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Xbox 360 | Action | Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2

Boxart for Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 6 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.75
  • SOUND: 4.00
  • CONTROL: 3.50
  • FUN FACTOR 4.25
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.6
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.4

Review: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (page 2 of 4)

Review by Ouroboros | 03/09/2007 | 11:50:43 AM PST

A Movable Feast

Perhaps it's testament to the cunning mission design, with its seemingly fluid objectives and only occasionally cheesy scripting, that the whole affair manages to be more exciting and entertaining than maddening despite these complaints. Still, whatever frustrations might lurk in the single player campaign, it's actually only half the game. Everything that made GRAW a multiplayer hit has been polished and expanded, with player complaints like spawn camping and degraded online image quality fully and effectively addressed.

There's so much to do online, it's actually a little ridiculous. Sixteen male and female characters might drop into a six mission co-op campaign that expands on the events of the main storyline. Ad-hoc fireteams and lone gunmen can comb eight new maps (out of 18 total) of remarkable versatility and tactical opportunity at varying times of day while healing each other Gears of War-style.

There are even a few new modes, like "Officer," where a single random teammate's kills and deaths have a greater impact on the final scoreboard, or "Divide & Conquer," where every zone you take control of awards you more and stronger AI support, like soldiers and helicopter coverage. Everything from spawn counts, kit restrictions, and time limits is easily customized in seconds. There's even full clan support, where you and 99 of your closest pals can train together to become a well-oiled military machine.

Split Decision

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is one of those games that makes you wonder how long it'll be before the advent of a dedicated online-only military world. The latest in this series might not reinvent the squad shooter, but with so much of its true value wrapped up in a compelling and expertly crafted online experience, it simply doesn't have to. Even the lingering control issues recede in the presence of a level playing field.

Still, even if you don't care one whit about online gaming, Red Storm's latest is exciting enough to offset the nagging sense that you've trod this ground before. It might not represent the pinnacle of the genre, but it is well worth playing. On the other hand, if live and breathe online gaming, GRAW 2 is undoubtedly a must-buy.

PROS: Visual upgrades, large selection of weapons and multiplayer options, clan support.

CONS: Still some AI irritations and control issues, and all improvements are merely evolutionary.


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