14 DAY TRIAL // Ubisoft looks keen on bringing back to life the Ghost Recon series, apparently in order to compete directly with the Call of Duty franchise from rival Activision, and with Medal of Honor, also revived. And now a number of fresh details linked with the Future Soldier game have popped, revealing a focus on a near future setting.
The Official Xbox Magazine is saying that the operatives featured in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier will have the same firepower level as an F-15 fighter, only deployed not through an airframe but through a new combat suit. There will be four classes players can choose from and each will have unique abilities, allowing them to tackle each problem on the battlefield in a variety of ways.
An exoskeleton has been mentioned, allowing each unique soldier to carry more weapons and equipment than before. Sprinting is in, alongside the ability to actually leap over obstacles and slide while using a weapon. The Recon class is set to have a stealth ability permitting it to move unimpeded, while the Engineer gets a helping hand from unmanned drones, and the Commando has heat seeking missiles on shoulder mounted launchers.
Ubisoft also aims to introduce new squad-based mechanics that encourage players to work together. At the press of a button, the player can follow the movement path of the solider ahead of them, mimicking their actions while being able to survey the battlefield. Those who follow gain the special powers of those ahead of them, enabling more complex strategies.
At the moment, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is planned for a 2010 holiday launch. The game will appear on the PlayStation 3 from Sony, the Xbox 360, the good old PC, the Nintendo Wii, the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS family.