Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you're looking for a combat game with amazing graphics for your XBox 360, then definitely go buy Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The game is fun in single, co-op and online mode!

First, the graphics, because they are just so gorgeous in high definition. The character movements are smooth and realistic. Characters tumble down stairs. Smoke billows. Leaves wave. The different types of area - beach, city, snow - all have their own look and feel.

We mostly play games single player or XBox Live - but it so happens that when we first took this game home there were 2 gamers who both wanted to play. We played the side by side co-op. It was amazingly fun! There was plenty of screen for both players and with the huge maps, there was great opportunity to flank your opponents and catch them in the crossfire.

The sound is fantastic. The ambient noise around you really adds to the feeling that you are there - from people talking, to wind noises, to the various noises made by the weaponry used. If you don't have your XBox 360 going through a good stereo yet, now is really the time to hook that up.

I found the on screen status alerts to be both easy to read and unobtrusive. They were there for quick reference, but didn't get in the way of actual gameplay.

The regular single player campaign is a ton of fun, involving, and very fun to play through. The real challenge, of course, is going Live and facing off against other real players. If you don't have Live yet, then this is a game that might entice you to take that step. It really does make this game one you could play for years and still have fun.

I've had non-war-gamers come over and pick up the basics of gameplay within minutes. It's not super-challenging or technical in that sense. It does take patience, though. This isn't a game about plowing Rambo-like into the middle of a pack of enemies and blasting away. It requires you to look over the situation, find the angle that gives you the best protection and to pick away at the enemies while staying safe. You're not a super-human here. You are a well equipped soldier who can stay alive with a combination of weaponry skill and strategic intelligence.

Highly recommended!

Tom Clancy, you sly devil. You've got me loving modern warfare again. If I weren't so old and asthmatic, I'd consider signing up for your army of the future.

Gameplay:
Ghost Recon, Advanced Warfighter is a great mix of action, squad tactics and 3rd person shooter. If you try to play this game by running out in the open with your rifle blazing, you'll find the game awful and difficult. Sadly, if you're one of those strange-o freaks who likes to play video games in real time, crawling against the side of a virtual house for 6 hours, you'll hate this game, too. So... who would like this game? The rest of the planet. Basically, the game design encourages you to play smart, but doesn't force you to play slow. Many stealth games are painful to play, in my un-humble opinion, but this Tom Clancy game does stealth the right way. An important feature of this game is the "advanced" weapons and tools you have at your disposal. Futuristic graphical enemy detectors and flying drones give the game a different feel than other Tom Clancy games, and I find it a cool addition. Its not overwhelming, just a great add-on. The friendly AI isn't always the best, but the game is designed to make up for any flaws in your team. It isn't impossible to have a useless idiot on your team in real life, so I guess occasional AI flaws could be considered the height of realism.

Graphics:
Ubisoft has offered us one of the best looking games for the 360 (unless you count the pretty colors of some of the very nicely done XBLA games). Everything from the character animation to the colors and tones of the environments draws you into the game.

Sound:
The voice acting is slightly better than a Spanish soap opera. (close your eyes while watching one of those and you'll find it a lot less fun). The sound effects and score more than make up for it, though. Its easy to get lost in the game with the sound turned up.

Multiplayer:
I would have preferred full campaign co-op, as the game limits you to mission based maps that feel a bit disconnected from the main game. This, and the AI glitches mentioned earlier, cost G.R.A.W. (as all the cool kids call it) a half point from me, but this is still an excellent game to play with friends (real, imaginary or internet based).

Overall:
Haven't you heard enough? Go buy it. You don't have to pay full price for it, of course. 60 bucks is a bit much (not counting a $15 extra map pack you can buy from Xbox Live), but if you have it to spend, there are no games better for the xbox 360. I rate this 4.5 stars.

You play as Scott Mitchell, captain of the Ghost forces stationed in Mexico, while the three presidents of the North American countries are signing a mutual protection act of some sorts. Things go bad at the signing when Mexican rebels led by a Carlos Oniveros storm the place, killing the Canadian president & forcing the US & Mexican presidents to run for their lives basically. Anyway, its your job to rescue said presidents and stop Ontiveros..sounds easy until you find out Ontiveros has the US President's "football" (Which is a brief case that has codes to nuclear ICBMs).

This game has it all. You run, climb, slide, dive, go prone, heal fallen teammates, take cover and lean against any flat surface, press select and you have a full 360 degrees rotatable map of the area, select a HUGE array of weapons (both with and without scopes), pick up enemy weapons, command not only fellow Ghost ground pounders but M1 Abrams tanks, Apache & Black Hawk helicopters, and many more. Ontop of that, your enemies are outlined in red (and once spotted are noted on that 360 degreed map for future planning), friendlies in green, and you also get night vision goggles.

I never thought I would be saying this about a Tom Clancy game, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of the most action packed, combat heavy, intense tactical games I have played. You will constantly be swarmed by wave after wave of enemy rebels and tanks... take this one stage where the US Embassy gets bombed - you have to protect the Mexican president from seriously an army of rebels with just you and the three Ghost members. It's a very hard game, but extremley fun. One thing thats boo though is the fact that you really only get hit like three times until you die.. meh.

Graphics....are quite possibly some of the best I have ever seen; they easily blow Halo 2 out of the water and rank way up there with games like Perfect Dark Zero (blarff). The lighting is magnificent and enchanting, windows actually reflect the scenery, the cities look so real, and the characters look life like - in fact they even move as fluid as a real human being. Simply put, you'll be breathless and G.R.A.W. really flexes X-Box 360's video muscles.

The music is a blend between real bands such as Ill Nino, and Ubisoft's own symphony/rock ballads. Both really help set the atmosphere and fit in perfectly. Take, for instance, when Ontiveros shoots this guy in a Black Hawk that has been helping you the entire game - the music gets REALLY sad and depressing and actually fills you with rage and determination to take Carlos down. Amazing once again.

There is indeed an online and split screen mutliplayer. Both are pretty fun - you can play against people in a free for all or teams, or play co-op in a made up campaign or play against bots. Its pretty sweet and really helps you get the feel of the controls (though you can't command a team in multiplayer like you do in the solo game) and shows you how the game is going to basically be. One thing I didn't like about multiplayer is the fact that it's not in a third person view like the entire game is, but rather takes a first person approach. Im a fan for FPS, but I liked this game as a third person.. oh, the little things.

The ending was typical Tom Clancy, and was rather short to get to (11 missions) - Mitchell retrieves the football and kills Ontiveros thus securing the safety of the world from a nuclear strike. Ontop of that the FBI or something arrests some retired high ranking official in the US for conspiring with Ontiveros...eventually it starts getting all complicated with conspiracies so I didn't understand it.

Lets finish this review by saying this - if you own an X-Box 360, you better own this game. So far, it's the best game for the system, and is one of the best games I have played.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is the third game in the Ghost Recon series. Each of the games has improved over the original, and this one is no different. With new gameplay mechanics like the Cross-Com, a much improved cover system, and breathtaking graphics, Advanced Warfighter is a worthy sequel and a true next generation game.

The story takes place in modern day Mexico City. In the game you play as a man by the name of Scott Mitchell who is the captain of an elite light infantry unit called the Ghosts. You are there to provide security during a meeting between the leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is during this time that some Mexican insurgents decide to attack the meeting in an attempt to come to power. They kill the Canadian prime minister and the US and Mexican presidents disappear. Your job, among other things, is to locate and rescue the US and Mexican presidents.

You won't be fighting alone for most of the campaign. You will have three teammates which you can order around for the majority of the missions. You can order them to attack, fall back to you, and move into certain positions. While the way you command them is not exactly deep or provides a lot of control, you can still be pretty effective with your squad. Your Cross-Com allows you to see what one of your teammates sees, allowing you to get multiple perspectives of the battlefield. Unfortunately, the squad AI can give you a bit of a headache sometimes. While they are usually pretty good at shooting enemies, it's not too uncommon to find your teammates exposing themselves too much instead of properly using cover. For the most part they do try to use cover whenever possible though.

Besides your three teammates, some missions give you other assets to control. One of which is a UAV which you can order around the level. The UAV can detect enemy troops and mark them on your HUD. Since you can die pretty fast in this game, knowing where the enemies are and planning your next move is essential, and having a working UAV helps greatly. Occasionally you will also have a tank or helicopter gunship. The tank can not only be used to attack enemies but it can also be used as cover while it moves. The helicopter is also pretty good and moving and striking targets on the ground quickly. During a few sequences in the game, you will actually get to fly around in the helicopter and use the machine gun on the side to take out huge groups of enemies. While these sequences are not too challenging, they are a lot of fun.

Because a single good shot can kill you in Advanced Warfighter, the game has a slower pace and more tactical feel then other action games. That is not to say that the game is dull; it is filled with fierce fire fights and big explosions, but it does require more thinking then some other games. You always want to lean around corners before going walking out in the open, and always fight from behind cover. Since the levels are pretty large (many city blocks for each level), there are usually multiple ways to get to each objective. Most of the time just taking a different route will end up in a totally different experience. Enemies roam the map, also making sure the game never plays exactly the same way twice.

The amazing graphics are probably the first thing you will notice when you load up this game. The amount of detail in objects and the size of the city are staggering. During the game's many helicopter rides, the city buildings and streets stretch out for mines in every direction. Sometimes you can see areas filled with fire or smoke from all of the fighting that has been going on. These sequences do a great job of making you feel that you are in a real city fighting in a real conflict. Mexico City just looks absolutely beautiful. Advanced Warfighter is easily the best looking game on the Xbox 360 console. The HDR lighting is used to great effect in all of the games missions, which range from early morning, afternoon, and dusk. During some of the afternoon missions, the sunlight can get so bright that it actually makes it hard to see. The character models are some of the best that I have seen. They are all extremely detailed and look very realistic. They also animate in a very believable way. The only negative thing you can say about the graphics is that things will sometimes "pop" into view when leaning around the corners. This does not happen often, but can take you out of the game for a moment when it does happen.

The audio in the game is also great. All of the guns sound different and extremely clear. Explosions and tank and rocket fire sound great as well. The game also muffles the sound when explosions go off around you. The music in the game is also pretty good and comes in at the right moments. The voice acting, while not amazing, is convincing.

While the single player game is great, the multiplayer is what's going to keep people playing. The game features three ways to play multiplayer: local play, system link, and over Xbox live. There is a large selection of game types to choose from. First, there are the excellent co-op missions which are a blast to play with your friends. Then there are the more standard game types you are used to like capture the flag and deathmatch. Besides those default settings, the game allows you to customize your game to play the way you want to. The multiplayer experience is extremely addictive and plays very well. I definitely expect people to be hooked on this game for a very long time.

Overall, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is a great game. Offering an intense single player campaign and multiplayer matches which will remain fun for hours at time, Advanced Warfighter is a great complete package and sets the bar pretty high for the inevitable sequel.

Every once in a while, a video game comes along and redefines a genre, defines the capabilities of a console, or both. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of those games that accomplishes both feats. Ubisoft's next-gen centerpiece turned out to be quite a game in almost every way imaginable. From the intense duck-and-cover, squad-based gameplay to the beautiful environments and the amazing online multiplayer, GRAW has it all.

The single-player campaign's story puts you into the helmet of Captain Scott Mitchell, a member of the Ghost Recon team working for the United States government. It's 2013, and Mitchell and his crew are armed with equipment that could accurately and precisely take out a small army in moments. Their goal is to secure the United States and Mexican presidents from Mexican rebels who attack during a trade deal that would make peace with three separate countries. From there, it's up to the wits and military smarts of the gamer and his or her crew to stay alive, suppress the enemy, and protect the VIPs.

Each of the game's 11 long, engaging missions will test your wits as a Ghost. Mitchell and his crew are already armed with the proper equipment and it's the optimization of the surroundings that will keep your squad alive. Fortunately, thanks to an extremely intuitive squad command system and heads-up display (HUD), ordering your squad to move out is as simple as pressing up on the directional pad while pointing at a location. You can even change their approach from Recon to Assault for sneaking or aggressively going into a battle guns-blazing.

That isn't to say that Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is ever a run-and-gun game. Instead, its pace is as slow as a slug but as intense as any game you've ever played before. Imagine Call of Duty 2 on its Veteran setting; that's how intense this game can be. Even a situation, one as early as the third level, is extremely intense. I was almost too afraid to poke my head around a corner and take a pot shot at an attacking rebel and his back-up, an armored APC complete with a machine gunner. Unfortunately for my on-screen Ghost, my brash tactic of rolling out from cover and trying to take out the gunner resulted in the Game Over screen and a look of disappointment on my face while my Ghost lay dead on the ground.

The gameplay is extremely tight thanks to a set of perfect controls. While at first the scheme felt awkward, after a few minutes of getting used to it, I was ready to load terrorists with lead and direct my team with relative ease. Even when back-up arrives, usually in the form of Cypher spy cameras or Bradley tanks, controlling everything on the screen is easy. When the going gets really tough, the player can use the optimized HUD to mark enemy locations, find different routes, and locate mission objectives. The HUD even offers a mini-screen located at the top-left of your television screen that allows you to view the game through the eyes of a comrade or your support units. Overall, I'd say that GRAW is the first game I've ever played where the HUD was sometimes the most helpful part of the game. Because of this, and the general tight feeling of the gameplay, I feel that GRAW is one of the best action titles around.

My only complaint with the gameplay is the "unsnapping" from a wall; it is sometimes too difficult to do in dangerous situations. Rather than simply pulling away from the wall at any given moment, I found myself having to wait for Mitchell to complete whatever he was doing before he'd "unsnap" from the wall. Generally, I only panicked when a terrorist ran around the corner and faced me with his gun raised while I was reloading. This situation, 100% of the time, brought up that damn Game Over screen again and again.

I've honestly never played a game that felt so tactical and felt so realistic. Thanks in part to the visuals, which I'll mention in a moment, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has the best level design I've seen from a shooter in years. The open feeling of the different urban areas is a fresh breath of life after linear games like The Outfit have been spinning in my Xbox 360. If I approached a firefight from one angle and found myself dying every time, I could usually pull back and approach the situation from another angle-and simply making use of my tools, like the HUD and tactical map, did I find the perfect route. Using my support units, like the Cyphers and Bradleys, I could spy on the enemy and pinpoint their location and then watch as they're obliterated. Then I could clean up any mess left over with my trusty MR-C rifle.

The visuals in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter are quite simply the best thing I've ever seen from a video game. I've never played a game that looked this advanced-from the environments to the HUD, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is truly the first next-generation video game. The city feels real. As I'm creeping along the alleyways of a run-down Mexican suburb, I can almost smell the mud and dirt that I sneak on. I can almost taste the gunpowder in the air after a firefight. I feel like I could reach into the television screen and take a shot with Mitchell's rifle, then high-five him after a bullet plows through a terrorist's skull from 200 yards away. Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter simply has to be seen to be believed, so I'll leave that experience for you to discover!

As good as Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter looks, it also sounds amazing. As you sneak along, picking off terrorists, you'll hear distant firefights and nearby yells from other terrorists. If you're unseen and without a Cypher spy camera, you can always rely on your ears to know when a cluster of terrorists is waiting around the corner.

Multiplayer, both on Xbox Live and local Xbox 360 matches, is absolutely fantastic. With Elimination (deathmatch), Last Man Standing, and Territories (same as Halo 2's mode), Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter has some of the most fundamental yet entertaining modes of play. The maps are also fantastic. "Nowhere", a ghost town with hills, rocks, a junkyard, and a deadly, wide-open main street, is my favorite. Each of the maps offer strategic locations and tactical possibilities for each of the game's character classes, like Riflemen, Marksmen, and Grenadiers. The weapon selection is also much larger than it is in the single-player mode, and the controls are optimized for faster gameplay. On Xbox Live, gamers are given a rank-based off of real-life military ranks-for their performance. Similarly to Halo 2's level system, better players have higher ranks. Earning a new rank in GRAW is much more gratifying, though, as it requires a lot more time and skill than it does in Halo 2. While the gameplay experiences are entirely different, with Halo 2 being more frantic and action-packed and less tactical, I predict Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter's online community will be huge, just like the legendary Xbox title.

Not everything in Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is perfect. I was particularly annoyed with the on-rails helicopter sequences, the unsnapping from walls and the sometimes-spotty AI of my comrades. Still, the game is dangerously close to that label, and the three complaints I just mentioned are pretty easy to deal with in exchange for the best visuals and the next big Xbox Live title. Ubisoft should be proud; they've created one of the very few Xbox 360 must-have titles. Action fans will absolutely love this game, and next to Call of Duty 2 and Dead or Alive 4, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is a game that should be in your Xbox 360 inventory.

I've played GR2 and others in the series, but this one stands out as the ultimate Ghost Recon. I was excited about this game from the first time I layed eyes on the beautiful E3 2005 trailer. This game is truly a next-gen masterpiece and is, by far, the best game on the Xbox 360 to date (April 2nd, 2006).

Let's start of with the single player campaign. The first thing you'll notice while playing this well constructed single player mode is the graphics. THEY ARE AMAZING. The detail Ubi put in this game is plain amazing. The story is good and it's wonderful shooter. It never get's boring. Not only do you have control over ur Ghost squadmates, you also have control of Bradly tank, Apache helicopters and other support. The HUD is probally one of the best parts of this game. It pinpoints all ur enemys and freindlys with different color diamonds. It makes the game a little easier, but you can turn them off so you're stuck in the dark. The single player should sell this game by itself, but there's more...

Multiplayer in G.R.A.W. rivals Halo 2. It's easy to get inside games and pop right into the action. You have the same kind of control in Mutli. as you do single player. The graphics are still amazing and the action is intense. The levels span all the spetrums. From jungles to beaches and from deserts to snow, it's all here. The one thing i was disappointed about in multiplayer is that you can't stick yourself to walls. This was one of the greatest parts of single player, the ability to hide yourself and still shoot. But hey, beggars can't be choosers and this multiplayer is awesome.

My recommendation is GO BUY THIS GAME. You will not be sorry.

GRAW is, simply put, the first must-have game for the 360. However, you must have Xbox Live to get the full experience. GRAW delivers truly next-gen gaming and graphics and does it all with an amazing story line.
Although GRAW's campaign is not its best area, it is still extremely good. The story line is deep and interesting and keeps you on your toes on all times as you journey through Mexico City. And those 25 Achievment Points per level don't hurt either. The cover feature is perfected and the gun camera is much better than GR2. Also, the Cross-Com adds another dimension to the batlefield, as you can easly command tanks, helicopters, and drones with ease. However, the nightvision goggles in GRAW have a lot of blur, which makes night missions difficult. Also, the last mission was a big let-down:Campaign: 9/10
Xbox Live is what really increases GRAW's replay value. I will never tire of picking people off with my PSG-1 or running into an enemy teritory with my MR-C blazing. Although GRAW's multiplayer has a much different feel than campaign, it is still superb. There are many different game types to play and the drone always keeps you on your feet. Also, the new class selector is a unique feature and keeps people from switching their weapon all the time. However, sometimes it is very hard to get into a match and you drop out of matches occasionally.: Multiplayer: 9.5/10

Ever since Ghost Recon Island Thunder came out, I have been a huge Ghost Recon fan. I played that game hours on end and never got tired of it's game-play. About a year later, Ghost Recon 2 hit store shelves, a day I had been looking forward since it was announced. I played the game no more than a week until I realized what a disappointment the game was in comparison to Island Thunder. The graphics may have been better, but the core game-play from the first Ghost Recon games was lacking greatly. Then, when Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter was announced for the Xbox 360, I thought I'd give the series another chance. To my surprise, the game took me back to its roots. It wasn't just another run and gun shooter like so many others on the market today, it played like a tactical shooter once again. It might not always seem that way when playing over Xbox Live however, because some gamers new to the series just can't come to grasp the fact that the game isn't another Halo (not that there's anything wrong with that ? Halo 2 is one of my favorite games). Overall, I am extremely pleased at how this game turned out. Everything about this game screams "Next Gen," from the game-play to the graphics and EVERYTHING in between.

Presentation:
The story of the game is extremely action packed, but still plays like a tactical shooter - perfect for fans of the original titles in the series. The menus for the game are set up very nicely and are easy to use.

Graphics:
The extreme detail this game goes into really makes you believe the power that the Xbox 360 holds. Things like individual sprigs of grass swaying in the wind, leaves moving with the wind, lighting, and reflections on windows make the game seem very realistic. People keep saying that the game doesn't look as good in multiplayer as it does in single player, but, in my opinion, the multiplayer maps are what 360 games should look like (especially this early in the systems release) and the single player are just WAY over the top.

Sound:
Another thing that really sets the mood in this game is the sound. When you go by a certain building or area, and you start to hear enemies talking in the background, it really gives you the feel of being in the game itself. Not only can you also hear bullets flying out of your gun, but you can hear the shells falling and hitting the ground. This was another nice touch and adds to a truly realistic feeling.

Game-play:
This game, as I've said before, plays very closely to the original ones in the series! This is one of the main things that keeps me excited and entertained every time I turn on this game.

Lasting Appeal:
The true test with games these days is how the multiplayer portion of the game is and this game doesn't lack in it at all. I find myself playing on Xbox Live for hours on end with no intention of quitting anytime soon. The 10 maps available right now are each great in there own respects and there is great diversity between them. I have a feeling the multiplayer aspect will keep this game fresh and exciting all the way through to the end of this year and into 2007.

Haven't followed much of the Tom Clancy series, the only two I've played was the original Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory which I absolutely loved, so I decided to give this a spin. It takes a little while to get used to the controls (I'm sure fans of the Ghost Recon series won't have any trouble though) but after a while the controls become second nature. I really love the command system, while not as in-depth as Rainbow Six it works great for combat situations, I especially love marking vehicles for demolition and sitting back and watching my team fire on it till it erupts in a cloud of flames and dust.

Which brings me to the graphics... simply amazing, I have a 32" HDTV and some of the effects are just amazing, heat rising from a fire, the textures are super crisp, and flying above the city is amazing, you can see for miles!

Also their are almost no loading times between levels which is great for keeping the action going, that was my only gripe with SC: Chaos Theory was the long loading times.

Multiplayer is quite fun too, with co-op's missions that can go as high as 16 players makes for some great gameplay, and a whole assortment of other team vs teams and every man for himself gametypes.

Ok, first of all let me say that at first I wasn't a big fan of this game when it first came out but, after playing the multiplayer mode with friends over XboxLive it made me want to try the single player mode and it took a little to grow on me but, after 2 missions I was hooked. Now let me be clear, the single player mode is fun, you control a team of operatives that are out to stop the terrorists plot (SIMPLE RIGHT?) Not, imagine the show 24 if Bauer was in charge of a tactical squad in the middle of a 3 day ground war (HOTNESS)

Now the multiplayer mode is where I get get my most joy of this game. The more than a dozen modes to choose from and the fact that you can compete or cooperate with 16 players around the world is awesome. I love to play co op campaign with my buddies, everyone picks there fav weapon and try to accomplish the goals whatever they may be together or break up into small two man teams to complete the objectives. I love the sniper rifle myself. But seriously you have to play smart in this game because like in real life 1-2 bullets is enough to drop you for good in this game. Some call it cheap but, I call it keep your head down and pick your shots because this is not the game to go all HALO (IE guns Blazing) You will be dead in 1 min if you do that. GRAW is a game that demands patience and a clear head when fighting it out with the enemies. Hands down one of the best games on the 360 GRAW gets a hard fought 9.5 out of 11 RECOMENDED