Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (Nintendo 3DS)

I would never have considered this; none of its design or marketing indicates that it's a relatively cerebral turn-based strategy game. Other games in the series are action games. However, I was very fortunate and won some 3DS games in a competition. When I looked at reviews to see which ones to keep, I discovered the true nature of this one and decided to give it a go.

Here you have six or fewer individual soldiers, with specific abilities, and a series of campaign missions. It's turn-based and square grid-based. At first you're led by the nose -- do this, then do this... so that you can learn about what the troops, and the enemies can do. Later you have much more flexibility to plan tactics.

3D doesn't have to be used in a flashy way; in this game it makes the whole game feel a bit like animated tabletop wargaming on an elaborate set. The terrain, elevation and structures affect the gameplay and being able to see them in 3D makes it easier to make placement decisions. It's possible to move around the camera, and there are some rather nice 3d sweeps at the beginning of each mission. It's all very charming and fun to play, and quite addictive. The 12 rating reflects the subject matter; terrain and characters are realistic and soldiers are 'killed' with guns. But there is no blood or visible injury and I would be happy for a slightly younger strategy-minded child to play it.

I've been playing on the medium - Veteran - difficulty level. When I tried playing an early mission on 'Elite' I got pounded; but with Veteran although I've lost the odd scenario, I can mostly just about pull through.

Some have said this is an RPG, but there's no skill tree; each character levels up in pre-determined ways.

It's also a big game; reassuring in these days of shorter games. As well as the lengthy campaign, there are 'skirmish' missions that don't fit into the main campaign but illustrate different playing styles, and a head-to-head mode. I think it does a good job of both showing what the 3DS can do, and showing why you might spend £30 on a DS game rather than a couple of pounds on an iPhone game.

Reading the other reviews here, it seems like some people expected a first or third person shooter. That is certainly not the case! Ghost Recon is a turn-based shooter and a very good one at that. Being a big fan of advance wars and age of empires on the original DS, I was glad to see something similar as a launch title. The turn-based nature of the game is well suited to the pick up and play nature of the 3DS, and if you turn up the movement speed in the options, you won't get frustrated waiting for the enemy to make their move.

The game's story is extremely typical Commando fare, with cliched characters, unlikely to elicit an emotional reaction at any point in the game. In all honesty, I certainly didn't expect anything more, and I'm glad the game accepts some people just want to play the game. The characters themselves can all be upgraded with new weapons and armour, something you will enjoy a great deal. Each squad member is unique enough to be useful in different situations and some missions require that you select a smaller squad, which will require some consideration to hand pick the best team.

The levels are well designed, occasionally funnelling you through tough corridors, at other times allowing multiple routes. The graphics aren't fantastic, but make good use of visual cues, and I never found myself wishing for more. It really depends how you feel about graphics, but don't expect to be blown away.

The game shines when it all comes together. You can have your sniper on a high flank picking off targets, your stealthy character sneaking around killing enemies with a knife and your heavy weapons guy soaking up the bullets. The more time you take to learn the squad's nuances the more fun the game becomes.

Beyond the average 3D that adds little to the overall experience, there is plenty of depth to this game. A lengthy campaign with additional side missions as well and one-console multiplayer won't have you playing until next year, but the game is far from short and well worth the price.

If you are unsure, I'd urge you take the risk, as I didn't expect to enjoy the game as much as I did!

Having pre-ordered a 3DS to replace my well-used and gradually crumbling NINTENDO Nintendo DS Lite Console - Black DS Console I had to select a couple of launch titles, I picked up Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo 3DS) based on my love of the old SNES game and Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars based on the initial reviews it was getting online.

As other reviewers have said, from first appearances (and the history of the franchise) you may assume that this is a first-person shooter but in fact it's a top-down, turn-based, tactical RPG along similar lines to the excellent Advance Wars: Days of Ruin for Nintendo DS games that were available on the original DS. You're put in charge of a six-person unit, each with a different set of skills (sniper, medic, engineer etc.) in addition to some extra classes you get to control during specific missions, including robot-drones and other soldiers. While this may not sound like a lot of variety you're able to customise each squad-member's equipment and unlock new abilities for them as you progress through the game.

The game is also remarkably well-balanced, each character-type has clear strengths and weaknesses and in the missions where you're required to choose your squad selecting the right people is often key to your success. Many games of this sort present you with a range of choices of whom some are completely useless and others are so good as to almost 'break' the game by making it so easy, Ghost Recon manages to avoid these pitfalls and in doing so adds significantly to the depth and challenge of the gameplay.

It's a genuinely fun game and - unlike Pilotwings Resort - there's a lot to keep you occupied, according to the 3DS 'activity log' I've put in over 30 hours of play-time and I've still not finished the game - particularly not on the hardest 'elite' difficulty level, or the extra 'skirmish' missions that you unlock as you progress (which include fun gimmicks like taking on hordes of zombies).

My only criticism would be the lack of online play, this kind of game really lends itself to challenging friends and strangers on the internet and adding that feature could have extended the game's lifespan even further. It also doesn't take advantage of the 3DS' 'streetpass' features in the ways that games like Super Street Fighter IV in 3D (Nintendo 3DS) and Samurai Warriors: Chronicle (Nintendo 3DS) do, which feels like a missed opportunity.

That said I can heartily recommend this game, it's a perfect combination of fun and challenge and contains enough content to keep you entertained until some more 3DS games start to appear.