Customer Reviews

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I must start off by saying that I loved the ghost recon games, the rainbow 6 games, and the splinter cell games. Ghost Recon 2 has great graphics, sound, and weapons and that is about it. It is a mating of the original ghost recon and rainbow 6 and instead of a beautiful game, produced more of an ugly stepchild.
They stripped it of its 2 team command system and instead have given you 3 idiots to fight with you. You can't control what your team can do, nor do you have another team to watch a flank. So like in rainbow 6 you have fodder to find the enemy and that is about it. My kingdom for control of the individuals and their fire sectors. I don't mind that they have you playing one individual, but without control of the others, you might as well be on single rambo missions the entire game....in that case at least you'd get the camera gun.
I honestly don't even know the story line....instead of the briefings as in the original, they decided to tell the story as a flashback from some Maury Povitch type show...VERY DISSAPOINTING. Now for the good news...play this with 1 to 3 friends cooperatively on the missions and it becomes very enjoyable...the idiot factor is removed and this is a great game. Pros: Graphics, Sound, Weapon choices, multiplayer. Cons: No command system, very stupid AI, horribly wrong way to tell mission breifings, cannot suprise enemies like orginal stealth not really a factor, etc. Recomendations, buy Halo 2, buy Full spectrum warrior, wait to buy this game when it gets to under $20.00 it is worth that price but no more.

If youv'e played other Ghost Recon games you know about the "GHOST" aspect of the series.The ability to go in with all silenced weapons,well that's not in this game ,although you do get silenced pistols.I played to the ending and found no silenced Rifle's.But with all that said this game is a fun shooter ,pretty much linear ,but you do have to watch your'e back because there's often two routes to take.The enemies will flank you.The graphics are a BIG improvement over the other games very nicely done.Also I love the NEW GUN with the laser targeter and camera so you can crouch and peek over obstacles with the gun mounted camera and blast away at enemies .Also when I finished the game there is an option to go "SOLO" on all missions with that NEW GUN. Im definately gonna buy this game later when it's like twenty bucks ,and play it on hard mode and go solo with that gun.sorry I forget the name of It think it's called OCW air burst 30mm,anyways its the only one with the camera mount and laser target system.If this gun really existed ,oh man whatch out insurgents.I rented this game and beat it in 5 days on NORMAL setting,about 17 hours total gameplay.It's a very fun game,but not much stealth involved because as soon as the first shot is fired all enemies are onto you.Calling this game Ghost Recon2 is kinda misleading cause your not going in silent ,like a ghost ,but not to take anything away from this game .It's still a good fun tactical shooter,with improved graphics and nice gameplay.I dont know about the online quality of this game but the areas are big with lot's of place's to hide.All in all a solid game.

This version of Ghost Recon focuses more on open-war than clandestine missions like previous GR games. Also, the "future soldier" aka "one man army" where you go on missions w/no team is a major theme.

I really didn't like...
In between missions, the game is portrayed as a news story after the events. As if the recounts are being discussed on the history channel with the actual soldiers. So the main character will discuss what he did, in some detail, as if being interviewed and then you're dropped into the mission. Thats how you get to know the basic situation of your mission. Ofcoarse you have a commander hold your hand via comlink during the mission as well.

The old way...
Tactical briefings and topographic maps with objectives before the mission made it seem much more military and exciting. The briefing was in-depth. It made it seem more professional. That is just an exsample of how this game has been changed in some places for the sake of being new, not better. Besides that and some other faults, the game is great. Although I would have prefered them keeping some more aspects of the old game.

Pros
+ huge graphical upgrade
+ 3rd and 1st person views
+ solo missions with future gear are actually alot of fun
+ multiplayer is still great and has some nice upgrades
+ new weapons, maps, gametypes
+ enemies use cover and vehicles more often

Cons
- not much control over team
- only 4 ghosts to a team and no splitting up over long distance
- can only use one character, if he dies=mission over
- media point-of-view replaced tactical briefing
- AI is downright retarded at times

Honestly I did not think much of the changes that were mentioned in the previews of this game especially the ones presented by the Official XBOX magazine. So I thought GR2 would be an even better Ghost Recon experience. Well I can say overall that it really is not.

I was hoping to find tactics and strategy combined with first-person shooting not unlike the previous Ghost Recon games. No longer can you control two three man teams and utilize each of their individual perspectives and weaponry. In this game, however, you have to fight from an over-the-shoulder third person person perspective with three other spec ops fighters. The former is fine but the latter I have a great problem with. They tend to be quite untintelligent and find themselves wounded a lot. There should really be some sort of control for each of them. Even better a "Find Cover" should have been created for these not so smart fighters.

To alleviate the problem of them following me around unnecessarily I have to access the "Hold Position" command. I prefer the command system in Ghost Recon 1 much better. Most of all your squad had more "common sense" than in the game here. I didn't have to order them every few seconds to fire here and there, but in this game I certainly have to especially in the pitched battles you have to fight against the human wave attacks of the North Korean army, otherwise you'll have to fight a whole squad of bad guys by yourself.

Since this review is titled "Oxymoron -- An Excellent Disappointment" I did not hate it. I actually enjoyed playing the game despite its obvious flaws which I have mentioned. The gameplay is still intense and really puts on the pressure. Although there are some disheartening solo missions (which honestly should not be there because this game is not based on that)these become very exciting to play especially when you have to go at it alone into a war-torn city to clear out enemy armor and infantry. The laser-guided air-strikes are the best feature of this game -- really! Some real dangers can be averted by using this weapon.

Those are not the only good features of this game. My favorite level was he defense of the US camp at night. This was just amazing. If you're smart and quick this level will be a virtual shooting gallery since you're in the trenches blasting away at the North Korean soldiers attacking from all sides.

Now you may say that the sudden enemy chopper and armor attacks may be frustrating and they are but I tend to overlook that as as a test of true soldierly skill and patience to deal with surprises. You better believe I cursed a lot when sudden armor attacks were made at times and places I didn't expect.

Overall I look at this game paradoxically; it has many great features like intense gameplay and weaponry; at the same time, however, it disappoints because of its departure from that tactical quality that the previous games had.

a brief review. graphics are outstanding. the reflection on water looks so real. characters look great. animation is great. a cool option available to switch between 1st or 3rd person. now, on to the not so good part. with only 1 squad, tactical advantage is lost. for hardcore original ghost recon fans, we remember using 2 teams to cover multiple objectives, well, not so anymore. this game has been designed for the new, casual gamer. the enemies are tough & numerous. i'm not taking that away. but the game is linear even with the very large maps. no more waypoints. only 4 orders are available. stealth is completely eliminated. no matter how hard you try, the enemy knows you're there. no more using the map to locate the enemy. very fast paced. similar to rainbow six 3. if that's your style, you'll probably like it. but hardcore ghost recon players like myself, will be a little disappointed with the very limited options in this sequel.

I am a big fan of the original Ghost Recon and have put many hours into it along with many of the mods and add-ons (Desert Siege and Island Thunder). Ghost Recon is a tactical military shooter about an elite Air Force reconnaissance unit that operated by stealth behind enemy lines. The game forces the player to stragetise the use of cover and concealment rather than "run and gun".

The single player missions in the original allow you to choose specialized personnel necessary to achieve the goals. If you lose a specialized team member in combat you lose all the 'points' you invest in him or her. This means you need to complete missions flawlessly. To accomplish this you are given a map on which you can coordinate the actions of your teams with a reasonable degree of precision and you are allowed to accomplish your tasks in nearly any order you think appropriate. Once the mission was accomplished you were given points that allowed you to further modify your teams (and sometimes new weapons and personnel).

I had hoped GR2 would be in the same vein but adapted to better technology (along with the expected new weaponry and missions). Unfortunately that is not the case. Ghost Recon 2 has had the entire team system ripped out and replaced with a couple of stupid commands that are effectively 'sit still' and 'charge'. When not rushing blindly to their deaths your squad will wander around... sometimes wandering into your line of fire, at other times firing at inanimate objects like rocks.. attracting every enemy in the area. Their only use seems to be to draw fire away from you. If they die the only effect seems to be that you get fewer points in the final tally (perfect scores unlock weaponry and such).

This game hits several of my pet peeves besides the team control... the missions are very linear, offering very little variation (the lone missions at least relieves you from your team wandering into fire), most combat interactions on scripted events, concealment seems to have no effect (except that you cant see them when they are concealed) and the mappers sometimes used invisible walls to block access to areas.

On the positive side, fans of less strict tactical shooters like Call of Duty or Socom will probably find the gameplay entertaining even though the plot and storytelling methods are less than engaging. Personally though, I didnt see anything here I havent seen in earlier, better games. I still hold out hope that the cancelled PC version will mean the upcoming Ghost Recon 3 will be closer to the original version in both style and content.

Ghost Recon 2 is a fun game but the stategy perspective was elimnated!!! Hardcore Clancy fans were disapointed by the lack of
battle field strategy. For people who love First Person Shooters or third like me proably see this as an new innovative first person shooter or third person shooter. You now have the option of playing in first or third person mode. There is also many other changes in the graphics engine and gameplay style. The new gameplay style is more so like Rainbow Six 3 than Ghost recon. I myself liked the change. The enviroments and maps were truly awesome. The multi- player and online play is awesome too!!!!!! In really liked lone wolf mode when you can do a mission with out a team and get high tech weaponary!!!!!!! The game is a little challenging but, in a good way!!! I strongly suggest you get this game!!!

I thought Ghost Recon 2 was a great game. The single player breifings felt like I was watching a History Channel special. The graphics, frame rate, and sound are all leaps and bounds above GR1. They even put in a feture to give your squad specific orders like suppression fire and flank left/right (and more important your squad AI actually has GOOD pathfinding abilities and aim) The Multiplayer modes are awesome. I mean, you can have 1-3 buddies help you through a mission, or pair off and go 2-on-2, or do a free-4-all.

Unfortunately, you can no longer take over individual squad members in single player, or even change their gear for that matter. Also you only get one squad this time around, but with 4 people instead of 3.

I haven't completed the single-player campaign for Ghost Recon 2, but I thought I would go ahead and offer my impressions nonetheless. First off, the Tom Clancy games are my favorite Xbox franchise after Halo, and I loved the first Ghost Recon and the Island Thunder expansion pack despite their flaws, so when I first heard about Ghost Recon 2 I was pretty excited about seeing the final product. Now that I've played the actual game for a while, I can't help but agree with other reviewers here who say that although Ghost Recon 2 may very well be a good game, it really isn't Ghost Recon. Despite their occasionally rough graphics and overcomplicated controls, I ultimately think that GR and GR:IT were more unique and enjoyable than GR2. I must give Ubisoft credit for being willing to go in a new direction with the sequel to one of their most popular games, instead of simply tweaking the graphics a little and adding a new feature here or there (EA anyone?). Didn't like the fixed first person perspective of the first game? Well, now you can switch between first person and an over the shoulder view. Thought the menus were confusing? Now they've been simplified and the selection of weapons streamlined. Thought the command system for managing your squad was too complicated? Now you just have one squad to worry about, and the command system more closely resembles Rainbow 6 than the original Ghost Recon. In fact, the whole game seems much closer to Rainbow 6 than the first Ghost Recon, and therein lies much of the problem, I think. Yes, GR1 was a little complicated, but once you did master it you had a wealth of options available to you in terms of both strategy and tactics. GR2 is much more like a typical run-and-gun shooter in which you have a squad who backs you up (in other words, Rainbow 6). Having one squad isn't too much of a problem for me, as I often went out with one in the first game to simplify matters, but the ability to switch between characters is sorely lacking. In the first game you could be the sniper whenever that was necessary or switch to the guy with an automatic weapon whenever you needed to hose down a building full of enemies, but now you simply command your squadmates to do those things for you. Ubisoft has also apparently eliminated in-door environments. This is understandable given that the squads would often get stuck in doorways and such whenever you went inside a building in the first game, but I think they could have just fixed that problem instead of simply getting rid of what was an interesting element of gameplay. The AI is also a little different- the North Koreans seem more adept at taking cover and protecting themselves than the Russians or Cubans did in GR and GR:IT, but their heightened aggression comes at a price. In the first game the enemies basically patrolled a certain number of paths, which allowed you to observe them and then decide how to best attack them at your leisure. In GR2 they simply spawn when you reach certain points at the game and attack you en masse. Much of the stealth and strategy elements that distinguished the first game and its expansion packs are simply gone. In its place you have a well-polished and nicely executed military shooter that bears little resemblance to its predecessors and is best enjoyed without any prior expectations.

Ghost Recon 2 was a disappointment for me. At first I was completely "wowed" by its enhanced graphics, amazing looking maps, new options of weapon swapping, re-supplying with more ammo, laser guided air-strikes, more intuitive-squad commands, etc. All of the new features are fantastic.

However, what made the original Ghost Recon so great seems to be completely abscent from this game.

-All of the maps are linear and resemble more of a dungeon progression than a map used by troops in a tactical situation.

-The enemy AI was a big disappointment. They know where you are at all times and come looking for you. Gone is the element of stealth which was so fun in the first Ghost Recon. Enemies don't go about their random patrols and wander in this game, the appear like monsters in a dungeon at predesignated areas, just like RB6.

-Unlike the original GR games, there are more enemies, which is fun, but only to a point, because the AI is so stupid, and technically cheats 'cause they know where you are.

-My biggest disappointment with GR2 was that all of the buildings- ALL OF THEM, are mearly textured blocks on a map. Gone is the aspect of minor CQB in Ghost Recon 2. You can't take cover in a building, you can't clear buildings or rooms. Have of the fun and terror of playing the original GR was making your way through buildings and out again.

-The best part of the original GR games was its replayability. It was more like an investment than a play it once-that was cool-now I'm bored game. The single-player campaign is entertaining and fun. But the replay ability for multi-play suffers greatly. Although there are many maps and really nice ones too - each map feels the same when you play it (multiplayer). No diversity, except for the settings appearances. The enemies all come looking for you and they're not smart about it either, they just keep comming. No longer can you fight smart, you just have to endure the onslaught. :(

My final assesment of this game is - like others have warned. DO NOT EXPECT a similar game to earlier versions of Ghost Recon. It barely resembles the originals. It is more like a faster paced version of Rainbow Six 3, without the CQB.