FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future
Story image
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 - PC
Sat, 1st Sep 2007
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 finally returns to its origins on the PC, if not slightly delayed from its appearance on the 360. Ubisoft however is quick to point out that G.R.A.W 2 for the PC has been built from the ground up as opposed to a straight port from the 360. Following up from the original, G.R.A.W 2 picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, though background knowledge is unnecessary. Once again you’re Scott Mitchell, leader of the elite, top secret elite Ghost team. The Ghosts have less than 72 hours to stop a nuclear attack on US soil. The campaign is mission based, and just like its previous instalment, briefings are via news broadcasts and videos from your commanders. In G.R.A.W 2 you can take up to 3 troopers into the battlefield with you. The troopers are all at your command and are directed by you through the field. Orders are issued to your team-mates via a basic menu system. The A.I of your squad is fairly good, though corners can sometimes be a problem, as can their apparent need to run directly through the line of fire. G.R.A.W 2 for PC is simulation based as opposed to the action based console version, making for a slow and methodical game. The inability to heal and a relatively small health bar means that cover becomes an integral part of the game, as one hit in the wrong place can end the mission. With this in mind some of the situations players are cast into can seem near-impossible. The graphics are fantastic if your PC meets the steep requirements. Sound plays an important part in G.R.A.W 2, as the location of enemies and team-mates alike is given away. The sound effects are fantastic and the voice actors do a convincing job. Multiplayer is what sets aside G.R.A.W.2 from other FPS games. There is a host of fully fleshed modes featuring co-operative and competitive game play. From standard ‘Deathmatch’, to ‘King of the Hill’ and ‘Recon vs. Assault’ mode, there is plenty of content here to keep players occupied for hours.Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is a fairly solid game, though it does have its obvious short comings, the depth of the multiplayer makes up for the exceedingly difficult single player campaign. The graphics are solid as is the sound. For players looking for a lengthy single player campaign, look elsewhere, but for gamers after hours of entertainment online, G.R.A.W.2 is where it’s at.