Gamer Review: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint ****

RICHARD CAWLEY

It’s hard to be original in computer games, particularly the crowded market place of an open world third-person shooter.

So the trick is for it to be enjoyable – rather than trying to be unique.

And the good news is that the 11th instalment of the Tom Clancy series – Ubisoft purchased the use of the late author’s name for an undisclosed sum in 2008 – is very good.

You need to stick with it though, because in the first couple of hours I died a lot.

But as you begin to get in tune with the game mechanics, along with having greater weaponry and gear, the tables begin to turn.

The plot is that Skell Technology – based on a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean – has fallen into the hands of bad, bad guys. And they don’t want to use it to resolve Brexit.

The criticism of TCGRB is that it is all a bit samey – whether that be a main story mission or a number of side ones that can be completed for varying rewards.

It involves clearing out heavily armoured bases which have different types of enemies. The freedom comes in how you do it.

There are four different character classes which will change your approach – either stealth to explosive all-out assault like you are auditioning for The Expendables.

But I found it easiest to snipe from distance – taking out the crack marksmen and the fella who can call reinforcements. Only once the numbers had been whittled down would I go a little more close quarters.

TCGRB deserves credit for the scale of the map, there is absolutely loads of places to explore. One minute that can be a giant dam, the next a building site or an airstrip.

Yet the way your character – only known as Nomad – traverses it can be strange at times.

Climbing down a cliff is desperately clunky – often not taking damage for hefty falls – but then needing a health pick-me-up after comically tumbling down a gentle downhill gradient.

It’s not totally refined. It’s not totally perfect. But it is endearing for that.

It’s damn satisfying to clear a base without tripping a single alarm with your silenced guns. And the same applies to an almost endless stream of loot.