Ghost Recon Breakpoint Does a Phenomenal Job With Its Main Villain

Earlier last month, we here at Prima Games had the honor of playing a whopping 7 hours of the upcoming Ghost Recon Breakpoint by Ubisoft. Though you can read our full impressions here, there was so much more to this new narrative than what meets the eye and one aspect of that is the game’s main villain played by The Punisher’s Jon Bernthal. 

As seen in the video below, Ubisoft recently revealed a new live-action trailer starring Bernthal to show just how this character went from trusted ally to lethal enemy. The transition wasn’t immediate, nor was it entirely unjustified, but as a veteran myself I couldn’t help but to appreciate how real, raw, and authentic his character arc felt. 

The game’s main antagonist started out as a friend in the latest Wildlands DLC until players were betrayed by him, only to find out that he was an enemy of the Ghosts. Breakpoint takes that plot twist and takes it even further, providing an edge to the gameplay experience that very much feels reliant on vengeance. That element, to me, felt incredible – it made the gameplay personal, made the narrative touching, and really made me want to kick ass and take names.

Through flashbacks littered throughout the game’s main campaign, the player will find themselves watching as each of those cracks in this character’s honor and world view becomes larger and all encompassing. We see the moment that he turned away from his squad, the moment he turned radical, and those moments in between that almost make his actions make sense. That relatability can be uncomfortable at times, no one wants to relate to a ‘sociopath’ but that’s exactly why Ubisoft’s carefully crafted narrative is so impactful. 

As with Wildlands, players get out of the game what they put in. For those that fast-track through the story for endgame content, a lot of those developmental intricacies will be lost, but for those that pay attention there is a hefty treat ahead. It will make you feel heartbroken, it will make you feel angry – it will make you feel out for blood. 

That’s inbetween all of those donuts you’ll inevitably be doing with all of the in-game vehicles but come on – sometimes a little levity is needed. 

Tom Clancy fans will be able to see for themselves when Ghost Recon Breakpoint arrives on October 4th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.