Ghost Recon Breakpoint adds AI squadmates today
AI friends for Johnny no-murdermates
While your AI-controlled teammates in Ghost Recon Wildlands were not the brightest sparks, they were handy for filling out your squad if you didn't have co-op pals - so it was weird that the sequel straight cut them. No more. By popular demand, Ubisoft today add AI squadmates to Ghost Recon Breakpoint in a free update. They'll follow your lead, do fancy tricks like execute synchronous shots, and can be customised to make your dream team. To celebrate the arrival of our new cyberpals, the open-world tactical sneak-o-shooter will hold a free trial weekend, starting Thursday.
So, AI squadmates. Basically like in Wildlands, with some tweaks. They'll follow you around, you can order them to go places, hold position, or just start murdering. They'll act in different ways depending on their weapon type. They'll use gun turrets in vehicles if you want to pootle around blasting away. Y'know, squadmate stuff. Standard things that wouldn't be remarkable if the game hadn't weirdly launched without them.
They do have some sensible behaviours to stop them screwing things up. By default they'll follow your lead on movement, stances, and engaging enemies. If you don't tell them to and enemies haven't spotted you, they won't break stealth. If you hop in a car and bail on them, they'll either teleport into it with you and appear once you get out. And if you go down, they'll try to take out nearby enemies before attempting to revive you. That's handy.
This blog post explains more about the AI's behaviour and how to control them. And see the Update 2.1.0 patch notes for other additions, tweaks, and fixes coming today. Do be warned: the patch is a big'un, weighing in at 16.8GB.
As for the trial weekend, Ubisoft say that will start on Thursday the 16th and end on Sunday the 19th.
Our Matt's Ghost Recon Breakpoint review found its fights repetitive and its progression system bland, and the whole thing didn't really stand out. "In 2019, a massive and meticulously-crafted open world just doesn't cut it," he said. "Any life breathed into Ghost Recon Breakpoint will have to be pumped into it by you and your friends, and you'd do better to save your breath for other games."