Immediately obvious from its title, GRAW2 is simply that; an extension of the first game and its storyline. Set mere days after the Ghost Recon squad took down the rebels in Mexico, Captain Mitchell and his team are again called into action on the Mexican / American border. It appears that the rebels are far from done and are receiving some heavy duty support from elsewhere. Off the radar for the most part, the Ghosts' job is to bring stability back to the region and avoid the obliteration of targets in the US by nuclear warheads.

Being a direct continuation, naturally GRAW2 doesn’t do much to change the basic gameplay elements of the first, with the player primarily controlling Mitchell directing him to cover and firing on enemies. Control is also given over the Ghost squad / support vehicles via the updated cross-com system. This isn’t to say that Ubisoft haven’t bothered to change anything at all. On the contrary, a number of additions and alterations have been made which are designed to enhance the whole experience.

Players are now able to see the view directly, and in real time, from support vehicles (including the drone used to map out enemies on the HUD and scout ahead). This makes all the difference when it comes to keeping the player involved in the action and allowing better tactical precision with attacks and movement since they are no longer required to have a direct view from Mitchell's position to get someone or something to advance to, or fire on, a specific point. All of it can now be done through the cross-com. This also includes being able to see things from the viewpoint of the Ghost squad themselves and it gives the player much more control over their actions and positioning, particularly when it comes to getting them in to cover quickly. There are two examples which prove how well this new system works - the fact that it’s entirely possible to play missions without Mitchell having to fire off a single shot (just like a real squad leader) and that at certain points you are given additional squad members so that you can effectively split into two teams of three. This allows performance of some well timed pincer movements and while the levels are still quite linear, there is ample opportunity to try out such advanced tactics.

Team AI has also been tightened and while not perfect, the Ghosts are now better at actively seeking cover if they find themselves exposed. They also give much more in the way of vocal feedback about enemy positions and their actions. This means that thankfully you don’t have to spend so much time babysitting your team-mates and worrying about their actions.

The total result is that GRAW2 feels much more tactical than ever before and the game now has a very rich Full Spectrum Warrior flavour to it, which will no doubt thrill those who love their all out action but with a healthy dose of strategy mixed in.

The other biggest overhaul is in the graphics department and those delighted by GRAW’s visuals will be left a dribbling wreck by what Ubisoft have achieved. Employing a whole host of effects the game looks nothing short of stunning. Thanks to an amazing depth of field on the horizon and much more realistic lighting, explosions, tracer fire and even towering infernos look eerily realistic and jaw droppingly good in the distance. Closer up there are a host of new effects for the fantastic camera rattling explosions, dust and smoke which actually gets whipped around by movement from helicopter blades, filtered lighting and shadowing effects and even heavy rain, which are all beautiful additions. These add to the incredible sensation of being the person in the driving seat in the middle of an emerging and hectic war zone.

Speak to many people about the original GRAW and one of the main discussions will be regarding the stand out moments which defined the playing experience. GRAW2 easily manages to eclipse these, with what can be described as its equivalent of the mission to defend the ruined Embassy being an extremely memorable highlight. Skulking around deserted Mexican streets in the darkness of the early morning hours while fires rage in the distance will have you torn between using the night vision to survive and turning it off to soak up the ambiance. Fighting for survival with the rest of your team gone while Helicopter gunships scream overhead, trying to take you out before you can reach the extraction point is as tense a moment as you could wish for. The helicopter chain guns sections make a return but are fewer than before, seemingly concentrating on quality moments rather than quantity. Obliterating armoured convoys on hillsides or peppering enemy filled buildings with thousands of bullets as windows shatter and masonry flies are all a concentrated distillation of what made those sections great in the first game.

Employing a different mission structure than the first, the pace is relentless once it starts, kicking in to top gear during the second chapter and not really relenting until it comes to an abrupt end during the third. This is perhaps the biggest failing in the single player experience which feels criminally short and nowhere near as long as that of the first. This is no doubt compounded by additional factors, including how well versed the player is with the first game and the fact that, while it lasts, it is so good that it instils the feeling of not wanting it to end. But there is no denying that the single player portion feels more like a snack (albeit a very tasty one) than a banquet.

The multiplayer aspect follows the same basic principle as the single player; lots of little changes which are designed to enhance the overall experience. Once again the most immediately noticeable change is in the visuals, which are in no way dumbed down this time. Maps are as wonderfully lit and full of the same graphical effects such as those for smoke movement that are seen in the Single Player.

Players are now given an extra lifeline in mutiplayer with the ability to revive downed team mates who have been injured (providing they can be reached before they bleed out). Rather than unbalancing the game and allowing players to steam in to situations with impunity, the feature has been well thought out and implemented to actually aid camaraderie and team play. Care needs to be taken when healing as, just like resupplying ammo from crates, the player is left totally exposed for the duration. Similarly downed players can be executed whilst rolling around injured on the floor, and the injury time is only extended once per life – get revived once and the next few bullets will result in you staying down permanently.

Multiplayer naturally caters for the more traditional approach with adversarial deathmatch modes as well as the team based elimination games that are starting to become an essential mainstay of Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy titles. While these are fun, the real entertainment is with Co-op.

There are six new Co-op missions and while separate missions from the single player, this time their storyline is actually intertwined, with mission Intel even being delivered in the same fashion. While it may seem like a minor point, it gives the proceedings much more relevance and cohesion than GRAW’s original co-op. As before it all remains immense fun and is extremely entertaining, with the range of tactics, options and sheer satisfaction that comes from working as a proper squad to achieve the objectives. Here co-op actually has the edge over the single player in terms of feeling more varied in its objectives, and demanding precise teamwork at certain points to successfully achieve a goal. Arguably Co-op also has more to offer in terms of replay, where no two games will play out exactly the same thanks to the level of human interaction, but also the fiendishly slippery enemy AI which will constantly surprise with its tactics and being downright vicious at times. The only let down to the co-op aspect is the continued failure for the game to live up to its boast of supporting 16 players at once. While this is entirely possible in deathmatch modes, the sheer amount of things going on is enough to tax the bandwidth of those with even the most impressive of internet connections. If you are fortunate to get to play in larger co-op games, it is testament to the mission and level design that they are still excellent fun to play, even if the danger comes from getting shot by your own team as they swarm all over the place, rather than the enemies themselves.

This time around clan support is also included for multiplayer so players can come together with up to a 100 members per clan to fight it out on-line. While not essential, it’s something that 360 owners have become more and more vocal about wanting and it’s nice to see Ubisoft catering for this in some fashion.

Very little in GRAW2 is designed to convert those who steadfastly refused to get on with the first, something which Ubisoft makes no apologies for. Instead they have provided for the already-converted with a game that will thrill and engage for its duration. Taken in isolation it could be argued that the single and multiplayer modes are not much of a justification for purchasing the game which, whatever way you look at it, is ultimately an expansion pack for the first. However, consider the two aspects together as they are packaged and you have one hell of an experience that is worthy of purchase and play.