Is Ghost Recon Breakpoint good enough to recover from its rocky start? Here’s what reviewers are saying about the launch version of Ubisoft’s new shooter.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is the new online tactical shooter from Ubisoft and the sequel to 2017’s Ghost Recon Wildlands. And it’s fair to say that its release has been a little bumpy.
The game’s beta proved controversial due to the extensive use of microtransactions – some of which have been temporarily removed – and its launch has been plagued by server issues, which are now mostly resolved.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint once again adheres to Ubisoft’s tried-and-tested open-world template, something that many critics are tired of. The game’s lack of identity is also the bug-bear of many reviews, although there is faith in Ubisoft’s ability to support the game over the long-term with a roadmap of improvements. The only thing everyone seems to love is the performance of Jon Bernthal.
With online multiplayer a key component, many publications are holding back their full reviews. Nonetheless, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is available to buy right now, so should you buy it? Here’s our summary of the best reviews so far.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint: Review round-up
Gamespot
“Breakpoint is a messy hodgepodge of disparate ideas, pulling various aspects from other Ubisoft games and shoehorning them in, half-baked and out of place. Ghost Recon’s identity as a tactical shooter has evaporated and been replaced by a confused patchwork of elements and mechanics from other, better games.”
No Score – Review in progress by Richard Wakeling
IGN
“What’s the defining thing about Breakpoint that isn’t served by a Division, a Far Cry, or a Watch Dogs game? The answer I keep coming back to is that it’s the Ubisoft sampler platter. And that’s not a bad thing, it’s just uninspired and doesn’t feel like it has much of its own personality or a reason to exist, which makes it not very engaging even when it’s reasonably fun to play.”
7.0 – Review in progress by Brandin Tyrrel
Vice
“I thought I had a pretty good handle on what Ubisoft open world games could and could not do. Breakpoint seems like it should be more generic, not much more than a modern military-wrapper on a game we’ve played a half-dozen times before. But Breakpoint fully commits to its theme and finds dreadful and awesome things on the island Auroa. It just doesn’t seem sure which is which.”
No score – Review by Rob Zacny
Push Square
“For the most part, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is an enjoyable open world excursion, provided you know what to expect — and let’s face it, you probably know exactly what to expect. Its loot and gear score systems seem more than a little tacked on, but much like many of Ubisoft’s other open worlders, there’s a moreish quality to Breakpoint that’s difficult to deny.”
6/10 – Review by Robert Ramsey
Rock Paper Shotgun
“It’s vapid at every turn, my ennui only punctured when shoddy mission design became actively frustrating. Every death resets the population of an enemy compound, of course, dragging you yet again through an encounter that’s already barely any different to the last one. I attempted a particularly onerous wave defence mission half a dozen times. In co-op, we ran into problems with NPCs that wouldn’t go where they needed to, and a helicopter mission that left all active participation to the pilot. With multiplayer such a focus, that misstep is mystifying.”
No score – Review by Matt Cox
VG247
“If you go into Breakpoint expecting a deep, tactical military sim, you’re going to be disappointed. The closest this game comes to giving you freedom of approach is the ability to bail out of a helicopter, using the exploding chopper as noise cover as you parachute into the other side of the base. The most interesting piece of equipment, a fence cutting tool, is locked behind the levelling system and then behind a crafting system, so you have to grind to unlock it. Or, you know, you can pay to skip some of the grind in a wide array of microtransactions – acknowledgment that skipping content is a good thing.”
1/5 – Review by Kirk McKeand
For a detailed breakdown of the game’s micro-transactions we recommend reading Owen S. Good’s analysis over at Polygon.
Ghost Recon Breakpoint is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One from retailers including GameStop and Amazon. The game will be released for the Google Stadia game streaming platform in November.
Title: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release date: October 4, 2019
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia
We may receive a small commission on purchases made from online stores.
