Game Over Online ~ Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

GameOver Game Reviews - Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (c) Ubisoft, Reviewed by - Stephen Riach

Game & Publisher Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (c) Ubisoft
System Requirements Xbox 360
Overall Rating 92%
Date Published Friday, March 16th, 2007 at 07:52 PM


Divider Left By: Stephen Riach Divider Right

When Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter infiltrated the Xbox 360 in early 2006, it ushered in the next-generation of military shooters. Here we are just a little over a year later and already we’re being treated to the next installment in the franchise, prompting many fans to wonder if Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 would be more of an expansion than a true sequel. Allow me ease your mind soldier; Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is just as good, if not better than its predecessor.

In GRAW, Captain Scott Mitchell and Co. were sent to Mexico City to eradicate an insurgency by a power-crazed Mexican General on the eve when a new treaty, the North American Joint Security Agreement, was to be signed by the Canadian Prime Minister and Mexican and American Presidents. GRAW 2 picks up immediately after the events of the original as the Ghosts are tasked with cleaning up the remaining rebels, only to learn that missing weapons of mass destruction are heading toward the U.S. border. All told, the single-player campaign in GRAW 2 is slighter shorter than GRAW, clocking in at around 7-8 hours, but it’s no less thrilling or intense.

GRAW fans will notice a number of changes in GRAW 2, most noticeably with respect to the Cross-Com, which has been improved tremendously. Using the Cross-Com, the player becomes the hub of all connected U.S. devices, from fellow Ghosts and military vehicles to an unmanned drone as well as a new unit in the game, the M.U.L.E.. What’s changed in that regard is the ability to view the environment through whatever unit you have selected by pressing and holding the right bumper. The end result is the ability to command the battlefield, set up flanking maneuvers with greater ease, and potentially play through entire missions without ever having the need to fire a shot yourself.

The new view, combined with a clearer 3D tactical map, means controlling the drone is no longer a chore. Not only do you get a full-screen view of what the drone sees, you can move it around while it detects enemy presence and really get a sense of where rebels are located in the environment. GRAW 2 also introduces a new unit into the mix: the M.U.L.E., a multifunctional utility/logistics and equipment vehicle. It essentially takes the place of the equipment bins conveniently located around each of the maps that you used to restock your ammunition with. Not only that, it can also act as cover since the M.U.L.E.’s movement is controlled entirely by the player.

Another new addition to the game is a new soldier class: the Medic. Medics are equipped with a limited number of medkits that can heal any team member, including yourself, making them essential new members of the Ghost team. They’re not very good in combat so reading intel regarding the forces and terrain prior to each mission is key to choosing the right squad for the job.

Other enhancements to gameplay include a tighter cover system along with more of an emphasis to use it. It’s not quite up to par with the system in Rainbow Six: Vegas but taking cover and more importantly exiting cover is a simpler process. There is one problem with the cover system, however, one that depends whether you use the over-the-shoulder or first-person view when controlling Captain Mitchell. If you use the first-person view and you enter cover, you’ll find it disorienting and ultimately difficult to use the system simply because the camera doesn’t pan away from the player, it keeps them in first-person view. You’ll wind up staring directly at the wall, or whatever cover you’re behind, with no clue as to how far away you are from either edge, or what direction, left or right, your soldier is facing. It would have been much better if when using the first-person mode, the camera pulled out to a third-person perspective when you entered cover. I suppose Rainbow Six: Vegas has spoiled me like that. Speaking of which, GRAW 2 does incorporate the Vegas-like inventory system for choosing things like weapons and rate of fire.

If you played the original GRAW you likely experienced some frustration with regards to the friendly AI, and I don’t just mean the missions where you had to escort an NPC through Mexico City (none of which exist in GRAW 2, thankfully). I’m talking about your fellow squadmates, soldiers who often stood in the middle of the street, impervious to your orders to take cover, not so much to the bullets that often rendered them incapacitated. In that respect, change is a good thing. Friendly soldiers use cover much better in GRAW 2, though they still lack accuracy. A few times in the game I moved my squadmates into cover and ordered them to assault a group of enemies. Using the new camera system that allows you to see the action from their eyes, I watched as they unloaded clip after clip at the enemy. It was great that they kept the enemy pinned down but I couldn’t believe none of the soldiers could finish the job, not even the Marksman. Much like the original GRAW, you’ll find that you have to kill a large percentage of the rebels on your own, unless you want to wait all day, simply because your team of Ghosts are terrible shots. At least they can take out enemy vehicles rather quickly. You may also run into some pathfinding issues. I’ve had soldiers fail to advance because they got stuck behind a lamppost and just as problematic, I’ve had allied tanks fail to advance because a soldier was in its path. At times you’ll have to micro-manage your troops and when the action gets heavy, it’s a bit of a pain. On the flip side of the coin, the enemy AI remains as challenging as ever, not only in their numbers but they throw more grenades and flank when the opportunity arises.

From a visual standpoint GRAW 2 looks pretty much the same as GRAW, as it should still being located in Mexico City. The action eventually crosses the border to U.S. soil and it’s great to see the environmental differences between Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas. There are some enhancements in the graphics department to note, including more effective smoke, incredible weather effects and day-night cycles that change the parameters of a mission on the fly. Other than that, GRAW 2 joins its predecessor as two of the better looking Xbox 360 games to date. Again, the missions flow seamlessly as players are extracted by helicopter, or jeep, briefed on board via intel reports and television feeds, and then inserted back into action. I just have one gripe with respect to the visuals, and I know I’m being picky here. The reflections in the windows of the shops and houses are not accurate. It’s strange to walk up to a house in the middle of the desert and see a reflection of a bustling city. Oh well. The audio rounds out the spectacular presentation with distinct and realistic sounding weapons, immense explosions, solid voice acting and an improved soundtrack that’s much better suited for the series.

My biggest complaint with the original GRAW was multiplayer, which not only didn’t look all that good, but seemed half-finished. The co-op campaign consisted of only four missions and there just weren’t enough quality maps for competitive play. In fact, of all the Ghost Recon titles in the franchise, GRAW was the one I played the least online. All that changes with GRAW 2. True, multiplayer still doesn’t look as good as singleplayer and the cover system remains non-existent, but otherwise there are improvements all over the board. GRAW 2 features a six-mission co-op exclusive campaign that is generally better designed than the one in the original GRAW, not to mention much more challenging. There are also a total of 18 maps to play competitively or co-operatively, with all kinds of game modes and ways to customize each map. There are even some new moves, as players are now able to baseball slide behind objects and peek to a side or up over an object. With over 60 weapons to choose from, clan support and the return of the TrueSkill ranking system, there’s just a wealth of multiplayer content to keep you coming back for more.

It would be a mistake to dismiss Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 as a mere expansion pack rather than a full-fledged sequel, a tremendous one at that. Yes, there are pathfinding issues with respect to friendly AI, some of the missions will seem a little overwhelming with all the units you have to control, and multiplayer still doesn’t feature a cover system, but all that aside what you’ve got here is a singleplayer campaign that’s just as thrilling and intense as the original, and a robust multiplayer component that is sure to keep gamers coming back to the virtual battlefield for months to come. What more could you ask for?

 

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Rating
92%
 

 

 
 

 

 

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