Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms Review
There are a few different signs that would typically tell me "Hey this game won't be good."
- Having a name change from something that ends in "Online"
- Having a name that copies a current popular title (Call of Duty: Ghosts, Ghost Recon Phantoms... seriously?)
- Having a ridiculously long name - Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms (yes... names are this important)
- Being a free-to-play shooter new to Steam
- Not having much of an advertising campaign.
Despite all of these red flags, I was actually quite impressed with my time in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms.
Here's my Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms review:
The Gimmick
Ghost Recon Phantoms is a third-person tactical shooter. It's all about communicating with and working effectively with your team to complete the objective.
Most of the "tactical shooters" that have come out lately are first-person, and the core reason they're considered "tactical" is due to the lack of HUD (Heads-Up Display) minimap, and low player health. In these games, you can't see how much health you have, where your teammates or enemies are, and you have to rely on team communication just to move around the map.
Ghost Recon Phantoms isn't like that. Instead of the hyper-realistic action, it takes on a more futuristic theme and returns to the classic third-person shooter strategy. You have a minimap that will highlight when other players have scanned enemies or enemies shoot, as well as your teammates. You also have HUD indicators for where your teammates are at all times.
The goal is to use your third-person camera to keep an eye on your surroundings at all times - and get a better peak around corners - while then executing precise combat via the first-person ADS (aim down sights) perspective.
This isn't a run-and-gun game. If you try to do that in this game you will just die. Repeatedly. Trust me, I've tried it. It's not fun.
However, if you take it slow, communicate with your team either via text or voice chat (though voice chat will be most effective and is preferred) and balance your team properly, you will do well. (Don't have a team full of snipers. While you may make a good defense, you will never end up completing the objective.)
The Business
Another red flag I mentioned was that Ghost Recon Phantoms is Free-to-Play.
All too often does the business model involved a "Pay to Win" strategy where those who invest money into the game get better guns, or earlier access to guns, or some other special in-game equipment that allows them to essentially pay money to win the game.
At the moment, Ghost Recon Phantoms does not have any significant "Pay to Win" implementations. Most of what you invest in are simply cosmetic things for appearance and customization - nothing that affects gameplay. This doesn't mean things won't change when they need more money down the road, however.
Graphics
Graphically, the game isn't bad. Being a tactical shooter, it's primary focus is on stability and gameplay. With everything maxed out at 1080p, I was able to keep a solid 60 FPS while recording without a hiccup. Similar results should be found on other builds, but your results may vary.
The game runs very very smooth and the performance feels pretty polished.
While it doesn't have the latest over-destructible environments or super-high-res textures, it looks nice and fits thematically with the gameplay. Motion blur can make the game look better, but impacts your gameplay performance. Same with depth of field.
Closing
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms has definitely surprised me by being a fun, yet competitive and tactical third-person shooter.
Whether or not you're successful in the game, and enjoy it, depend heavily on whether or not you're communicating properly with your team and keep up with some generalized strategy. Communication is key, no matter what.
The game provides a rewarding multiplayer experience, plenty of customization options for those who want to invest money into it, and a fun, free experience.
You can download Ghost Recon Phantoms here.