Drones have become extremely popular in recent years. This has been most influenced by the Russian-Ukrainian war, where hundreds of them were actively used every day. And not only for reconnaissance, but also to engage infantry, tanks, and even helicopters, which has already destroyed the association that drones are a toy for competition. And we shouldn't forget about ground-based drones, which, although not as popular as those used in the air, can still be found. However, in games, developers have been actively adding drones to their games for a long time (they obviously knew something). These are mostly military shooters set in a futuristic or near future. Although you can control this gadget in games about hackers and in an FPV drone simulator, and someone has already managed to make a game about the war in Ukraine, where you are a drone operator. Therefore, gg editorial team will tell you about 7 games where drones are an integral part of the game and can be controlled.
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is a tactical third-person shooter developed by Ubisoft that offers an open world and a co-op mode. The game is set on the fictional island of Auroa, where the protagonist is an elite Ghosts operative who must confront the Wolves unit, which has been joined by his former comrades. Players can explore a huge island, complete missions, compete for resources and fight enemies thanks to a large arsenal that must be properly managed at all times, which adds depth to the gameplay.
And one of your tools will be drones. There are several types of drones: medical, reconnaissance, and attack.
Medical drones are used to remotely treat and revive your fallen comrades. Reconnaissance drones are used to mark enemies or interesting objects, as well as to place beacons on the map. Attack drones can target and destroy up to three enemies at once, or up to 12 if you're playing in co-op. In PvP mode, you can also get disposable gas drones to shoot toxic gas grenades at enemies. To do this, you need to shoot down "courier drones" and take their contents.
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Release date: 23 January 2023
Website of the game: Ubisoft
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 is an action-adventure game from Ubisoft that takes place in the open world in San Francisco. The player controls Marcus Holloway, a talented hacker who joins the hacker group DedSec to fight against corporate control over people through smart technology. The game offers a huge arsenal of hacking tools, from hacking cameras and drones to taking full control of city systems. Players can complete missions in different ways, focusing on either stealth or gunfights.
Marcus uses a 3D-printed drone that can perform several functions: provide intelligence, penetrate all vents and crevices, quickly fly over gates, climb rooftops, fly into open windows, hide under cars, mark enemies through walls, break security doors, and use various gadgets. Therefore, if you want to scout enemy terrain, it is extremely difficult to do so without a drone.
Developer: Ubisoft
Genre: Action
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Release date: 29 November 2016
Website of the game: Ubisoft
Call of Duty.
Call of Duty is one of the most successful series of first-person shooters that offers a storyline campaign and multiplayer modes. Initially, the series focused on the events of the Second World War, but later it took players to the conflicts of our time and even to futuristic events, and what war of the future can be without drones?
And it's hard to single out any one game with the use of drones, because each part has its own peculiarities in this regard. In total, dozens of different drones have already appeared in the history of the series. Black Ops III features Cerberus ground drones that patrol the map in search of enemy targets. In the Advanced Warfare story campaign, you can find a large swarm of drones armed with machine guns. The Modern Warfare series has real reconnaissance drones called Reaper. And in most parts of the online battles, after killing several enemies in a row, you can activate the drone and select the target it will hit. So if you were looking for a series with the most drones, you're in the right place with Call of Duty.
Developer: Activision
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: PC, Mobile, PlayStation, Xbox
Release date: 2003-2024
Game site: callofduty.com
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a tactical first-person shooter developed by Underdog Studio that offers players the role of an elite sniper sent on missions in a fictional region in the Middle East. The player fulfils contracts that include tasks to destroy targets at a distance of over 1000 metres, which is the main feature of the game. Strategic planning, position selection, and various methods of performing tasks play an important role. And for a sniper, reconnaissance and terrain orientation are extremely important, and a drone comes to help with this in the game.
First and foremost, the drone performs the function of a scout, as it is difficult for enemies to spot and can be flown at a long distance, understanding what is happening at the place of the mission. However, the drone can also help to quietly neutralise enemies. For example, it can be equipped with poison darts, which allows you to reduce the number of enemies on the map without anyone knowing about it. So you can't think of a better silent scout than this one.
Developer: Underdog Studio
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Release date: 4 June 2021
Game site: sniperghostwarriorcontracts2.com
Battlefield.
Battlefield is another well-known first-person shooter series. It is known for its emphasis on large-scale battles with large maps and the use of a variety of military equipment. Like CoD, the series covers conflicts of different eras: from the First World War to modern and futuristic wars. The main focus is on the multiplayer mode, where players compete in large team battles using infantry, tanks, aircraft, and of course, drones.
There are fewer drones in this series than in the competition, but there are still enough interesting specimens. Battlefield 4, for example, has a UCAV that can be used to attack enemies from the air. Or there's the XD-1, a small experimental combat drone equipped with a rotary cannon that can fly and hover in the air to fire at targets. And Battlefield 2042 has the Ranger, an autonomous four-legged assault robot with a machine gun that automatically detects and attacks targets. So these gadgets in the series will definitely provide you with fire support.
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Shooter
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Release date: 2002-2026
Website of the game: Electronic Arts
Death from Above
Death from Above is the debut game of Lesser Evil publisher, developed by the Finnish studio Rockodile Games. The game is an arcade drone control simulator set during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The player is given control of a Ukrainian soldier who becomes a drone operator and performs several important tasks: destroying the occupiers and enemy equipment, reconnaissance of the territory, restoring communication lines and returning stolen washing machines. Two types of ammunition are available for the drone: anti-tank and anti-personnel. It can carry 6 anti-personnel or 4 anti-tank shells at a time. So if you're looking for an arcade drone simulator where the drone is not one of the gameplay elements, but the most important part, then Death from Above can give you some interesting evenings.
Developer: Rockodile
Genre: Simulator
Platforms: PC
Release date: 22 February 2024
Website of the game: Steam
Liftoff: FPV Drone Racing
Liftoff: FPV Drone Racing is a drone simulator developed by LuGus Studios that allows players to immerse themselves in the world of racing drones from a first-person perspective. The game offers realistic flight physics. It contains a large selection of drones that can be customised and modified to suit your own needs. Players can compete on different tracks or create their own in a special map editor. Liftoff also offers multiplayer, where you can race against other pilots in real time, as well as test your own skills in various competitions.
The game is also best suited for those who want to learn how to fly a real FPV drone. To do this, you need to buy an FPV remote control, set it up (YouTube will help you), and spend dozens of hours in Liftoff to master at least the basic skills. Therefore, if you want to become an FPV pilot after completing the above games, your path will inevitably go through Liftoff. And for owners of the Meta Quest VR headset, there is a separate version of Liftoff: XR Drone.
Developer: LuGus Studios
Genre: Simulator
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Release date: 13 September 2018
Website of the game: liftoff.com
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Our game editor has been playing games since he was 4 years old and can't imagine himself without it. He has played 100+ games on PlayStation, but still considers The Last of Us Part II to be the best in the industry. In January 2022, he joined the gg team. He studies at the Faculty of Journalism at Kyiv International University.
