Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
Gameplay:
Story really drives games forward and when it comes to making the player feel like they are part of the game from beginning to end, and UbiSoft really nailed that in GRAW. From the first mission I felt as if I actually was embedded with the Ghosts thanks to the handheld camera feel, the story delivery method and due to the fact that you never really leave the game environment for more than a couple seconds; you are really in the thick of it all from the moment you walk into Mexico City for the first time.
To further the total immersion load times are hidden behind interactive cut scenes, which are sometimes interrupted and you're thrown into action sooner than expected. Briefing screens are a thing of the past, as you are verbally given your tasks before exiting the safety of your helicopter or armored vehicle, then through the Cross-Com you are updated on the fly as the level progresses.
The Cross-Com is part of your heads up display featuring status of teammates, current weapon selection and two video feeds in either upper corner. One feed is always on and contains the vantage point of one of your team members, or it is a feed from your support vehicle. Yes, your support vehicle. Depending on the situation you are granted support from one of three vehicle types, unmanned drones which you can send out to scout the battlefield for deeper recon, or a tank which unfortunately is set on a specific path of destruction but is willing to shoot at targets you suggest, and a helicopter which you use to take out bunkers and other fortifications. The use of these support vehicles is very intuitive and shares the same operation as controlling/ordering around your squad of Ghosts, which is ultra simple and effective now.
Your D-Pad in combination with your aiming reticule is used to control any of your support; simply aim where you want them to be and press up, aim at an enemy and press up to order an attack, and to regroup on your position simply press down. Sadly, even with all the advances your team still isn't as smart as I would have liked to have seen, but they do perform some limited evasive maneuvers and do try to use cover to their advantage. Sometimes.
Controlling your character is very simple and effective with some nice little additions that help immerse the player even more. Running for cover is hectic, but being able to either dive or slide into a safe spot is easy to do with a simple click of the right thumb stick.
The single player campaign is a great way to play through the game when you're on your own, but a very large portion of the fun comes from the endlessly customizable online options. Feel like taking on rebels as a team with up to sixteen of your friends? Go for it. The standard capture the flag and death match modes are here as well, each with great customization options to keep the games fresh.
The achievement points are nicely distributed through both the single player game and the online modes, with some free points not allocated, which can only mean additional content for us to download and play. Some achievements will take a while to accomplish, such as the one granted for hosting 1000 games, and some take very little time like the 25 points granted for completing the training level. I applaud the fact that points are reserved for additional content, and I really look forward to the inevitable release which will breathe even more life into what is sure to be a very popular game for the Live service.
Graphics:
Even when running in standard definition, GRAW is one pretty game. Mexico City looks how I'd imagine it to look with gritty walls, shanty towns have the right amount of grime and rust, and the lighting of the game is very well done. Like a lot of the current next-gen games, GRAW utilizes HDR lighting to bring forth a deeper sense of realism, and I didn't find myself cursing it as much as I did when playing other titles like Burnout Revenge. If you're focusing through your scope and pan from a building to the bright sky you'd expect some changes in the way your eye reacts, and thanks to HDR that's what you get; a sometimes washed out image that when lighting conditions change the overall effect of the graphics change, like in the transition from day to night you see in one helicopter flight between levels.
Sharp gameplay and cut scene graphics aside, the one small complaint that I've got is the slightly cluttered HUD. Each and every corner of your display is eaten up with cross-com video, current status and other videos from time to time. For those who don't have the luxury of widescreen televisions, this can really lessen the amount of real estate on a screen when the game is played. Also on TVs that aren't oversized high-definition sets, the quality of the in-window video is very grainy and tough to make out the detail. This is problematic when you actually try to use the video to see other parts of the battle through your companions eyes, and even more so in multiplayer mode where this is a highly beneficial piece of added information.
Audio:
It's getting tougher and tougher to nail down flaws in videogame sounds these days. In order to really be below average a game needs to really drop the ball with poorly acted lines or music that just doesn't fit into the game at all. Fortunately, GRAW doesn't suffer too badly from these typical sound flaws. Sure the voice acting can be a little cheesy and is hammed up a bit, but it doesn't pull you out of the game experience thanks to the total immersion of the rest of the game.
A player can use the full surround sound experience to help them locate and then eliminate enemies onscreen and when you manage to blow up armored vehicles and helicopters, you'll feel it as well as see it onscreen. The musical score is very non-invasive and really only makes an appearance when it needs to makes an impact. Early on when trying to fend of an onslaught of rebels, the music plays a tune that feels both sad and hopeless at the same time, and then switches to something that makes you breathe a sign of relief when the attack subsides.
Conclusion:
On the whole I was far more impressed with GRAW than I expected to be, based on my dislike of previous Ghost Recon titles. On every level I was impressed when playing this title, be it the lack of briefing screens or the handheld shaky camera that was used everything about this game kept me entertained.
The ability to play the single player in two difficulty levels will add a lot of replay to the title even for those who don't get to play online in the fantastic offerings found on Live. Quite often I'd find myself hopping online for a quick round of capture the flag or the sharpshooter mode to get a quick fix. For extended online sessions, playing in the co-op campaign with a group of friends or even random strangers is a blast that I can't wait to get back into.
For sheer replay and fun, this game is highly worth the price and adding in the story line and tension that the single player mode adds I have no qualms highly recommending this title to anyone, even people who've been put off by previous iterations of this series, like me.