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Ghost Recon Phantoms

Ghost Recon Phantoms is a 3D MMO tactical third-person shooter where players take on the role of elite Ghosts armed with an arsenal of both modern and futuristic weapons and gear. Players must work together with their teammates to secure victory across a variety of maps and game modes.

Publisher: Ubisoft
Playerbase: Low
Type: Shooter
Release Date: August 15, 2012 (NA/EU)
Shut Down Date: December 1, 2016
Pros: +Dozens of guns, attachments, and equipment. +Extensive cover system. +Fun tactical gameplay.
Cons: -Slow matchmaking. -Steep learning curve. -Some pay-to-win elements.

Overview

Ghost Recon Phantoms Overview

Join the ranks of the elite Ghost operatives in Ghost Recon Phantoms, a free-to-play MMO tactical shooter based on Tom Clancy’s iconic Ghost Recon franchise. Choose from three combat roles: Assault, Recon, and Specialist, with each class progressing independently from each other. Use your class skills to their full effect and work together with your teammates to effectively employ your squad buffs. Jump over obstacles to quickly get to where the action is, or use the environment to your advantage and move from cover to cover to minimize your chances of getting hit. Unlock a variety of both modern and futuristic weapons and gear as your progress through the game and earn in-game credits. Ghost Recon Phantoms shut down on December 1, 2016

Ghost Recon Phantoms Key Features:

  • Tactical Team-Based Combat – work closely with your teammates to benefit from squad buffs.
  • Use The Environment – jump over obstacles or duck behind support columns, crates, and practically any item or structure to minimize your chances of getting hit while also temporarily boosting your stats.
  • Multiple Maps and Game Modes – experience 16 vs 16 firefights across a variety of maps and game modes.
  • Vast Arsenal of Weapons and Equipment – earn in-game cash by joining matches and use it to purchase and unlock a variety of modern and futuristic weapon types and equipment.
  • Built-in Squad Communication System – use the built-in voice communication system to effectively coordinate attacks without taking your hands off of the keyboard.

Ghost Recon Phantoms Screenshots

Ghost Recon Phantoms Featured Video

Ghost Recon Online: Class Overview [North America]

Classes

Ghost Recon Phantoms Classes

  • Assault – the Assault class is the frontline in Ghost Recon Phantoms. Using assault rifles or shotguns, the Assault class is adept at engaging hardened enemy positions. Their active abilities are Blitz and ADS, while their passive abilities are Armor Harden and Combat Regeneration.
  • Recon – the Recon class is the traditional marksmen, and one of the most popular classes. They use sniper rifles and SMGs to shoot down enemies with precision. Their active abilities are Scan and Cloak, while their passive abilities are Gunshot Detector and Motion Detector.
  • Support – the Support class decimates enemies through sheer firepower. They use Light Machine Guns and Shotguns, making them perfect units for offensive or defensive play. Their active abilities are APS and Blackout, while their passive abilities are Ammo Resupply and Device Recharge.

Full Review

Ghost Recon Phantoms Review

By Marc Marasigan

Ghost Recon Phantoms, or GRP, is a free-to-play 3D MMO tactical third-person shooter where players join the ranks of the iconic, infamous, and elite Ghost operatives 20 years in the future. Players fight it out on mostly linear maps set in various environments, from a construction site in Russia to an art museum in the heart of Taiwan. The game’s graphics are top-notch, not enough to win any awards but still great nevertheless. The animations, as well as the character and gun models, also look great. Audio, specifically gun sounds and the ambient sounds of a firefight, is an important part of any shooter and Ghost Recon Phantoms passes with flying colors. The hauntingly beautiful background music is also worthy of a military sci-fi thriller.

Choose Your Combat Role

Before joining a match, players choose from one of three combat roles or classes: Assault, Recon, or Specialist. Initially, only the Recon class is playable until the player unlocks the other classes by leveling up. Classes have distinct functions in combat. The Assault class excels in aggressive front-line combat while the Recon class is more suited to gathering intel, stealth, and taking out targets from a distance. Each class progresses independently of each other and can be leveled up to the max level of 70. The game lacks a formal tutorial but instead relies on pop-ups and tooltips to teach players the basics. Players also get a baptism of fire when they’re asked to join a live match mere moments after joining the game. If you’ve played any type of shooter in the past, you’ll probably do just fine. Whereas complete newbies will definitely have a hard time.

Tactical Shooter

Ghost Recon Phantoms plays and feels just like any other shooter: WASD keys to move, mouse to aim, and LMB to fire (typical shooter mechanics). Except for the fact that you have to buy your own grenades. Grenades are consumables that players can buy from the cash shop using either Recon Points, the main in-game currency, or Ghost Coins, which can be bought using real-world cash. Aside from consumable grenades, what really sets GRP apart from typical shooters is its heavy focus on tactical gameplay and teamwork. Players are encouraged to use cover through cover-based bonus stats, and are motivated to stick together through class squad buffs that only nearby players benefit from. Running and gunning is a quick way to die and so is soloing. There are instances when soloing is beneficial, like flanking behind enemy units. However, it isn’t always the case unless you’re an absolute FPS god. Unfortunately, the game’s focus on tactics and teamwork often results in slow and excruciatingly long matches which might turn off casual gamers used to the fast-paced combat of the Call of Duty or Battlefield games.

Capture, Defend, Rinse, Repeat

The game has a lot in common with Team Fortress due to the way game modes are set up. Ghost Recon Phantoms offers players a choice of three game modes: Conquest, Onslaught, or Holdout. Unfortunately, in spite of the fancy names, these game modes are basically slightly different variations of capture and defend. Onslaught, for example, has players fighting for control of a number of points on the map. The team that captures all five points before the time expires wins the round. Should the time expire before all points are captured, the team with the most points wins. Conquest, on the other hand, has one team defend a number of capture points while the opposing team tries to capture them within the allotted time. The defending team wins the round should they fail to do so. They then switch roles for the next round. Best of three wins the match. Holdout is similar to Conquest but with only one capture point.

Mis-matchmaking

Like most lobby-based shooters, Ghost Recon Phantoms uses a matchmaking system to set players up in matches against other players. Players level 1-10 are matched with others in the same bracket, which usually makes for an even matchup. The problem is when you step up into the veteran’s circle at level 11, where players can be matched up with just about anyone above level 10, all the way to max level (70). In optimal conditions, the matchmaking system might have prevented mismatching, but the playerbase is so low that players are simply matched with whoever is available regardless of level—resulting in unbalanced matches.

Gear Up and Move Out

As players progress through the game they earn Recon Points, or RP as they complete matches. RP can be used to purchase a variety of weapons, from assault rifles and sub-machine guns, to pistols and hand grenades, as well as various equipment like body armor and helmets. Players can also use their RP points to purchase weapon upgrades such as scopes, sights, and even camo patterns.

Players with extra cash lying around can easily purchase considerably better weapons and gear using Ghost Points, essentially making the game pay-to-win. While it’s possible to buy the same gear using RP, it takes a lot of time and effort to save up enough for even a single high-level item, which is made even more frustrating when you’re constantly being killed with two shots from paying players toting overpowered weapons, or veterans who have managed to acquire the same weapons, and in all probability ended up paying for them as well—considering that players need to shell out $10 just to access the cash shop and their profiles right from the start of the game.

The Final Verdict – Fair

Ghost Recon Phantoms is an utter disappointment to Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon franchise. It has all the makings of a great shooter including great graphics, excellent sounds, and the tactical team-based combat that the franchise is known for. Unfortunately, the problems with matchmaking and its pay-to-win business model eclipse just about everything great about the game. As it is, players would be better off playing other free-to-play MMO shooters like Team Fortress, or using the money that they would have spent on the game to buy Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Insurgency, or any other shooter on the market.

Screenshots

Ghost Recon Phantoms Screenshots

Videos

Ghost Recon Phantoms Videos

Ghost Recon Online : Launch Trailer [UK]

System Requirements

Ghost Recon Phantoms System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows Vista / 7 / 8/ 10
CPU: Pentium Dual-Core E2140 1.6 GHz / Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2 Ghz
Video Card: GeForce 8600 GT / Radeon HD2600 XT
RAM: 3 GB
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows Vista / 7 / 8/ 10 (64 bit Recommended)
CPU: COre2 Duo E6850 3 GHz / Phenom II X2 545 3 GHz
Video Card: GeForce GTX 260 / Radeon HD4870
RAM: 4 GB
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB

Music

Ghost Recon Phantoms Music & Soundtrack

Coming Soon!

Additional Info

Ghost Recon Phantoms Additional Information

Developer: Ubisoft Singapore
Publisher: Ubisoft

Distributor: Steam

Game Engine: YETI

Closed Beta: March 5, 2012
Open Beta: August 15, 2012

Official Launch Date: April 10, 2014

Shut Down Date: December 1, 2016

Development History / Background:

Ghost Recon Phantoms is a free-to-play 3D lobby-based shooter published by Ubisoft and developed by their Singapore development studio, and was initially called Ghost Recon Online during its beta phase. The game is the first free-to-play game released by Ubisoft, based on the best-selling Ghost Recon franchise and runs on their in-house YETI engine. The game was originally planned for closed beta testing in summer of 2011 but was delayed to March 5, 2012 for undisclosed reasons. The game went into open beta on August 15, 2012 and was officially launched on April 10, 2014. Ghost Recon Phantoms is exclusively available through the Steam gaming platform. The game shut down on December 1, 2016.