Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Official Ghost Recon logo as of 2012
Genres	Tactical shooter
Developers	Red Storm Entertainment
Publishers	Ubisoft
First release	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon November 13, 2001
Latest release	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online August 15, 2012
Official website	ghostrecon.com

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is an American video game series of military tactical shooters, created by Red Storm Entertainment, a game development studio founded in part by American author Tom Clancy.

Ghost Recon has also been novelized by Grant Blackwood under the pseudonym David Michaels.^[1]

In the series, the player is in charge of a fictional, newly conceived squad of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (5th SFG) stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Except for the "1st Battalion, 5th SFG" designation, this unit is entirely fictional, as Special Forces Battalions currently only support three Companies (A, B and C). They are often referred to as "the Ghosts". Their role is not unlike other real world special operations forces, in that their operations are kept highly classified. In Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, it is shown that the Ghost's unit has multiple designations and is part of JSOC and is also known as the Group for Specialized Tactics (or GST - where the term "Ghost" comes from) much like real JSOC units like Delta Force (1st SFOD-D or CAG) and SEAL Team 6 (or DEVGRU).

Games in the series

Overview

Ghost Recon

Ghost Recon begins in April 2008, with civil unrest in Russia. Ultra-nationalists have seized power with plans to rebuild the Soviet Union. Their first step is clandestine support of rebel forces in Georgia and the Baltic States. Alarmed by the threat, the U.S. deploys the Ghosts into Georgia to stop the Russians. Over the course of the campaign, the Ghosts take the fight to the ultra-nationalists, with a final showdown in Moscow's Red Square.

Ghost Recon: Desert Siege

Set six months after the first game, Desert Siege features a new campaign in East Africa, where the Ghosts have been deployed to stop Ethiopian Army Colonel Tesfaye Wolde's plans to invade Eritrea. He executes his plan through arms sales with the same Russian ultra-nationalists who launched the coup the previous year.

Ghost Recon: Island Thunder

The second expansion set to Ghost Recon, Island Thunder takes place in Cuba in 2010. Its plot revolves around Cuba's first democratic elections since the 1950s, but an anti-American faction named the FDP (El Frente Democratico del Pueblo or People's Democratic Front), secretly terrorizes election outlets during the campaign while fielding their own presidential candidate. The Ghosts, who are sent to ensure order during the elections, discover that the FDP is a shell organization run by a Colombian drug cartel that needs the island as a transit point to the United States.

Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm

Taking place just after Island Thunder in Bogotá, Colombia, the drug cartel that had aided and financed the FDP in their efforts in Cuba has initiated a number of terrorist attacks against the Colombian government, who have allied themselves with the United States. After Colombia's call for help following an attack on a U.S. Embassy, America responds by deploying the Ghosts to restore order and put the cartel out of business.

Ghost Recon 2

Ghost Recon 2 is set in the Korean Peninsula. The settings of the PS2 and GameCube versions (both of which are labeled 2007: First Contact) are linked with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, particularly the sinking of the fictional intelligence-gathering vessel Clarence E. Walsh. They depict a new Korean War brought about by a renegade Korean People's Army general, Jung Chong-sun, who launches a coup against the North Korean government. The Xbox version is the direct sequel of the two games, in which Jung plots revenge against NATO and South Korea. Ghost Recon 2 also marks the debut of the series' main character, Capt Scott Mitchell.

Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike

An Afghan Uzbak warlord and arms dealer named Rahil carries out an assassination of Kazakshtan's president and Security Council, triggering a crisis where the Kazakh military splinters and vies for control. The US sends the Ghosts to aid UN troops and loyalist Kazakh forces to restore order and capture Rahil.

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter

Often identified by the acronym GRAW, the game takes place over the course of 72 hours in 2013, beginning in Mexico City. The plot revolves around Mitchell's efforts to rescue US President Ballantine from Mexican rebels, destroy a secret communications device that they captured, and prevent a launch of the United States' nuclear arsenal. The game is mostly known for its new combat mechanics, new weapons, and next-generation graphics.

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2

The game is again, set south of the United States border in 2013, one day after the events of Advanced Warfighter and again deals with the conflict between a Mexican rebel group, Mexican loyalists, and the U.S. Army for a time span of 72 hours. A wide array of location types are included, featuring mountains, small towns, urban environments, and a large hydro-electric dam just north of the U.S.-Mexico border. This game, as well as Rainbow Six: Vegas, has been noted for rectifying squad artificial intelligence problems that the series has been afflicted with.

Ghost Recon Novel

The novel by David Michaels follows CPT Scott Mitchell and Ghost team on a mission in China. Their task is to search for the Spring Tiger Group - a band of rogue Chinese military officers - and put an end to its attempt at seizing control of Taiwan and sparking a massive armed conflict in the Pacific Ocean.

Ghost Recon Predator

Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a turn-based tactical RPG video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It was developed by Ubisoft Sofia Studio under the creative direction of Julian Gollop. First images of the game were leaked by IGN in December 2010.^[4] The game was released on March 25, 2011, as a launch title for Nintendo's new handheld.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier

Ubisoft announced on January 22, 2009 that it is currently working on a new installment in the Ghost Recon series. It was originally scheduled to be released in early 2010, but the release date was subsequently pushed back into Ubisoft's 2010–2011 fiscal year (April 2010-March 2011),^[5][6][7] and was delayed again for a 2011–2012 fiscal year release.^[8][9] The Australian Ratings Board revealed that Ubisoft had registered the name Ghost Recon: 'Predator', leading to speculation that this was to be the name of the next release in the series. In December 2009 the name Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was also registered, leaving the title up in the air until Ubisoft announced officially what the title would be.^[10] In January 2010, Ubisoft confirmed that the game would have the Future Soldier title, and that multiplayer beta would be available to owners of Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Reception

Though well received by game reviewers, the first Ghost Recon games were criticized for poor squad artificial intelligence.^[67]

Other media

A short film based on the series, titled Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha aired on G4 on May 3, 2012.^[68] The short film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on May 22, 2012. Ubisoft has confirmed that a Ghost Recon film is planned as are films based on Assassin's Creed and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. ^[69] Warner Bros. will be making the film and Michael Bay will direct the film and written by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia.^[70][71]

References

External links

• Ghost Recon Official Site
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series at MobyGames
• http://www.ghostrecononlinewiki.com/