Exploring Ghost Recon's Bolivia: Accuracy Under Scrutiny

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a video game set in Bolivia, a landlocked country in South America. The game has been criticised for its inaccurate portrayal of the country, including its geography, cities, roads, bridges, and the accents and clothing of its people. However, some players have noted that certain biomes, environments, and specific locations do resemble real areas in Bolivia. The game also includes a disclaimer stating that it is entirely a work of fiction. While the natural environment of the game may resemble Bolivia, the cities, towns, roads, and bridges are not based on reality. Some players have also pointed out the absence of large cities in the game, which differs from the actual country of Bolivia, which has several large urban areas.

The game's Bolivia has the wrong accent and clothing

The Bolivia depicted in Ghost Recon is entirely fictional, and the game includes a disclaimer that states as much. The biomes, some specific locations, and the general nature of the country are accurate, but the geography, cities, towns, roads, and bridges are made up. Some towns are real but in the wrong places, while others are entirely fictional. The game also incorrectly states that the Chaco War was the last international conflict in Latin America, ignoring several other wars that took place after it.

The clothing in the game is probably fake, aside from the cocaine and funny hats. The clothing styles in Bolivia differ by region, and there are at least thirty different typical dress styles among the native Bolivian indigenous cultures. Each region has its own styles for men and women, as well as different clothing for everyday wear and festivities. The clothing also varies according to regional climate and income levels.

The accent in the game is also likely inaccurate. Bolivian Spanish has regional idiosyncrasies that draw from the diversity of indigenous languages spoken across the country. There are three basic types of Bolivian Spanish: castellano camba in the east and central areas, castellano andino in the west (including the capital, La Paz), and castellano chapaco in the south. La Paz is considered to have the most neutral accent, and castellano andino is often the easiest version for Spanish learners to understand.

Some towns are real but in the wrong places

The regions of Bolivia depicted in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands are entirely fictional, despite some of them having real-world historical features and hotspots. However, some players have noted that certain towns in the game do exist in reality but are placed in the wrong locations. For example, Espiritu Santo is a real place in Cochabamba, and Barvechos is close to Lake Salar de Uyuni, which is similar to Agua Verde in the game. Poopo, where players can find pink flamingos in the shallow salt lake, is also a real place, but it is not located near Montuyoc as it is in the game.

The game's Bolivia also lacks large cities, which some players have found disappointing. In reality, Bolivia has several large cities with tall buildings, but the largest city depicted in the game amounts to a small town. This discrepancy may be due to the game's focus on remote areas of Bolivia and the desire to showcase the country's natural, undeveloped landscapes.

While the game does feature some accurate aspects of Bolivian culture and history, such as the traditional use of coca leaves and references to historical figures like Che Guevara, the overall depiction of the country is not entirely accurate. The music, accents, and clothing of the characters have been noted as not being authentically Bolivian, and the geography, cities, and roads are fictionalised.

There is a disclaimer that the game is not representative of Bolivia

The game's story takes place in a Bolivia that has been taken over by a Mexican cartel, which may explain some of the inaccuracies. Over time, the people may have developed new accents and clothing styles due to the influence of the cartel, which forces the country to live according to its rules. However, this does not excuse all the inaccuracies, and it is likely that the developers assumed most players would not know the differences between Mexico and Bolivia.

The lack of large cities in the game's map has been criticised as feeling uninteresting and unnatural. Bolivia has several large cities with tall buildings, but the largest city in the game is only the size of a small town. This criticism also extends to the lack of central attractions in the wildlands regions of the map. Some have suggested that including a large city as a hub for players to interact and join missions would have improved the game.

While the game takes creative liberties with the geography and culture of Bolivia, it does accurately portray the country's history of drug cartels and political upheaval. Bolivia was classified as a Narco-State in 2019 due to its government turning a blind eye to drug cartels. The game's story centres around the fictional Santa Blanca Drug Cartel, which has connections to the Bolivian government and engages in narco-terrorism.

The biomes and environments look like real Bolivia

The biomes and environments in Ghost Recon Wildlands look like those in real Bolivia. The game features a wide variety of environments, including mountains, forests, deserts, and salt flats. Bolivia was chosen for its extreme climate and ecological diversity, which adds to the gameplay experience. The thick humidity and rain, for example, create an endurance and stealth-driven game.

The landscapes are sweeping, exposed, and stunning, giving players the large scale that an open-world game needs. Players can explore villages, cartel-controlled zones, drug factories, and small community towns. The game also features unique locations such as white salt flats, hilly deserts, and creepy forests.

Ubisoft, the game's developer, aimed for authenticity in creating the Ghost Recon Wildlands map. They wanted to capture the desolate and raw setting of Bolivia, and its diverse ecosystems, which include lakes, waterways, swamps, and yungas.

While the biomes and environments are similar to those in real Bolivia, it is important to note that the specific locations in the game, such as towns and cities, are fictional.

The game's Bolivia is missing large cities

The video game Ghost Recon: Wildlands features a fictionalised version of Bolivia. While the game does include some real locations, such as the world's most dangerous road, and the biomes and environments resemble the real country, the cities, towns, roads, and bridges are not real.

The game's Bolivia is missing several large cities, including the constitutional capital Sucre, which has around 300,000 residents and is home to the country's Supreme Court. The seat of government is in La Paz, a city of almost 800,000 people, which is the world's highest administrative capital. La Paz is also absent from the game.

The largest city in Bolivia is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with a population of 1.36-1.5 million people. It is the economic and financial centre of Bolivia, producing nearly 35% of the country's GDP, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Santa Cruz de la Sierra is also absent from the game.

El Alto, located in El Alto Municipality in Pedro Domingo Murillo province, is another fast-growing urban centre in Bolivia. Home to an international airport, the city has a population of 2.3 million.

The city of Cochabamba, located in Cochabamba Municipality, Cercado Province, is the most economically and socially progressive city in the country. With a population of 1.9 million, it is an agricultural and industrial hub.

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