, 2016

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - Cooperative Tactics in a Dangerous Open World - E3 2016

Ghost Recon Wildlands is still nearly nine months away, but early gameplay demonstrations, as well as the series’ reputation, have us cautiously optimistic. Its open world structure relies heavily on player choice to shape both individual missions and the future of the game’s version of Bolivia, and while you’re limited to just four Ghosts in a squad, they won’t be the only allies at your disposal.

Speaking with the UbiBlog, lead designer Dominic Butler shed some light on the Bolivian rebellion in Ghost Recon Wildlands. Though the country has been taken over by the Santa Blanca cartel, and the government has helped it establish Bolivia as the largest cocaine producer in the world, a resistance movement is fighting to regain control. But with so few resources against the cartel, it needs the Ghosts’ support. By rescuing rebels from prison cells in Infamous: Second Son fashion, you can increase their combat effectiveness.

Related: Ghost Recon Wildlands sees Bolivia controlled by the cartels

“If you can get to them, if you can free them, they’re going to take up arms against the Santa Blanca, completely systemically,” Butler says. “You don’t have to tell them what to do. They know where the enemy is. They’re going to start fighting back and it’s a way to kind of leverage one faction against another.”

This non-scripted system is far removed from the mission-based, mostly linear structure of Advanced Warfighter and Future Soldier, and it could help to freshen the series up after Future Soldier‘s fairly by-the-numbers campaign. What’s odd is that Ubisoft has, at least thus far, opted to not include a cover system. A fluid and very satisfying “cover to cover” mechanic was first introduced in Splinter Cell Conviction before being introduced to other Clancy games, including The Division, and its absence from Wildlands has been criticized in early previews.

Ghost Recon Wildlands arrives on March 7 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

I can’t wait to go back to Street Fighter 6’s excellent Battle Hub

street fighter 6 battle hub preview arcade cabinet

Fighting games live or die on their online communities. Of course, basic functions like rollback netcode and cross-play are essential to a healthy fighting game, but Street Fighter 6 goes further by creating an online hub that celebrates the series and gives players somewhere to hang out between matches. Call it a metaverse if you must, but in reality, the Battle Hub is one-third of the Street Fighter 6 package and will likely be home to the communities and tournaments that ensure people will play the game for years to come.
It was also the focus of the Closed Beta for Street Fighter 6 this past weekend, which gave me a second chance to go hands-on with the game after falling in love with it at Summer Game Fest Play Days. The core 1-v-1 fights are still a joy to play and the beta’s new characters -- Juri, Kimberly, Guile, and Ken -- all come with the exciting combos and flashy animations. But really, I came away impressed with the groundwork Capcom is laying for Battle Hub and its implications for World Tour mode.
What’s the hubbub about?
The Battle Hub is one of three options players can choose right from the main menu of Street Fighter 6, and when selected, it tasks players with creating a character avatar that will represent them. I didn’t spend too much time with these options, but they seemed quite in-depth for those who enjoy a detailed character creator. After creating a blue-haired and face-tattooed fighter, I was thrust into the Battle Hub’s futuristic arcade.

Multiplayer hubs as a replacement for simple menus aren't a new concept for fighting games (Bandai Namco games like Dragon Ball FighterZ have done this for a while). Still, for Capcom’s first attempt at one, the Battle Hub is full of personality and things to do. Its stark blue colors, a plethora of screens, and many gameplay cabinets make it feel like the high-tech arcade Capcom wants it to be.
As soon as I entered, I could walk around, emote, and perform classic Street Fighter moves the Hadoken with button presses. I was also near two kiosks. At one, I could register and view tournaments and Street Fighter 6 events, although none were available for me during this Closed Beta. The other one was the Hub Goods Shop, where I could buy clothes and other gear to customize my character further with the currency I accrued while playing.
The other kiosks on the main level weren’t available in this Closed Beta outside a screen that showed which player in our server was performing the best. I then headed toward the arcade cabinets, most of which form a circle around the center of the Battle Hub. One person has to sit on each side to initiate a Street Fighter 6 match. While it’s a bit annoying to sit and wait for someone to play with you, I could always find an opponent if I looked around at every cabinet. Hopefully, the final game will have an option to get into fights slightly faster for those who want to simply jump into it.

Gaming

Disney Dreamlight Valley: trophy and achievement guide

A town landscape appears in Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Like most farming and social sims, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a game meant to be played over the course of many months and years, and that's perhaps most apparent in its trophy and achievement lists. Though the lists are small, unlocking each trophy or achievement requires a significant time investment, and some of the tasks can't even be met until the game has grown and added many more characters. If you're itching to get a headstart, though, we've got a trophy and achievement guide here to get you going.

Further reading

Gaming

Hello Neighbor 2 offers impressive open-ended puzzling and one creepy villain

Theodore Masters Peterson in Hello Neighbor 2

Hello Neighbor from 2017 was a thematically creepy game. It followed the story of protagonist Nicky Roth, who, through the player’s input, infiltrated the labyrinthine house of an unhinged man with a few too many dark secrets rolled up his sleeves. Without giving too much away, the original’s three main acts were filled with the same sort of horrors one might expect to find if they were to rummage around in their shady next-door neighbor’s basement in the middle of the night -- only to find the aforementioned neighbor creeping around the corner with a hatchet and a menacing glint in their eye.

But the average neighbor doesn't keep macabre secrets behind traps and puzzles in their basement, which means Hello Neighbor 2 could be the next big thing for anyone who ever fantasized about solving mysteries in the dead of night. Don’t try this at home -- er, your neighbor’s home -- but do try Hello Neighbor 2.