It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since Ghost Recon: Wildlands made its grand debut at the end of Ubisoft's E3 2015 press conference. Granted, the game was clearly still in development: art assets were unpolished, the visuals looked relatively simple and performance didn't seem like it could keep up with the game.
Thankfully, the game is looking a lot better after a year's worth of development. It's not just about the visuals, either: Ubisoft finally gave players a look at an extended gameplay demo. The promise of an open-world, tactical military shooter sounded too good to be true: thankfully, Ubisoft has seemingly proven that the formula can work.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands takes place in a Colombia overwhelmed by drug lords, corrupt government officials and cartels. The Ghosts are sent in to try and stabilize the region — but in reality, it's all just a backdrop for the mission-based gameplay.
The demo begins with a target. Someone with a penchant for corpse disposal has some seriously important intel, and the Ghosts are tasked with a non-lethal extraction. In most other games, that would lead to some serious tactical restrictions — but as the demo shows, even something like a non-lethal run still allows for plenty of different options.
Not only that, but the vehicles work just as seamlessly as the gameplay. Hopping on a dirtbike or taking off in a chopper are just part of the mission, should players choose to use them — nobody's going to fail a mission because they didn't hop in some specific pickup truck. Traversal, while comparatively simple, has also been built with freedom in mind (and it's a great way to gain the higher ground).
To be fair, there are some lingering questions: for instance, how will such a seemingly co-op-focused game work in a single-player setting? Is death an instant mission failure, or can players respawn? How much of the control scheme and presentation is customizable?
Regardless, Ghost Recon: Wildlands is looking infinitely better than it was at last year's show — from what Ubisoft showed off today, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about the return of the Ghosts.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands is due out on March 7, 2017.
For everything from Ubisoft's press conference, make sure to check out our full recap — and for everything E3 2016, make sure to check out our updated coverage hub!
