Saturday, March 10, 2007

Ghost Recon: Advanced War Fighter 2 (Xbox360)

Dear Ubisoft, if you can crank out GRAW’s of this quality every year I will be one happy camper. It doesn’t really matter that things have been upgraded and not totally gutted because if it ain’t broke don’t fix it right? Things will look and feel much the same as last year but if you’re a fan of the series this will be a good thing. Add on a totally redone multiplayer component and you’ve got another solid GRAW that everyone with a 360 should consider.

With a mix of team-based gameplay, solo missions, stealth missions, and the ability to command unmanned vehicles, GRAW 2’s single player campaign delivers a lot of variety. Just like in the first there are a large handful of “Holy crap did that just happen?” moments that escalate the experience above pretty much every other game on the market. It’s somewhat troubling that the single player campaign only lasts a good 7 hours but if you’re a believer in quality over quantity then you won’t be disappointed.

This time around you’ll be on the Mexican/US border and you’ll actually get to do some missions on the US side which actually makes the whole visual experience just different enough. Some of the new features on the battlefield include viewing the action through teammates’ eyes, viewing the overhead view of a camera drone, and even commanding an unmanned vehicle. Thankfully your brothers in combat are also much smarter this time around as well as easier to command around the battlefield. If there’s one thing I hated about GRAW 1, it was your stupid buddies.

What’s amazing about the multiplayer portion is the co-op. Not only is it completely unique content, but it mixes the greatness of the single player with the amazing new online competitive mode. You’ll also be able to compete in a ton more modes with up to 16 players this time around and it feels great. No more run and gun, you actually need tactics to win.

If you loved GRAW, then GRAW 2 is a no-brainer. Get this now.

Pros
  • Great new multiplayer features
  • Co-op
  • Updated graphics
  • New locations
  • Great single player experience
Cons
  • Short single player

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