Do not trust this 7.5 score the game is worth more than that - very disappointed as usually I trust reviews on here
In this the game does not disappoint - from the beautifully detailed weapon customisation system to synchronising your kills and keeping your head down, this series has a certain charm that games such as halo, gears of war and even games like cod and battlefield do not achieve (I am a fan of and have played all of those too - They are all great in their own way)
The bad points of this game are that nothing feels really new or innovative - the gun customisation is probably the most innovative thing but whilst it has a lot of detail and is an excellent example of how cool fitting out your gun can be, for some reason it doesn't feel like there are quite as many options as for example the latest rainbow 6.
The game play itself does not reinvent the wheel either: The only thing I'd say is there seems to be a trend in the Ghost Recon games where every sequel the average combat range seems to get a little bit closer - long gone are the days of ghost Recon 1 and 2 where you would be squinting your eyes at the TV trying to work out if it is an enemy in the distance or a leaf blowing in the wind. This game is mostly fought at rainbow 6 ranges i.e. half the time you could slap them in the face rather than shoot them.
The good points are this game is smoother than ever. The weapons and environment somehow feel more realistic than they do in other games, especially with the new feature of suppressive fire actually disorientating you rather than making your screen turn red or something silly. The cover system has been ripped from gears of war, but I don't mind that as it is a great one.
I do not find the firefights to be boring or whatever the review says - in fact quite the opposite - a lot of action is always taking place regardless of where you are in the game. For example at one part you are shooting between scrambling civilians, another part you are fighting in a violent sandstorm (very fun) another part you are dragging a VIP through an area whilst fending off attackers with your pistol, RPGs and gunfire barely missing you.
Difficulty should have been increased in my opinion - the most difficult part is not being detected on missions which require it but even that is alleviated by extremely regular checkpoints. I would have enjoyed more difficulty on the hardest setting (even if the normal/easy difficulties were kept as they are for the ones who can't cope). I enjoy regular checkpoints as it keeps frustration levels low but the combination of having hardly any challenge and knowing if you do fail you will have only wasted 5 minutes maximum can make it feel too easy.
Introductions to the game's mechanics take place gradually throughout the game and are well placed. There are a huge amount of short but quality cinematics peppered throughout each level helping you keep on track of the storyline and giving you a sense of purpose.
I am not saying this game is perfect - it has poor online support from Ubisoft and it does not bring anything truly innovative to the table but it is a smooth, solid game that will bring me hours of local co-op fun (a rarity lately for some reason). I sincerely believe is that this game should have gotten 8.5 at least if compared to some of the other rubbish games out there which receive 7.5 or even more - hope it gets re-reviewed one day