Ghost Recon: Wildlands features a truly massive world that is loaded with things to do, and at first it can be a little overwhelming. With 21 huge areas that are freely explorable and lots of points of interest to seek out along the way, it’s safe to say that you’ll have plenty to do. This guide will get you started on the right foot so that your beginning hours are a little less painful.
Use Your Tacmap
The game’s interpretation of Bolivia is absolutely massive and stunning from a visual standpoint, and using the Tacmap regularly is vital to being able to navigate it properly. When you first open up the Tacmap you’ll notice that most of the areas are completely dark outside of a few major intel locations, and you’ll want to hunt those spots down first. Seeking those out will open up new missions for you to progress the story, which will also lead you to other points of interest that will fill out the map further.
You’ll also be able to see a region’s difficulty when viewing it from the Tacmap, which is a good idea to do before wandering into the next area. While the game allows you to explore everything the world has to offer in whichever order you like, if you’re not accustomed to these kinds of games then you’ll likely want to focus on the lower difficulty areas first.
Ghost Squad Commands
If you’re playing solo then it will be up to you to guide the other 3 AI-controlled members of the Ghost squad, which can be a little shaky depending on what you’re trying to do. If you’re taking a guns blazing approach then they’ll put up a good fight, and you can order them to fire if they aren’t already from the Ghost Squad command wheel. You can also order them to go to a specific location to have them go into battle before you, or have them come back to you if they’re too far away.
However, those who are really trying to take a stealth approach may find that it works better to have them stay behind with the hold command. They do tend to get in trouble when you’re trying to be sneaky, so if you find that happening too much just have them stay in a hiding spot while you go get the work done.
Know Your Enemies
There are two main groups of enemies that you will have to face in Wildlands, and they are the Santa Blanca cartel and the Unidad soldiers. Santa Blanca cartel members and Unidad soldiers are marked by orange and purple spots on the Tacmap, respectively. The Santa Blanca cartel members are easy enough to deal with as they go down quickly and are only difficult in groups. It’s the Unidad soldiers that you really want to watch out for, as they’re heavily armored and have weapons that can do a lot of damage. Killing them in the middle of a battle will also increase their level of alertness and cause more powerful soldiers to come after you, so it’s best to avoid them entirely or take them out outside of battle to avoid more being called in. Finally, these two groups may just end up fighting each other during any particular shootout, and if that happens then it’s a perfect opportunity for you to do what you need to while they’re distracted.
Note the Time of Day
Wildlands features a day/night cycle that not only shows off the game’s impressive visuals, but also has some very important gameplay uses. While tackling an enemy compound during the day is fine for a guns blazing approach, those who are aiming to take a stealth approach will be better-suited waiting until nighttime. You’ll be harder to spot as you sneak around enemies, and thanks to your night vision goggles you’ll be able to maneuver at night without any issues.
Use Your Suppressors
Each of the guns in Wildlands has the option for you to add a suppressor to it, which is done by pressing up on the dpad when aiming down sights. You should almost always have your suppressor equipped, as doing so will allow you to take out enemies without alerting others nearby. This is vital for a stealth approach, but even if you aren’t trying to be sneaky it’s a good way to get the first strike to start a big shootout. For those who are going stealth, be sure that other enemies aren’t currently looking in the direction of the enemy you’re about to kill, because they will be alerted with or without an equipped suppressor if they see the person go down.
Use Your Drone
The drone is an absolute must for anyone who is looking to take things more tactfully in Wildlands, as it will allow you to scope out a compound and give you a better idea of what to expect before going in. You’ll want to get as close to the compound as you can before sending out the drone, because it has a limited range at first that you can then upgrade with skill points. Send it around the area to try and tag as many enemies that you’re in range of, while also noting all of the major areas and points of interest that you may need to go to. As you upgrade the drone you’ll be able to increase its battery and speed, while also making it be able to cause a noise distraction.
Tag Supplies
As you make your way through the game’s world you’ll see a variety of different objects that will allow you to tag them for the rebels to come and pick up. Doing this is quick and comes highly recommended, as it will net you resources to unlock new skills.
Fast Travel
As you enter more and more regions in Bolivia you’ll find that it’s taking longer and longer to get back to places you were before, and that’s where the game’s fast travel system comes into play. You can fast travel via Rally Points that are located on the Tacmap, though you can only fast travel when you’re outside of combat. More and more of these Rally Points will open up as you explore the game’s world, which is a huge time saver.
Upgrade Your Character
As you make your way through the game you will accumulate XP, skill points and supply caches that all go towards being able to improve your skills. There are five skill categories in total to choose from, and each has several areas for you to improve. You’ll want to get the early Drone and Physical upgrades first, which will allow you to scope out enemy areas more easily and take more damage from the inevitable shootouts. Just make sure that you’re regularly seeking out skill points and supply caches while navigating through any given area, as this will allow you to upgrade your skills at a steady clip and will make life easier when starting out.
Bring Friends
While Wildlands can be played alone, it’s at its best when you can manage to get together a good team. This is especially the case for those looking to go through the game tactfully, as each member of the team can have their own roles in a way that isn’t possible with the AI. It’s always great to have one or two teammates stay back to provide sniper support from afar, then having the remaining teammates go in to take out enemies indoors or go for the objectives. If you or a teammate goes down during a battle then you will be able to revive them once, though if it happens again during the same fight then you’ll fail the mission. You’ll find that playing with others is a lot more fun than playing solo before long, so either set up a group or head into matchmaking whenever you can.
