''A good player who loses at chess is genuinely convinced that he has lost because of a mistake, and he looks for this mistake in the beginning of his game, but forgets that there were also mistakes at every step in the course of the game, that none of his moves was perfect. The mistakes he pays attention to is conspicious only because his opponent took advantage of it.''

- Lev Tolstoy, ''War and Peace''


The year is 2008 and the world faces an escalating nuclear conflict as war breaks on Eastern Europe, Russia's borders. To prevent further escalation, the special military team codenamed ''Ghosts'' are deployed to the front lines to control the instability and ensure a peaceful way for NATO's diplomacies before it becomes too late...


In between the long Tom Clancy's collection, lies the classic ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon''. It is a singleplayer and multiplayer/co-op, tactical, first person shooter. Simulating the ''real'' 2000's military expierence for the ''couch potatoes'', military enthusiats as well as millenials. Including hostage rescue, convoy protection, intel gathering and much more. No matter how tough the objective is, you will do it.

Since this is the PC port, it requires a keyboard and mouse to engage in the field further featuring a more suitable option menu for the player's graphical needs. Offering a campaign of 15 missions and 3 difficulties plus commanding mechanics to guide your team, upgradable statistics and unlockable specialists to play. In addition, the game provides a variety of kits, weaponry and gear, for the soldiers of their class, from riflemen, support, demo to sniper, under the squadrons ''Alpha'', ''Bravo'' and ''Charlie''. Futhermore, the game also presents a ''permadeath'' feature, if a soldier dies, he and his skills are replaced for another unlike the specialists who are irreplaceable.

Through the urban and rural terrains of Eastern Europe, its detail and landscape's essence sets the ''realism'' into the game's theme. Also it provides a low, engaging and destructive enviroment, such as breakable windows, vehicles and doors. On top of that, the colour blending provides a test for the untrained eye, in most cases, as you are constantly on Death's edge by an enemy in the distance, visibly hid somewhere.

As per usual in my recent reviews in retro games, it does neither feature Steam's nor ingame achievements. Besides this, the game offers ''Quick Mission'' which includes 3 gamemodes, ''Mission'', ''Firefight'' and ''Recon'', with the addition of the 15 unlockable campaign maps and one multiplayer map for more replayability value. On the multiplayer/co-op aspect, it features the same maps with more different gamemodes for up to 36 players, though it's recommended to enter through the server's IP to play with people as the official servers were shut down. Lastly, it has full mod support together with 3 expansion DLCs called ''Desert Siege'', ''Island Thunder'' and ''Jungle Storm'', in spite of the last one being exclusive to consoles.


During my playthroughs, I can garantee to only find the enemy's ability to shoot through walls in certain occasions and potentially you can get stuck in stairs while being prone. However, this does not mean the same for other player's experiences since the game has some interesting bugs and glitches.


From my childhood, it is another game I played and definitely had fun, although never completing it. Of course, on the PS2, which was mildly different of this port in technical terms as well as gameplay wise. Additionally, I am planing on reading the novels, which is ironic to me how the novels were composed by several ghost writers given the title ''Ghost Recon''. A quick sidenote, you won't be able to play this game on Windows 11, it is recommended to seek the Steam's guides for help. It can mostly range from changing some file's text or the options from the files itself or patch the lastest versions before trying to boot the game.

Significantly, from my memory, the biggest difference is the lack of the ''Charlie'' team, probably due to console limitations as well as some HUD differences in its ports. In the PC port, the controls are good, though, I would tone down the sensitivity a bit, but not too much, given the importance of the reaction time between you and the enemy. At its time, the advanced movement is interesting to admire, from proning to peaking, I like how versatile the tactics becomes useful in sharp corners, moreover, the stealth system is quite realistic which compliments with the limited immersion the game offers, perfect for ambushes. The difficulties are good, it changes the number of the enemies and their awareness. Though, I think it is unfair how you can abuse the save system to bypass the game's difficulty to maintain your soldier's health, it really breaks the immersion of the fear the permadeath feature gives. As for the weapons and kits? It is decent, it has its ups and downs combining with the soldier's skills, as well as dependable on difficulty in the early missions and injuries. Regarding aim, you may get slightly annoyed when it takes long for the reticule to stay accurate, specifically in prone after running to the position. What's more, I dislike how the locked weapons are stuck with the specialists during the campaign, it's somewhat understandable but if the specialist dies, the gun gets locked again. Finally, speaking of AI, it has its moments in how it responds in a firefight but it can get clunky. In addition, If you don't like your teammate's AI or can't understand how it works, play in the multiplayer/co-op with friends, since it is fun to backblast your friends with the bazooka.

For a game that provides so much realism, what about its visuals? To be fair, I would set every option in the graphics section to high, as it contrasts the smallest detail decently. Futhermore, the detail is admirable to take the time and appreciate on the characters and the weapons, including the animations of breathing, blinking, much more. I have mixed feelings about the levels, don't get me wrong, some parts do look blurry but the enviroment and the space itself are decorated so well between the abandoned buildings to the destroyed terrain. It gives an almost surreal feeling for first time players, unbeknowst to the danger lurking the corner.

I definitely recommend this game to whoever needs anger management classes. It provides such an experience differently to its recent games in the same series, it is ahead of its time, even if limited to the old technology of the 2000's. The game's execution is good at disassociating the player in both the gameplay and the story although I have to disagree when it comes to the soldiers. Their sacrifices will be remembered in ''Operation: Oil''. Again, the game has its fairs and unfairs, as I stated above, it should still be enjoyed as a classic game, probably even the peak of the tactical genre.

Score: 7/10

''A good player who loses at chess is genuinely convinced that he has lost because of a mistake, and he looks for this mistake in the beginning of his game, but forgets that there were also mistakes at every step in the course of the game, that none of his moves was perfect. The mistakes he pays attention to is conspicious only because his opponent took advantage of it.'' - Lev Tolstoy, ''War and Peace'' [h1] Story: [/h1] The year is 2008 and the world faces an escalating nuclear conflict as war breaks on Eastern Europe, Russia's borders. To prevent further escalation, the special military team codenamed ''Ghosts'' are deployed to the front lines to control the instability and ensure a peaceful way for NATO's diplomacies before it becomes too late... [h1] Gameplay: [/h1] In between the long Tom Clancy's collection, lies the classic ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon''. It is a singleplayer and multiplayer/co-op, tactical, first person shooter. Simulating the ''real'' 2000's military expierence for the ''couch potatoes'', military enthusiats as well as millenials. Including hostage rescue, convoy protection, intel gathering and much more. No matter how tough the objective is, you will do it. Since this is the PC port, it requires a keyboard and mouse to engage in the field further featuring a more suitable option menu for the player's graphical needs. Offering a campaign of 15 missions and 3 difficulties plus commanding mechanics to guide your team, upgradable statistics and unlockable specialists to play. In addition, the game provides a variety of kits, weaponry and gear, for the soldiers of their class, from riflemen, support, demo to sniper, under the squadrons ''Alpha'', ''Bravo'' and ''Charlie''. Futhermore, the game also presents a ''permadeath'' feature, if a soldier dies, he and his skills are replaced for another unlike the specialists who are irreplaceable. Through the urban and rural terrains of Eastern Europe, its detail and landscape's essence sets the ''realism'' into the game's theme. Also it provides a low, engaging and destructive enviroment, such as breakable windows, vehicles and doors. On top of that, the colour blending provides a test for the untrained eye, in most cases, as you are constantly on Death's edge by an enemy in the distance, visibly hid somewhere. As per usual in my recent reviews in retro games, it does neither feature Steam's nor ingame achievements. Besides this, the game offers ''Quick Mission'' which includes 3 gamemodes, ''Mission'', ''Firefight'' and ''Recon'', with the addition of the 15 unlockable campaign maps and one multiplayer map for more replayability value. On the multiplayer/co-op aspect, it features the same maps with more different gamemodes for up to 36 players, though it's recommended to enter through the server's IP to play with people as the official servers were shut down. Lastly, it has full mod support together with 3 expansion DLCs called ''Desert Siege'', ''Island Thunder'' and ''Jungle Storm'', in spite of the last one being exclusive to consoles. [h1] Glitches/Bugs/Errors Report: [/h1] During my playthroughs, I can garantee to only find the enemy's ability to shoot through walls in certain occasions and potentially you can get stuck in stairs while being prone. However, this does not mean the same for other player's experiences since the game has some interesting bugs and glitches. [h1] Overall: [/h1] From my childhood, it is another game I played and definitely had fun, although never completing it. Of course, on the PS2, which was mildly different of this port in technical terms as well as gameplay wise. Additionally, I am planing on reading the novels, which is ironic to me how the novels were composed by several ghost writers given the title ''Ghost Recon''. A quick sidenote, you won't be able to play this game on Windows 11, it is recommended to seek the Steam's guides for help. It can mostly range from changing some file's text or the options from the files itself or patch the lastest versions before trying to boot the game. Significantly, from my memory, the biggest difference is the lack of the ''Charlie'' team, probably due to console limitations as well as some HUD differences in its ports. In the PC port, the controls are good, though, I would tone down the sensitivity a bit, but not too much, given the importance of the reaction time between you and the enemy. At its time, the advanced movement is interesting to admire, from proning to peaking, I like how versatile the tactics becomes useful in sharp corners, moreover, the stealth system is quite realistic which compliments with the limited immersion the game offers, perfect for ambushes. The difficulties are good, it changes the number of the enemies and their awareness. Though, I think it is unfair how you can abuse the save system to bypass the game's difficulty to maintain your soldier's health, it really breaks the immersion of the fear the permadeath feature gives. As for the weapons and kits? It is decent, it has its ups and downs combining with the soldier's skills, as well as dependable on difficulty in the early missions and injuries. Regarding aim, you may get slightly annoyed when it takes long for the reticule to stay accurate, specifically in prone after running to the position. What's more, I dislike how the locked weapons are stuck with the specialists during the campaign, it's somewhat understandable but if the specialist dies, the gun gets locked again. Finally, speaking of AI, it has its moments in how it responds in a firefight but it can get clunky. In addition, If you don't like your teammate's AI or can't understand how it works, play in the multiplayer/co-op with friends, since it is fun to backblast your friends with the bazooka. For a game that provides so much realism, what about its visuals? To be fair, I would set every option in the graphics section to high, as it contrasts the smallest detail decently. Futhermore, the detail is admirable to take the time and appreciate on the characters and the weapons, including the animations of breathing, blinking, much more. I have mixed feelings about the levels, don't get me wrong, some parts do look blurry but the enviroment and the space itself are decorated so well between the abandoned buildings to the destroyed terrain. It gives an almost surreal feeling for first time players, unbeknowst to the danger lurking the corner. I definitely recommend this game to whoever needs anger management classes. It provides such an experience differently to its recent games in the same series, it is ahead of its time, even if limited to the old technology of the 2000's. The game's execution is good at disassociating the player in both the gameplay and the story although I have to disagree when it comes to the soldiers. Their sacrifices will be remembered in ''Operation: Oil''. Again, the game has its fairs and unfairs, as I stated above, it should still be enjoyed as a classic game, probably even the peak of the tactical genre. Score: 7/10 [h1] -Written and posted on the group/curator ''The (almost) honest opinion'', also known as, ''T(A)HO'', come and join the group and/or the curator page for more reviews such as this one! [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/thealmosthonestopinion] Group [/url] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35541341/] Curator page [/url] [/h1]