Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter or GRAW was one of the first key games establishing what could be done on an Xbox 360. The completely immersive and well-rounded experience was a unique blend of first and third person shooting and strategy. Come with me as we strap on the cross-com and take the plunge into the newest iteration of the popular franchise, GRAW 2.
This time around, we step back into the helmet of Scott Mitchell, the leader of a secret team of elite soldiers known as Ghosts. Scott (in case you have missed his previous exploits) has just saved the president from terrorists and averted a nuclear war. There of course is no rest for the weary; during the jeep ride back, another explosive situation develops with a sleeper cell of terrorists in Juarez, Mexico. Considering the US cannot have a confirmed military presence there, guess who gets to handle it?
"one of the key features of GRAW is the arsenal at your disposal."
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You aren’t alone though, as one of the key features of GRAW is the arsenal at your disposal. Besides the Tom Clancy cache of weapons available in most TC titles, you have your squad mates, drones, APC’s, tanks, helicopters, and even gunships available throughout the game. The game of course adds to the work of the previous title by adding new units such as the medic, for those with more "aggressive" playing styles.
With most of the additions aside, there is one that isn’t as welcome. One of the key selling points that defined the series is the immersion provided by the seamless connection between gameplay and cut-scenes. You used to see Scott get into the vehicles that would take his team from place to place. Inside those vehicles you would receive intel from your handler or from news feeds linked right into your visor until you would hop out again to continue the fight. This time around, the camera cuts out to a wider shot of the area to show the scope of the battlefield for effect. This, along with continuity errors of randomly disappearing turrets in the Blackhawk helicopter you get ferried in, pull you right out of the action where otherwise you would experience a heart-pounding ride.
Presentation aside, the game is a treat in terms of the visuals and audio. Visuals are more detailed than our last trip to Mexico on the 360. Granted, I still don’t see anyone but mission specific characters, but I can assume they are inside the buildings. Your squad-mates are still intelligent enough to yell out how many Tangos are on the battlefield and their location if they have a visual. The Tom Clancy vault of gun sound effects makes its way here once again. If you’re using an MP5 it does not sound like an M16. It’s the most dramatically realistic experience you will get while firing a virtual gun, at least until the next Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, GRAW, or Endwar title comes out.
The biggest tweak to the game though comes in terms of the control. In the original GRAW you were limited to giving commands to your support units either from your POV or from an aerial map. This time around, the development team took the idea of the cross-com and ran with it. Now you can issue orders from the POV of your support which greatly increases everyone’s effectiveness on the battlefield. If you fancy yourself more of an armchair general than a rifleman, here is your chance.
The game also features a relatively enjoyable multiplayer mode. The roughly half-dozen co-op levels feature a story which goes alongside the single player storyline. You are yet another Ghost squad stuck in a different part of Mexico battling rebels. The co-op experience is fun but lacks some of the features of the main game. When you are done shooting with your friends you can then proceed to shoot at them playing deathmatches on the same stages.
Achievements are fairly easy to get in GRAW 2 for playing through each of the modes or getting a certain amount of kills in multiplayer. Pretty standard stuff really, except for the strange restrictions placed on certain achievements. I understand the point of not getting hit once throughout a stage but why can I only earn the achievement in "quick play" mode and not while playing through the campaign itself?
All in all, GRAW 2 is another solid effort in a solid franchise. It has taken some strong steps towards the greatness achieved by its brother franchises but it has slightly stumbled this time around. Now all that’s left is to look forward to the next Tom Clancy title, no matter how far away it is.
