Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars probably could have been released for the Nintendo DS. It features a fitting look, though. It's almost realistically cartoony, though that's more true of the cutscenes than it is of the actual gameplay. Speaking of which, all of the action on the top screen looks fine. There are a few quirks. For example, there are no death animations; enemies disappear with a puff of smoke. Furthermore, the 3D effects, while not bad, aren't at all prevalent -- make of that what you will. Save for those quirks, there's still very little wrong with the visuals. Curiously enough, the best parts of Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars's visual design have more to do with presentation. The touchscreen keeps track of all kinds of statistics, and it does so in a way that doesn't allow you to become confused. More on that later.
If you've played a Ghost Recon game, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars' audio design won't surprise you. In fact, it will probably underwhelm you. The main theme goes a little heavy on the horns, and much of the soundtrack is looped ad nauseam. That's a given, considering the kind of game this is -- but it's still very noticeable, especially after you've been playing for a while. The guns don't really have much kick to them, though I might just peg that down to me being less than impressed with the 3DS's speakers. Enemies scream when they die, but most of them sound the same. Fortunately, sound design isn't exactly paramount when it comes to turn-based strategy.
