Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] is Ubisoft s latest open-world co-op narco war. I played some of it during the beta, along with Graham, and I came out of it feeling like a tub of old bath water. Lukewarm and slightly dirty. I only knew for certain that I actively disliked it when I was stricken down by one of its insta-fail stealth missions. Cast away from my carefully selected sniping spot on a sandy ridge because of a single stray bullet and dumped on the other side of the mission area, where I would have to repeat the cautious approach, the enemy spotting and the multiple silent kills all over again. It is 2017 and insta-fail stealth missions still exist. Why? … [visit site to read more]

Framed for murder, now they prowl the badlands, an outlaw hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter, a renegade, it’s only the weekly Steam charts! These are the ten games which sold best on Steam last week.

… [visit site to read more]

With Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] unlocking tonight, here’s a newsblast rounding up a few odds and ends:

1) We shan’t tell you Wot We Think at launch, as we only received code today2) We will aim (aim, like aiming a gun) to have something up as soon as possible and a review by the end of the week3) Pre-loading is now live for pre-orderers (never pre-order etc.) but when it actually unlocks and launches is determined by where you buy it4) Nvidia are blabbing about their fancy Nvidia-exclusive graphics effects5) Yup, patches have fixed some problems since the beta6) The government of Bolivia have officially protested Wildlands’ portrayal of their country as lawless and ruled by druglords

Onwards to details! … [visit site to read more]

While Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] might seem sooo serious about its imperialist fantasy, apparently Ubisoft are saving some cracking japes for DLC. A series of missions will have players poke at something called ‘The Unidad Conspiracy’, which I can only imagine is a supernatural entity composed of hundreds of dads twisted and merged into one flesh. Clad in a vast cardigan, the Unidad lumbers across Bolivia telling those naughty drugmen it’s past their bedtime. I imagine that even the Ghosts eventually face daddification and must fight back. That’s probably it.

Oh, and Ubisoft also plan to release a 4v4 PvP mode in a free update, and two paid expansions, and… the point is, imagine that giant dad! He’s going to be amazing. … [visit site to read more]

You tell me: why am I your outboard memory? Why do you need me, today, to remind you that the four-day open beta test for sandbox stealth-o-shooter Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] is now live? We told you when it was coming, then we told you it was preloading, and now here I am telling you that it’s started. Why? Why is this on me? You could’ve written on your hand in marker: “THURS 11am: START KILLING.” Gone around muttering “Gonna kill ’em all on Thursday.” Set a voice alarm. Wrapped an elastic band around your wrist so your grotesque swollen purple hand would remind you. But no, here I am. The free Wildlands open beta is now live. You’re welcome. … [visit site to read more]

All you RPS historical reenactors out there: you can now pre-load the open beta client for Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] to prepare for recreating Brendan and Graham’s closed beta adventures. But who plays Graham and who plays Brendan? Which one of you feel hopeful about the squad-based stealth-o-shooter and who will get a bit bored? Who plays Scottish and who does Irish? You can sort these questions out as the 30GB download rolls ahead of this weekend’s open beta. I trust that you already have plaid shirts and beards sorted out from your other RPS reenactments. … [visit site to read more]

Graham and I have already shot drugmen in the head in perfect sync when we played the closed beta of Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] together. But there was only two of us. What we really needed were some friends and now it looks like we ll get thousands! The open beta is soon going to be available to anyone who wants to crack skulls and advance the US agenda in cartel-torn Bolivia. It s running from February 23 to 27. … [visit site to read more]

The Cartel’s Don Winslow (he wrote the novel) and The Cartel’s Shane Salerno (he’s doing the movie adaptation) have been announced as writers on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site]. The narrative will apparently be “cartel-themed” which, I mean, sure.

I’d actually forgotten that the game isn’t out yet as I think I saw a version of it at E3 in 2015 (my notes on that build read “can’t ride llamas” and a sad face – a note which also explains why I stopped keeping tabs on the game). But with a release date of 7 March details for the open-world Bolivian drugland co-op experience are being fed out and Winslow and Salerno’s involvement will provide a hook for people who enjoy their take on drug-war thrillers. … [visit site to read more]

Good Coop, Bad Coop is our series in which Graham and Brendan will be bonding in co-operative games through teamwork, friendship and shared trauma. This time, the Bolivian druglands of the Ghost Recon Wildlands closed beta.>

Graham: Wildlands isn’t out yet, but we finagled our way into this past weekend’s closed beta so that we could contribute in the war on drugs. My impression is that it is Tom Clancy’s Far Cry, with co-op, and I am mostly very pleased with this. You?

Brendan: My impression is that you are right, it’s Clancy s open-world love child. But I m less enthusiastic about it. That might be because I kept playing after you left our game. I m sorry.

Graham: *gasp* You hussy!

… [visit site to read more]

Pre-loading has started for the Ghost Recon Wildlands [official site] closed beta test that’ll kick off tomorrow. Keys are still going out in waves so if you signed up for a chance to play, check the beta registration page to see your status. If you haven’t signed up, hey, folks who are accepted do get to invite three of their pals too, so start bugging your warbuds. Wildlands is curious one, taking the open-world style of modern Far Cries, taking it to third-person tactical action, giving you squadmates, and amping up the imperialism. Gameplay videos make it look a bit of a lark, at least. … [visit site to read more]