Ghost Recon Phantoms

Game providers are now embracing the item-mall model where gamers get to play their latest titles without spending a single money to acquire it. As them gamers get hooked, they are then presented with some items they need to pay for or their characters will be weaklings for life. Even big game companies like Ubisoft. That's right. The same company that brought us the great Sam Fisher with their Splinter Cell series has just made one of their Ghost Recon series available for hobo gamers like us. Behold! "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms" TPS (Third Person Shooter), now available on Steam and PC.

Account Creation and Installation

First, let's tackle on how one can have this game in their PC. One would need to create a Ubisoft UPlay Account, then get the 4.something++ MB installer from their "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms" website. You may want to turn off the sound of the site as it is annoying to hear the looping playback.

System Requirement Remember the good old days when we have to check the system requirement to make sure the game works properly? Well, I suggest you do it just for the sake of having an extra work to do - DUH. Anyways, I got these specifications from their http://ghost-recon.ubi.com/ghost-recon-phantoms/en-gb/sign-up/ website.
Minimum Specification Operating System: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8/8.1 (32/64bit versions) Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2140 @ 1.6 GHz or AMD Athlon64 X2 3800+ @ 2.0 GHz (or better) RAM: 3GB Video card: nVidia GeForce 8600 GT or AMD Radeon HD2600 XT (256MB VRAM with Shader Model 4.0 or higher)	Recommended Specification Operating System: Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8/8.1 (64bit) Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E6850 @ 3.0 Ghz or AMD Phenom II X2 545 @ 3.0 Ghz RAM: 4GB Video card: nVidia GeForce GTX260 or AMD Radeon HD4870 (512MB VRAM with Shader Model 4.0 or higher)

Just like any Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO), the 4.something++ installer grabs all the game's components from where they are secretly kept by Ubisoft the moment you run it. How long this procedure would be depends on the internet connectivity that you are paying for. Since hobo like moi can only afford a freaking 5Mbps internet access, this part took me more or less two to three hours. In the meantime, I just stared on the welcome email message of Ubisoft Uplay for that same amount of time while the installer sits quietly on the system tray.

Just don't mind my wallpaper; it's just a sketch of Samurai Shodown's Hattori Hanzo that I got from somewhere out there - forgot where. Anyways, excitement begins the moment that "START GAME" button turns yellow orange, and becomes clickable. The game launcher's straightforward design psychologically tells you that it is now time to type in your Ubisoft Uplay credentials so you can start playing this "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms".

The Classes and the Gameplay

To a casual first / second / third person shooter gamer, "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms" would look like another improvised version of Counter-Strike where one would choose their favorite weapon(s) and proceed towards their team's opponents and spray them with ammo. Geez, why do I always keep comparing them perspective shooting games to Counter-Strike? Then again, they could be wrong. Old time Ghost Recon gamers sure knows that to win battles in these Tom Clancy series requires a good teamwork and strategy.

In "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms", if you got assigned to a team of kids who still thinks that this game is still Counter-Strike; your best resort is to log-out or look / wait for another game you can join. Such scenario will just stain your career highlights. Even the most expensive weapon in this game's item mall does not ensure you or your team's victory.

A good coordination among the three in-game classes weeds out the posers among the pros. In "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms", you get the chance to play as three different classes. Each cool class having unique specialties and skill sets. Support Assault Recon The support class for instance, prefers using electronic warfare to disrupt the enemies. This class would usually carry light machineguns and shotguns. The support class has APS, BLACKOUT, AMMO REGEN, and ENERGY REGEN at their disposal. The Assault class on the other hand is the brute force of this game. This class will muscle its way through hardened enemy positions, and would normally carry assault rifles and shotguns. The assault class has got BLITZ, ADS, HARDEN ARMOR, and COMBAT REGEN. Last but not least is the Recon class. These bozos sure has some tricks in their sleeves. They've got armor that allows them to go on stealth mode and would gladly use sniper rifles and sub-machine guns. This class has got SCAN, CLOAK, GUNSHOT DETECTOR, and MOTION DETECTOR.

Now, read on for those above-mentioned jargon.

Support Class:

• APS: Previously dubbed as AEGIS, now called "Active Protection System". This provides a hemispherical plasma shield to the operator and several colleagues so their team will be protected against bullets and grenades.
• BLACKOUT: This is annoying if you are on the receiver side as this will stun and disable your electronics. This is some sort of portable EMP as based on the Ghost Recon story.
• AMMO REGEN: Originally called "ABAS Ammunition Resupply"; this should automatically refill the ammo of your team mates as long as you are within the acceptable distance.
• ENERGY REGEN: This "ABPCS Energy Regeneration" would have the same idea like the AMMO REGEN, but would refill energy instead of ammo - DUH!

Assault Class:

• BLITZ: The moment you use this, your operator deploys a bulletproof called TS3b. Not only that, you will also feel a sudden burst in your characters speed.
• ADS: If you have played Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour, this ADS or HEAT can be compared to the Microwave Tank in a sense that this is a portable microwave generator that generates microwave (of course) that deals damage to the enemies in the vicinity. This disrupts your opponents' aim, and would drastically slow them down.
• HARDEN ARMOR: Also known as the "SHS Armor Boost". This increases the defenses of nearby colleagues.
• COMBAT REGEN: "SCAS Health Boost" helps team mates by providing them increased regeneration speed.

Recon Class:

• SCAN: Nope this is not an antivirus scanner - joke. This is something that you use to reveal the locations of the opposing team members in range. Explanation shows that the operator hacks into the enemy system to acquire these information.
• CLOAK: The good old "now you see me, now you're dead" idea. Ala Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour's Jarmen Kell.
• GUNSHOT DETECTOR: Recon operators always carry an electronic scanner called "AVS-W Shot Detector", which reveals the locations of opponents who are trigger-happy.
• MOTION DETECTOR: "AVS-H Movement Detector" as they call it in the Ghost Recon world. Just like the idea of the above-mentioned GUNSHOT DETECTOR, only - it detects enemy movements.

With all these advanced gadgets and weaponry, "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms" is certainly not a game for noobs. Definitely not your typical point and shoot third person shooter. As I was saying, you need to be more than just being a trigger-happy to win matches in this game. If you cannot devise a good strategy, or at least be at par with your team mates, I would suggest you stick with playing Counter-Strike - LOL.

The In-Game Store and Whatnot

Items that will enhance your characters can be acquired through the in-game items store / mall, or whatever it is called. I got used to calling it item-mall back in RF Online days. Back to the topic, this is the place where you can buy weapons, armors, bundle packs, mystery boxes, devices, consumables, and many many more for your character(s). There are two currencies in "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms":

• Requisition Points (RP): You earn this by simply playing the game, completing in-game missions or weekly events.
• Ghost Coins (GC): Either you purchase this using real (not play money) or win some monthly events.

Their in-game shop is extremely easy to navigate. No-brainer as they say it and no need to elaborate. As long as you got some money, you just buy and just until you die harhar. (",)

More In-Game Screenshots To win missions, your team is required to capture locations until you get near your opponents spawning area - and capture their last strong hold.

Daily Offers, Careers, Medals, Qualifications and Whatnot

Every time you log in you are presented with cool daily special offers like discounted bundled packages that you may find irresistible such as this screenshot of "The Assassin's Creed Pack" on the left, which provides your operator an Assassin's Creed inspired armor set. Another cool feature is their database of you in-game career highlights which includes your operator's qualifications, medals, events, stats, and weapon proficiency.

In-Game Controls Perspective shooter game fanatics should find it really easy to transition their "quick hands" skills as Ubisoft's "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms" follow the same good old W, A, S, D pattern for character navigation. The letter "Q" may be used from time to time to toggle the character's perspective from slightly viewing left to slightly viewing right - depending on your visual preference. "C" for crouch and, unlike Counter-Strike, operators here can do the prone position if you press the LEFT CTRL button on your keyboard. In case you do not know what the prone position is, here is a little help from Merriam-Webster.

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Written by: Moronman