Common Sense Media Review
By David Chapman , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 18+
Violent, mature shooter focuses on drug cartel conflict.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Players constantly fight against cartel soldiers, paramilitary forces; characters use realistic military weapons against each other, with violence emphasized by spurts of blood, lingering bodies. Players regularly encounter bodies left hanging by cartel as messages to rebels; some encounters show other examples of brutality, including torture, mutilated bodies, beheadings.
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Language
a lot
Frequent use of "ass," "f--k," "s--t" in English, Spanish.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
Smoking, drinking regularly referenced, including an unlockable cigar that can be added to a player's in-game appearance. Drug use is prevalent throughout, with regular references to cocaine use, including portrayals of characters snorting the drug.
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See AlsoGhost Recon: Advanced WarfighterGhost Recon Wildlands Special Operation 2 Adds Permadeath Mode, New Ghost War FeaturesTom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands - Page 3Ubisoft is shuttering online services for 10 gamesGet started
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Products & Purchases
a lot
Part of Ubisoft's popular Tom Clancy line of games, specifically Ghost Recon franchise, which has seen numerous games released on multiple platforms, as well as books, films, other merchandise. Game supports unlockable content available as rewards by Ubisoft Club; downloadable content available to purchase online.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Some sexual themes, including photos of a woman's breasts shown briefly. Also occasional sexual comments heard in in-game dialogue, particularly by radio station DJ.
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Ease of Play
some
Fair bit of inventory management, including customizing weapon parts, load-outs, assigning skill points to special abilities. Variety of unique vehicles available, some of which are more difficult to control than others (airplanes, helicopters).
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Positive Role Models
a little
Ghosts are a special-ops military squad working toward a positive goal. They rely strongly on teamwork, coordination. Team believes strongly in their goal, working not only to stop drug cartel but to help those affected most by cartel's actions.
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Positive Messages
very little
Although Ghost team is working toward ultimate goal of dismantling a powerful drug cartel, their missions sometimes include actions such as theft, interrogation, assassination. Relies heavily on tactics, teamwork, communication, with players either assigning orders to AI teammates, working together as a real group in online play.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is an open-world tactical shooter. Players are part of a special-ops military squad tasked with dismantling a major drug cartel in Bolivia. Tactics and communication are important in the game, whether in solo or online co-op play. Violence is persistent, with constant gun battles against cartel members and military forces. The game features graphic scenes of blood and gore, as well as constant references to and instances of drug use and profanity and some sexual content, including sexual dialogue and images of breasts. Finally, gameplay features optional in-game purchases with custom equipment, boosts, and unlocks, as well as story-based downloadable content.
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
Parent and Kid Reviews
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- Parents say (46)
- Kids say (42)
age 13+
Based on 46 parent reviews
ErikOlding Parent of 17-year-old
January 5, 2023
age 12+
You can turn off gore and blood. No sex and nudity. And mild drugs and smoking. Good for 12 year olds
This game is amazing with the graphics and everything. But when it comes down to blood and gore. You can disable this. There is a setting in the settings menu that says "gore". Simply turn this off and there you go no more gore. For the swearing you can also turn this off. Again its in settings. There is no sex and nudity in this game as its a war game. I enjoyed the game and let my son play it. You can drink and smoke but its very mild as you may see someone just having a cigarette and that's it. Drinking is also mild.
Ben H. Parent of 12-year-old
January 5, 2023
age 12+
12+ Blood and gore can be turned off. Along with profanity. No sex and nudity. Very little drinking and smoking.
This game is so good in all ways. For kids however there is blood and gore. Guess what. This can be turned off! It has swearing too but this can be turned off. All in settings. I have a YouTube video if you check it out on how to turn this off. There is 0 sex and nudity in it. Drinking and smoking there is very little in it. On the other hand this game has good role models and teaches kids a lot about things that they should learn about. Let your 12+ year old play this as it will have a positive affect on them.
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What’s It About?
In TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON WILDLANDS, you are a member of the Ghosts, an elite special-ops team that officially doesn't exist. It's the year 2019, and the Santa Blanca drug cartel has gained the power and influence to take over the country of Bolivia, turning it into a fully functional narco-state. After the bombing of a U.S. embassy and the execution of an undercover DEA agent by the Santa Blanca, the Ghosts are called in to dismantle the cartel and end its influence once and for all. To accomplish this, the Ghosts will need to take down the organization bit by bit, from the cocaine-distribution network to the human-trafficking operations to the propaganda used to help sway the people of Bolivia to Santa Blanca's cause. Piece by piece, mission by mission, the Ghosts chip away at Santa Blanca until only one person is left: El Sueño, the charismatic, methodical, and brutally sad*stic leader of the cartel. You may be only four soldiers against the forces of illegal drug organization backed by an entire nation. But then again, those forces have never had to face a Ghost.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (46):
Kids say (42):
This tactical open-world shooter might be violent, but the flexibility in gameplay will keep you coming back for more. Most shooters have you charge into battle guns blazing like a one-man killing machine, dodging lead like raindrops and soaking up damage like you're one part sponge and two parts Terminator. But the Ghost Recon series has never been like most shooters, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is the best the series has ever offered. Take the calculated, tactical planning that's been a cornerstone of the franchise and drop it into a massive, open-world environment filled with all kinds of terrain, vehicles, weapons, and skills, and you end up with an amazing gaming experience that you can play almost any way you see fit. Whether you sneak through the shadows, eliminating threats and accomplishing objectives with no one the wiser, or go in big and bold, crashing right through the front gates in an armored jeep, remotely blowing up a nearby fuel tanker to take the enemy by surprise, the game is nothing if not filled with options. But no matter which path you choose, you're going to need to be sure to work as a team. Trying to go lone wolf in Wildlands is a surefire way to end up a dead wolf.
Ghost Recon Wildlands is all about teamwork and strategy. No matter if you're going solo with an AI squad, going online with a handful of buddies, or even diving into an open match and hoping for the best, working together is key to overcoming the numbers game against the Santa Blanca cartel. Admittedly, if you're going to go online, you're usually better off setting up a match with people you know vs. people you don't. In open matches, you never know who you're going to get. You could wind up with an elite group that takes on missions with surgical precision, or you could wind up with a group that will run you over with a truck just as soon as they'd cover your back. The latter type of match can take a chunk of the fun out of the game, but sometimes even those chaotic moments are good for a laugh. The most impressive feat in Wildlands is that it gives players a huge sandbox to play in, but it always gives something to do to keep things from getting stale. The game's version of Bolivia includes thick woodlands, snowy mountains, salt flats, and more. One minute it's bright and sunny, the next you're trudging through mud in a thunderstorm. The world around you feels truly alive, ever-changing, and with a mood all its own. What Ubisoft has managed to do is create a place you're not just there to save but a place you genuinely feel is worth saving.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in media. In what ways does a realistic portrayal of violence affect younger minds? What are ways to explain the real-life violence of some military operations?
Talk about illegal drugs. What makes certain drugs so dangerous that they have to be classified as illegal? What are some of the effects that the illegal drug trade has on our everyday life?
How does the alternative reality of Ghost Recon Wildlands compare with the reality of Bolivia? What about with other Latin American countries? What did you know about Bolivia before playing this game?
How do you think the story and characters of the game affect the perception of Latinos? Does it reinforce the idea that all Latinos are corrupt and/or involved with illegal drug trade?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: UbiSoft
- Release date: March 7, 2017
- Genre: Third-Person Shooter
- Topics: Cars and Trucks, Adventures
- ESRB rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Last updated: October 22, 2021
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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands
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