Gaming

A first-timer’s perspective on Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Of all the games in the series I tried first, it’s this

Published

November 24, 2019

Gab Orlina

I haven’t had a chance to play any Tom Clancy game in many years, and I wanted to scan the field first on which one I should start with. I decided that I should probably give the Ghost Recon franchise a good crack at it, and went with the latest release.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is the latest installment in this action-packed series. It is set three years after the events of its predecessor, Ghost Recon: Wildlands and features a returning cast of characters.

Ubisoft promised some key differences in terms of the overall story arch and terrain while bringing the same gameplay older players know. It hopes to bring something fresh for the newbies like me who plan on getting invested in the franchise.

Except maybe that was all it was — an idea

In terms of terrain, I really couldn’t say anything more. It’s honestly fantastic to see how much effort animators put into the vivid imagery seen on the overworld. From the trees and the humidity of the forests to the fiery crash sites and abandoned camps, it looks realistic in every sense.

The realistic rainy mountain view provided the realism I needed for this game

In terms of story arch though, it seems fairly different. The game takes place in Auroa, a forest-laden island in the South Pacific. It follows the franchise’s lead character “Nomad” after his team’s drug bust in Bolivia from Ghost Recon: Wildlands. The team was sent to Auroa to investigate the sinking of a US cargo ship near the island.

While it does present something relatively different, I felt that the way I progressed through the game seemed bland and confusing. Throughout the game, I come across military-like entities, secret mountain camps, and several characters that reveal little important information on my objective. More often than not, I’m off fighting enemies than figuring out how to get survivors out of the island.

It’s the kind of rescue mission that just puts more emphasis on the action-packed scenery, and also on deep-rooted conflicts in the past. I had to read up on the premise of Wildlands before bridging the pieces together on the relationship between Nomad and the main antagonist, Walker. And for some reason, that’s one of the main takeaways I had from the storyline of Breakpoint.

You’re only sure of where you’re going in the beginning

The main setting for Ghost Recon: Breakpoint of the mountainous Auroa

The moment you jump right into the game, you find yourself by your totaled helicopter ride. As you gain consciousness, you slowly become aware of the basic controls of the game. Apart from that, you get a glimpse of your objectives and the general locations of these objectives. Seems pretty straightforward to start the game, right?

The thing is, that’s honestly the only straightforward thing I found. The moment you are off doing your objectives, I felt like I knew where I needed to be. From checking out crash sites to going to the hidden camp of Erewhon, this open world game offered you the simplest objective to start out.

Every other mission after that, it was basically left to you to decide where to go. The good thing about the missions HUD for the game is it actually tells you which one follows the main storyline. But, I ended up exploring everything else just to see the whole map first.

In-game mechanics that are either simple or weird

As much as I wanted to explore the main storyline at first, I literally needed a tutorial on how this game operates. First off, this is the only game I’ve played in my life where I literally had to access the map every 20 minutes. You know how games with missions show you a pathway towards the locations of your missions? Breakpoint doesn’t know this, as you are basically coming into every location-based mission blind.

One-stop access hub for your missions, objectives, and navigation to different screens (top)

I appreciate that you can see where each mission is on the map, and that you can tick on it so there’s easier access to it. But the moment I leave the Map screen and proceed with the game, I should have memorized how to get to that place first. It’s tedious to open the Map every now and then, and that’s just weird to me.

Second, I enjoyed the fact that you could organize your loadout before every battle. As you keep fighting and completing missions, you gain experience to unlock certain loadout slots. To me, it’s actually important to prepare for all your missions. Plus, the loadout screen seems simple and easy to understand.

A wide variety of weapons at your disposal

Finally, combat is just what you expect from any game involving weapons. I have to admit that aim in this game was fairly difficult to master, but nothing a quick sniper can’t fix. But honestly, you’d be spending a ton of combat time healing your injuries than actually shooting people in the head. I spent a lot of time hiding just to heal wounds to fight again, and thank God the stealth mechanic works well.

Bringing it all together

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is a peculiar game to start getting into a series for the first time. On one hand, you’re taken away by improved visuals, additional combat mechanics and the same style of combat you see from any other shooter game. As someone who particularly likes the combination of shooters and adventures, it’s something to try.

But, as a storyteller, I felt like I needed something worth investing time in. The storyline for Breakpoint felt different than its predecessors, but it never fully takes a deep dive into more pressing conflicts. As great as the action could be, it gets in the way of the more crucial element of the game.

Overall, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint serves you with the no-nonsense action in a personality-driven plot. Ubisoft promised something different than the last, and I honestly felt they fell short by a few notches. But, nothing like a good patch to fix those, right?

Me wanting something more out of this game

Features

The ROG products I still remember

More than memorable machines

Published

June 30, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Every time a company announces an unusual product, someone inevitably asks, “But who asked for this?”

It’s a fair question. Practicality matters.

But after spending years reviewing tech, I’ve started appreciating another question just as much.

What if nobody had tried?

That, to me, is the story of ROG.

I only really noticed ROG when we started GadgetMatch back in 2015. Back then, they certainly didn’t feel like the powerhouse they do now. But even then, there was something different about the brand.

Looking back after more than a decade of reviewing their devices, I don’t think what defines ROG is that every product has been the best in its category.

It’s that they were rarely afraid to try something new. That’s a much harder thing to pull off.

The courage to experiment

I think ROG has always been willing to do things other gaming brands usually played safe with.

The late 2010s are probably the best example.

Gaming laptops were these behemoths that would break your back if you carried them around for an extended period. Then came the first iterations of the Zephyrus. It wasn’t just another gaming laptop. It was one of the first that genuinely attempted to shrink the gaming laptop form factor without giving up what made it a gaming machine.

From there, the attempts to try new things just kept happening. There was the ROG Phone. The Mothership. The Flow series. Dual-screen head scratchers. The ROG Ally. And more.

Not every experiment was perfect. That’s okay.

Because experimentation isn’t about getting everything right the first time. It’s about giving yourself permission to build something that doesn’t already exist.

That’s why, through all these years, the products I remember most aren’t the ones that played it safe.

The one that kept me curious

If I had to pick one ROG lineup that best represents that mindset, it’d be the Flow Series.

My first brush with it was the original Flow X13. My honest reaction?

“That’s… novel.”

At the time, I saw it as another attempt at shrinking a gaming machine. It came with the ROG XG Mobile—a proprietary external GPU that even used its own custom connector. That particular idea didn’t exactly age too well.

But what really made me gravitate toward the Flow series was the Flow Z13.

ROG calls it a tablet. Form factor-wise, it is. But that thing was chunky. Still, it became my work-and-play buddy for a good few months.

I took it with me on overseas coverage. During the day, it handled everything I needed for work. At night, I could finally unwind with a few games—something I don’t usually get to do while traveling for work.

I use NBA 2K to destress. The Flow Z13 felt like bringing a more-than-competent workhorse and an Xbox Series S in one convenient package.

The Flow didn’t necessarily solve a problem I already had. What intrigued me was what it represented.

To me, the Flow Series is ROG’s promise to keep trying new things. It constantly reimagines what a mobile work-and-play machine can be.

Where the Zephyrus now feels like a promise fulfilled, the Flow still feels like a promise to keep experimenting.

The easiest recommendation

If the Flow represents experimentation, then the Zephyrus represents refinement.

Whenever someone asks me for one gaming laptop recommendation, I almost always end up pointing them toward a Zephyrus.

It’s just the perfect marriage between a sleek work laptop and a gaming rig. There’s very little friction in recommending it because it looks like what most people expect a premium laptop to look like. Then, in an instant, it shifts gears and handles practically anything you throw at it.

That’s also why I’d recommend a Zephyrus over something like a Strix for most people. The Strix feels like it’s built for someone who fully embraces the gamer aesthetic. The Zephyrus feels more understated.

It’s the machine I’d recommend to someone who wants to look professional in a business meeting, then decompress at a café afterward by firing up a favorite game for a quick round or a side quest.

Through the years, that’s probably been the recommendation I’ve given more than any other.

Gaming, untethered

Then came the ROG Ally.

Before the Ally, I almost never played PC games away from a desk. All my life, PC gaming meant sitting at a table somewhere. The Ally really opened up the idea that PC gaming could happen anywhere.

That became especially obvious during the holidays. Whenever I went back to my hometown, I used to bring a bulky gaming console with me.

Last Christmas, I only packed the ROG Xbox Ally X. It completely satisfied my gaming needs.

Back in my tiny studio unit—which, admittedly, isn’t the ideal setup—it’s also become a great way to wind down before bed by knocking out a side quest or advancing a story for a bit. I don’t exactly recommend lying on your side while gaming, but hey, the use case exists.

One memory sticks out more than any benchmark ever could. Growing up, my older brother and I had to take turns using the TV to play games. Last Christmas, he was using the living room TV while I sat nearby playing on the Ally.

For the first time, we were both playing our own games at the same time. No taking turns.

That’s the kind of moment specs don’t really capture.

The products that stay with you

After using what is probably well over a dozen ROG devices at GadgetMatch, I’ve realized something. Their products might all be PCs—save for the ROG Phone—but they aren’t trying to be the same PC.

Each one is built for a different kind of user.

And because GadgetMatch has spent so much time reviewing ROG’s lineup over the years, they’ve naturally become one of the measuring sticks I use when evaluating gaming laptops.

Not necessarily because they’re always the best. Mostly because of the breadth and depth of the lineup—and the amount of time we’ve spent living with these machines.

This was SO COOL.

You start to see the ideas evolve. Some stick immediately. Some need another generation. Meanwhile, some never quite find their audience. That’s part of experimenting.

Even today, I still think the dual-screen concept is on the cusp of something. It hasn’t completely made sense just yet, but I also don’t think we’ve seen its final form.

Years ago, I probably would’ve asked, “Who asked for this?”

Now I find myself asking something else.

“What if this is simply the first step?”

A legacy worth celebrating

Twenty years later, I don’t think ROG’s legacy is about always building the best gaming machine.

I think it’s about being brave and bold enough to keep trying new things—and having enough faith that its community will be there with honest feedback to help shape what comes next.

That’s probably why the ROG devices I remember most aren’t necessarily the ones with the highest frame rates or the biggest performance gains.

They’re the ones that made me stop and think,

“I didn’t expect someone to build this.”

As ROG celebrates its 20th anniversary and introduces its latest lineup—from the refined Zephyrus family to new Strix machines and the continued evolution of ideas like the Zephyrus Duo—I’m reminded that innovation doesn’t always happen in one giant leap. Sometimes it’s a series of bold attempts, small refinements, and the willingness to keep asking “what if?” until the answer finally clicks.

And after all these years, that’s still the part of ROG I remember most.

Learn more about the latest ROG lineup

As ROG celebrates its 20th anniversary, you can explore the latest additions to the Republic of Gamers lineup, locate an ROG Store near you, or learn more about ASUS’ No. 1 Quality and Service Package through the links below.

Gaming

New Sword Sage: Awakening trailer explores story, previews combat

San Niang leads a journey to Jiannandao

Published

June 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Publisher 4Divinity and developer Sword Panda Limited have officially debuted a brand-new gameplay and story trailer for Sword Sage: Awakening.

The new clip introduces players to the central narrative, following San Niang, a disciplined fighter of the Yuangong Sect, as she journeys across a beautifully warped land to fix a catastrophic cosmic mistake.

Particularly, the versatile and fast-paced combat mechanics blending traditional swordplay and supernatural abilities are highlighted.

The upcoming action RPG deeply rooted in Chinese mythology, folklore, and science fiction pulls players into the fantastical realm of Jiannandao.

This territory is fundamentally altered by the actions of the Supreme White Gibbon Sage.

After drunkenly unearthing long-forbidden celestial texts, the Sage accidentally leaked absolute divine power and knowledge into the mortal realm. And this was knowledge humanity was never meant to hold.

The result was disrupting the critical balance between Earth and the spirit world, plunging Jiannandao into relentless natural disasters and monstrous infestations.

To survive the onslaught, the mortal population has been forced to adapt, forging advanced technologies to push back against the supernatural suffering threatening to wipe them out.

As San Niang, players will travel across the scarred landscapes of Jiannandao and vanquish dangers to safeguard her home.

Entertainment

LE SSERAFIM to perform at BlizzCon 2026

BlizzCon’s closing act.

Published

June 26, 2026

GadgetMatch

Global K-pop sensation LE SSERAFIM is returning to BlizzCon.

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the five-member girl group will perform as the closing musical act at BlizzCon 2026. LE SSERAFIM will take the Main Stage on Sunday, September 13 (PT), bringing fans another live performance after its BlizzCon debut in 2023.

The appearance also comes ahead of the group’s upcoming U.S. tour. Blizzard teased that the performance will make it a “Perfect Night” for fans attending the convention at the Anaheim Convention Center.

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LE SSERAFIM returns to Blizzard

LE SSERAFIM debuted in 2022 under SOURCE MUSIC, a label of HYBE. The group is composed of Sakura Miyawaki, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha Nakamura, and Hong Eunchae.

The group’s name is an anagram of “I’m Fearless,” reflecting the confidence that has defined its music since debut.

This won’t be LE SSERAFIM’s first crossover with Blizzard. The group previously collaborated with Overwatch 2, bringing themed cosmetics and a special event to the hero shooter.

BlizzCon 2026 is sold out

BlizzCon is Blizzard Entertainment’s annual community celebration. It brings together fans of World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and other Blizzard franchises for game announcements, developer panels, esports, cosplay, and hands-on experiences.

Passes for BlizzCon 2026 have already sold out. However, Blizzard says tickets may still become available through the Tixr public resale marketplace.

Fans can learn more about LE SSERAFIM’s appearance on Blizzard’s official blog.