Ghost Recon Online: Beta

Ghost Recon. The series has drifted so far from the original game, that it has as much to do with ghosts and reconnaissance that Gears of War has to do with sunshine and puppies. Like Gears of War, it's a cover-based third person shooter with slick, simple movement controls. However, it isn't set in Chest-High-Wallia, and there's no queueing to chainsaw players chainsawing someone who chainsawed you last time.

The first thing that struck me was the U.I.. It looked like I had a weird, magical line attaching me to a nearby squadmate. Was it a leash, to keep me close? Do we use it to close-line people? Turns out, it just points to nearby squadmates without forcing you to look at the minimap. I can understand why it's there for new players (keeping them conscious of angles of fire etc.), but it seems just a little bit intrusive and distracting. What's more, as of yet there's no tutorial, besides a guide to the micro-transaction system.
("Look! Look at where you can give us money!")

One of the more interesting side-affects of the micro-transaction system is how grenades work. You have to buy grenades outside of matches with points that you accumulate during them. This isn't the only thing that this can be spent on, but it makes grenades feel precious, as they should. Whereas in Call of Duty, you're constantly diving out of the way of the grenade indicator, Ghost Recon Online (GRO) feels more tactical, and about fields of fire more than anything else. It's a refreshing shooter in which your movements and decisions feel planned, and not simply a matter of strafing in awkward ways.

I've played as the Assault, so far. Automatic rifle, riot shield, leg-implants. Oh my, is it cool. When your energy meter reaches full, you can engage the 'Blitz' charge, knocking enemies to the ground at high speed with your shield. As far as I'm aware, you can't simply equip the riot shield, though. Even as the class with the most health, health is still precious, and regenerates sluggishly. You've just enough hit points to survive being scratched from a suppressive burst, or being clipped in the arm by a sniper.

At present, the matchmaking system is horrific. I was rarely put in games with players that were within ten levels of me, which is absurd, as the purchasable items get better with experience. However, when I was placed in games with players my level, I had an awesome gameplay experience. I'd say it's something to keep an eye on. A good free-to-play title is always welcome, especially when they're this satisfying