Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

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In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, players lead an elite squad of Green Berets in a tense and realistic combat experience on Eastern European battlefields, utilizing advanced weapons and strategies to complete single-player and multiplayer missions, which include 23 single-player missions and 11 multiplayer maps. The game was named Game of the Year and offers an intense and authentic military simulation.

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Play Modes

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,912 reviews

story106 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

A classic tactical shooter that emphasizes strategy and careful planning, rewarding players for thoughtful gameplay.
The game still holds up well despite its age, providing a challenging experience with high stakes where one bullet can mean death.
The modding community, particularly the Heroes Unleashed mod, enhances the game significantly, adding new content and improving AI.

The AI can be inconsistent, with friendly units sometimes failing to follow commands effectively, leading to frustrating moments.
Graphics and controls feel dated, which may deter new players accustomed to modern FPS games.
The game can be punishingly difficult, with enemies often having near-perfect accuracy, making it a trial-and-error experience.

story
682 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
82%
2%
The story in this game is generally viewed as minimal and somewhat formulaic, primarily serving as a backdrop for the tactical gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Set against a realistic military context involving Russian ultranationalists, the missions are structured around completing objectives with little character development or emotional engagement, leading many players to feel detached from the plot. While the missions themselves are praised for their variety and challenge, the overarching story is often described as lacking depth and significance.
- “The story context is close to reality: Russia attempts to grab a part of Georgia and former Soviet regions, as the Russian government falls under the influence of ultra-nationalists.”
- “Your unit is sent in covert missions to sabotage the Russian military advances.”
- “The game's graphics and presentation are definitely showing their age, but the narrative is surprisingly very well done and holds up as a believable Tom Clancy story.”
- “The story is a military story like any other, and not important in the slightest.”
- “As for the story, it is there but not really a story, more like a formality.”
- “The story is delivered as clinically and lifelessly as possible, so don't expect any sort of interesting dialogue or lovable characters.”
gameplay
326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
71%
4%
The gameplay of this title is characterized by its slow, methodical pace and tactical depth, requiring careful planning and teamwork to succeed. While the graphics may feel dated and some mechanics can be clunky, the core gameplay remains engaging and challenging, offering a unique experience that emphasizes realism and strategy over fast-paced action. Players appreciate the game's ability to create tense firefights and the rewarding nature of mastering its mechanics, making it a standout in the tactical shooter genre despite its age.
- “The gameplay is difficult and needs either good tactics or good communication among the players playing the game.”
- “This is a true, classic first-person shooter with an awesome single-player story and gameplay; not like the half-a$$ed shooters in today's overrated, cash-grab gaming industry.”
- “The gameplay holds up even to this day, one of the hardest tactical shooters that you will ever encounter.”
- “Basically, nothing about the game is good except the story/lore (maybe), because the graphics, gunplay, visuals, enemies, AI (mainly teammates, applies to enemies as well) and mechanics are absolute dogshit.”
- “However, the game's controls and mechanics may feel a bit clunky to players who are accustomed to more modern shooters.”
- “The gameplay is hard at first but I rapidly got used to it.”
graphics
308 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The graphics of the game, originally released in 2001, are widely regarded as dated and inferior compared to modern standards, with many reviewers noting that they have not aged well. However, despite their shortcomings, players emphasize that the gameplay remains engaging and enjoyable, often suggesting that the graphics should not deter potential players. Overall, while the visuals may lack polish, the game's tactical mechanics and immersive experience continue to resonate with fans.
- “The game's graphics and sound design were also impressive at the time of its release, with detailed environments and realistic sound effects.”
- “At the time, the graphics were amazing.”
- “Overall, Ghost Recon is a very good tactical FPS with very good graphics, gameplay, and sound design for its time, including the expansions.”
- “The graphics are rather inferior, but keep in mind that this game originally came out in 2001.”
- “The graphics are the pits but all in all its well worth the investment.”
- “Graphics are crazy outdated and did not age too well.”
replayability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The game offers significant replayability through various modes, including a full story campaign, quick missions, and dynamic mission generators, which provide diverse objectives. Players can enhance their experience with mods, adding hundreds of hours of new content and improving gameplay. While some reviews suggest that its replay value may be lower compared to other shooters, the combination of open-ended maps and a dedicated modding community ensures a nearly infinite replay experience for fans of tactical shooters.
- “The game offers 'quick mission' which includes 3 game modes: 'mission', 'firefight', and 'recon', along with 15 unlockable campaign maps and one multiplayer map for added replayability.”
- “With the Heroes Unleashed mod, this game is infinitely replayable due to the 'black ops' mission mode, which uses a random mission generator to provide different objectives every time you play.”
- “Endless replay value and challenging enough to keep me coming back for years.”
- “The replay value is probably on the low side compared to other shooters, but this will play on just about any computer.”
- “Replayability - 4/10”
- “10 years after release, it still beats the living shit out of most 'modern' shooters in terms of suspense, replayability and immersion.”
atmosphere
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
26%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive realism, detailed sound design, and tension-filled environments, which enhance the tactical gameplay experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in military equipment and procedures, contributing to a unique and engaging atmosphere, despite some levels feeling repetitive due to fog and similar settings. Overall, the combination of graphics, sound, and strategic elements creates a captivating atmosphere that stands out in the tactical shooter genre.
- “The atmosphere is absolutely wonderful and the gunplay, sound design, and tension is incredible.”
- “It holds up very well now for a game of its age; not everyone's cup of tea as it is quite slow-paced and very unforgiving but its great strength is the atmosphere as you spend considerable time creeping through the forests and hills with the ambience around you.”
- “The graphics and mechanics are brilliant leading to a really creepy, dangerous feeling atmosphere.”
- “It creates a completely different atmosphere - planning would be important.”
- “Overall this is a game that, while it has some issues (a little clunky with a few minor bugs), is an unparalleled tactical shooter with an impeccable atmosphere and timeless gameplay.”
music
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its nostalgic and epic qualities reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's work, while others find it generic and sparse, primarily consisting of military fanfare. The absence of music during missions enhances the game's tense atmosphere, though some players note that the soundtrack can be overly loud and poorly integrated. Overall, while the music evokes strong feelings for some, others consider it bland and lacking in variety.
- “The music in particular evokes memories from long ago when I somehow thought the main theme sounded like something Hans Zimmer made (Pirates of the Caribbean came to mind and also his other works like the Crimson Tide theme).”
- “Once I booted it back up for the first time in over a decade, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia from the game's menu music, which plastered a big fat smile over my face without me initially realizing.”
- “Great music, tense perma-death gameplay, a cool story, and a 'set in reality' setting really give this game a classic Tom Clancy feel.”
- “The sparse music that is in the game is mostly just your typical generic modern military fanfare.”
- “The music is bland as are other sound effects.”
- “This game is the complete opposite - the only music is the loud, kind of harsh military-type stuff in the menu and missions are silent, other than birds chirping or the breeze flowing by.”
stability
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
6%
63%
The game's stability is mixed, with many players reporting a range of bugs and glitches, particularly related to AI behavior and graphical issues. While it runs smoothly on Windows 10 and Linux for some users, others experience significant freezing and crashing problems, especially during the intro and main menu. Overall, while some players have managed to enjoy the game with tweaks and mods, the presence of persistent bugs detracts from the experience for many.
- “As a side note, considering this game is now old enough to drink and vote, props go to the people who got it running seamlessly on Windows 10 in 2022, with almost no glitches.”
- “It runs great on Windows 10.”
- “Runs great on Linux!”
- “This was a quite buggy experience, but with tweaking and mods, this game was great.”
- “Leaving aside how pretty the game is, there seem to be some weird bugs and glitches related to the game and graphics: at times, things can be seen weirdly clear through the fog, both enemies and allies trying to shoot people through walls, parts of enemies clipping through solid objects, and more of the same kind of stuff.”
- “I click on one of the buttons on the main menu and the game freezes up, and I have to force quit the game or restart my PC.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its absurdities and inconsistencies, particularly in the AI behavior and game mechanics, which often defy common sense and lead to comical situations. Players find themselves laughing at the game's "hardcore" immersion being undermined by ridiculous logic, such as the effectiveness of weapons and the exaggerated outcomes of combat scenarios. Overall, the humor adds a lighthearted touch to the otherwise serious tone of the game, especially when played with expansions.
- “I mean, I am patriotic as much as the next guy, but this is so funny that I lose all sense of seriousness the game tries to convey.”
- “Ghost Recon also suffers from a hilariously insane case of video game logic: suppressed weapons somehow are closer to peashooters unless you're really close to the target, carbines may require several shots to the chest at range to even tickle them, while a mere rifle instantly nukes them by simply clipping their toenails.”
- “While it is evidently a form of balance for multiplayer and whatnot, nothing breaks the hilarious 'hardcore' immersion than someone needing 4+ shots to go down versus going down instantly due to less than 5% difference in muzzle velocity with the same cartridge.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to the cumbersome squad mate switching and ordering mechanics, which can detract from the overall experience. While the game offers diverse environments and varied mission goals, repetitive objectives and a soldier leveling system contribute to a sense of monotony, making some missions feel like a grind before reaching the action.
- “You also lose some combat effectiveness, but it's so tedious maneuvering your squads that sometimes it's easier to send one squad scouting around the map until it's slaughtered.”
- “Every mission has a different goal and a different map, though I have found many of the goals to be the same type on consecutive missions, which made it feel grinding until you see the action of the game.”
- “Unfortunately, the game also has a sort of 'level' system for individual soldiers, which increases the feeling of grinding despite the fact that it's advantageous.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Reviews indicate that the emotional impact of the game varies significantly; while some players feel a sense of detachment due to a convoluted story, others experience genuine emotional weight, particularly when facing the consequences of their decisions, such as losing team members. Overall, the emotional engagement seems to hinge on individual player experiences and the clarity of the narrative.
- “I almost got emotional that I lost my guys all because of me.”
- “As far as story - it can be hard to follow, and you'll probably feel emotionally detached...but this is for a reason.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization is criticized for its generic enemy design, which lacks meaningful performance differences despite varied appearances. However, it features an RPG-like system that enables players to enhance their characters' attributes, potentially improving gameplay performance.
- “There is also an RPG-like system that allows players to develop their ghosts and apply personal attributes that will improve their performance.”
- “Enemies are generic, with several different sets of clothing, but as far as I can tell, there is no real difference in performance.”
- “The optimization of character development feels lacking, as the RPG-like system does not significantly enhance gameplay.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate a significant lack of character development and exposition, leaving players feeling disconnected from the characters, despite some emotional investment in the soldiers.
- “No, really, there is no character development or exposition whatsoever, and I actually cared about the soldiers.”

50%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

4-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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