Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Phantoms

 PC
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Aug 15, 2012
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 276 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 144 out of 276
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 276
  3. Negative: 87 out of 276

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  1. CipherBeta
    Jun 17, 2014
    3
    tl;dr: Gameplay+Meta is awesome, economy/progression+bugs/glitches are terrible.

    I've played Ghost Recon Phantoms (originally Ghost Recon Online) since the closed alpha days. And believe you me, it's hooked me. It's still one of my favorite games to play, but that's mostly just because I know a decent amount of the veteran playerbase, and I've been able to accumulate my gear before the    tl;dr: Gameplay+Meta is awesome, economy/progression+bugs/glitches are terrible.

    I've played Ghost Recon Phantoms (originally Ghost Recon Online) since the closed alpha days. And believe you me, it's hooked me. It's still one of my favorite games to play, but that's mostly just because I know a decent amount of the veteran playerbase, and I've been able to accumulate my gear before the economy went all to heck midway through open beta. I'll start off with the positives, which are the only reasons why I'm giving this anything more than a 1.

    First off, the game is highly technical. I've been playing for two years, and I'm still learning about specific spots in the game's maps, different techniques and tricks to use, and the like. The endgame is pretty intense; it's at a level a bit below those "hardcore" (by hardcore I mean entirely technical) shooters like Quake Live, but your performance in the match relies a decent amount on your skill. I say decent, but that's one of the most glaring problems.

    I will say I haven't been around the gaming realm a lot, but I've played a decent amount of games from varying genres and the like. Anything from Korean MMO's to Quake to U.S. racing games to first/third person shooters. I have enough experience to see the economy and such that go into the range of games. And, in that regard, this game fails miserably.

    Any weapon, upgrade, armor, or the like in the game can significantly improve your ability to fight. SIGNIFICANTLY. I've been around long enough to gather everything in endgame, and the difference even between "weapon tiers" is sickening sometimes. The worst part? In-game earnings are often drained by anything from armor repair to consumables, making it difficult to stockpile enough earnings to get a higher tier weapon, let alone a higher tier armor or something similar. However, drop $50 on the game, and you can hook yourself up with endgame gear. Plain and simple. The game completely disregards what they state is "forever free to play". Maybe they meant, "It'll take you forever if you're free to play."

    Either way, that's the most glaring issue. If you download this game, you're probably going to have a lot of fun in the first few matches of the beginners bracket, but the second you step out of the beginner's bracket, you're thrown in with people who have no problems spending $150 on a game right out of the bat, who will tank entire magazines from your low-end weapon and one-shot you with their own.

    Other than that, the other resounding issue is that there are bugs and glitches that have been in the game since closed Alpha that have still not gotten fixed, despite consistent requests from the community. There's little to zilch communication between the team and the playerbase, as compared to other games. If you find a glitch or see broken cover somewhere, good luck seeing it fixed in the next few months. It probably still won't be.

    Clan systems are there but not overly developed. It's a page in the menu that shows a clan, the rankings of those in the clan (soldier, officer, leader), the name, and a avatar that you can give for your clan that looks incredibly generic. Don't expect much if you're a clan guy. Fireteaming is pretty easy, but clan match searches are non-existent. You have to search out the people to challenge them to a clan match. It can be done but it's not the most fluid of experiences.

    But yea. I love the game, but there's a lot of problems with it that are far too detrimental to the playing experience. You're constantly getting bombarded with subliminal messages saying "Buy this!" from anything with the auto-set-to-purchase-with-GC store, to the terrible matchmaking that sticks in lowbie gear with endgame gear.

    Would I recommend it? With all honesty, I wouldn't. If you have deep pockets or extreme patience, go for it, but you're going to either see your patience stretched extremely thin once you go against seven newbies who all dropped $100 on the game for a single class or once the gun you buy is shown to be ineffective against a new weapon that's released a week later that's far stronger.

    The gameplay is awesome. The metaplay is awesome.

    The economy is terrible. The bugs are terrible. The clan systems are mediocre at best.

    If you're up for grinding through the downsides, go for it. It's a fantastic game in the sense of the actual playing of it, but it was ruined by greedy hands and deaf ears on part of the developers. Good luck.    … Expand
  2. Zyos11
    May 8, 2014
    0
    This game is amazing!! Until you reach lvl 8
    GO TO THE STORE
    SELECT A WEAPON
    TRY IT OUT
    THIS GAME IS JUST THE TRUE DEFINITION OF PAY 2 WIN
    Im doing 17 damage from mid range with a tier 3 support weapon...the other guy kills me in 3 shots with his PKM a guy that has More Hp Damage mitigation etc..... DO NOT INVEST MONEY ON THIS CRAP
  3. koolaidthered
    Jan 5, 2016
    1
    This game is heavily P2W, even looking at the leaderboard and the store(to buy other P2W stuff) cost money, quite ridiculous.

    On a completely unrelated note, the servers are a ghost town now these days, but even if tons of people were playing I would still give this a 1 due to the insane amount of P2W this game tries to shove down your throat.
  4. FearMy3Inch
    Feb 16, 2014
    2
    Alongside all the other issues addressed in other reviews (P2W, ridiculous gun prices, terrible matchmaking, lack of maps, campers, etc.). The game servers are possibly the worst ones I have ever encountered, you get randomly disconnected during the middle of a round (not client internet problem). The game acts as if you were the one who rage quit and it penalizes you for no reason. YouAlongside all the other issues addressed in other reviews (P2W, ridiculous gun prices, terrible matchmaking, lack of maps, campers, etc.). The game servers are possibly the worst ones I have ever encountered, you get randomly disconnected during the middle of a round (not client internet problem). The game acts as if you were the one who rage quit and it penalizes you for no reason. You have to pay for armor repairs, you lose XP/RP, and you also lose your match completion streak. It's absolutely ridiculous for this to be happening, it would be almost laughable how terrible the servers are if it wasn't so frustrating. Overall, the game had the potential to become amazing, but it has become obvious it has been thrown away. Truly a shame, being a Ghost Recon fan since the original, it saddens me to see what this series has come to. Honestly, get your sh*t together, Ubisoft.… Expand
  5. ComputerKid2000
    Apr 17, 2014
    1
    This is not the Ghost Recon we grew up with. I remember Ghost Recon having expansive maps with planning and strategy being a must. That kind of creative game design merited the original GR a "Game of the Year" award from several industry-leading publications.

    Today, the series is nothing more than a cash grab for Ubisoft. In Phantoms, teamwork is nonexistent, and matches just become    This is not the Ghost Recon we grew up with. I remember Ghost Recon having expansive maps with planning and strategy being a must. That kind of creative game design merited the original GR a "Game of the Year" award from several industry-leading publications.

    Today, the series is nothing more than a cash grab for Ubisoft.

    In Phantoms, teamwork is nonexistent, and matches just become a camp-fest for snipers. After being slaughtered several times as a support character, I switched to a recon with a sniper rifle loadout and immediately killed 5 in a row. After experiencing that, plus the notion of pay to win, I'll be switching back to CSGO now.    … Expand
  6. Ansatsu83
    Oct 21, 2012
    3
    I can see this game applying to a very small demography of players, this does not include me. Horrible bugs from when I did play, unable to tolerate some of the things that did happen. Camping is encouraged on some maps and getting away from campers is all but impossible. Oh lets not forget that many players prefer to play a sniper, so the teams are typically sniper oriented. Assaults areI can see this game applying to a very small demography of players, this does not include me. Horrible bugs from when I did play, unable to tolerate some of the things that did happen. Camping is encouraged on some maps and getting away from campers is all but impossible. Oh lets not forget that many players prefer to play a sniper, so the teams are typically sniper oriented. Assaults are mostly gimp, machine guns with some of the map layouts make it easier to camp. Etc, I cannot give this game a positive review, I can say their minds are in the right place but their execution is not. I can recommend the original ghost recon, but not much else.… Expand
  7. French_Antoine
    Mar 19, 2014
    0
    Big fan of Ghost Recon. Biggest hater of this game. How on earth do they even dare thinking that this game would work ?

    That's pretty simple, basically, in this game, 99.9% of the "players" I've met in my 3 hours playthrough think "Scr*w the objectives, they just help me camping." AND THAT'S IT. There is no fun in this game. And the worst part of it is that I didn't see anyone    Big fan of Ghost Recon. Biggest hater of this game. How on earth do they even dare thinking that this game would work ?

    That's pretty simple, basically, in this game, 99.9% of the "players" I've met in my 3 hours playthrough think "Scr*w the objectives, they just help me camping." AND THAT'S IT.

    There is no fun in this game. And the worst part of it is that I didn't see anyone playing with free weapons ! If you just think you will play for free, you'll see your progression not advancing (at all), and the best you'll get in a headshot is 37 damage at close range ??? WTF ???!!!

    If you have a minimum of self-love, or reason, or both, just say no to this piece of junk. Seriously, you'll be doing yourself a life saving gift.    … Expand
  8. kelbear
    Feb 20, 2014
    0
    Pay to win design.

    Pay to receive half health, and deal quadruple damage.
    They charge you for each grenade (seriously, not even kidding).
    Bought the top tier equipment? They release a higher tier of equipment for you to buy to stay competitive.

    Want to earn it by playing? Expect to put in years into this game.
  9. M3ZZ4N1N3
    Apr 16, 2014
    1
    Ok so lets just start off by saying that someone put "some" effort into making this game half way decent. However where this game falls super short is it's over the top pay to win structure. This game is fun, but has very little maps, the tactics are non-existent. The game becomes boring very fast because of the lack of upgrades. Honestly the menu system and selection of items you can getOk so lets just start off by saying that someone put "some" effort into making this game half way decent. However where this game falls super short is it's over the top pay to win structure. This game is fun, but has very little maps, the tactics are non-existent. The game becomes boring very fast because of the lack of upgrades. Honestly the menu system and selection of items you can get are very small and seems like it's still in beta. Also I've noticed that 80% of players go recon because they like to cloak, pop up, and snipe people the whole game. This makes the game a bunch of snipers behind cover popping shots back and forth, there really isn't an aggressive push for objectives without playing with people you know personally. I'd say the biggest thing this game has going for it is that it's free, the thing that it has holding it back severely in my book and many of my friends who are veteran shooter players is the pay to win system. It's just too outright annoying to put up with and I won't be a part of it anymore. I'm annoyed to no end. I've played every Tom Clancy branded game out there, and this is a shame to his name. Don't waste your money, for the love of gaming.… Expand
  10. SnowFox
    Feb 10, 2013
    2
    So, when I first started off playing this game I thought to myself "how can they possibly make a game this fun?" The cover system was like nothing I had played before and the matches seemed even. That was the first three games. The following few days playing this I had a different experience, being camped. Virtually everyone plays a sniper toon and camps in one spot. So badly in factSo, when I first started off playing this game I thought to myself "how can they possibly make a game this fun?" The cover system was like nothing I had played before and the matches seemed even. That was the first three games. The following few days playing this I had a different experience, being camped. Virtually everyone plays a sniper toon and camps in one spot. So badly in fact that any assault type character has no accuracy while approaching and can not hit them. I think you will see by the other reviews that this is becoming more and more common. Prepare to play teams who don't mind losing every match as long as you are mitigated to only capturing one objective and sitting there. So sad, this game could be one of the greats in my opinion if the assault/specialist characters could fire their weapons accurately and have a chance against the campers. So close yet so far.… Expand
  11. orthicviper
    Feb 2, 2014
    3
    First I'll discuss the problems, then discuss what makes the game unique.

    The problems with GRO include things like the pricing. I looked at the rate of earnings and cost of these items and determined it would take years to build up to the most advanced weapons and devices. 2, 3 maybe more, based on playing about 2 hours per day. They've several times increased the grind that must be    First I'll discuss the problems, then discuss what makes the game unique.

    The problems with GRO include things like the pricing. I looked at the rate of earnings and cost of these items and determined it would take years to build up to the most advanced weapons and devices. 2, 3 maybe more, based on playing about 2 hours per day. They've several times increased the grind that must be done. The earliest players played before a new "tier" restriction kicked in that made it much easier to get the best weapons for less, so if you start this game now, which is VERY VERY much pay to win, you will face not only those who've mastered the mechanics, but who already have high end gear. And the best weapon gives a big boost over it's immediate 2nd best. Yes, the gear you have makes a big difference, sometimes ridiculously so. Many complaints about people "sniping" with the SPAS shotgun. The guys who have the best gear have nothing more to worry about than buying grenades, 20% damage boosting magnum rounds, and armor-boosting inserts for the most part.

    As far as nades go, they basically turned the game from a strategic game into a grenade simulator. Especially on the chertanovo level, when people get on the capture point, they can expect multiple players from the other team to throw a grenade storm upon them. Grenades often can not be run away from, and it can be hard to know where they are. They often result in immediate death. They should be limited in how often they can be used (like twice per round), but instead you can use 2 per respawn as long as you have some in your collection. Perhaps this is due to hoping to entice players to put real money in the game for more kills. It may not seem an excessive quantity if you are used to action games, but in a game where you frequently must stay in a specific area, it becomes ridiculous.

    One problem I've seen is that people can often come around corners, and before you can even think "there's an enemy" it is like you die and then they show up, or you died as soon as they came around the edge. I don't know if its something to do with programming for lag compensation or hacking. If you wonder, my internet speed is 20 Mbps and I'm no stranger to pings of 20ms. There was a hacker that had many many players reporting him, even on the official forums, but for many months or a year or more nothing was done about him, but he did get banned after forever. If only the programmers built in a demo recording feature, we could really learn a lot about what really goes on as far as hacking in this game.

    If you want to spend a few hundred dollars on this game, boost my rating to a 7. If they deal with grenades and you have a few hundred dollars, give it a 10. Otherwise, with the grenade spam and excessive factor $$$ plays into good gear, it's not really a game a serious competitive gamer would take seriously. If you play it you play it for fun, you don't come here expecting fairness and the best gamer to win. Grenade luck and good gear just affect victory far too much.

    ---

    This game features a level of significantly gameplay-affecting weapon mechanics I have not seen elsewhere that create a more strategic and uniquely fun experience. There are around 8 different weapons per category of sniper rifle, shotgun, and machine guns. Here's the significance of it all (and it is very important):

    Ready time: How long it takes before your gun is ready to shoot after certain actions like stopping from a sprint (you can not shoot while sprinting), proning...

    Control: the range your crosshair will jitter around when you shoot

    Accuracy: How accurate the bullet will hit where your crosshair is

    Might be some more stuff, but there's also attachments that affect clip size, muzzle flash, silencers, and whatever I might've forgotten.

    You can take cover in this game by pressing a button near a wall. Cover will boost your weapon's control and accuracy.

    The team tactics usually involve little more than people using their microphones to announce enemy locations to others.

    The game has 2 unique devices per class, but only one can be equipped at a time (can be changed upon each death). Recons can scan a large area for enemies that show up through walls even on their teammate's screens, or become invisible. Assaults can run extra fash with a shield to knock down enemies for a couple of seconds or they can use microwaves to nearly immobilize enemies in a large area. Specialists can make a forcefield big enough to protect several teammates (you will often die quickly from nade spam at this point), or they can use blackout to nearly stun enemies and reset their device meter.    … Expand
  12. ironsides00
    Jan 31, 2013
    0
    Don't let those tom clancy fanboys fool you. This has got to be the WORST game design I've ever seen in my life (speaking as one involved in game design myself). It is a model of creating levels in a game but ignoring them for match making purposes, pitting low levels against high levels, and a steamroll in nearly every match. Once in a blue moon there is a good game that is somewhatDon't let those tom clancy fanboys fool you. This has got to be the WORST game design I've ever seen in my life (speaking as one involved in game design myself). It is a model of creating levels in a game but ignoring them for match making purposes, pitting low levels against high levels, and a steamroll in nearly every match. Once in a blue moon there is a good game that is somewhat close. But the fact is, higher level characters will faceroll you on every factor. There is no balance whatsoever until you reach level 30, which will take eons if you started playing the game after beta, because those who already started can 1 shot you with a p90 for 150 dmg noncrit in the toe, insta-killing you before they even decloak, meanwhile your lmg, ar, or shotguns do 1-2 dmg per shot in the head due to their massive armor mods which you cannot counter until you reach higher levels since higher level equipment is insanely superior to lower level equipment. No balance though they claim there is balance between the stats. But the stats on equipment are not weighted properly at all. Since you cannot get kills, you cannot gain xp, and hence you will be stuck for a long time grinding those levels. Unless you enjoy sitting there and getting slaughtered without actually being able to play, avoid this game. Lag issues are so horrible, more than half the time you seem to get shot through walls before the enemy has shown themselves yet. In addition, only less than 35% of projectiles even show up on max settings. So often you will die from invisible fire you didn't even know were being shot because the visuals (including impacts on the wall) and sound neglected to initiate. Had high hopes for this game, but was a let down in every conceivable way.… Expand
  13. FINGERINMYANUS
    Mar 21, 2013
    3
    This is by no means Ghost Recon, at least not the one you're used to, except for the name. First is the pay to win, yes there is other options to win, but you can fast track yourself with real life money. You have to pay for grenades with in game credits and you earn more guns over time through play (unless you fork over some cash, then you get it early). I'm impartial to this.

    The bad    This is by no means Ghost Recon, at least not the one you're used to, except for the name. First is the pay to win, yes there is other options to win, but you can fast track yourself with real life money. You have to pay for grenades with in game credits and you earn more guns over time through play (unless you fork over some cash, then you get it early). I'm impartial to this.

    The bad part is, that it is essentially a Ghost Recon themed Call of Duty. You can get powerups that for example puts a shield around you and your team that stops bullets. Now there are some minor powerups that are perfectly okay, but adding things like Juggernaut from Call of Duty is not really the Ghost Recon I know or at least no Ghost Recon I've ever seen.

    Ubisoft is going the same was as EA.. Pay to win and attract the crowds instead of the fans. This game seriously tarnished the Tom Clancy reputation.    … Expand
  14. zto101
    Apr 14, 2013
    4
    Alright. I have to say it, I am going to give this game a 4. Ghost Recon Online has quite some style in it. I've been playing for a couple months now. Game play is decent, as well as the cover system which isn't very common in most f2p shooters. However, the biggest concern I have for this game is very POOR matchmaking. Seriously, beginners are being overpowered by vets, when they haveAlright. I have to say it, I am going to give this game a 4. Ghost Recon Online has quite some style in it. I've been playing for a couple months now. Game play is decent, as well as the cover system which isn't very common in most f2p shooters. However, the biggest concern I have for this game is very POOR matchmaking. Seriously, beginners are being overpowered by vets, when they have only played and won 4 or 5 matches. They immediately get thrown into the advanced player base. Secondly, LACK of MAPS. Can't stress this enough. With this game still in open beta, it lacks a ton of maps. Warframe has a ton more maps and it is still in open beta. You'll be finding yourself playing the same 6 maps over and over and over again with bratty annoying voice comm players telling you what to do. You will get sick of it. Also you cannot choose your own map to play on. It is all based on GRO's matchmaking system. I would hate to predict that Ubisoft will start updating their maps and game modes in the next 3-4 years. They have made very little advancement in this f2p.

    Thirdly, weapon prices are ridiculous. If you are a casual gamer and play for free, it will take you FOREVER to get the last couple guns even after you have reached level 30. Ubisoft is secretly trying to make you pay with Ghost Coins. Anyways, if you do plan on playing this game for a very long time, everything said here will apply. Good luck fellow gamer.    … Expand
  15. Apikoros
    Feb 21, 2014
    2
    A lot has changed with this game in the past few months. And not for the better.

    First, Ubisoft begrudgingly acknowledged the existence of a speed exploit, the "FSB" exploit as it is called. Many of us knew this existed already, despite many months of Ubisoft denying or downplaying the idea - while happily taking people's money of course. The ensuing FSB discussion led to everybody    A lot has changed with this game in the past few months. And not for the better.

    First, Ubisoft begrudgingly acknowledged the existence of a speed exploit, the "FSB" exploit as it is called. Many of us knew this existed already, despite many months of Ubisoft denying or downplaying the idea - while happily taking people's money of course. The ensuing FSB discussion led to everybody knowing how to do it, and do it they do. It has been suggested that it can never be fixed, being coded into the heart of the game engine. Ubi makes vague noises about banning these people, but their numbers only grow.

    Around that same time (coincidence?) the game became blatantly Pay To Win. Cover based game? LOL, it used to be. But who needs cover now when you can just go to the store, kit up for 100.00 and walk around the map with near impunity? Ridiculous P2W armor and weapons have destroyed what was once the best tactical teamplay shooter around. Players who support the game should get some advantage, but the advantage afforded here is laughable.

    It used to be that your play and your skills could swing matches. That you could, as a Recon, sneak up behind that heavy and headshot him from behind for a kill. No more. Now you will magdump his head, his paid armor will absorb most of the damage and he will turn around and kill you with a 50 dollar gun. It used to be that teamwork could swing games, not so any more. The matchmaker puts Big Boys (based on equipment and rank) on each side of the match, everybody else is just filler for the team, if your best equipped guys suck, you lose, no matter what you do. You are no longer rewarded for getting into perfect position and making the perfect shot, you are rewarded for buying a SPAS from Ubisoft.

    I've put money into the game, more than I care to admit to, but it has simply gone too far - I don't want to win games in the store.

    This is the company that destroyed the original Ghost Recon series, so no real surprise here.    … Expand
  16. Quejim
    Apr 15, 2014
    3
    Oh my god. This game - I so wanted to like this game. It killed; it was everything I could've hoped for in a multiplayer shooter - it was tactical, smart, you had to rely on teamwork more than your own firepower. It emphasized skill and strategy. It was amazing. It starts you off in a beginner bracket, so that everyone from ranks 1-7 is playing together, and everyone is still figuring outOh my god. This game - I so wanted to like this game. It killed; it was everything I could've hoped for in a multiplayer shooter - it was tactical, smart, you had to rely on teamwork more than your own firepower. It emphasized skill and strategy. It was amazing. It starts you off in a beginner bracket, so that everyone from ranks 1-7 is playing together, and everyone is still figuring out the game like you, while getting better. Those first couple of hours were some of the best multipayer shooter experiences I've ever had, especially with my friend. Probably one of my best free-to-play experiences, period.

    But then, when your class gets to rank 8, you now have to graduate into the "veteran" bracket. There is no in between. So now, you're dancing with these level 30+ guys who can floor you on their own. However, you're also trying to compete with pay-to-winners, because the equipment you can buy can make you nearly invulnerable to just about anything, and the guns... Well, they get ridiculous. You can test them all in the firing range, and trust me when I say that some of those guns are just flat out horrendously overpowered. They are very obviously trying to take a snatch at your wallet, as these weapons cost ridiculous amounts of AC so that you'll probably never be able to earn them, but hey - you can fork over forty bucks and with that GC you just bought, get this assault rifle with the power of a sniper, control of a sidearm, and the power of a close range shotgun - at any range.

    Also, they say the new matchmaking takes equipment and level into account now, but because of how few people are playing, this doesn't make the slightest difference. You will have to fight whoever is available.

    So, because of vets who may have actually earned their equipment and the pay-to-winners who buy everything without developing any real skill, the game devolves from one of the classiest and most advanced tactical TPS games I've ever played, to basically CoD, with impervious tanks-of-a-man's strolling around, poppin' caps and takin' names.

    It is truly sad, as this game looked like it originally was really meant for the real fans, but then became a game that is appealing to the standard shooter demographic of people, specifically the ones who don't "have the time to build up skill", who want to just show up and light up.

    If the game becomes more pupulated, and matchmaking evens out, and you are TRULY getting paired by equipment, so that every match is fair, and the teamwork aspect is brought back, this game will get an 8. Maybe 9. But as of April 15, 2014, for me, this game isn't worth the download, as the sudden shift out of advanced, ghost recon multiplayer tactics into formula shooter just leaves you wanting more, and makes you sad that you can't get more because you can't go back.    … Expand
  17. meric
    Dec 28, 2013
    2
    At first G:RO was a really nice addition to the pool of free 2 play games. Playing it felt good, it stood out from the rest and gave the genre of third person multiplayer shooters a revival. Then the devs decided to go a way that hurt that game a lot. Severe bugs not fixed for months, lack of content, lags, etc.
    Now a few months later (and a raging community) they fixed some of the long    At first G:RO was a really nice addition to the pool of free 2 play games. Playing it felt good, it stood out from the rest and gave the genre of third person multiplayer shooters a revival. Then the devs decided to go a way that hurt that game a lot. Severe bugs not fixed for months, lack of content, lags, etc.
    Now a few months later (and a raging community) they fixed some of the long overdue things (e.g. weapon flinch), some smaller bugs and brought some new content into the game.
    What still needs to be fixed is the poor performance on some machines, the terrible matchmaking and the very bad economy. Currently GRO is just a big big grind with exclusive p2w items for paying customers. RP players are left behind.
    I wouldn't recommend the game to anyone who is not willing to spend a dime. Without spending at least 10-20 bucks a month you will have a hard time playing it.    … Expand
  18. nxtDimension
    Feb 8, 2014
    4
    I rated this game a 4 because it has great graphics and controls. GRO could have been an amazing f2p game, but it has many issues.
    []
    People complain about campers, but i feel like the map design and cover system were thoughtfully developed in a way that turns the traditional run-and-gun style shooters on their heads. It makes you carefully plan out what cover you're moving to next, and    I rated this game a 4 because it has great graphics and controls. GRO could have been an amazing f2p game, but it has many issues.
    []
    People complain about campers, but i feel like the map design and cover system were thoughtfully developed in a way that turns the traditional run-and-gun style shooters on their heads. It makes you carefully plan out what cover you're moving to next, and gives a whole new dimension to the use of suppression fire. The straightforward maps force opposing teams into choke points, and only teamwork will get you through.
    []
    This style of gameplay is what drew me into GRO, but after a month or so of playing, i've called it quits. I completely agree with other reviewers when they say that the matchmaking is terrible. Noobs get matched up against pros, and oftentimes teams' numbers will also be unbalanced.
    []
    The absolute worst part of the game is the blatant pay-to-win arrangement. Most FPS' try to keep weaponry somewhat balanced, to make things sporting and fun for all. If you play GRO, you will realize very quickly that the higher-tiered weapons are completely superior. Anything you can earn within a reasonable amount of time without paying can't hold a candle to the purchased guns. Almost every match in GRO is completely one sided, and the winner is inevitably the team with more pay-to-winners.
    []
    It's too bad that a game with such potential had to go this route. I play a lot of f2p online games, and I have spent plenty of money on them, but not until they have earned my respect with their free features. GRO did the opposite. The complete disregard for the free experience made me NOT want to spend any money on it.    … Expand
  19. AngryUserr
    Mar 7, 2014
    0
    Mega broken FPS shooter, you can't play this if you dont pay 300 euros for month, this is not FREE shooter, this is payed shooter masked like Free-FPS-online-shooter. But it's not, if you dont pay, they ban you. if you give opinions they ban you. Ultra broken game graphic, FSB exploiters, hackers, full with pay2win users.
  20. ZetarXenil
    Dec 30, 2012
    2
    Mechanics, shooting and everything is fine, but this game has worst matchmaking I've ever seen. No matter if you just started playing you will fight with vets with 500 hours played, clans etc.
  21. slaxxTB
    Aug 31, 2013
    0
    been playing from closed beta on... and stopped 2 play it... now, one year and several patches l8er i have to see...it became more pay2win then any other game i know o0...shame on this game...
  22. BuDDhiSt
    Feb 14, 2014
    1
    It’s the worst gaming experience I've ever had in a game. While the game looks promising, its poorly design features only serves to frustrate and disappoint. For example, it’s quite counterproductive when you score a head shot on the enemy and they don’t die but instead have their health reduced to about 10% giving them a chance to hide behind cover as their health regenerates. While thisIt’s the worst gaming experience I've ever had in a game. While the game looks promising, its poorly design features only serves to frustrate and disappoint. For example, it’s quite counterproductive when you score a head shot on the enemy and they don’t die but instead have their health reduced to about 10% giving them a chance to hide behind cover as their health regenerates. While this doesn't happen all the time it’s frequency is noticeably annoying. You would think the effects of a head shot would be obvious. Another disappointing factor about the game is that some of the weapons for the assault class have the same kill range as a sniper rifle. It can get a bit alarming for sniper players to be killed by an assault rifle at a range that is commonly thought to be reserved only for sniping. These are NOT bugs but horrendously built in features that were somehow green lighted (or overlooked) and they’re not the only ones in the game. Also, while spending money on premium items in the game doesn't make you a better player, which is fine, they don’t offer any real usable bonuses either other than a petty attempt to look unique. Under the weight of the horrible experiences provided by such a disappointing game I had to quit and was glad I did.… Expand
  23. RommoR
    Apr 14, 2014
    3
    Pros:
    Free to Play
    Small download Nice mechanic set-up for a shooter with a few interesting slide and cover choices Cons: Many Hackers encounter 4 so far out of 8 matches Gun balancing is terrible Straight up players who have payed to advance to full kits will dominate you even if you play better Maps are checkpoint corridors of chokepoints Personal problems ARs were pointless    Pros:
    Free to Play
    Small download
    Nice mechanic set-up for a shooter with a few interesting slide and cover choices
    Cons:
    Many Hackers encounter 4 so far out of 8 matches
    Gun balancing is terrible
    Straight up players who have payed to advance to full kits will dominate you even if you play better
    Maps are checkpoint corridors of chokepoints

    Personal problems ARs were pointless in comparison to most guns, SMG and Shotguns dropped you or your enemy in insanely little effort, Hitboxing I felt was clunky, small bushes in ceramic pots block your shots, graphics are average at best for 2012 and No match making what so ever to speak of.

    Also with matches you capture one point hold it for the rest of the game and win, no need at all to push any further forward easier to hold and just farm enemy team or it will happen to you.    … Expand
  24. Gruni
    Apr 23, 2014
    2
    Back in early 2012, this game was pure awesome-sauce. Today it's a collection of bugs with new paint on a game engine from 2006, that has been heavily modified till late 2011 and since then, it remains untouched.

    Critical bugs, a faulty communication policy from Ubisoft and a massive amount of ignorance and censorship on Ubisofts side kill all the fun of what could've risen like a    Back in early 2012, this game was pure awesome-sauce. Today it's a collection of bugs with new paint on a game engine from 2006, that has been heavily modified till late 2011 and since then, it remains untouched.

    Critical bugs, a faulty communication policy from Ubisoft and a massive amount of ignorance and censorship on Ubisofts side kill all the fun of what could've risen like a phoenix from the ashes of F2P shooters.    … Expand
  25. Phsic
    Apr 17, 2014
    4
    The facade that this is "skill based" or "free to play" is insulting at best, you have to invest a ton of cash to even compete with the opposing players. This is the only shooter I've encountered where paying more money, makes your bullets do more and their bullets do less. Earning anything overtime is unreasonable, as they charge you the in-game and real money to buy grenades and to keepThe facade that this is "skill based" or "free to play" is insulting at best, you have to invest a ton of cash to even compete with the opposing players. This is the only shooter I've encountered where paying more money, makes your bullets do more and their bullets do less. Earning anything overtime is unreasonable, as they charge you the in-game and real money to buy grenades and to keep your "armor" intact. Just to reiterate, you have to pay money (and not just a little), to do as much damage as the opposing players, there's no way around it. To encourage spending, the guns with the higher prices, are of course better, as well as the armor and abilities.… Expand
  26. sonarctica
    Jun 8, 2014
    1
    This game is subpar even for a F2P, it's not worth your time. Graphics are terrible, options for said graphics are even worse and there is no support for 1440p resolution unless you go manually change it in the files. Even the sound assets make your ears bleed, it feels like they were pulled from a FPS in the 90's. It's like they made a horrible shooter, slapped a Tom Clancy's logo on itThis game is subpar even for a F2P, it's not worth your time. Graphics are terrible, options for said graphics are even worse and there is no support for 1440p resolution unless you go manually change it in the files. Even the sound assets make your ears bleed, it feels like they were pulled from a FPS in the 90's. It's like they made a horrible shooter, slapped a Tom Clancy's logo on it and tried to milk as much it as much as possible. This is typical Ubisoft crap, just like Watch_Dogs.… Expand
  27. ThugSpawn
    Apr 27, 2014
    0
    Don't be fooled by this game claiming to be free to play. The pay-to-win nature of this game is blatant and just flat out egregious.

    For example, I was shooting people in the head for 40 damage while they would shoot me in the body for 40. They nickle and dime you unabashedly. You must pay for grenades and pay to replenish them as you use them. You must pay to repair your armor.    Don't be fooled by this game claiming to be free to play. The pay-to-win nature of this game is blatant and just flat out egregious.

    For example, I was shooting people in the head for 40 damage while they would shoot me in the body for 40. They nickle and dime you unabashedly. You must pay for grenades and pay to replenish them as you use them. You must pay to repair your armor.

    People may claim that you are free to play without paying. But that is an extremely disingenuous assertion. Not paying puts you at a severe disadvantage where other players will steam roll you and once you reach a certain level, most players would have paid. Match making does not differentiate between paying and non-paying players.

    Ultimately, you will have two choices when you play this game. Either stop playing because you are out-competed or start shelling out tons of cash, and I mean tons of it. Everything in this game is extremely expensive.    … Expand
  28. LiquidBlack
    Dec 5, 2014
    2
    ______Despite it's (quite enjoyable) playability Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Phantoms fails horrendously to actually define itself as a game. It would be more accurate to describe it as a free "Demo" with an enormous amount of DLC which you have to pay for.... $$$$$$$$$
    ______And let me tell you, it ain't cheap either, if you want the next weapon upgrade from the one you start with you're    ______Despite it's (quite enjoyable) playability Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Phantoms fails horrendously to actually define itself as a game. It would be more accurate to describe it as a free "Demo" with an enormous amount of DLC which you have to pay for.... $$$$$$$$$
    ______And let me tell you, it ain't cheap either, if you want the next weapon upgrade from the one you start with you're looking at paying at least £5 for the "Ghost Coins" which you will have to purchase (with real money) because nearly all of your earnings from playing called "Athena Credits" will go towards repairing your Body Armour and purchasing smoke grenades; frag grenades; HE grenades. Which you will have to buy if you want to compete effectively....
    ______Don't get me wrong here, the Ghost Recon Player vs Player experience is A LOT of fun, however when you consider how much you end up having to pay for it to be on the same level as most of the other people playing it's value runs very low in a very short amount of time. If you want to spend over £100 to £200 just to get to same point as most of the players who just killed you, then this game is definitely for you! Oh and don't forget your £7 a month subscription to "Athena Armoury" (Entirely Optional but generally required, if you don't want to constantly repair your armour). Remember however that the weapons WILL NOT WORK the same way in a game against people as they do in the firing range. Firing range weapons work perfectly (and your targets don't move either...) in game weapons miss MUCH more of the time, I've found them harder to aim, Significantly lower on damage and in general not at all what you expect from when you've tried them in the firing range.
    ______The discrepancies between firing range and in-game could be argued to be due to player body Armour upgrades and/or lag interference, but even if this is the case i don't know how the gap can be so huge.
    ______Unless of course the game is programmed to fire almost perfectly in the firing range...... now who would want that unless you're giving them real money for the next weapon up?............ Surely not the developers of the game?...
    ______When you try a weapon from the shop and it works absolutely perfectly, compared to the weapon you're used to using... and not achieving the results you're expecting. Would you be more inclined to upgrade now, rather than waiting until you've played another 1000 games? (Which btw, will take you 20-40 minutes each on average)
    ______ Apologies to all for the extensive use of dots in my review ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... . (Also i would like to add ______ is the start of a new paragraph.)    … Expand
  29. Frankenstejn
    Jan 5, 2015
    1
    Game ghost recon online was perfect 9/10
    Game ghost recon phantom is total **** 1/10 (p2w **** as all new ubisoft game)
    I played this game 2 years but now terrible.
    And support by ubisoft terrible. 0/10
  30. Alexander452
    Nov 23, 2013
    3
    If you start out playing it...Good luck, there are so few beginner players that you are forced into playing with experienced players that have a of guns and equipment, that you will get killed in a matter of seconds.
    Sure the game-play is good, but the amount of you have to take while playing the matches is unbelievable.
    Not to talk about it still takes forever to find a match while    If you start out playing it...Good luck, there are so few beginner players that you are forced into playing with experienced players that have a of guns and equipment, that you will get killed in a matter of seconds.
    Sure the game-play is good, but the amount of you have to take while playing the matches is unbelievable.
    Not to talk about it still takes forever to find a match while you are playing against experienced players
    You will mostly end up with 3 kills and 16 deaths or so, because nearly everyone is just running around cloaked with sm-g's and shooting you from behind.
    Or they will sit at the same spot for the entire match and snipe people.

    And your team mates aren't good for They all just run around in their on little way, while the enemy team is killing us 1 by 1.

    Now the Free2Play part is not wonderful either, most of the gear is really expensive both with in-game and micro-transactions. Making it a pay2play game really quick, as alot of the items also are micro-transaction only.

    Also at the fact that you earn in-game credits at such a slow pace, you will mostly never experience anything else than the start weapons.

    Play something else is my suggestion    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
43
#43 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. SpazioGames
    May 19, 2014
    65
    It's basically the same game as Ghost Recon Online but with not so many more maps: a third person shooter that aims to be tactical without being able to provide fun for more than a few hours. It deserves to be tried only because it's free and nothing else.
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  2. Edge Magazine
    May 16, 2014
    70
    Classes and skills are well-balanced, and even though you’ll cycle through the small map selection quickly, they offer enough possibilities to stave off fatigue until Ubisoft adds more arenas. With more modes and maps, Phantoms would be a formidable offering, but it’s worth dipping into until then.
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  3. Gamereactor Sweden
    Apr 30, 2014
    70
    Considering this is completely free to play, Phantoms has a lot to offer in terms of tight controls, nifty cooperation and a neat ranking system. Given the fact that it will keep evolving, it looks like fans will have good reason to stay.
    Read full review
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