Mar 13, 4:03 pm
First of all, I never expected to like Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 quite as much as I did. When it popped through my letter box two weeks ago, I wasn’t expecting it to obliterate my evenings and weekends. I wasn’t expecting to spend an entire Sunday slouched on the sofa in my pyjamas hunting down Mexican terrorists. But that’s what happened.
We might be sponsored by Ubisoft, but like many GRAW fans, I had misgivings about the second installment. It turned up so quickly, could it really be all that different to its predecessor? Was it just an expansion pack dressed up as a full retail game? And did anybody genuinely care about the new smoke effects?
A bit of mucking about with the graphics is all well and good, but your average gamer wants solid differences when a sequel is unveiled. A clear line drawn between the past and the present. No one wants to feel like they’re simply retreading old ground.
But at the same time, you don’t want a developer to go completely the other way. I’ve played sequels where the game was so completely different to its predecessor that much of what I’d loved in the first installment was lost. Don’t change enough and it’s a rip-off. Change too much and you risk damaging your foundations. It’s a difficult balance to strike.
I personally think GRAW 2 has done a good job of satisfying both sides. Before I launch into a list of some of the new features I enjoy, I must stress that the second outing is still very much a Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter game. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” the saying goes, and in this instance I’m inclined to agree. Fans of GRAW will feel right at home with GRAW 2, but I also like to think the new additions may spark the interest of those yet to step into the boots of a Ghost. The new features don’t totally overhaul the gameplay, but they are solid, well integrated and welcome.
My personal favourite is the ability to hit the right bumper to see full-screen through the eyes of your comrades in both multiplayer and single player. Whilst this doesn’t sound like much, it is SO COOL. Controlling your team - especially in single player, becomes a far more fluid experience. And their AI has been tweaked too. No more standing dumb in the line of fire, or charging solo into a group of enemies. When you put them on recon, they stay on recon. Ditto goes for assault. Their dialogue is more detailed, more helpful, and dare I say it, even personal at times (apparently based on the way gamers communicate online). Your comrades are no longer a burden - and a good job too, especially when you’ll often be commanding both your Ghosts, a second team of Mexican soldiers and whatever other support might be to hand.
The drone is much easier to use too, and again, it comes with a full screen view. Controlling it is a lot less fiddly. Airstrikes through, are where the fun really kicks off - the huge explosions really impressing. And who needs wussy, clunky tanks when you can call in death from above in the form of lady helicopter pilot “Little Bird”?
Less easier to quantify is the more involving, better-told story, with more drama and variety than the first game. Split into three quite distinct acts; you always know where you’re going and why. There’s a lot less of a thankless mission after thankless mission feel to proceedings.
The clan system is another great addition. GRAW has always been about communication and teamwork, and I know this new feature will be welcomed by many clans out there. Proper clan matchmaking is a real treat, and every game should give the player the ability to create a pink space invaders T-shirt as their clan insignia ... Which leads me onto another important addition - a playable female character in multiplayer! Hurrah! And not just a playable female character - a customisable female character, including skin tone and hair colour. Yes, I get to have red hair again! You say “easy target” - I say “I’m back in action, baby!”
I still have a couple of co-op maps to complete - enemy numbers scale and change type (a sniper might change down to a rifleman, for example) depending on how many players are working through the map - how handy is that? And I’m planning to slog through the single player hard mode. It’s going to take me a while to get a feel for all the new maps, but I’m looking forward to it. GRAW 2 doesn’t break the mould, but neither did it necessarily need to. Still not convinced? Then check out my interview with the lovely Christian Allen, creative director at Red Storm and responsible for the multiplayer aspect of GRAW 2. He’s been in the Ghost Recon business longer than I’ve been eating biscuits, and that’s a bloody long time.
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