Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb strategy game for the patient gamer, October 4, 2003
If you're a fan of the Ghost Recon series of games, the Island Thunder set brings your platoon-based gaming to a hostile Cuba of the future.There's the great graphics, where each of your friends and enemies look like real people, with proper movements and actions. Your environment is misty, rainy, soggy, with detailed trees and grass. You really feel like you're crawling up the road, watching for that enemy tower. The sound is also quite good. None of the rock-thumping rambo music here - you listen carefully for where your enemies could be hiding, and watch for signs that an ambush is being laid. Multiplayer is where this game shines best, though. An assortment of maps, campaign types and of course a wide variety of players means that the game will stay interesting long after you exhaust the built in missions. Downloadable new maps mean that the game can be fun pretty much forever! A warning to arcade-style button mashers - this isn't a game like Doom where you just hop in and blast away. If you try that, you'll be slain quickly and pretty disappointed. You have to learn how to work with your troops, how to approach silently, how to work out a strategy to take advantage of your strengths. This is a game that involves a lot of patience and coordination. In this game it's not the person with the fastest fingers who wins - it's the person who pays the most attention to what is going on, and plans accordingly.
|
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dynamic!, October 16, 2003
There are 18 missions to complete on the new dossier in this game as opposed to 50 on the original Ghost Recon. You still have the option to lead two 3-men platoons and customize the skills and weaponry of each platoon member. Lighting effects, sound effects, and overall graphic clarity is superb in this game! Run through a thick jungle with your platoon on your heels through driving rain while flashes of lighting light up shadows in the mist while deep rolling thunder pounds through the canopy; Ocean waves lap at your boots as the whizzing sounds of 50 caliber machine gun fire engulfs your eardrums while you attempt to gain control of an island beach front; Throw on your night vision goggles and creep through the darkness as a sniper taking unsuspecting enemy personell as you make your way to the extraction zone. There's much more! The scenarios you are placed in are highly imaginative and a lot of fun. You can strategize all day with this game. There are only 2 minor criticisms I have of this game: One, sometimes when you use grenade launchers or anti-tank missiles, it freezes the game. This happens with the original Ghost Recon as well. Though it is an infrequent occurence, it can be very annoying when you're almost done with a mission only to have to restart your Xbox and start the mission anew (the good thing is that the game saves your progress after each completed mission). My second criticism with this game (a minor one) is that whoever is on your platoon (Alpha or Bravo) will follow you wherever when they aren't holding position. Often when you are trying to sneak up on an ememy the guys in your platoon will just start shooting at him/her thus giving away your position. This can be devastating if they give your position away too soon (example: you are waiting for a vehicle column to be fully exposed or all enemy personell to come out in the open). Also, at times you may throw a grenade and then run away but your men will lag behind before following you thus being killed by the explosion. On the topic of grenades: in order to throw your grenade farther, you have to hold the button down longer before releasing... be sure to start holding the button down BEFORE you expose yourself to possible gunfire!! You don't want to be standing out there with a grenade in your hand holding the button down at length to chuck it far and get shot (thus dropping your grenade and killing yourself and everyone in your platoon!).These problems are minor and in reality, add another level of critical thinking to the game (except for the screen freezing problem). I still love this game and can't wait for the next one to come out!
|
|
|
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
great game, September 8, 2003
By now, Live subscribers have realized that they can't escape the military prowess of Ghost Recon-so far, it's been a perfect shot of multiplayer bliss. For even more Ghost action, Island Thunder is an excellent follow-up that both hardcore players and newbies to the game can set their sights on. Island Thunder is much more than just an expansion pack. Like the PC version, the game contains eight new maps that take place in a near-future Cuba, and once unlocked, a handful of new specialists are at your control. But additional Live features overshadow even these expected extras. The most apparent are the in-game dynamic stats that continually track your gameplay. You can also play in more maps, which include several Desert Siege and original Ghost Recon levels. More weapon kits are available for each soldier, too, enabling for greater diversity in player tactics. A complete training stage is included to familiarize new recruits to the intuitive control scheme. All of Ghost Recon's sharp sights and sounds continue to stand out in Island Thunder. Again, the graphics are clearly improved upon from those in the PC version-soldiers look cleaner, and even explosions detonate much more realistically. Booming firepower from fellow gunners in an all-natural environment filled with bustling leaves and thunderous falling rain completes a great soundtrack. The best part of Island Thunder is its price tag. At $10 less than a regularly priced Xbox game, this shooter is a bargain. Though it may seem to be a simple add-on, Island Thunder has enough features to make it feel like a brand-new game.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
