Ghost Recon: Wildlands - 10 Things We Learned From The Beta
6. The Story Will Be Divisive
Let's be honest for a moment, story has never been one of the Clancy brand's brightest elements. Most have conformed (largely) to the conventions of the military genre, forgoing the political intrigue of Clancy's books and instead emulating the biggest beasts of Hollywood's action aficionados. More Michael Bay, shall we say, than Kathryn Bigelow.
Be that as it may, Wildlands looks set to return to some of Clancy's brightest source material. On the surface at least, the setting should draw instant comparison with one of the author's most fondly remembered works, A Clear and Present Danger; a book that features CIA analyst Jack Ryan uncovering an illegal US war in Colombia sanctioned by shady figures within the agency. A critique of the potential for presidencies to wage illegal wars without Congressional oversight, the book (and later the film), seemingly took aim at the Reagan administration's role in the Iran-Contra affair. Having just departed the beta, I somewhat doubt that Wildlands will inherit this message.
First off, it's bold for a game to even contemplate broaching America's War on Drugs, more-so for one to actually tackle it head on. But it deserves more than what Wildlands can offer. Our merry band of CIA wetworkers actively advocate the use of torture, labelling it an "art" under the right conditions (ew), and tonally, the title seems totally dissonant. It compounds a nigh-unflinching dedication to realism with an '80s action aesthetic that contravenes both gameplay and plot, providing irreverence where nuance should take primacy.
Being a Clancy title, there is some consolation in the fact that these narratives are never as clear cut in their intentions as their contemporaries. Plots can be flipped on their head in an instant and, given the franchise's predilection for double-crosses and character-driven drama, the prospect of a nuanced military tale coming to fruition is, however dented, still a possibility.