It's not an uncommon occurrence in the game industry for a title to be rushed out the door to meet a big deadline, only to suffer from a poor reception as a result. Tons of companies have been known to push games for a high-profile release date and then face fan backlash due to unforeseen bugs, technical issues or lackluster gameplay. That's why it's so surprising-and incredibly unusual-when a game's creators take the extra time to do things right. Originally scheduled to launch alongside the Xbox 360 in November 2005, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) was not a stellar-looking title at this point last year. It made a poor showing at E3 and-even as late as last fall-not much of the released content was provoking very much excitement. Today, however, it stands as a phenomenal achievement on a platform desperately in need of a big hit, and it will likely reap the huge benefits of a new, dedicated audience as a result.

The strangest thing is that the Ghost Recon series is not a new player on the scene. It's been around for quite some time-since 2002, to be exact-and it has enjoyed a respectable following since the release of the first game. As a tactical shooter, the series has always been somewhat limited in appeal, but it certainly had its fans. What GRAW sets out to do is advance the Ghost Recon formula into a new age and attract a new fan base while also staying true to the series' roots. It accomplishes this goal in spades, and it's a very respectable showpiece for the 360 hardware, but-in the end-its biggest contributions are the small innovations and evolutions it brings to the tactical shooter genre.

Set in the near future, GRAW's main campaign-which is essentially the entire single player experience-centers on a cultural uprising in Mexico that results in the death of the Canadian prime minister and the disappearance of the U.S. and Mexican presidents. Players take on the role of Scott Mitchell, an elite soldier and member of the infamous military unit known as the Ghost squad. These are the guys that are called when all hell breaks loose, and their famed courage is only outstripped by their phenomenal skill in combat. The campaign starts out pretty innocently, but it quickly ramps up and takes the player on quite a few hair-raising twists and turns. By the end of the single player campaign, players will have explored the huge, sprawling metropolis of Mexico City during an explosive and violent uprising and taken part in a wide number of tense, white-knuckle engagements and extractions. It's an exhilarating thrill ride and it's thankfully a generously robust experience, meaning most gamers will spend many hours seeing it through to its conclusion.

The single player campaign is composed of a wide variety of missions-from seek and destroy objectives to escort details-but it's the interface and complexity of the gameplay that really pushes the experience into the higher echelons of the greatest games. Whether tackling a mission solo or commanding Mitchell's capable three-man team, all of Ghost Recon's traditional gameplay elements have been translated well into the next generation. Players have a wide variety of weapons at their disposal, and the new ability to "stick" to walls and peek around corners is a very welcome addition. It all has a very heavy action feel to it, which may turn off some more tactically oriented gamers, but the developers have been careful to pace the game in such a way that most gamers are likely to be very pleased with the result.

Issuing commands to teammates is a simple and painless affair-all handled with the d-pad-and players are even given the opportunity to command numerous support vehicles to achieve their goals. UAV drones can be used to scout ahead and pinpoint enemy locations, and motorized assault vehicles or helicopters can be sent to specific points on the map to lay down deadly suppression fire. Every button on the 360 controller is used to execute this high level of interactivity, but it takes no more than a half hour with the title for everything to become second nature.

Without question, the real star of GRAW is Mexico City itself. It is rendered in surprisingly high detail, and each section of the city is absolutely huge when compared to just about any other current videogame. Gameplay transitions seamlessly from aerial helicopter assaults to point insertions on land, and the size and scope of the city is probably the most impressive feat the 360 has pulled off since its debut. Each mission can be tackled in numerous ways and players are encouraged to explore different routes to each objective, often landing in unsuspected firefights with enemies who seem quite capable of using the landscape to their own advantage, as well. Squad members seem equally competent-for the most part-and it's a good feeling to send them ahead, watch them sweep an area for enemies and then find cover for themselves in a realistic fashion. The best complement that can be paid to the game is that the entire campaign feels realistic and grounded, and no other game has come this close to rendering a realistic war-torn battlefield in such a successful fashion.

The single player and multiplayer aspects of the game were developed by different teams, so it's no surprise that the multiplayer options are just as robust as the single player campaign. Local games are can be played across a network or split screen on the same television, but the best options are reserved for those with access to Microsoft's Live service. Quick and custom matches are available at the press of a button, and private matches can easily be created to keep out the riff-raff. All of the popular modes are present, from co-op campaign missions to elimination and domination setups, and each mode can either be played in all-out solo or team configurations. Lag doesn't seem to be much of problem (provided the game host has a decent connection), and the game supports up to 32 players in a given match. Nearly every aspect of each game type can be customized from the lobby menu, including weapon sets, spawn limits and inclusion of special equipment such as UAV drones, so even the most finicky gamer will be able to tailor a multiplayer experience to his or her liking. The visual fidelity of the title does take a small hit when moved to multiplayer, but it is still a damn attractive game in any mode.

The single player campaign is where the visuals really shine, however. The 360 has seen a lot of good looking titles come and go-most recently Fight Night Round 3-but GRAW really does take the cake for tying all of it together. From subtle touches such as fully reflective windows in every building or the abundant use of particle effects to the flat-out size and scope of Mexico City, no game has screamed next-generation to the extent that GRAW does here. The character models are probably the most attractive ever seen in this type of game, and each structure in the game is rendered with impressive clarity and detail. Plus, for the first time, GRAW looks just as advanced on a standard television as it does in HD. True, HD owners are in for a more robust visual feast, but it's clear on any television setup that a game like this couldn't be handled by the hardware of the previous generation.

When GRAW fires on all cylinders, it's truly a sight to behold and an experience to be treasured. That's why it's so disappointing that the flaws tend to stick out that much more. In this day and age, we should be done with clipping issues and odd graphical glitches, but GRAW sports a few nonetheless. Character models will occasionally "float" up inclines when crawling, and it's still possible for the invisible bounding box around objects to get in the way of a desperate grenade toss. These are small niggles, but they're easy to spot in the face of so much technical prowess. What's harder to deal with are some of the AI inconsistencies that tend to pull you back out of the game world. Your teammates will sometimes refuse to reach an area or crawl over an obstacle that is clearly accessible, no matter how many times you issue the command-or how frustrated you get. Also, the UAV drone and other support vehicles will occasionally refuse to enter areas that seem to be mission critical. The biggest inconsistency, however, is probably the detection routines used by the enemy AI. While most soldiers seem to possess the ability spot your head stretching around a corner from two blocks away and raise an alarm, it's not uncommon for a patrolling combatant to completely ignore the death of a comrade who is sniped to death right next to him. These are all little issues that gamers have always coped with in these types of games, of course, but with the visual and gameplay fidelity that GRAW brings to the table it seems like some of these issues need to become a thing of the past.

Without a doubt, GRAW is a fantastic game that truly pushes the genre forward while also turning it on its ear. It is easily the best squad combat game ever released, and the fact that it serves as such a great showcase for the software-hungry 360 is just icing on the cake. Action and tactical gamers looking for a great single player experience need to sign up for this tour of duty immediately, and those looking for a great multiplayer title will have found it in GRAW. That the game offers so much to so many different types of people is a real testament to its quality, and it's likely that the Ghost Recon series has stepped out of the shadows permanently.

Score: 95%

Mar 18, 2006 | 0 comments
David Tolin