Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

The first “Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter” (GRAW) was generally well-received, and for good reason, as it offered some intense, compelling squad-based gameplay. Many gamers initially decried its high difficulty, but many others seemed to thrive on the challenge. Regardless of which camp you may have fallen into, it’s important to note that GRAW was a commendable addition to the pantheon of squad-based tactical gaming. Fans of the original title are likely to embrace its sequel as well, as the GRIN team has upped the gaming ante in several key areas. At the same time, however, while GRAW 2 is well worth a buy, it also has issues, some of which linger on from the first installment, that are sure to raise an eyebrow and cause a bit of frustration along the way.

GRAW’s story places the player in Mexico, in 2014, attempting to defuse accelerating terrorist activities that seem to be making their way closer and closer to American soil. The story unfolds via news reports with film footage and in the briefings offered by the somewhat overwrought commanding officer to whom you report. Gamers who played the first title should be right at home here, as they are once again placed in the combat boots of Cpt. Mitchell, who heads up the Ghosts.

One of my complaints with the first GRAW was that my squadies were annoyingly unresponsive at times. It was quite frustrating to order a squad member to go to a particular location and have him acknowledge the order, only to stay planted right where he was. Couple this with the occasional pathfinding issues, and you have a recipe for frustration that could often mar a generally compelling gaming experience. GRAW 2, however, features a squad that is generally more responsive, but there are a still some frustrating issues with friendly AI.

Gamers will still experience moments where one or more of their squadmates fail to fire on a tango in plain sight. Every now and then one of them will get caught on geometry when you order the squad to follow you, and you probably won’t realize it until you pause behind cover and peek back to see where your squad has situated itself, only to say, “Dang it! Where’s Johnson!” Actually, it seems such incidents are sometimes caused by the squad member simply not responding to the follow command, rather than trying to follow and getting caught on some part of the environment.

The GRIN team has also updated the Cross-Com to 2.0, which places an even greater emphasis on using recon and intelligence to inform the moves you make on the battlefield. Players can now view what their squadies see via both picture-in-picture and, if so desired, full screen, which should, give gamers a higher degree of situational awareness. As before, you can command your squad to engage specific targets, lay down suppressive fire, or order them to specific locations on the battlefield, all through the command menu.

Another noteworthy change is the additional support elements available to the player, like the MULE, an unmanned vehicle that players can remotely control. Running low on ammo and need to take out a nest of snipers? Direct the MULE to your location, resupply the squad, and get back to business. This is a really nice feature, though the MULE (like the UAV) is not available in every mission. Run out of ammo and find yourself without a MULE? Players will occasionally have other forms of support at their disposal, such as air strikes and mortar attacks.

Players can switch between two modes of engagement — attack and recon. When in attack mode, your squadies will, of course, shoot on sight, but order them into recon mode and they will live up to their team namesake and switch to silenced weapons (assuming you have outfitted them prior to deployment) and avoid firing until fired upon.

The action in GRAW 2 is generally quite intense, and quite deadly. As fans of the first title will expect, GRAW2 has some serious bite. The earlier portions of the game are, perhaps, a bit easier, but notch up the difficulty to hard and you will really have to be on guard to keep from getting mowed down in firefights, especially in some of the later levels, which can get hairy quickly. Strategic use of cover and developing a keen situational awareness are the keys to success.

In order to help you maintain that keen situational awareness, GRAW 2 features a tactical map that will allow you to plot and coordinate the movements, attacks, and rules of engagement of your squad. Nice touch for those who are more interested in more methodical gameplay. Or, if you aren’t interested in choreographing your squad’s every move, you can opt not to take advantage of this particular feature. For what it’s worth, I tend to use the map just to get a lay of the land, instead of setting specific routes and actions for squad members.

Players will find themselves trying to fulfill a number of varied objectives as they make their way through the game. For instance, early on, you have to fight your way through resistance in a small village to get access to anti-aircraft guns that need to be taken out while another mission has you taking on a nest of rebels desperately trying hold their ground. There aren’t any groundbreaking tasks you’ll be asked to complete, but they are varied and strongly linked to the story.

You will often have at least two ways of approaching a particular situation—direct assault or using stealth to position your squad to optimize their chances of success. The stealth option isn’t always available, but does have a strong enough presence to be considered a viable gameplay option. GRAW 2 is by no means a “sandbox” game, but its level design is flexible enough to allow for more than style gameplay. It is particularly satisfying when you can flank the enemy and take down quick and quietly from behind.

As one would expect, GRAW 2 boasts an impressive array of weapons ranging from pistols to fully automatic assault rifles and grenade launchers, each exquisitely modeled and textured. Players are granted a number of weapon customization options, but, as before, must stay mindful of their weight limits. Further, players will have access to all the customization options from the very beginning, so you can fine tune your kit from the get-go.

Once you have had your fill of the single-player mode, the multiplayer modes are well worth plunging into. Unlike its predecessor, GRAW 2 offers a well-developed cadre of multiplayer modes, including deathmatch as well as team-oriented and cooperative play. With such a wealth of multiplayer options, gamers should have no problem finding an avenue into the online mayhem.

I may be in the minority on this one, but I would argue that both GRAW and GRAW 2 leave something to be desired in the visuals department, and, admittedly, pinpointing exactly what that “something” is has proven quite difficult. Perhaps the best way I can phrase it is to say that both titles offer visuals that feel a bit “washed out.” Perhaps this was more noticeable the first title than in its sequel, but it is still there somehow. The lighting effects and some of the textures, as well as the weapon and character models, are right on target, but somehow I have not been overly impressed with the visual “feel” of the series. In contrast, one might look to “Rainbow 6: Vegas” as a counterpoint; the visuals were generally so vibrant and alive with color I found my mouth watering in some instances. Make no mistake, though, I do not wish to accuse the GRAW series of being visually sub-par, as plenty of visual detail has been put into both titles; rather it just seems as if, overall, its environments are rather bland.

As was the case with GRAW, its sequel is no slouch in the sound department. Weapon sound effects are downright impressive. You don’t just hear the AK-74’s report; the crisp audio makes you feel it. The soundtrack is generally well done, but sometimes I found the tracks to be more distracting than immersive, so I would opt to play with the music off. The voice acting is also generally on the mark, but it slips just a bit during some of the news reports and briefings. Overall, though, is well on par.

No matter the title or its pedigree, it all comes down to just one question: Is GRAW 2 worthy of your money and time? If you are at all a fan of squad-based tactical gameplay, go for it, but keep in mind it is not without its occasional frustrations. You may want to play through the single-player campaign a second time on a harder difficulty, but it’s more likely that you will get the rest of your money’s worth by cashing in on the multiplayer modes.

Gameplay: 7.5
The gameplay is in line with the first GRAW. Tactics and strategy will win the day. The updated Cross-Com and other additions add to the title’s strategic depth. However, some old frustrations rear their ugly heads every now and again.

Graphics: 7.0
GRAW 2 isn’t ugly by any standard, but its environments, like those of its predecessor, fail to really impress. Character and weapon models are spot on, though.

Sound: 8.0
Overall, the sound is well done, but the voice acting slips in a few places. Weapon sound effects are top notch.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Later levels are likely to have players sweating a few bullets in comparison with some of the earlier levels that are bit easier than what veterans of the series might expect.

Concept: 8.0
GRIN upped the ante here with the various tweaks and refinements they made to the system. For the most part, they work quite well.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Multiplayer is well worth the price of admission, with a slew of online modes available, each of which is well-developed and substantial.

Overall: 8.0
GRAW 2 is not a revolutionary title, but it is a generally solid sequel that offers gamers a much wanted opportunity to become Ghosts again. Definitely worth a buy for fans of the genre.