PS3 Review - Ghost Recon Future Soldier

In addition to a great campaign, GRFS also has quite a multiplayer offering. GRFS‘ adversarial multiplayer mode supports up to twelve players in various team-based game types, all of which are objective-based and use an addictive “tug of war”-style formula to one extent or another (i.e. teams are constantly battling each other to have the most points or meet match criteria before the end, with the advantage changing regularly) that keeps gameplay interesting. The most evident use of the “tug of war” approach is Conflict, GRFS‘ “main” multiplayer mode, which sees teams battling to complete changing objectives (such as capturing supply points, which in turn can be hacked and captured by the enemy before time runs out) to have the most points before the end of the round. GRFS gamers will probably spend plenty of time playing Conflict, as it’s easy to understand and play right away.

Decoy is an intriguing multiplayer mode where one team is tasked with hacking multiple intel sources to try to discover and then complete their true and final objective, whereas the other team will be trying to stop them by causing time to run out before the “attacking” team can discover or complete their objective. Teams alternate attacking and defending positions until one team has won two rounds (not necessarily consecutive rounds, though). The added intensity of having to win to either assure victory or stay alive to ensure the player’s team gets another opportunity to win can make Decoy just as enticing as Conflict, if not more so.

Siege may be for more hardcore players or players who really do enjoy having some tension in their multiplayer gameplay, as one attacking squad tries to wipe out another or complete a single objective, while a defending squad tries to either wipe out the attacking squad or cause time to run out. Like with Decoy, teams compete in a best of three rounds series, but here’s the twist: each death in each round is permanent, meaning no respawn occurs until the following round. Siege is probably the most on edge multiplayer match type that GRFS has to offer, as everyone is doing their best to remain silent and not be seen or shot by the enemy while taking the enemy down. Siege’s unorthodox approach to multiplayer makes it a standout as a unique and different match type that will likely please Ghost Recon fans greatly.

Saboteur is a match type where two teams compete to capture a bomb, deliver it to an enemy base, and then detonate it. Saboteur is kind of a different take on capture the flag, only the flag carrier has his speed greatly reduced and is allowed to only carry a pistol. The end result is match type that can end up feeling like a football game combined with a firefight, where teams take out the bomb carrier and continually try to maintain momentum by respawning on each other and attempt to inch the bomb closer to the enemy base. Saboteur can be just as fun and addictive as the other multiplayer modes, but it has a tendency to have matches that result in stalemates, which results in the teamwork score determining the winner (as happens with most multiplayer game types in GRFS). However, the teamwork score in Saboteur seems strictly be related to bomb possessions, instead of usual teamwork criteria in the game (healing teammates, intel assists, etc.).

GRFS doesn’t just offer adversarial multiplayer, though — the game has its own take on the “Horde Mode” style of gameplay called Guerrilla. Guerrilla tasks players with infiltrating a base, taking out its enemy presence, holding it for ten waves of enemies, then moving on to another base to defend against another ten until fifty waves of enemies have been defeated. At the end of each wave, players are given the opportunity to stock up on weapons, ammunition, and grenades. Players can also earn “Wave Assists” (turrets, radar, complete invisibility, air strikes, and more) to help them turn the tide of battle in their favor. Unfortunately, Guerrilla has one major flaw: it only allows players to play by themselves or with friends who have the game. No friendly bots or online matchmaking exist, which makes Guerrilla the only mode in all of GRFS to not guarantee a team presence of some kind for players. Players without friends with the game will face all of the enemies completely alone, which is a disappointment for a game with a Horde Mode offering.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier offers fun and adrenaline-pumping stealth-infused tactical shooter gameplay, whether players are enjoying its great single player campaign or its even better multiplayer offerings. The game’s accessibility remains a key strength and highlight throughout both sides of the game, enabling both casual fans of squad shooters and more hardcore fans to find something they’ll enjoy. Many players might come (and stay) for the game’s multiplayer offerings, but the single player campaign has more than enough to offer to warrant checking out. Ghost Recon Future Soldier is a robust package from top to bottom that most any fan of shooters could play for countless hours to come.