Ghost Recon Wildlands goes open-world... and has the team gone rogue?

Ubisoft closed its E3 press conference with a genuine surprise. Ghost Recon Wildlands is a new, open-world Clancy game from Ubi Paris, and it throws in all kinds of sandbox toys to play with. Dirt bikes, choppers, parachutes, jeeps, rib boats... they're all in. Check out the video below:

The demo shows off a mission to capture a drug dealer called White Hat (no, not Walter White - why would you think that?), and it features a mixture of out-and-out action, combined with stealth. Looks like Ghost Recon is taking a leaf out of Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain's book, and letting players tackle missions however they see fit. Do you go loud from long range? Or try to sneak in and out at night? Or just wade in during the day all guns blazing? The trailer shows off all three options.

We also see familiar items and imagery in the demo too. The gyrocopter introduced in GRAW is back (except we see it used as an offensive tool here, exploding near enemies), and there's a nod to the skull icon of team Ghost. However, there's also an implication that the Ghosts have either gone rogue, or that they're in deep cover, because they seem to be much less respectful of the rules of combat than in previous titles. Will there be a moral choice element to the game? It would make sense in a more open world setting.

The end of the trailer also reveals possible locations you'll be fighting in: South America, Europe, and North America appear on a cocaine-dusted map. Multiple locations would tally with some of the gameplay sections, which show off mountain areas and jungle.

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Andy Hartup