Skip to main content

Ghost Recon Breakpoint developer counters comparisons to The Division

Ghost Recon Breakpoint The Division Ubisoft gameplay pvp campaign damage bullet sponge drones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ubisoft currently has two major shooter franchises under the Tom Clancy name: The Division and Ghost Recon. The Division is a new property that recently released a popular sequel, and Ghost Recon has evolved into a massive open-world affair. With familiar additions to the upcoming Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the differences between the two are becoming even more slim. When asked about the striking similarities, Eric Couzian, creative director of Breakpoint, told us in an interview why he thinks they’ll never be the same.

“[Ghost Recon Breakpoint] is a tactical game. So, when we say its a tactical game, that means one bullet kills. It’s a big, big game-changer,” he said.

“We really want players to feel like you are Spec Ops,” he later added.

While he’s right in a general sense, Ghost Recon Breakpoint does add an element that counters that obvious difference from The Division — Drones. While human bullet sponges do not exist in Breakpoint, the new drone enemies present players with an additional obstacle that takes a lot more time to take down. 

During our preview, we found that you definitely feel like a Spec Ops operative when you’re taking on human enemies, either in a run-and-gun style or stealthily, dropping them quickly with well-placed shots. Drones, however, typically feature layers of armor.

As seen in Breakpoint gameplay trailers, drones feature layers of armor and function more like tougher obstacles that you should avoid as much as possible. The full variety of drones featured in Breakpoint haven’t been revealed yet, but these conflicts are more similar to The Division‘s firefights than they are to the swifter and more realistic shootouts with human enemies.

Unless there are some planned modes that utilize drones, the Ghost War PvP will maintain this sense of realism, which is mentioned in our hands-on with the mode.

So, what’s the reasoning behind the additions to Ghost Recon Breakpoint that make it more similar to The Division? The developers have promoted endgame content that includes 4-player raids, a stark departure from Ghost Recon’s typical formula.

“When we released Wildlands, we were not aware that the game would have such a long life after [launch],” Couzian said. “So we learned a lot from Wildlands and, for Breakpoint, we wanted [that] to be part of the strategy. When I say strategy, I mean to plan everything for post-launch. Even the story was written with that in mind.”

Editors' Recommendations

Charles Singletary Jr.
I'm a Birmingham, AL raised author, journalist, and gaming enthusiast currently residing in San Antonio, TX. My work has…
Ubisoft learns lesson from Ghost Recon Breakpoint, delays three AAA games
Ghost Recon Breakpoint screenshots

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot admitted that Ghost Recon Breakpoint had its fair share of issues, which resulted in delayed release dates for three games.

In an earnings call and a statement, Guillemot lamented the disappointing reception for Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Our review of the Ghost Recon Wildlands follow-up found that while gunplay was snappy and the story was engaging, the shooter was dragged down by the bugs that plagued it, as well as a microtransactions system that felt out of place in a game that values exploration and discovery.

Read more
Ghost Recon Breakpoint tips and tricks for surviving the Wolves of Auroa
Surviving Ghost Recon Breakpoint requires strategy. Here are our tips and tricks
ghost recon breakpoint e3 2019 hands on preview screen 4

These Ghost Recon Breakpoint tips and tricks will help you survive in Ubisoft's latest open-world tactical shooter. With enormous regions filled with collectibles, missions to discover, items to equip, and plenty of enemies to eliminate, there's an overwhelming number of systems and objectives thrown your way right out of the gate. Our Breakpoint survival guide helps breaks down combat, multiplayer, classes, and how to get the best weapons and gear so you can jump right in.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint tips and tricks
Weapon and Gear scores aren't everything

Like The Division 2, there is a score attached to every single weapon and piece of gear you find in Ghost Recon Breakpoint. These scores are an indication of an item's power level. That said, you shouldn't select your loadout based on scores alone. You're playing a tactical shooter and sometimes the weapon with the highest score isn't the best one to use.

Read more
Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s PvP is a high-tension battle royale lite
ghost recon breakpoint pvp war hands on review multiplayer impressions re8

Not only is Ghost Recon Breakpoint flipping the narrative on its head by forcing the titular Ghosts to face off against one of their own, but Ubisoft is also flipping the script on the development of the competitive multiplayer. In Ghost Recon Wildlands, the developers introduced PvP many months after launch and modified existing parts of the game’s map for smaller skirmishes. Breakpoint features competitive spaces designed for PvP first before being worked into Auroa, the upcoming game’s setting.

In Paris, France, we were given an opportunity to play the Ghost Recon Breakpoint PvP, called Ghost War, for the very first time. Six teams of four players faced off against each other for roughly two hours across three maps, giving us time to learn the layouts and try out different classes. After wrapping up the session, I came away more excited about how progress overlaps with the campaign versus the implications of the Ghost War mode itself, but it is an improvement over Wildlands’ PvP.
Spirits Wander
The foundation of Ghost War is still Elimination, where four players are dropped into a map to take down four other players, but it is enhanced with a handful of elements. Like in the Ghost Recon Breakpoint campaign, I can be injured and must bandage my wounds or suffer from movement penalties. Once bandaged, I can use another item to recover health. The entire process can be time-consuming and adds a new layer of tension. You can also pick up your teammates and move them to better cover for healing, but it rarely ever felt like I had the time to move them if I didn’t have the time to heal them right on the spot.

Read more