ic-games Review - Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox 360) - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

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Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW 2)

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox 360)

Information
Reviewer: James Collins
Developer: Red Storm Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft
Reviewed: Xbox 360
Genre: Tactical team based shooter
UK Release: 09th Mar 2007
Article Date: 08th Mar 2007
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £49.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 90%

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Pros

Spectacual graphics

Cross-Com V2

Improved AI

Cons

Short Campaign

Some may find single player 'easy'

Screenshots

6 of 10

The Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter series, (or GRAW for short) is the proverbial ‘marmite’ of the gaming world. Some will love the slower paced strategic gameplay based on co-operative team work, and others will simply hate it in preference to hits like Halo and GOW. Ubisoft makes no bones about which side of the fence they sit, and this, the recently released sequel to one of the hottest launch titles for the Xbox 360 is proof alone. Simply put, Ubisoft have put everything into GRAW 2, presentation, killer graphics and some of the most satisfying co-operative gameplay seen to date and it shows in nearly all counts.

Nowadays, with next generation consoles battling it out for supremacy, graphical finesse is of utmost importance in the latest ‘blockbusters’. With movie style budgets and casts of hundreds, computer games are beginning to overtake Hollywood movies in artistic talent, expenses and budget. Last year, GRAW floored the audiences with some of the most jaw dropping effects seen in a console game and GRAW 2 is certainly no slouch either. Suffice to say, that for realism nothing comes close to the ‘wow’ factor you’ll enjoy playing for the first time and this time the graphics are just as impressive online as well.

One of the biggest improvements from GRAW was always going to be the refined CrossCom V2, which now allows you to view a ‘full screen perspective’ from your team members as apposed to the picture in picture from before (which is still available). In the full screen mode you can also now issue more specific and advanced orders such as selecting individual take-down targets (which can include specific vehicles). Not only that but once a target has been selected, you can sit back and watch your team members take down that objective. In the full screen mode you can also issue precise movement orders and also direct your squad to investigate an area, stand down, or go in all guns blazing. The improved CrossCom certainly addresses some of the problems with the original GRAW, in that you never really felt the need to actively use your team as much as you should.

An improved CrossCom means nothing without a decent AI to back it up and thankfully GRAW 2 is even more refined in this area although a few problems remain. This time your team follow your orders to the best of the ability but they’ll also think for themselves – something that was lacking at times with GRAW. It great to see your team members head for cover, peak out, duck back down and communicate back to you that ‘they’ve just spotted an enemy near the red vehicle’. A quick use of CrossCom and you can be viewing the action from the spotter’s eye; and a further order to take down the enemy can then be activated all, without breaking a sweat. On paper it might not seem that exciting but trust us you’ll love some of these new features. On the other hand the improved AI can actively work against you. The rebels are just as likely to use advanced tactics like flanking or using vantage points to pick you and your squad off at every opportunity so you’ll equally have to be on guard.

The single player and sadly short campaign, follows the events in GRAW, although you do not need to have played through the original to enjoy the story. Like the tutorial, the campaign serves as an excellent introduction to the real meat of the game, the co-operative and multiplayer modes. It’s a shame both these modes do not make use of the well placed cover system seen in the single player campaign but no doubt Ubi had their reasons. To make up for these shortcomings it appears more emphasis has been placed on the co-operative settings with up to 16 players able to help out during missions specially adapted for online play. As mentioned, GRAW 2 starts pretty much where the original title left. The year is 2014 and Mexican loyalists and insurgence rebel forces have left Mexico in the heat of a civil war. When events escalate, the US is forced into the bickering and you, commanding the hero of the first GRAW, Captain Scott Mitchell, are called in to quell the problems. This is, of course, where you and your team come in.

However, before you get called into the war zone the first thing you have to do is take part in a mini-training session that helps you get up to speed with the controls. Not only does the tutorial teach you about the new CrossCom and movement commands, but buried into the mini-missions is the chance to unlock 50 gamer points for the tutorial, although you do have to score a perfect result in the test. Again the controls perfectly suit the 360 controller and are a breeze to pick up, especially if you’ve completed the tutorial. Taking cover is as simple as hugging close to a wall or other objects you want to use as protection. This leaves the left trigger to allow you to peak out to view your surroundings at your own whim. You can also roll, leap over objects, grab weapons off fallen enemies and even heal team mates (or yourself) with the newly added medic feature. It’s fair to mention that some of these new features do make the single player game slightly easier but there inclusion into the game is still welcome – especially in multiplayer.

Ubisoft were probably aware from the outset that the multiplayer modes would end up being more popular, and it shows with the distribution of achievements and gamerpoints. The emphasis certainly now seems to be on the co-operative mode, that allow fifteen other people to take part in specially created missions. These missions do differ from the single player game and not (like Gears of War) online versions of the same story. However, like Gears of War, if you or a team mate gets hit, instead of respawning, you now have the option to wait to be patched up with the new medic abilities – although in the co-operative modes everyone has these medic abilities.

If co-operative gameplay isn’t your bag then you can always opt for the competitive side – as long as you have access to Xbox Live you should find something to enjoy once the single player mode has been polished off. And therein lies the biggest problem with this title. If you are only interested in the single player campaign and are not espicially bothered about taking the game online, you might end up being slightly disappointed. If anything, GRAW 2, like its predecessor, is essentially going to be seen as a multiplayer success rather than its story driven offline content.

Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter 2 is one of the most visually impressive games we have come across, but it doesn’t end there, it’s also one of the most polished and satisfying games to play online. The single player mode might be a little easy for some, thanks to a few of the new features, but the co-operative mode alone more than makes up for any shortcomings. GRAW fans can rejoice, the sequel is better than the stupendous original title and thats all that should really matter.

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