The Division even the upcoming second The Division (should be modeled after this game) by NOT being online required in a open world setting. I mention this in a Wildlands review because Ubisoft doesn't do that bad a job with Tom Clancy games, it is just when online required is involved. Now to the Wildlands review: First thing I’ll say about the actual gameplay, is that I love it. I’ve always liked third person games, but tend to prefer first person aiming. Third person is great for running around, and being able to see where you are in relation to obstacles and hazards. It can be difficult sometimes to determine this in first person games. First person aiming is better because it’s more like lining up a real sight picture, right down the sights. Wildlands does exactly this. I really would’ve preferred to have the ability to jump, rather than climb only, but once you get used to that limitation, it’s not as noticeable. I found driving vehicles to be very fun, and each different vehicle feels, different. Different acceleration, different speeds, different handling… different. Driving also changes if you’ve got a blown tire, or two, or three, or four. With updates, the helicopters have become fun to fly now too. The original set up was odd and quirky to figure out. The updated handling is exactly what I’ve come to expect from years of playing games with helicopters in them. Much more intuitive and manageable. And once you figure out how to avoid the SAM sites, it’s no problem. Mostly. You WILL get shot down from time to time. Motorcycles are great fun, but be aware that if you are going full speed and hit something, you will get thrown off the bike and you will die. While the vehicles overall feel very real, you can drive a car off of a hundred foot cliff and land with no damage to yourself, and very little to the car. A minor gripe, really. There are fast travel points, but with as much fun as it is to navigate the landscape, I found myself rarely using them. I may be in the minority with this, but for me, sometimes the journey is as fun as the destination. The missions have a variety of different goals. From stealth infiltration and kidnapping to outright assault and mayhem. There are some missions that are repeated (interrogating enemies for intel, as an example) but I don’t feel like it’s any worse than any other typical game. I found all of the activities to be fun, fitting to the story and setting, and never once felt bored while doing them, even if it was repeatedly. Part of the reason I think I never got bored, is that you can do missions in a ‘do what you want, when you want, how you want’ kind of way. Just because you are kidnapping an enemy Lieutenant for the second or third time, doesn’t mean you can’t do it in a different way. Take a truck, stuff him in the trunk of a car, or evac in a helicopter. It’s up to you. That kind of flexibility is absolutely a blast. Planning the mission is just as big of a part as execution of the mission. Recon the area and make your own plan on how you think you can best accomplish your goal. Or how you think you’ll enjoy it more. Snipe people from a distance, distract the enemies with a flare while you sneak in, find a back way in to the compound taking out lights and sticking to the shadows, or charge right in guns-a-blazing. Disable the alarms and fire as few shots as necessary or let them call in back up to get a proper firefight going. If you aren’t having fun playing this, it’s your own fault, and you just aren’t trying. The game is not short, but I definitely found myself wanting more, when it was over. Really more of a sign of how much I enjoyed the game rather than feeling like I wasn’t getting a full experience. While there isn’t a “New Game +” mode (starting over will reset your accomplishments, skills, and gear) you can replay any completed missions, at any time. When I wanted to replay the game, I just replayed the missions one after the other, and since there is no ‘correct’ order to completing the different regions the first time through, you can do them in whatever order you please the second or third time as well. The main reasons FarCry games are fun for me, are the large maps and sandbox type ‘go anywhere, do anything’ style of gameplay, along with the ability to approach missions in a manner of your choosing. There is a goal, but how you get there, which direction you approach from, etc. are up to you. The main reasons that Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 was a decent TC shooters was the character and weapon customizing ability and fun gameplay. I really don’t care much at all about online PvP gameplay. The Division and Rainbow Six: Siege did very little for me, plus story means more to me than online gaming does. With Wildlands not only do I get full online co-op campaign, but you can have multiple people join the game. Unlike the FarCry online gameplay, there isn’t a limit to the distance between players. You can be on completely different sides of the map, fast travel independently of one another, and even complete different goals at the same time. Just another way that you can assess the situation and attack the game how you please. Wildlands took everything I love about R6:V2 and FC games and combined them. If someone had asked me what I would want from a Ghost Recon game, this is it. Aside from a few minor gripes, this game is about as perfect of a game as I could’ve expected it to be. With weekly challenges you get a little more content here and there, and extra rewards just for playing the game. Even aside from rewards for weekly challenges, I foresee myself playing this game for a very long time to come. I hope that any future installments emulate and add to the gameplay and style of this spectacular title, and don’t take steps backward.