On April 19th 2012 the Ghost Recon Future Soldier beta opened up for those with splinter cell conviction or for those who pre-ordered the game from GameStop/EBGames. As a big fan of the GRAW series, this game came as a big dissapointment. First of all, they standardized/mainstreamed the controls making it feel more like a CoD or a BF game, but in third person. When your someone who is so used to the GRAW controls, it really throws you off to begin with. While some may say that the controls arn't a problem or that its good that they used controlls that people know, it takes away from the ghost recon feel.
Secondly, and this is the BIGGEST issue I have with the game and I'm sure 90% (if not 100%) of all GRAW fans are pissed about, they changed the lobby system to one that seems alot like the BF3 lobby system with the squads within teams. which means you can no longer start up a lobby match and invite all your friends to it and start playing from there and have random people join your lobby to fill any free space. This also means that you can't customise the game to your preferences (ie. game time limit, game mode, map, guns usable, spawning, or choose who is on whos team) making it very difficult for a large group of friends to have fun with the game.
In an E3 2010 interview [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6kBq7p5BLs ], they specifically stated that Ghost Recon isn't going to be like a CoD, MoH, or BF game, which is exactly what ended up happening. Due to that, I went into the Beta expecting a Ghost Recon lobby system with some good old fashioned Ghost Recon controls. Sadly they did not meet my expectations.
Aside from the lobby system, once your in the game playing it, it is fun to play and does feel like a ghost recon game when you over look the control sheme, it takes some getting used to but it is a lot of fun and very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to the release of the full game on May 22nd 2012. Hoping (without too much expectations) that there will be alot more game modes and guns, and maybe a better lobby system?….Pfff I wish! The full game also needs to have the option to change the control scheme, but in all honestly what full game doesn't have that option? If for some strange and out of this world reason they don't put it in….that's a big FAIL on their part.
Happy gaming, see you all online xD
-Tucker 705