This time, there is no briefing.
Title: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint
Platform: PC, PS4, XB1, Stadia
Release Date: October 4th, 2019 (October 1st for Gold/Ultimate Edition)
Genre: Open-World Third Person Shooter
Connection: Always Online
Set in the middle of South Pacific, a fictional remote archipelago called Auroa shows a vast amount of diverse biomes that ranges from rainforests to fjords and high tundras with a history that dates back to 80 million years from the ruins of an ancient civilization to the dilapidated U.S Cold War facilities. It is the home to Skell Technology, an enigmatic technology giant. They used Auroa initially as remote testing site for their advanced A.I and autonomous drones but eventually turned the archipelago into its "World 2.0", a high-tech, high-security utopia of sustainable eco-cities and robotics research.
Set 6 years after Operation Kingslayer (Ghost Recon Wildlands), Skell Technology comes under increased public scrutiny when their products are getting sold to corrupt regimes and are found to be implicated in the assassination of a political candidate in addition to the cargo ship USS Seay getting mysteriously sunk and the entire Auroa archipelago going dark. With no means of contact, the Ghosts were sent in to Auroa to investigate and restore communications. But soon they find themselves as not the hunters, but the hunted. Nomad and the other Ghosts must brave against their deadliest enemy yet, the Wolves, led by the former Ghost lead Cole D.Walker and discover what's going on in this mysterious archipelago in order to end the Wolves menace.
The gameplay refines on the formula that Wildlands has laid out, focusing more on the experience of an elite U.S Spec Ops soldier as you fight behind enemy lines with no briefing while the entire archipelago is out to hunt you down. That includes mechanics like the injury system, bivouac, terrain/stamina, and buddy carry.
Classes:
The game will launch with four classes. They come with a technique and a class item. The classes are as follows:
Assault - Master of the frontline. Their true grit technique temporarily restore health and reduces damage taken. They have bonuses for assault rifles and shotguns in addition to having more health than the other classes.
Field Medic - The perfect support for a team. Their technique allows Ghosts to use a medic drone that shoots syringes which allows to heal and revive allies. They can revive their allies faster and have access to self-revive in case they go down.
Panther - For stealth players who want to play under the radar. They have access to cloaking spray that hides them from drones for a while, as well as the ability to use Smoke Bomb to elude their enemies.
Sharpshooter - For players who want to take out their enemies one by one. They have access to a sensor launcher, allowing them to launch sensors that detects and tag enemies in the area. They also have access to armor buster technique which loads 3 armor penetrating rounds into their sniper rifle/DMR with better muzzle velocity
The classes can be changed at any time in the Bivouac, though you need to use a skill point to unlock each class first before that can be done. While each class has bonuses to specific weapon types, there are no weapon restrictions within the classes. Whatever class you play, the choice of weapons you want to play with is yours.
And there are more classes to come after launch. The first post-launch class will be the Engineer who bring their expertise in hacking and heavy weaponry.
Year 1 Pass Owners will also get a week early access to the new classes and require no skill points from them to acquire them.
Skill System:
The skill system for Breakpoint comes in four categories: Perks, Passives, Abilities, and Items.
Perks can only have 3 equipped at a time and have effects on your gameplay like longer sprinting/sprinting regen speed, higher explosive aoe, automatic marking enemies at 25 meters, etc..
Passives are active at all times and give bonuses and effects like extra XP gain, water filtering, or less sprint use when sliding down a slope
On the other hand, there are ability skills which unlocks the use of abilities like night vision/thermal vision for the drone, thermal vision during normal gameplay, resource detection in the mini-map, or using the parachute while skydiving.
And the item skills allows you to upgrade some of your consumables like explosives and syringes to mark 2 for better effects or craft advanced rations for better effects and longer durations. Additionally, unlocking them allows you to craft them at the Bivouac or buy them from the shop at Erewhon.
There are no resource requirements to acquire or upgrade skills. All you need are skill points and you're good to go. Most importantly, and you can have up to 3 loadouts if you wish to change up your weapons depending on how you want to tackle your enemies
Injury System:
Don't let the name fool you. Ghosts are human and they can get injured which affects their combat effectiveness. There are three tiers of injuries:
Minor Wound - You have a limp when walking/sprinting, stamina is reduced, and your aim is wobbly
Major Wound - You bleed out, your limp gets much worse, reducing your speed, you can only hip-fire with one hand and your stamina is greatly reduced
Severe Injury - You will bleed to death if you don't stop the bleeding, you can barely walk, stamina is near non-existent, and you can only defend yourself with your side-arm
Syringes that heal you normally are useless when you get these wounds. Therefore, bandages must be used to cure them.
Terrain and Stamina:
Traversing Auroa will push your Ghost to the limits. Steep slopes will make you slip and fall, traversing water will slow you down, and snow will plow your wake.
What this means is that the terrain itself can be your enemy, so underestimating a downhill slide can leave you seriously injured. Keeping yourself on your toes while climbing uphill or sliding down a slope are of utmost importance.
Also, when your Ghost's stamina gauge is depleted, they get exhausted and the stamina gauge gets reduced and it keeps adding up everytime the stamina gauge is depleted. Thats where drinking a water canteen or using the bivouac comes in place
The Bivouac:
A temporary makeshift camp. The Bivouac can be used by your Ghosts to apply minor buffs like temporary increased accuracy, increased resistance to injuries or fatigue, larger drone range, or increased stamina. It can also be used to change classes, change your loadout, craft items from materials you collected in the open world, use the shop to buy weapons and gear and choose the time of day before heading out to the next mission.
There are 109 different bivouac sites around Auroa that players can use. They can be found through intel or following the smoke columns from the sky.
Buddy Carry:
Leave no man behind. This can be used to carry your fallen teammate out of danger so you can revive them in a safer place.
It can also be used to carry fallen enemies and put them in another place, so they don't get detected by other enemies and maintain the element of surprise.
Prone Camo:
As a Ghost, you can disappear from your enemies by blending in the environment through using muck, dirt, leaves, and even snow. This can be used to set up an ambush or avoid detection from enemies if cover is not available.
Keep in mind, it doesn't make you completely invisible, as any enemy nearby could stumble upon you and detect you. And it doesn't work on grounds like roads or cobbles of stone.
PvP:
Ghost War, a 4v4 PvP mode that was introduced in Wildlands comes to Breakpoint at launch. It features 4 classes, 6 maps, 2 modes (Elimination and Sabotage) and dedicated servers. In addition, Battle-Eye is integrated and you have the option to queue as a solo player, 4-man squad, or any party size in between.
Class abilities in Ghost War no longer automatically recharges over time. You fill them through marking enemies, attacking enemies, or reviving teammates. And items like syringes, drones, and bandages are scattered throughout the map for you to collect.
And most importantly, your progression between PvE and PvP are shared, meaning any progress you make in PvE will also affect PvP and vice versa. However, there are measures in place to ensure the PvP stay balanced.
The shrinking zone only applies to elimination mode during the last two minutes of a round to encourage players to be more active in firefights. It doesn't apply in Sabotage mode
Raids:
For the first time in the franchise's history, Breakpoint will feature four-player raids with the first raid Project Titan coming in after launch.
It will take place in Golem Island, an island at the Auroa Archipelago set with an active volcano. It will require a minimum level before taking it on.
And yes, there will be matchmaking.
Your Ghosts progression comes into two variables: Player Level and Gear Level.
Player Level nets you skill points as you progress to unlock skills and perks
Gear Level is the average level of player's equipment, including all weapons and some pieces of gear: Vest, headwear, gloves, pants, and shoes.
Gear Level simply has an impact on how much time can enemies detect you and how much damage they can dish out to you.
If a player wants to play the whole game without using high level gear, they can do so regardless of the risks.
The only content that's gated behind player specific gear level is the raid.
Co-Op:
You can play with friends regardless of the differences in player and gear level. The world balancing is player-centric, meaning your player level, gear level, and chosen difficulty setting only applies to your session.
Regions:
Regions in Auroa don't have level restrictions. Some activities and enemies have set levels, but with the right tactics and skill, you can take them on at any time
PvP:
While your character has shared progression in terms of XP level, specialization rank, and belongings (like gear, weapons, customization items) between PvE and PvP, there are measures that are put in place to ensure PvP has an even playing field
What this means is that in the PvP environment, gear level and some of the passive skills and perk skills you unlocked are disabled while weapons have PvP-specific tuning and caps are put in place to prevent maximum stats from gear and weapons as a way to ensure no player can easily kill newcomers while playing PvP.
Enemies:
While human enemies at higher gear level than a player's average gear level are dangerous in terms of lethality and are harder to sneak by and need to be extra cautious when taking them on, they all die in a single headshot. Though for a heavy, a two tap in the head will kill them easily.
As for drones, exposing and shooting their weakpoints can stun them temporarily, allowing you to deal increased damage against them.
Aside from a few exceptions like the Behemoth Drone Arenas, Wolf Camps, and the Raid, enemies do not have set levels.
Ghost Customization and Shared Progression:
You can customize your Ghost in the way you want to, be it weapons, class, gear, etc.... In addition, the progression of your Ghost is persistent across all game modes. Whether you play solo, co-op, or PvP, your cosmetic and functional customization carries over.
And most importantly, you have a glamour system that allows you to choose for the look you want for your Ghost. So no matter what gear you wear, you can choose the cosmetics you want to wear.
And yes, there are bloused boots.
Weapons and Gear:
In addition to leveling up and enhancing your Ghost, Breakpoint comes with tons of weapons and equipment to complement the way you play. No matter your playstyle, there are weapon to complement them: Close-range, mid-range, and long-range.
While high-tier weapons have bonuses in terms of recoil, handling, etc… they are not 100% mandatory to use. Furthermore, there's no damage difference between a low-tier weapon and a high-tier weapon. As said before, a single shot in the head kills lots of human enemies regardless of the weapon you use and the level difference.
Every weapon has its own blueprint that can scale to your gear level. Once you found one, it's yours forever. For example, let's say you like the 416 you got at gear level 40 but you want to have one at a better gear level without RNG being a pain,you can acquire its blueprint in the world and buy it at the shop and it'll scale to your average gear level
There's also the weapon mark upgrades which adds bonuses to reload speed, range, accuracy, or handling. Those upgrades can be used from parts you get from dismantling unwanted weapons. Those upgrades apply to all weapon families. So if you do a mark upgrade to a 516, it will carry to any 516 you get in the future during your playthrough
Every weapon family will have 3 marks at launch. While they won't change the identity of the weapon and make them overpowered, the impact of the system will be gradual as a Mark 3 weapon feels more slicker and feel it's even more handled by a spec-ops soldier
At the end of the day, Skill is still Ghost's best weapon. A well-placed shot and good strategy always wins out regardless of what weapon you use.
Resources:
Resources can be found throughout Auroa and can be used for several things:
Natural and Industrial Resources - These resources can be found throughout the world and used to craft consumable items like rations, bandages, and syringes.
Weapon Parts - These can be used to upgrade the Mark of a specific Weapon family
Drone Parts - Found on Drone Carcasses, these can be used to craft items related to Drones such as Syncshot Drones
Gear Parts - They can be found when dismantling gear and can be sold at the base of operations at Erewhon
Led by the charismatic leader, Cole.D Walker (voice and motion capture by Jon Bernethal). The Wolves are made up of former Ghosts who went rogue and betrayed their country. They have taken over Auroa and Skell Tech's drone production facilities, using them for their nefarious purposes. Sentinel, a private military contractor has are allied with the Wolves and act as extra security. They will hunt you down without mercy or remorse throughout the archipelago.
They also use military drones built from Skell Tech to hunt down their enemies and aid their cause:
Azrael:
Designed to scan the world from the sky. It can send a patrol of Wolves and a couple of Murmur drones if it spots any threats. Lying still on the ground and using prone camo or hiding in the bushes are a good way to avoid detection. Retreating is also a good way to avoid the Wolf patrol ambush if you get detected by an Azrael drone.
Murmurs:
Small search and destroy machines that can fly up to any position to take down a threat. While they're quite fast and can hunt you down relentlessly, they can be destroyed easily. But if you're not a crackshot against high-speed targets, a shotgun is an excellent way to destroy them.
Aamons:
Bulky ground drones that are heavily armed and armored. Exposing and attacking their weakpoints is essential to taking them out quickly.
Behemoth:
The most dangerous and strongest drone available to the Wolves. They patrol through Behemoth Defense Arenas, critical communication relays protected day and night by Drone Control Stations. A 4-man team of Ghosts can be taken out quickly by the Behemoth if approached carelessly
Taking down a Behemoth requires coordination. EMP grenades and rocket launchers are two of the tools that must be used against it as well as shooting its weakpoints.
Overall, the drones can be temporarily stunned using EMP grenades and anti-material sniper rifles like M82 and Tac-50 can deliver high damage against them. Additionally, there are perk skills and stats from high-tier weapons that gives more damage to drones
Lieutenants:
Second to Walker himself are the Wolf Lieutenants. They have a unique skill-set that makes them dangerous and present a considerable challenge to even the toughest Ghost. There are four of the Wolf Lieutenants that must be hunted down: Flycatcher, Rosebud, Yellowleg, and Silverback
The Ghosts won't be alone, however. They will find shelter and camaraderie within factions such as the Homesteaders and the Outcasts.
The Homesteaders are farmers, hunters, and craftsmen who are living off the grid. They came to live on Auroa after the U.S military left the place in the mid 90s. They're led by Mads Schulz, a retired U.S Marine.
When Skell Tech arrived on Auroa, they cohabited peacefully with the tech company despite wanting nothing to do with Skell's World 2.0 initiative. However, they found themselves in trouble when the archipelago was taken over by the Wolves and Sentinel and martial law was enacted. Thus, most Homesteaders followed Mads Schulz's lead and found shelter in Erewhon
Both the Outcasts and the Homesteaders can be found in Auroa. Interacting with them opens up missions for Ghosts to tackle
They are also linked to the Faction Missions system.
Faction Missions:
Faction Missions are missions related to the Homesteaders and Outcast factions. Those missions help in supporting both factions in the fight against the Wolves and Sentinel menace.
They also play a big part for post-launch PvE content. Every month, new Story Faction Missions will bring narrative context and character development for players. And you're able to access new faction missions every day as they provide various objectives to support the factions and their narrative arcs.
Faction Missions also reward Battle Rewards points, which will be detailed below.
Battle Rewards:
Battle Rewards is the free Battle Pass system added to Breakpoint where you can level up to tier 50 and earn rewards like cosmetics, vehicles, or weapons.
Leveling up Battle Rewards requires completing Faction Missions throughout the game.
The Battle Rewards comes into two acts for each of the 4 month content periods that last for two months. For the launch period, the first act will go from launch to December and the second act will go from December to February and so on.
Erewhon:
Erewhon is the main hideout players will find early on in the game that's a shelter for the Homesteaders. It acts as a central hub for your story progression and evaluating your objectives in Auroa as well as using the shop to buy weapons/gear or craft weapons from blueprints you collected in Auroa
It can also act as an online hub where you can access other modes like the PvP and meet up to 16 players at a time to interact with them.
Delta Company is a community leaders program for Ghost Recon. It's made to celebrate the community and share their passion for the franchise. There are five detachments within Delta Company:
- Special Activities Detachment: For cosplayers, fan-artists, and fanfiction writers
- Mission Intel Detachment: For videographers and streamers
- Company Comms Detachment: For conversation enthusiasts
- Team Operations Detachment: For fan-site and fan-page admins
- Tactical Assault Attachment: For PvP experts
More information regarding Delta Company can be found on the official website at the following link:
https://ghost-recon.ubisoft.com/game/en-gb/delta-company/faq
This thread would not have made it through without the amazing collaboration of Antrax and LoneGhostWolf. Give a shout-out if you see him around.
Get ready for Auroa, Ghosts! The Wolves are waiting and you better believe they are hungry too.
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