Fun and loot - what more do you need?

This could be the shortest game review in the world. All I need are two three-word phrases.

The first: Lots of fun.

The second: Too much loot! (Yes, the exclamation point is absolutely necessary in this instance.)

GHOST RECON BREAKPOINT
From: Ubisoft.
For: PS4, Xbox One, PC.
Rating: (R16) ★★★★+

Mainly, Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a heck of a lot of fun, an enjoyable, open-world action romp that lets you play at your own pace and always has something more for you to achieve.

It's the 11th title in the Tom Clancy game world and the sequel to Ghost Recon Wildlands, the 2017 smash success.

Broadly similar to Wildlands but with much more depth, Breakpoint takes place in Auroa, a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean. You create the look of, and play as, a character called Lieutenant Colonel Anthony "Nomad" Perryman, a special forces superstar sent to the island to see what is happening there.

A former "Ghost" of the same rank, Cole Walker, has gone rogue. He's decided the government is to blame for the death of his soldiers in Bolivia - the setting for Wildlands. And a private military group known as the Sentinel is ruling Auroa under his command.

It's a solid enough story, with some interesting characters and enough twists to keep you interested.

But the real attraction is the gameplay, and its variety. There is simply a huge amount on offer: exploration, combat (stealth or run-and-gun or a blend of the two), collecting and upgrading stuff, crafting products, and travelling in different vehicles.

It's tougher than Wildlands, deliberately aimed at being a more challenging experience, yet really not too difficult. There is a much wider variety of enemy, and you need to apply different strategies as a result.

There is also a greater emphasis on survival, not just shooting. You find yourself needing to apply bandages or duck away from a skirmish or lie low and cover your face in mud (seriously) to avoid being spotted by an oncoming drone.

Breakpoint must get close to being as graphically impressive as anything on the PS4, which is entering its twilight, and the map is huge.

I love the fact the emphasis is on choosing your own path and pace. You can pursue main or side quests in literally any order, dip into daily missions, hunt down new gear or weapons, or simply explore, and it's all made super easy with a "three-pin system" to track quests.

Inspired by Battlefield (and other games), you also get the choice of playing as one of four classes - assault, panther, medic or sharpshooter - and each comes with individual challenges.

Then there is the loot.

So. Much. Loot.

Wildlands had a bit of loot but Breakpoint takes loot WAY further. There are crates everywhere - containing loot rated for rarity and effectiveness by colour - and enemies are constantly dropping gear. You find yourself swapping out headgear and armoured vests and boots and weapons every few minutes, each upgrade leading to a boost in your overall gear level.

It's all just a bit too much, to be honest. Sometimes, it would be nice to just enjoy half an hour of gameplay without worrying about upgrading gear, yet that is the loop to which the game constantly returns.

Breakpoint hasn't reviewed that well in the gaming media, and that makes no sense. Is it maybe a bit repetitive? Sure, thanks to the loot obsession. Is it disappointing there is, as yet, no scope for having AI team-mates? Yes. Are there a few glitches? Yep. But none of the above really detracts from the overall experience.