| Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter review |
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With the advent of the new generation of consoles, developers seem quick to make the jump with long-running series and established genres to the new, beefier platforms. Sometimes they’re a little too quick. Given the popularity of previous titles, it is unsurprising that one of the first few to make this transition is Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series.
Entitled Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW), watching the development of the 360 version has been a seesaw affair. From the initial amazing-looking videos (later revealed to be target videos) to underwhelming work-in-progress gameplay footage, there were times when the title looked like it could either succeed spectacularly or immeasurably disappoint. So now that the game has finally been released, which side of No Man's Land does it come down on?
Just as with any other Tom Clancy title the game is set in the near future, where a military coup threatens to overthrow the elected Mexican government. With the US President caught in the middle of the uprising, America primes its unique special forces, the Ghosts, before sending them into the war zone to help sort things out. Assuming the role of Captain Scott Mitchell, players take command of a team of up to three additional Ghosts as they are thrown into a number of flashpoints in and around Mexico City. Differing itself from previous Ghost Recon titles, this time the Ghosts are equipped with a new experimental system called the Cross-Com. This glorified HUD makes it possible to easily identify objectives, allies and enemies and act accordingly. The system also allows for a picture-in-picture view of the Ghost Squad’s actions, as well as relays from commanders and TV news feeds, updating the player with objectives and back-story without the use of cutscenes.
Controlling the team of Ghosts is a simplistic affair, requiring the player to point in the direction where they wish to send them and pressing a button. Positions and targets can also be assigned using the Cross-Com or the map screen, which comes in handy for targeting enemies without the risk of sticking your head from out of cover. In fact the use of cover plays an important part in this title. Run 'n' gun tactics simply do not work for any length of time and anything less than a slow, stealthy and tactical pace will soon result in Mitchell lying bleeding on the floor.
Throughout the course of the game the player will not only command the Ghost team but also a selection of helicopters, Abrams tanks and a UAV Drone which can be used to scout ahead, picking out enemy locations and highlighting them on the Cross-Com (providing they don’t spot it and shoot it down). It is often these parts of the game (which allow you to control the heavy ordinance) that give the most satisfaction, especially since there is no option to individually control each Ghost. Watching an attack chopper decimate a tank or convoy in a shower of smoke and flame is a memorable and exciting experience, of which there are many occasions scattered through the game.
On-foot sections are split up by APC and, more frequently, chopper rides giving the player a chance to really see and get a feeling for the expansiveness of the city. These are most memorable and exhilarating when called upon to man the mini-gun and clear rooftops and roads of rebel troops and army transports, while the chopper weaves between buildings to avoid enemy fire.
The visuals of single player are enough to silence those who have labelled the 360 nothing more than Xbox 1.5. Mexico City sprawls before the player, wonderfully created and sumptuously lit. Sunlight filters between the tall buildings, casting long shadows over the shantytowns and causing players to squint as it breaks over the top of decimated market squares. Heat haze distorts the ends of narrow alleys or the mass of buildings on the horizon, with inky black smoke billowing into the air from faraway combat zones. Explosions and bullets rock the screen, distorting the Cross-Com in a hail of static, shattering windows, peppering masonry with holes and knocking clumps of leaves from trees.
As well as blistering the eyes, GRAW is also the equivalent of a luxury spa weekend for the ears. While the array of guns, ricocheting bullets and ear-thumping explosions are all impressively recreated, it is the ambient sounds that add palpably to the overall effect. The sounds of far-off skirmishes carry over the city, with ambulance sirens and air-raid warnings wailing in the distance. Cutting through the eerily empty streets, passing under the countless balconied flats and washing lines, the sound of frightened mewling babies or frantic TV reports can be heard echoing from above, giving the player the feeling that just out of sight is a tangible living breathing world of which they are only a very small part. So while the streets are empty aside from enemy and allied fighters (everywhere is under curfew due to the fighting), it never feels unnatural or sparse.
It’s hard to deny that GRAW is visually impressive and, when at its best, highly satisfying and immersive so it’s a real shame that there are areas that are distinctly lacklustre in appearance and implementation, shattering the mood entirely. The game’s visuals suffer from a heavy amount of pop in – to the point where it can distract from the action. It’s not unusual to have Mitchell peer around the corner of some cover only to have crates, textures, or even worse, actual enemies, suddenly pop into view. Voices are also out of sync on the Cross-Com, or even worse, on character models, leaving their mouths flapping like a fish out of water long after they finish speaking. Some of the graphics also look as if they were placeholders that were never updated i.e. reflections in larger low-level panes of glass look jagged and horribly out of place. In a game that does such an excellent job of conveying to the player the feeling of being in a contemporary war zone, it’s inexcusable to have issues such as this that can mar the whole experience.
The A.I. of teammates is also highly questionable at times and certainly nowhere near the level shown in Full Spectrum Warrior. The Ghosts' lack of ability to form up and the player’s similar lack of options in placing them will often mean they make themselves sitting ducks for enemy fire, though there is nothing to fear from letting teammates flatline on the battlefield as they will soon be back, right as rain and fully selectable at the next rally point. Aside from making some sections of the game more difficult there is very little consequence in letting your teammates die.
More annoying than their propensity to willingly act as targets, teammates will often fail to shoot an enemy that has managed to get right next to them, meaning while you’re busy covering their khaki-clad behinds you end up with a bullet embedded in your skull for your troubles. Along similar lines the VIPs that require protecting at various stages cannot be directed and seem to enjoy following you around rather than sticking with the rest of the team or in one place. This means when you are required to dive into action they often decide to come with you, running the risk of getting shot.
Depending on how lucky you are, the single-player campaign will either be a smooth experience or hampered by a shocking number of bugs. Things such as becoming stuck on mounted turrets, character models assuming the standard 3D-modelling-package messiah position for no reason while moving, the level failing to redraw when coming out of sniper mode, A.I. teammates becoming stuck on scenery (including scenery that isn’t there) are just some examples of a potential fault list as long as your arm. That said, some staff writers have had a completely bug-free experience with the game, making it even more baffling when encountering the problems - just be aware that such things may occur.
While the single-player experience may be short-lived, the saving grace in terms of longevity is the multiplayer aspect. Despite being put together by a different developer (namely Red Storm, of Rainbow Six and previous Ghost Recon fame), powered by a separate engine and having different visuals, the game is certainly every bit as impressive to look at. Grass waving in the sea breeze, night slowly turning into dawn and clouds obscuring the sun and moon are just some of the graphical effects that really shine through.
Multiplayer features the usual deathmatch and team-play modes, but also introduces standalone co-op missions which are unrelated to the single-player campaign and giving up to sixteen players the chance to tackle four different objectives online. Here the game succeeds in creating a new benchmark in a multiplayer aspect that is quickly becoming the next big thing in online gaming. The A.I. in this mode is certainly no slouch, offering players a substantial and refreshing challenge as they try to progress. While excellent fun to begin with, sadly the number of co-op missions is limited and won’t provide indefinite fun due to the lack of scenarios and randomised enemies. The omission of an integrated compass in this mode soon becomes apparent and is something that would have made the experience of co-ordinating attacks and movement (the essence of playing co-op properly) a lot easier and rewarding.
Sadly, as entertaining as the multiplayer game is, it suffers from some issues with random disconnections of players when things get busy, seemingly requiring a connection with a substantial upload speed to allow even 8 players to play co-operatively (meaning although 16-player co-op is possible it’s highly unlikely to come about in practice). Other modes, for the most part, don’t seem to suffer this problem.
While some of the criticisms in the review may sound a little harsh, it’s purely because it’s painstakingly obvious that Ubisoft have gone out of their way to try and make the game a standout title, falling down on the home straight as they rushed it out the door. When the game works it is undeniably one of the most rewarding experiences to yet grace the Xbox 360. Unfortunately if the bugs creep under the door the player will be left sitting agog at how broken it all seems. While PC users may be used to this sort of thing, it’s plumbing sad new depths for consoles - lets hope that Ubisoft can tighten up on the faults in time for the inevitable sequel.
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System: Microsoft Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Developer: Ubisoft / Red Storm
Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1-16
Version: European
Reviewed: Apr 2006
Writer: Jamie Davies
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Pros:
- Visually accomplished and impressive
- Exhilarating and gripping when it gets things right
- Online multiplayer is entertaining and co-op is good fun
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Cons:
- If you experience the multitude of bugs, it will spoil the experience
- Team A.I. is awful at times
- Problems with random disconnections in multiplayer
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Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Video: 9.1MB
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