‘Ghost Recon: Breakpoint’ release date, trailer, and first impressions

Ubisoft just announced “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint,” the latest game in the tactical shooting franchise, and a direct sequel to 2017’s “Ghost Recon: Wildlands.”

“Breakpoint” will launch on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 4, but I got a chance to try the game in its alpha stage. I was a big fan of “Wildlands,” which brought the “Ghost Recon” series into an open-world format for the first time. The game felt like a hybrid of “Grand Theft Auto” and “Call of Duty,” with a light sprinkling of the squad-based military tactics “Ghost Recon” is best known for.

“Ghost Recon: Breakpoint” builds on the most successful parts of “Wildlands” and introduces new survival mechanics to make the game feel more grounded. You play as a “Ghost,” an elite soldier on a team tasked with investigating a mysterious tech company called Skell. The Ghosts explore Skell’s island base, Aurora, completing missions and finding new objectives along the way. “Ghost Recon: Breakpoint” supports up to four players at a time in campaign mode, and will also have competitive multiplayer.

In “Wildlands,” players were mostly free to run around between missions, but “Breakpoint” will force players to consider factors like the weather, time of day, and terrain. Harsh conditions will limit your ability to travel; even simple things like moving up and down steep slopes can stop you from running at full speed. New enemy types in “Breakpoint” will force players to change their tactics as well.

“Breakpoint” also introduces semi-permanent injuries that can impact your gameplay, like broken bones and bullet wounds. The Ghosts can collect resources and supplies to heal themselves, but players will need to visit bivouac campsites to treat their injuries, exchange items with their teammates, and craft new supplies.

A lot of the changes are lessons learned from “Wildlands,” where enemies were often too easy to take down and there wasn’t a ton to do between missions. With the new survival mechanics players will have to focus more on the tactical aspects of the game. “Ghost Recon: Breakpoint” will also have a greater emphasis on storytelling, with more voice-acted cutscenes and dialogue choices than “Wildlands.” Actor Jon Berenthal, best known for his starring roles in “The Punisher” and “The Walking Dead,” plays the game’s primary antagonist, Cole D. Walker.

Here’s what you need to know about “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint.”