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This may very well be the first real next-generation action game. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has turned heads ever since it was announced because Ubisoft wanted to do so much with the game. Many were disappointed when the game missed the system’s launch but it appears that the extra time went to good use.
In GRAW, you play as Ghost captain Scott Mitchell. The Ghosts, known for their elite skill, have to protect the leaders of the US, Canada and Mexico as they meet in Mexico City, which is pretty authentic complete with the major landmarks like Angel Plaza. Soon after, rebels kill the Canadian prime minister and we find out that the presidents of US and Mexico are missing. To find them, you’ll have to secure the massive city as you travel alone or with the help of three other Ghosts.
The pace of GRAW is deliberately slower than other action games. The game doesn’t let you shoot well when you’re moving around, forcing you to take cover and use vehicles to your advantage. This also means that you’ll be dead if you take more than a few shots, but the game’s difficulty never gets overbearing. The game makes good use of the massive city that it is in. You’re able to get to your desired location via a number of routes, and it’s up to you to pick the one that will be the most manageable. Because you’re in a city, that means that you’ll find enemies hidden behind buildings or even atop buildings, just waiting to take a shot at you.
Your character is able to do a lot. You’re able to take cover on a multitude of surfaces, peek over a corner and take a shot, fire over a wall with a rifle, expose yourself a bit more but use a scope to get accurate shots. The more cover a shot gives you, the less accurate the shot will be so this aspect of the game is very balanced. The game includes a low-light mode to help you in dark areas although the benefit of this mode if unclear. You won’t have to do this all by yourself, though. You’re able to issue commands to your three team members. You can tell them to regroup, attack or move. On their own, they’re pretty effective at defending themselves and helping you out. Your team members, objectives, and enemies are all tracked via the games HUD, so you’re always in the loop. Aside from controlling this team, sometimes you’ll control vehicles such as gunships, tanks, and helicopter.
As expected, the game includes online multiplayer for up to 16 players via Xbox Live. The game includes ten maps all of which are cleverly designed with plenty of cover and open areas for all-out gunfights. The game also includes online co-op for up to 16 players. The co-op includes four unique missions for players to take part on. For the most part, they’re well designed for multiple players. If you want to play co-op but don’t want to go online, you can play this mode offline as well.
The game’s visuals are simply amazing. Mexico City is perhaps the most startling aspect because of how large the city is. When you’re atop the city, in a helicopter, you’ll see buildings and streets as far as the eye can see. All of the buildings look great but worn giving the city a lived-in feel. Unfortunately, you’ll never see how the city became this way since there are no citizens or cars running around in the city. The character models are equally impressive with tons of polygons and high-resolution textures being used. The lighting and shadow system is very impressive, some of the best we’ve seen.
The game’s audio is equally impressive. The background music is fast and makes the action even more exciting than it already looks to be. The sound effects are also very impressive. The game’s guns all sound very authentic and powerful. You can hear the weight and impact of these weapons blast through the screen.
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is one of the best games available on the Xbox 360. The 10-hour single-player campaign is great, as is the online co-op. When you match this with a stellar audio-visual presentation, it’s tough to beat GRAW. The game is so well made that even people not traditionally into tactical-action games will get a lot out of it.
-- Adam Nunez -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 18, 2006
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