Originally scheduled as an Xbox 360 launch title, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) was pushed back twice in order to ensure the game was up to par and not rushed to meet the November console launch date. Having had a chance to play the game a few months back it was evident that Ubisoft had made a wise decision in doing so. The game in its final form is a finely polished realization of what the Ghost Recon franchise is all about, as well as a good indication that developers have only began to touch the potential of what the Xbox 360 is capable of. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter serves up a hefty helping of tactical combat in a variety of interesting and complex environments that every living, breathing shooter fan definitely must experience.



Story Briefing

One of the best aspects of GRAW is the fact that it takes place in the future, but not far enough in the future to seem too detached from the current state of world events. This allows for some killer hardware we haven’t seen before without going far off into the realm of science-fiction. With a name like Advanced Warfighter, Ubisoft knew the game would have to deliver high explosive action propelled by an intriguing storyline. Thankfully, they have come through on that requirement which helps take the third Ghost title to an entirely different level than we’ve seen before.

The year is 2013, the United States military has implemented one of their latest tools of combat into action. The Integrated Warfighter System, better known as the IWS, has been created in order to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Ghost unit. As if the Ghosts weren’t already among the world’s most elite soldiers, they will now benefit from state of the art technology that will add new layers of strategic and tactical elements to their already expansive arsenal. At the center of the IWS is the Cross-Com, which is a central communication system that connects directly to each soldier, giving them a heads up display of the situation. Supported by direct feed video and satellite data, the Ghosts’ HUD will highlight targets such as enemies, objectives and friendly forces. The powerful IWS system allows for a higher level of coordination among units of soldiers in order to optimize teamwork. There’s no question the Ghosts have a lot of new toys to play with, and they will certainly be put to the test as it seems there is always trouble brewing somewhere in which their abilities are needed.

During a recent summit between the Mexican and United States Presidents, a military coup has taken place, leaving both men in quite a sticky situation. The Ghosts are ordered to Mexico City, where they will need to rescue both Presidents, while eliminating the military insurgents who have threatened to take control of the city. As Captain Scott Mitchell will once again head up his squad of soldiers, players will fight their way through 12 missions that will present Ghost Recon fans with a series of gameplay scenarios unlike anything we’ve encountered in the series before.

Gameplay

Immediately after beginning the single-player campaign of GRAW, it is quite clear that this is a major step up from any previous Ghost title. The campaign was designed by Ubisoft’s Paris crew, while the multiplayer modes were developed by North Carolina based Red Storm designers. This allowed each team to put their full efforts into each aspect of the game rather than simply creating either a single-player or multiplayer game with the other option slapped on for good measure. With GRAW both the single-player and multiplayer modes of gameplay are equally as exciting and each will give players plenty of hours of explosive excitement in a variety of combat scenarios to choose from.

First and foremost, forget everything you’ve come to expect from Ghost Recon and prepare yourself for an innovative approach to modern tactical combat. Whether you are the type that prefers pulse pounding action shooters or the more tedious tactical strategy fighters, there is enough of every conceivable combat setting to please most gamers. The best part is the game’s designers have done a fantastic job of keeping the gameplay elements mixed up so you are always carrying out objectives that will keep interest without becoming repetitive or monotonous. Much of the game is focused on chasing down the rebel forces who have taken possession of the Presidents. To give you just a peek at what’s on the menu, you can expect to be pinned down in the heart of Mexico City while hostile forces close in from all direction, while other missions will find you in an above the ground shoot out with surface to air weaponry, as well as enemy choppers intent on bringing you down. Other missions will include intense rescue operations and the elimination and destruction of key elements, such as scrambling devices that interfere with the Ghost’s IWS technology. Whatever it is the Ghosts will be doing over the span of the 12 levels, you will be at the edge of your seat from start to finish.

The environments that GRAW takes place in are highly detailed and expansive, really giving a good representation of an immersive battleground. With Mexico City as the setting, expect plenty of urban environments, as well as industrial settings. The urban areas are the most impressive due to their sheer size and level of detail, and although the streets are barren of pedestrians during this tumultuous time, there are a lot of ambient sound effects in place to suggest some of the population is still around. For instance, on one level of the game, as the Ghosts make their way to town square area, a baby can be heard crying in the distance. Moving closer to the center of the map, the crying becomes louder. Even though we never see the baby, and the crying is irrelevant to the storyline, it’s a nice touch that adds a level of realism to the situation at hand. I’d probably be hiding in a corner of a building somewhere crying if there was a coup d’etat going on too. Some levels also feature a broadcast in Spanish given by the rebel forces that can be heard. While I’m a bit rusty on my high school Spanish classes, I’m guessing it’s some sort of propaganda being issued to keep the locals at bay inside their homes, while the enemy forces continue their efforts to overthrow the government. In addition to the subtle sound effects of each environment, there are some nice details to the modeling and the objects within each setting. Burnt out cars that are scattered about the streets give indication of the conflicts that have already taken place, leaving the city torn and tattered.


Gameplay Controls:

Previous releases of the Ghost Recon series have well, been a tad cumbersome as far as the controls, and it seemed as though Ubisoft hadn’t quite decided if they wanted a tactical-based or an action-oriented game with each release. With GRAW, Ubisoft has evened out the mix for a good dose of both that blends perfectly, but does tend to lean towards the action side of things. However, there are lot of tactics and strategy that will go into the action as simply utilizing a run and gun approach is a sure fire way to go down in a blaze of gunfire relatively quickly. The Ghost will need to rely on each other, as well as their hardware, to maximize their effort and ultimately their survival. Even though there is a lot going on throughout each mission, the game’s developers have laid out the Xbox 360 controller quite intuitively and coordinating even the game’s most intense actions is much less complicated and less clumsy than ever before. The end result is a much more enjoyable gameplay experience whose controls strengthen the delivery of the action rather than hindering it. It’s still not quite perfect, as there are a few times when things get hot and the character will do something questionable, but all things considered it’s a great step or two in the right direction.

The default point of view for GRAW is the third-person, over the shoulder camera. Shooter purists may still prefer a first-person view, but fear not as players can switch to a first-person, sight-oriented view at any time from the in-game setup menu. While FPS fans may cringe at the thought of observing their character from behind, in a game like this it is quite clear how the third-person point of view has its advantages. By looking over the shoulder of the character, we are able to get a better idea of their positioning, which is vital when it comes to taking cover and being able to utilize some of the game’s more advance weaponry, such as an automatic rifle equipped with a camera, which allows targeting enemies around corners. Sure this could have been done entirely in a first-person perspective, but we feel that the overall vantage gained by being able to actually see the character’s positioning, and the ways in which you can manipulate Mitchell’s movements, are enhanced by the third-person perspective. The third-person perspective is advantageous for movement and positioning, while the first-person camera provides a bit more accuracy when firing.

Before we go any further with the gameplay controls, let’s have a look at how the button mapping works out on the Xbox 360 controller itself:

* Left Stick – Controls character movement. Clicking the stick once will cause the character to crouch, clicking again will stand him up. Clicking and holding for a couple seconds will put the character into a prone position.
* Directional Pad – Left and right will cycle through any available speaker, such as a tank commander, helicopter pilot or your fellow Ghosts. Up and down will issue out any available orders or commands available.
* Right Stick – Controls the character’s aim. Clicking the stick will engage the weapon’s scope or camera if available.
* Left Trigger – Enables the character to tighten up their aim. During scope mode, the left trigger allows the character to hold his breath for minimal movement and improved accuracy during aiming.
* Left Bumper – Selects available engagement mode.
* Right Trigger – Fires the current weapon.
* Right Bumper– Switch camera position from the right shoulder to the left, and vice versa.
* Y Button – Performs actions.
* X Button – Toggles Vision mode.
* A Button – Reload. Toggle firing mode.
* B Button – Select weapon.
* Back Button – Brings up the tactical map.

There are a couple of variations of the default setup that will remap some of the button functions, but for whatever reason there are no Legacy or Southpaw options available within the setup options. Myself, being left-handed, I have simply adjusted to default controls over the years, but I know there are plenty of lefties out there who will be quite upset over the lack of support.

The basic, as well as the most complex, movements within GRAW are fairly easy to perform. This really helps to keep the focus slightly shifted towards the action, while the players intuitively maneuver Mitchell from location to location. During the levels in which Mitchell is supported by three other Ghosts, issuing commands is equally as productive. By pushing up on the D-pad, Mitchell will order his squad mates to move a location that will be designated by three circles. Pushing down on the pad will simply order everyone to follow Mitchell wherever he goes. For the most part, the follow command does the job, but in the instance where a player may want a little extra control the location command comes in handy. Mitchell can also give the order for his Ghosts to act in either recon or assault mode. This simply means they will either open fire or remain arms ready during their actions. Recon mode is great for getting the Ghosts into position without alarming the enemy. The AI of the computer controlled Ghosts is relatively good and they are very good at following Mitchell’s commands without stumbling around or getting themselves killed. If Mitchell doesn’t happen to position them in a beneficial location of cover during a battle, they will be left somewhat vulnerable, as they scramble for cover while also trying to eliminate any threats. At times, a member of the squad may become injured and fall to the ground, in need of medical attention. Mitchell can either assist or issue a command to another squad member who will begin first aid to bring the injured character back into the battle.


The squad AI isn’t perfect, but it is a vast improvement from previous Ghost Recon titles thanks to the more robust Xbox 360 hardware capabilities. The Ghosts are pretty good at taking out targets on Mitchell’s command, but their accuracy and speed doesn’t seem up to par with the performance at which a player can carry out the same task themselves. However, issuing out a command to three squad mates is generally a more reliable tactic during combat than trying to single handedly tackle the situation. Therefore, making efficient use of the squad will generally increase the chances of success and survival, allowing Mitchell to engage in support while his squad carries out his commands. Of course, players who are feeling a bit more gung ho, can always dive into the action head first and hope their squad will follow suit. Being that the game is designed to focus on strategy, this may quickly prove itself to be an unwise decision. In the event that a situation may be too dangerous, Mitchell can command an unmanned drone, if available. The drone flies overhead and gives Mitchell a direct data feed thanks to a video uplink that can be viewed on his HUD. Mitchell can command the drone to a specific location on the map in order to gain intel about what might be at that location. This is a great way to get an idea of what lies ahead without risking the life of the squad. The drone can be lowered for a closer look, but this will obviously make it more vulnerable to being noticed and being shot down by the enemy. Some may find the drone to be quite useful, while other may minimize its use. It can certainly be effective, but there are only a few instances where it is absolutely needed throughout the game.

On the other side of the action, the enemy AI has improved nicely since we’ve checked out earlier builds. Overall, the enemies are quick to notice they aren’t alone and they utilize everything from cover to teamwork while trying to eliminate Mitchell and the Ghosts from the area. There are however, a few instances of the less favorable robotic actions in which enemies will pace back and forth along their designated route until Mitchell or another Ghost is right up on them, but for the most part the enemies are reactive to their surroundings and intent on their objectives. During previous builds of GRAW our biggest grip was how accurate the enemy soldiers were, particularly any snipers. One sliver of Mitchell’s body coming around a corner that was all she wrote. While this is no longer the case on the game’s default difficulty level, we are now faced with the opposite complaint. In some cases the enemy accuracy seems relatively fair, while in other situations a sniper on a rooftop with a clear line of fire will take three or more shots to bring Mitchell down. You would think that a guy designated as a sniper would have a little better shot, particularly when given a direct shot in a situation where the player has yet to notice their location. This isn’t always the case, as most snipers will need to be taken out while leaning around a corner to provide the sharpshooter with as little a target as possible, but it is sometimes noticeable. Perhaps these enemy snipers were catching some Zzz’s or something of that nature. Players can adjust the difficulty setting of GRAW and it is much like that of Call of Duty 2’s difficulty adjustments. Enemies become much more accurate and the amount of damage a player can take decreases, making each shot count a lot more. Players can also disable the on screen targeting system that highlights objects such as enemy targets for an even greater challenge.

, either because you are still on the sidelines or haven’t been able to find one, you really should do whatever it takes to get one because Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is a must have for even the casual shooter fan. Hell, even if you aren’t a shooter fan, you shouldn’t be able to call yourself a gamer if you don’t treat yourself to the experience Ubisoft has delivered. Anyone in search of a killer app as far as online multiplayer goes on the Xbox 360 can call off their search and jump in on the intense action in both standard multiplayer modes, as well as some exciting co-op modes that support up to 16 players in some of the best modern combat scenarios you’ll have ever taken part in. Ubisoft is not only kicking the door in with Advanced Warfighter, they are taking the whole damn building down along with it! Despite a few questionable decisions, such as the lack of any Southpaw support, or the ability to lean in multiplayer, the game is everything we’ve come to expect since it was first shown a year ago. The extra time and effort spent polishing it up after it was held back from being a launch title have definitely paid off. The single-player campaign is beefy enough to last 12-15 hours while the multiplayer replay factor is off the charts. Go out and get a copy pronto!

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