Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox 360) - BUY IT!!

While Tom Clancy is better known for his book writing abilities, it is no secret that the gaming adaptations of his militaristic genre of writings have stormed the video game industry, and the Ghost Recon series is no exception to this rule.

As many may remember, the release of the original Xbox360 title, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (or G.R.A.W), was met with praise and admiration, not only from the Ghost Recon fans, but gamers in general. It was adopted as one of the defining elements of “the next generation of games”. Knowing this, its no surprise that G.R.A.W II has a few expectations to live up to.

The second installment picks up where the original left off, placing the player back in control of the US Army Captain Scott Mitchell, as he and his team of 5th Special Forces Group (Ghosts) once again wade neck-deep into cement shattering and eardrum rupturing combat south of the Mexico boarder. The missions, while somewhat fewer in number then the original, include both solo and team-based objectives ranging from search and rescue, to all out warfare. Veterans of the original will appreciate the return, and improvement on, the cross-com system, which allows the player to control not only his/her squad, but also friendly units in the field, including tanks, helicopters, UAVs etc.

The overall quality of the graphics have been improved also, with tweaked atmospheric lighting effects and particle systems, that work to immerse the player just that little bit more. The large-scale landscapes have been retained also, allowing the player to fly over an entire city of smoldering buildings and scattered rubble, with seamless performance.

Ubisoft have taken a proven game, built on his strengths and ironed out its flaws to give yet another great tactical shooter. While the game does have a few minor flaws still, the sound and graphics are awe-inspiring, the gameplay smooth and fluent, and the overall atmosphere have all been improved. A game well worth playing.