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Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Review (X360)

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Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Review (X360)Ubisoft
In March of 2006, when the first GRAW hit the Xbox 360, it was one of the first “Wow. This is next-gen” type games to hit the system. It looked absolutely phenomenal and played like a dream. And now, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 has arrived as a highly polished and refined sequel. It doesn’t take any risks or deviate from the GRAW formula, but you can’t deny that it looks and plays even better than the original, which should make fans of the series very happy.
Quick Hits

  • Title: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
  • Platform:Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Developer: Ubisoft Paris / Red Storm
  • ESRB Rating: “T" for Teen
  • Genre: Third-person tactical shooter
  • Pros: Improves in pretty much every area over the first GRAW; great multiplayer
  • Cons: Short single-player campaign

Story

In GRAW 2, you once again take on the role of US Army Captain Scott Mitchell as he is sent right back into battle after saving the day in the first GRAW. A civil war has erupted between mutinous Mexican army units, and before all is said and done the battle threatens to spill over into the US and it is up to you to go in and put out the hot spots before a full on firestorm erupts.

Features

GRAW 2 offers a full list of multiplayer, co-op, and single-player gameplay modes. The solo campaign is somewhat short, only lasting 4-6 hours, but it is filled with interesting set pieces and cool stuff so it is well worth playing through at least once. The multiplayer suite offers tons of maps and options for objective-based and team-deathmatch game modes. You can customize pretty much everything, from respawns to objectives and more, which means you can create limitless custom matches. If you liked GRAW’s Xbox Live multiplayer, you’ll love GRAW 2. Co-op mode is a bright spot in GRAW 2 because you can play through a separate storyline with up to 15 other players, which is very cool. All in all, the features list in GRAW 2 is very impressive.

Gameplay

Ubisoft
The gameplay in Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is very much like that in the original, but with a few new additions. It is still a third-person, squad-based, slowly paced affair that is dependant on using cover and strategy, and it is still very newbie friendly compared to the Ghost Recon series pre-GRAW. Even if you hate slow paced, realistic shooters, give GRAW or GRAW 2 a chance. They are well balanced and offer up amazingly satisfying gameplay that anyone, not just hardcore war junkies, will enjoy.

As far as specific enhancements in GRAW 2, the list is long. The biggest improvement is that you can now get a fullscreen video feed from any of the friendly vehicles or soldiers on the battlefield. That means you can move your squad over to a different set of cover and then switch to an onboard camera of one of the soldiers to pick out targets from their point of view. This lets you scope out the battlefield from several angles at once before making any aggressive offensive moves that might put you in danger. When you use the overhead drone, it is also a fullscreen feed this time around which makes it much easier to use.

The rest of the gameplay is the same as GRAW, but maybe a little tighter and more responsive. The game has a great tutorial mode, and once you learn how everything works, it all just feels right.

Graphics and Sound

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, the original Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter was really the first “next-gen” game around. It was absolutely incredible looking and a great first look and what we could really expect in the PS3/Xbox 360 era. GRAW 2 takes the beautiful foundation built by the first game and then builds a luxurious mansion on top of it. At first glance, you might think the game looks the same as before. But now everything has a sharper look, and there is more detail in the textures in GRAW 2. Also, the lighting and effects for explosions and smoke are even better this time around. It is also worth noting that the graphics in multiplayer are not simplified like they were in the first game. You get to play full multiplayer battles with all of the nice graphics of the single-player game. And it is stunning.

The sound is also very good in GRAW 2. It really draws you into the experience when the sound effects of vehicles and explosions and gunfire are all so realistic and well done. The voice work is also very good, which really brings the story to life.

Bottom Line

Ubisoft
Overall, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is a solid follow-up to one of the best games on the Xbox 360. There are some definite improvements here that make it a better game overall than the first GRAW, but it is also undeniably a safe, by the numbers sequel that didn’t really take any risks. You can’t really fault Ubisoft for that, though, since the original was so good to begin with. GRAW 2 is a great looking, great playing, and just all around well put together game that is highly recommended for Xbox 360 owners. It is worth at the very least a rental, but it is a solid purchase if you plan to play the multiplayer modes extensively.

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