Ghost Recon Wildlands has received a new update about 9 years after its release. The core of this content drop is a new quest line that takes place on a separate save file after the main campaign. There were also a few quality-of-life improvements. MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller took a look at the update and wants to discuss with you whether it’s worth checking out the tactical shooter again.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ghost Recon, Wildlands has received a new update donated by Ubisoft. The focus of this update is a new quest line called “Last Rites,” in which we confront a new antagonist named “La Llorna.”
Overall, the update offers a handful of smaller highlights:
- The new “Last Rites” quest line
- Current-gen update: Players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S can now play at 4k resolution and 60 FPS
- New customization options for difficulty
- The return of the Predator operation
- There is now an option to change the number of NPC companions
- New settings for the game world
Additionally, there is now a new Definitive Edition of the game, which includes the main game and all previous DLCs. Personally, what interests me even more: The base game is reduced to €2.49 until August 16!
A cool quest line that can be easily ignored
Last Rites is not bad. The new quest line is short and can be completed in about an hour, but since we received this update for free, I don’t consider that a point of criticism.
Instead, we get a short story that provides us with exactly what Wildlands is known for: tactical missions with infiltration of enemy camps, a dark story featuring a tragic antagonist, and random Unidad patrols that can unpredictably ruin a perfect stealth attack.
The introduction to the DLC is a bit slow and could pick up speed more quickly. Furthermore, the gameplay time feels artificially extended due to the lack of helicopter support and fast travel points, leading to unnecessary travel times. However, the dark story of the antagonists can be convincing.
The short conclusion about Last Rites: If you enjoyed Wildlands, you will also like Last Rites. The gameplay remains fundamentally the same, and the story is as dark as ever. However, if you do not own Wildlands yet, you should not decide to purchase it solely based on the update but rather base your acquisition on the overall package.
The real highlights: two small adjustments.
With Last Rites, Ghost Recon Wildlands also received three new settings that are the real highlights of the update because they significantly improve the gaming experience.
For starters, you can now customize your difficulty setting very individually. Here you can adjust the damage inflicted by you or your enemies. It is also possible to enhance or decrease the awareness of your enemies. They will then detect you either faster or slower.
On the “Extreme” difficulty, for example, the “clouds” on the mini-map that indicate whether you have revealed all enemies are removed. If you want to keep this display but still experience the enemy awareness and damage of “Extreme,” you can now customize the “Advanced” level accordingly with sliders to make it more challenging.
Moreover, there is now a small option allowing you to set the number of your NPC companions in solo mode – anything between 0 and 3 is possible. This not only provides you with a new challenge but also prevents your companions – whom you don’t need at the moment – from standing around uselessly or wandering off and being discovered by a random patrol.
If you played Wildlands solo in 2017, you will love this setting. I am convinced of it!
The third option is almost even better: you can now set certain parameters for the game world itself. You will now find the usual stuff like weather and time of day, but also the ability to decrease or even turn off the number of random patrols.
If there is one thing I really hated about Ghost Recon Wildlands, it was the Unidad helicopters that random caught me and my coop partner while we were infiltrating a Santa Blanca cartel stronghold.
These flying nuisances have ruined a really cool assault for us far too often.
Is it worth playing Ghost Recon Wildlands again now?
Yes and no. If you play on console, it is certainly cool to play in 4K and 60 FPS now. The game still looks decent today and is not massively outdated. I would not return just for the new quest line. It is solid but more of an accessory that you can enjoy when you check it out again.
The three newly presented QoL settings are truly a significant improvement for the game and made me finally want to play Wildlands again after many years. Since I played the shooter at release on PS4, I’m now playing it again from the beginning on PC. The new settings are perfect for customizing the gameplay experience so that it doesn’t feel like the game from back in the day anymore.
But I must also be honest: Without the offer of €2.49, I wouldn’t have purchased the game again for this small update. However, if you already own it on your desired platform, you don’t have to spend a cent.
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