PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC

Ghosts back into battle

Ghost Recon 2
PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC

The game:
The ghosts are back, but this time the action is set in North Korea, where the ghosts are dispatched to deal with a rogue North Korean regime threatening the world. It’s a war-torn country that is extremely unstable and only the team from North Carolina can do the job.

If you plan to play this title on PS2, then it will be set four years earlier as Ubisoft has made two Ghost Recon 2 games. The story in each version is entirely self-contained, so you won’t have to buy both versions.

There are plenty of real-world weapons, as well as some next-generation gear such as the XM8 rifle with a 6x scope, a built-in target designator, an air-burst grenade launcher and a radio to call in air strikes, which is very handy when you’re well hidden.

This sequel has also added the real-world feature of picking up enemy weapons, so there’s no longer an excuse for running out of ammunition.

The play:
The single-player campaign consists of 12 missions, and when you’re done, you can look forward to the game’s multiplayer component.

The multiplayer and Xbox Live component is where the game excels, and with up to 16 players per game, you can ensure lots of fun. The action looks good, the attention to environment detail is good and there’s plenty more bad guys waiting, or just plain sprinting across the countryside looking for you – up to 84 per firefight mission.

In addition to the regular campaign, the “lone wolf” mode allows you to replay completed missions with just one guy.

Ghosts in the machine: Die-hard fans may be a bit disappointed by some of the changes Ubisoft made to playing the game.

The experience:
Depending on their tolerance for change, fans of the first Ghost Recon may be sorely disappointed by the sequel as fundamental changes have occurred, such as the perspective.

It is now a third-person view that allows a wider line of sight, however, you can revert to the classic weaponless first-person view at any time. When hosting multiplayer matches, you can even require everyone to play in first-person. The bigger change is to your squad.

Previously you were in charge of two teams of three, now you only have a team of four and you can no longer control a single member – if your character dies, then it’s game over. You can, however, give them general orders such as flank left, flank right, advance, hold position, regroup, and suppress.

You can also give them context-sensitive orders when the aiming reticle is over a relevant object. For instance, when your gun is pointed at an enemy vehicle, a single button press will order your squad to destroy it.

All orders are given to the entire squad rather than to a single soldier. When a situation comes up that only requires the attention of one person, the game will then determine what team member is best positioned and equipped to deal with it.

People who will enjoy it: Anyone who didn’t play the original, anyone who played the original and didn’t like it, and anyone who played the original, liked it, but can’t remember why they liked it or can remember, but are willing to keep an open mind.

– SQNLDR Nick Hogan

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