GR:AW comes back for more…
Even with the Xbox 360 famed for being something of a shooters machine, Tom
Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter stands out as something a little bit special. The
original GR:AW release lent the console credibility when it appeared in 2006 and nabbed the
Best Game BAFTA award in the process, which leaves the sequel – having been in development
for a mere 12 months – with a lot to prove.
Gaming purists bemoan annual updates for a reason; they usually differ very little from
their forebear and can feel somewhat of a cash-in. Thankfully, not so GR:AW 2. Yes, the
familiarity is definitely there, but the award-winning template has been refined here with
precision and panache; making for the finest title the Ghost Recon series has yet seen.
See what your team sees
Take the Cross Com, for example. Now carrying a pretty noticeable 2.0 after its name,
it’s far easier to use than last year’s clunky effort, making the issuing of orders to your
team and tactical technology support all the more intuitive.
You can, for instance, now map the tiny top-corner Cross Com thumbnail view to the
full-screen by merely holding the R bumper, allowing you to see what your team sees through
their eyes, which makes giving attack orders far easier than before. The first time you
move into Cross Com view, task your grenadier with taking out an enemy truck disappearing
into the distance, and he actually follows those orders to a tee, you’ll be wondering how
GR:AW ever worked without it.
The award-winning template has been refined here with precision
and panache.
Likewise, the flying Drone has been vastly improved, with the full-screen view letting
you not only see from its viewpoint, but actually control its movements directly – guiding
it above the battlefield to reconnoitre the area and frame enemies with those helpful red
targeting boxes.
Joining the Drone is the Mule, a miniature mobile armoury on wheels which can also act
as a forward scout and moveable cover – something which the new Rainbow Six-style cover
system takes full advantage of. Simply pressing into most vertical surfaces will see you
flatten against it, from where you can peer round, jump out to pull off shots, and even hop
right over low walls with the Y button. It’s basically all a natural continuation of the
first game, and it all works very well indeed.
All very familiar
As too is the story. Planted once again back on Mexican soil at the start of the game,
the Ghosts, commanded once again by player character Captain Scot Mitchell, are on a
mission to prevent a rebel uprising which could spell catastrophe for the United states –
particularly the residents of El Paso Texas, which plays host to later levels in the
game.
At the outset, however, the plot has the effect of making the game feel all very
familiar – and it’s not until those later levels that the game begins to feel like a fully
fledged sequel. When it does, the tactical play, plot pacing and explosive set pieces
really do prove a sight to behold, so it’s even sadder that it all comes to a head
relatively quickly. At only 8-10 hours long, GR:AW 2 is significantly shorter than it’s
forebear, and more on a par with the playtime of something like Gears of War – though the
fact that it stands up well next even to Epic’s brutal blaster speaks volumes for the sheer
enjoyment this latest Tom Clancy title has to offer.
Quite possibly the most complete multiplayer offering on the
Xbox 360, bar-none.
Thankfully the multiplayer aspect makes up for the campaign mode’s relative brevity, and
can likewise claim to give Gears of War a very good run for its money. It’s admittedly a
slower game than Gears, but thankfully a more accomplished one than last year’s GR:AW, with
visuals in particular every bit on a par with the singleplayer’s powerful presentation.
Quality by the clipfull
Moreover, the multiplayer options presented by GR:AW 2 are, quite frankly, a little bit
scary. Free-for-all and team deathmatch modes are joined by several objective-based
variants across 18 maps, each with a play area easily vast enough for epic 16 player
conflicts. Indeed, GR:AW 2 multiplayer comes into it’s own when played on Xbox Live, where
there’s also a hefty co-op campaign that’s entirely separate from the singleplayer offering
to get your teeth into. This is quite possibly the most complete multiplayer offering on
the Xbox 360, bar-none.
Despite being something of a mixed bag in terms of quantity, then, GR:AW 2 is a release
which boasts quality by the clipfull. It’s every bit the essential purchase the original
was for singleplayer gamers, who will find each of the three difficulty settings markedly
different experiences to triple the title’s replay value, while giving Xbox Live
subscribers a viable, more tactical alternative to the ballistic arcadey brilliance of
Gears of War. Whether it will scoop another BAFTA remains to be seen, but Ubisoft can still
feel happy here that they’ve done the series and its legion of fans proud.
GAME's Verdict
- Improved Cross Com 2.0 makes tactical play a cinch
- Stll stunning to look at
- A fantastically comprehensive multiplayer suite
- Relatively short singleplayer campaign
- Feels familiar for large portions of the game
- Slower tactical shooters aren't everyone's cup of tea
Review by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Review Published: 09.03.07