Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Encyclopedia
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (also known as simply Ghost Recon) is a tactical shooter
video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment
, a Ubisoft
subsidiary, and published by Ubisoft in 2001 for the PC. It was ported to the Mac, PlayStation 2
and Xbox
in 2002 and to the GameCube
in 2003. Ports for N-Gage
and Game Boy Advance
were planned, but later canceled.
Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon is not based on any of his books. In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Clancy suggested that the plot for the original Ghost Recon was inspired by a "letter" he had received from a CIA "official." When asked to provide more detail about the "letter," Clancy refused to comment further.
Ghost Recon's success has spawned 2 expansion packs, Desert Siege and Island Thunder, as well as numerous sequels for video game console
s and the PC.
of U.S. Special Forces operators. They are organized into three fireteam
s named using the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, with space for three soldiers per team (the Xbox and Playstation 2 versions do not have a Charlie team available). However, only six soldiers can be selected per mission. The player enjoys limited tactical
control on the battlefield by issuing maneuver commands and rules of engagement
for each fireteam through a command map.
The soldiers themselves are organized into four different character class
es. Every class can carry a primary and secondary weapon, which are organized into "kits". Even though the primary weapon remains the same in all the kits (being defined by the soldier class — see below), there is a variety of equipment to be chosen as the secondary weapon.
For every completed mission in the single-player campaign, each soldier that survives gains one Combat Point to upgrade their attributes. There are four basic categories of skill:
The player also unlocks "specialists" from NATO or allied countries by completing extra mission objectives. The specialists are more experienced than the Ghosts and have more Combat Points, making them an essential part of the team. They are also equipped with weapons not available to standard soldiers. Two specialists are armed with the Objective Individual Combat Weapon, as part of field tests and implementation of the US Army's Land Warrior
program. The specialist corps includes three women, who are the only female combatants in the game.
The game is played entirely from the first-person perspective. A heads-up display relays information such as the name of the soldier the player is controlling, the soldier's assigned fireteam, weapon and ammo counter, a threat indicator, the targeting reticule, health status, and a stance indicator (to show whether the character is standing, crouched, or prone).
Bullets will not penetrate most objects, but they will break glass. Explosives or heavy gunfire can be used to destroy wooden doors, and (in the case of explosives) potentially kill anyone within the blast radius on the other side. Depending on a target's armor, it is generally possible to neutralize a threat with one or two well-placed shots.
If a soldier is rendered "out of action" during a mission, the person is considered dead and not available for the rest of the campaign. Wounded soldiers who survive a mission will remain wounded unless they are replaced with a healthy soldier in the next mission.
Ghost Recon has both single player and multiplayer modes of play. Up to 36 players are supported in the PC version's multiplayer over an internet
(TCP/IP) connection or LAN
.
Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
was released later in 2003 as an expansion pack for the PC and as a standalone game for Xbox. It contains eight new single player missions, 12 new weapons, 5 new dedicated multiplayer maps, 3 new multiplayer modes (Cat and Mouse, Defend, and Behemoth). On the Xbox, Island Thunder features five additional missions and twelve multiplayer maps.
Island Thunder was never released for PS2, but its content was combined with eight new single-player missions set in Colombia and additional multiplayer maps and released under the title Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm
in 2004.
in Russia borne out of an ultra-nationalist regime that came to power and placed its leader, Dmitri Arbatov, as president. The ultranationalists form the Russian Democratic Union (RDU) and conquer Ukraine
, Belarus
, and Kazakhstan
, with eyes set on the other former Soviet republics.
During the first few missions of the game, the Ghosts battle Georgian rebels who are harassing the legitimate government and its allies. Their presence forces the Russian government to complain to the United Nations
that the Americans have interfered in their affairs and eventually send in the army to aid the rebels. The Ghosts slow down the invading forces while foreign nationals evacuate the country. Eventually, the Ghosts are all that's left of US forces in Georgia and take the last helicopter out of the American Embassy in T'bilisi just as Russian forces storm the complex. The Georgian government flees to Geneva
and sets up a government-in-exile while the RDU assimilates Georgia, an act publicly condemned by the United States, Great Britain, and Germany.
The Ghosts are soon deployed to the Baltic states in response to a Russian invasion launched three days ahead of intelligence estimates. The game's second campaign focuses on the Ghosts' efforts to slow down the invasion to buy time for NATO units to arrive in force, with the closest of them coming from Germany. The Ghosts fight alongside American forces to push the Russian Army out of the Baltics, with victories in Utena
, Rezekne
, and Vilnius
. The disastrous end of the Baltics invasion takes its toll on the RDU, with Arbatov blamed for the disaster and put under house arrest.
The game's third and final campaign focuses on the Ghosts' forays into Russia, with their first mission being to free American and Russian POWs opposed to the government. The military executes President Arbatov which sparks a nationwide rebellion bordering on civil war
. The ultra-nationalists quickly lose public support and many members of the RDU are also liberated or quit the alliance. The Ghosts later attack several Russian bases such as the naval base at Murmansk
and the airbase at Arkhangel'sk, weakening the ultranationalists' combat power. The RDU forces attract strong international condemnation and practically dissolve after they detonate a nuclear weapon during a battle north of Moscow between the ultranationalists and a joint force of US and allied Russian combat units.
After the Ghosts succeed in weakening the ultranationalists, NATO forces strike Moscow with the Ghosts spearheading the assault. The remaining ultra-nationalist forces marshal their armor and infantry in the wooded areas surrounding Moscow as a last line of defense. However, the Ghosts break through the lines and clear a path for NATO forces. On November 10, NATO forces finally reach a deserted Moscow, with the ultra-nationalist holdouts led by Prime Minister Karpin still in the Kremlin
. After a final assault by the Ghosts in Red Square, the ultra-nationalists surrender and both the Americans and the newly-liberated Russians celebrate their victory.
and Ethiopia
have resurfaced. Colonel
Tesfaye Wolde of the Ethiopian military had participated in illegal arms trade
s with Russian ultra-nationalists. Sparing no time at all, and with a newly refurbished arsenal, Col. Wolde seized the opportunity to reclaim Eritrea (which won independence in 1993). The situation garnered international interest when the conflict threatened the shipping
lanes in the Red Sea
. In response to a plea from the Eritrean government for international support, the Ghosts have been mobilized to stop Col. Wolde from advancing any further.
. Fidel Castro
's heirs have been unable to keep the fire of his revolution burning, and a popular uprising has toppled the Communist regime. In its wake, a fragile hope for democracy
emerges. The interim President, Pedro Ebana, promises free elections, and requests international assistance to safeguard the elections. For there are those in Cuba who do not want to see a democratic regime, and they will do anything it takes - subversion, violence, or open revolution
- to make certain that Cuba's future is the one they create for it.
From the midst of chaos, the call goes out for the Ghosts. Their mission: to ensure the integrity of the Cuban elections by thwarting any attempts made to subvert them.
and PC Gamer
, as well as receiving the Best Sound award from PC Gamer magazine. Ghost Recon was a runner-up in IGN's Best Action Game 2001 and Best Use Of Sound (Reader's Choice). Wargamer gave it three bronze awards in Game of the Year, awarded Red Storm with Game Developer of the Year, and gave Game Publisher of the Year to Ubisoft.
Tactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment
Red Storm Entertainment
Ubisoft Red Storm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ubisoft Entertainment, specializing in video games and related merchandise, mainly based on the works of the writer Tom Clancy. The company develops and markets their own CD/DVD-ROM games...
, a Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
subsidiary, and published by Ubisoft in 2001 for the PC. It was ported to the Mac, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2002 and to the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in 2003. Ports for N-Gage
N-Gage
The N-Gage is a mobile telephone and handheld game system by Nokia, based on the Nokia Series 60 platform, released in October 2003. It began sales on October 7, 2003. The N-Gage QD replaced the original N-Gage in 2004....
and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
were planned, but later canceled.
Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon is not based on any of his books. In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Clancy suggested that the plot for the original Ghost Recon was inspired by a "letter" he had received from a CIA "official." When asked to provide more detail about the "letter," Clancy refused to comment further.
Ghost Recon's success has spawned 2 expansion packs, Desert Siege and Island Thunder, as well as numerous sequels for video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s and the PC.
Overview
Ghost Recon puts the player in charge of a fictional squadSquad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
of U.S. Special Forces operators. They are organized into three fireteam
Fireteam
A fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. It is the smallest unit in the militaries that use it and is the primary unit upon which infantry organization is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air...
s named using the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, with space for three soldiers per team (the Xbox and Playstation 2 versions do not have a Charlie team available). However, only six soldiers can be selected per mission. The player enjoys limited tactical
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
control on the battlefield by issuing maneuver commands and rules of engagement
Rules of engagement
Rules of Engagement refers to those responses that are permitted in the employment of military personnel during operations or in the course of their duties. These rules of engagement are determined by the legal framework within which these duties are being carried out...
for each fireteam through a command map.
The soldiers themselves are organized into four different character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es. Every class can carry a primary and secondary weapon, which are organized into "kits". Even though the primary weapon remains the same in all the kits (being defined by the soldier class — see below), there is a variety of equipment to be chosen as the secondary weapon.
- RiflemanRiflemanAlthough ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and streltsy, the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.-History:...
: The predominant soldier class in the game, riflemen can use a variety of different weapon kits. Their primary weapon is the M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
assault rifle. Secondaries include the M203 grenade launcherM203 grenade launcherThe M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
, the M9 pistol, spare magazinesMagazine (firearm)A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
, or a pair of binocularsBinocularsBinoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
(in later versions these were replaced with deployable sensors, since binoculars were supplied to all Ghosts). - Support: Support soldiers provide a high volume of suppressive fireSuppressive fireIn military science, suppressive fire is a fire that degrades the performance of a target below the level needed to fulfill its mission. Suppression is usually only effective for the duration of the fire. Suppressive fire is not always a direct form of fire towards targets; it can be an effective...
with the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. As the soldier is equipped for short range, he also carries more armor. In addition to the machine gun, the support class may also carry the M9 (suppressedSuppressorA suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
), M67M67 grenadeThe M67 grenade is a fragmentation hand grenade used by the United States Military and Canadian Forces, where it is referred to as the C13. The M67 is a replacement for the M61 grenade used during Vietnam and the older Mk 2 "pineapple" grenade used since World War II.-Composition:The M67 Grenade...
fragmentation grenadesHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
, or additional magazines. - Demolitions ("Demo"): Demolitions personnel are specialists in destroying large structures and can serve in the anti-tank role. Their primary weapon is the M4 carbineM4 carbineThe M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
. This soldier can also be equipped with demolition charges, grenades, extra magazines, Claymore mines, or the M136 AT4 anti-tank missile. - SniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
: Distinguishable by their ghillie suitGhillie suitA ghillie suit, wookie suit, yowie suit, or camo tent is a type of camouflage clothing designed to resemble heavy foliage. Typically, it is a net or cloth garment covered in loose strips of cloth or twine, sometimes made to look like leaves and twigs, and optionally augmented with scraps of foliage...
s, the sniper can provide fire support over long ranges while hidden. Primarily equipped with the US Army's M24 rifle, they can also be equipped with the standard and silenced M9, extra magazines or grenades.
For every completed mission in the single-player campaign, each soldier that survives gains one Combat Point to upgrade their attributes. There are four basic categories of skill:
- Weapon: affects the accuracy and aiming of the weapon; the reticule will close faster and tighter as more points are added.
- Stealth: enhances the ability of the soldier to remain undetected and reduces noise generated by the soldier moving.
- Endurance: improves recovery time when taking hits, increases the soldier's ability to survive a wound and reduces the effect of heavy equipment on speed.
- Leadership: for every three points of skill, all other soldiers in the same fireteam gain an extra point to each of their statistics. The bonus can only apply if the soldier with the high leadership skill is the fireteam's point man.
The player also unlocks "specialists" from NATO or allied countries by completing extra mission objectives. The specialists are more experienced than the Ghosts and have more Combat Points, making them an essential part of the team. They are also equipped with weapons not available to standard soldiers. Two specialists are armed with the Objective Individual Combat Weapon, as part of field tests and implementation of the US Army's Land Warrior
Land Warrior
Land Warrior is a United States Army program, cancelled in 2007, that was to use a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf technology and current-issue military gear and equipment designed to:* integrate small arms with high-tech equipment;...
program. The specialist corps includes three women, who are the only female combatants in the game.
The game is played entirely from the first-person perspective. A heads-up display relays information such as the name of the soldier the player is controlling, the soldier's assigned fireteam, weapon and ammo counter, a threat indicator, the targeting reticule, health status, and a stance indicator (to show whether the character is standing, crouched, or prone).
Bullets will not penetrate most objects, but they will break glass. Explosives or heavy gunfire can be used to destroy wooden doors, and (in the case of explosives) potentially kill anyone within the blast radius on the other side. Depending on a target's armor, it is generally possible to neutralize a threat with one or two well-placed shots.
If a soldier is rendered "out of action" during a mission, the person is considered dead and not available for the rest of the campaign. Wounded soldiers who survive a mission will remain wounded unless they are replaced with a healthy soldier in the next mission.
Ghost Recon has both single player and multiplayer modes of play. Up to 36 players are supported in the PC version's multiplayer over an internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
(TCP/IP) connection or LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
.
Expansion packs and related games
Ghost Recon: Desert Siege is a 2003 expansion pack, which is available for the PC as a separate purchase and can be unlocked as a new campaign in the PS2 version of Ghost Recon. It is also bundled with the Mac port. The expansion pack adds 2 new multiplayer game types (Domination and Siege), 5 new multiplayer maps, new weapons for use in multiplayer, and an eight-mission single player campaign, which also unlocks a new specialist soldier (Jodit Haile). In the PS2 version, players who start Desert Siege by finishing the Ghost Recon campaign first will also retain the soldiers they used in the campaign, including their statistics.Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder is an expansion pack for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, released for Windows and Xbox.-Plot Summary:In 2010 Cuba is free, or at least it's supposed to be. Since Fidel Castro's death in the storyline in 2006, the island of Cuba is wary of the communist rule it had...
was released later in 2003 as an expansion pack for the PC and as a standalone game for Xbox. It contains eight new single player missions, 12 new weapons, 5 new dedicated multiplayer maps, 3 new multiplayer modes (Cat and Mouse, Defend, and Behemoth). On the Xbox, Island Thunder features five additional missions and twelve multiplayer maps.
Island Thunder was never released for PS2, but its content was combined with eight new single-player missions set in Colombia and additional multiplayer maps and released under the title Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm is an expansion of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon for the PlayStation 2. It contains the content of Island Thunder along with eight new single-player missions set in Colombia and additional multiplayer maps...
in 2004.
Ghost Recon
Ghost Recon begins in April 2008, with civil unrestCivil disorder
Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems;...
in Russia borne out of an ultra-nationalist regime that came to power and placed its leader, Dmitri Arbatov, as president. The ultranationalists form the Russian Democratic Union (RDU) and conquer Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, and Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, with eyes set on the other former Soviet republics.
During the first few missions of the game, the Ghosts battle Georgian rebels who are harassing the legitimate government and its allies. Their presence forces the Russian government to complain to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
that the Americans have interfered in their affairs and eventually send in the army to aid the rebels. The Ghosts slow down the invading forces while foreign nationals evacuate the country. Eventually, the Ghosts are all that's left of US forces in Georgia and take the last helicopter out of the American Embassy in T'bilisi just as Russian forces storm the complex. The Georgian government flees to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and sets up a government-in-exile while the RDU assimilates Georgia, an act publicly condemned by the United States, Great Britain, and Germany.
The Ghosts are soon deployed to the Baltic states in response to a Russian invasion launched three days ahead of intelligence estimates. The game's second campaign focuses on the Ghosts' efforts to slow down the invasion to buy time for NATO units to arrive in force, with the closest of them coming from Germany. The Ghosts fight alongside American forces to push the Russian Army out of the Baltics, with victories in Utena
Utena, Lithuania
Utena is a city in north-east Lithuania. It is the administrative center of Utena district and Utena County. Utena is one of the oldest settlements of Lithuania. The name of the city is most probably derived from a hydronym. The name of the settlement has been known since 1261.Utena is an...
, Rezekne
Rezekne
In the 19th century, the population of Rēzekne was 2/3 Jewish. As a result of the Pale of Settlement many Jews settled in Latgalia and were confined to the cities. The remainder of the population included Poles, Germans, Russians, and an extreme minority of native Latgalians...
, and Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. The disastrous end of the Baltics invasion takes its toll on the RDU, with Arbatov blamed for the disaster and put under house arrest.
The game's third and final campaign focuses on the Ghosts' forays into Russia, with their first mission being to free American and Russian POWs opposed to the government. The military executes President Arbatov which sparks a nationwide rebellion bordering on civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. The ultra-nationalists quickly lose public support and many members of the RDU are also liberated or quit the alliance. The Ghosts later attack several Russian bases such as the naval base at Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
and the airbase at Arkhangel'sk, weakening the ultranationalists' combat power. The RDU forces attract strong international condemnation and practically dissolve after they detonate a nuclear weapon during a battle north of Moscow between the ultranationalists and a joint force of US and allied Russian combat units.
After the Ghosts succeed in weakening the ultranationalists, NATO forces strike Moscow with the Ghosts spearheading the assault. The remaining ultra-nationalist forces marshal their armor and infantry in the wooded areas surrounding Moscow as a last line of defense. However, the Ghosts break through the lines and clear a path for NATO forces. On November 10, NATO forces finally reach a deserted Moscow, with the ultra-nationalist holdouts led by Prime Minister Karpin still in the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
. After a final assault by the Ghosts in Red Square, the ultra-nationalists surrender and both the Americans and the newly-liberated Russians celebrate their victory.
Desert Siege
In the year 2009, old hostilities between EritreaEritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
have resurfaced. Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Tesfaye Wolde of the Ethiopian military had participated in illegal arms trade
Arms industry
The arms industry is a global industry and business which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology and equipment. It comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military material, equipment and facilities...
s with Russian ultra-nationalists. Sparing no time at all, and with a newly refurbished arsenal, Col. Wolde seized the opportunity to reclaim Eritrea (which won independence in 1993). The situation garnered international interest when the conflict threatened the shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
lanes in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. In response to a plea from the Eritrean government for international support, the Ghosts have been mobilized to stop Col. Wolde from advancing any further.
Island Thunder
The year is 2010, and great changes are afoot in CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's heirs have been unable to keep the fire of his revolution burning, and a popular uprising has toppled the Communist regime. In its wake, a fragile hope for democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
emerges. The interim President, Pedro Ebana, promises free elections, and requests international assistance to safeguard the elections. For there are those in Cuba who do not want to see a democratic regime, and they will do anything it takes - subversion, violence, or open revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
- to make certain that Cuba's future is the one they create for it.
From the midst of chaos, the call goes out for the Ghosts. Their mission: to ensure the integrity of the Cuban elections by thwarting any attempts made to subvert them.
Awards
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon was named Best Game of the Year in 2001 by both IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
, as well as receiving the Best Sound award from PC Gamer magazine. Ghost Recon was a runner-up in IGN's Best Action Game 2001 and Best Use Of Sound (Reader's Choice). Wargamer gave it three bronze awards in Game of the Year, awarded Red Storm with Game Developer of the Year, and gave Game Publisher of the Year to Ubisoft.
Minimum PC requirements
- WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
2000Windows 2000Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
or better - Pentium IIPentium IIThe Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture and x86-compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997. Containing 7.5 million transistors, the Pentium II featured an improved version of the first P6-generation core of the Pentium Pro, which contained 5.5 million...
450 MHz processorCentral processing unitThe central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in... - 128 MBMegabyteThe megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
of RAM - DirectXDirectXMicrosoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with Direct, such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay,...
8.0 or higher (included on CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
) (must have compatible sound cardSound cardA sound card is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware...
) - 16 MB VRAM 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 8.0
- 1 GBGigabyteThe gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
hard driveHard diskA hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
space - 4X CD-ROMCD-ROMA CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
- InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
/networkComputer networkA computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
with TCP/IP connection at 28.8 kbit/s
Minimum Mac requirements
- Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
or Mac OS 9Mac OS 9Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
or higher - PowerPCPowerPCPowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
G3 processor or higher - 256 MB of memory (128 MB if using Mac OS 9Mac OS 9Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
) - ATI TechnologiesATI TechnologiesATI Technologies Inc. was a semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Founded in 1985 as Array Technologies Inc., the company was listed publicly in 1993 and was acquired by Advanced Micro...
Rage 128 graphics card with 16 MB VRAM or better - 1 GB of hard disk space