NEW GRAW2 INFO: When the Xbox 360 was released at the end of 2005, we were all impressed by the games that were available at launch. While we liked what we saw, we weren't really blown away, as the launch titles just weren't quite as "next-gen" as many of us had hoped. It wasn't until a few months later that we began to feel like the next generation of gaming was finally upon. This was due in part to the release of a few key titles, including EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3 and Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls IV. Ubisoft also blew us away with the first next-gen Tom Clancy title, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, a game that combined stunning visuals with intense, addictive gameplay. Now, Ubisoft is planning on bringing us a sequel to the game almost a year to the day after the release of the first game. We recently had a chance to check out Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the first time, and we're happy to say that the development team hasn't rested on their impressive laurels. We don't know a whole lot about the game's storyline, but we do know that the action kicks off right after the events of the first game. Mexico has basically been ripped apart by a vicious civil war, and the U.S. Government is worried that the fighting will spill across the border into the States. As always, they send in the Ghosts in an attempt to clean up the situation. We were told that the action will take place in and around the town of Juarez, where the Ghost team will have to do battle with the Mexican guerrillas. There are also some sequences that take place in El Paso, Texas, but we're not sure if it has anything to do with the nuclear strike that the Mexican goverment threatens the U.S. with. In many ways, the action in GRAW 2 is strikingly similar to that seen in the previous game. As you make your way through the levels, you'll be faced with groups of enemies that (hopefully) will show up on your Cross Com, making it easier to locate their positions. You'll probably spend a lot of your time taking cover against everything from buildings to vehicles as you move from one objective location to the next. One of the most interesting things that we learned about the game is the fact that while the first one took place primarily in an urban environment, this game will mix in a good deal of levels set in the Mexican countryside. Another major addition is the MULE, which serves a variety of purposes. First, it'll act as a mobile arsenal that can carry all of the weapons you'll need to complete a level. This makes it so that you won't have to keep carrying a rocket launcher or sniper rifle once you're done with it. The MULE can also be used for cover, given that you can order it from one location to another. Finally, and perhaps best of all, you can use it to scout out areas for enemies. If there are any there, they'll appear on your HUD surrounded by those familiar red diamonds. How do you send it on ahead, you ask? Simple, you just take control of it! One of the few qualms some people had with the previous game was the fact that you didn't really have much control over the UAV, the unmanned drone that you could send over the battlefield to locate enemy positions. Now, you can hold down the right bumper to bring up a full screen view of what the UAV or MULE are looking at, then actually move them across the level yourself, rather than just directing them with the waypoint command system. It's simple, but it's brilliant. Even better, when you have your teammates selected, you can see what they're seeing as well (in full screen view, no less), then give them orders to move into a particular position. This makes performing complex troop movements much easier, allowing you to use more strategy when taking on your foes. You'll definitely need to strategize this time out, as the developers appear to have greatly improved the enemy AI. When we were playing, we noticed our foes using advanced movements in an attempt to flank our position. For instance, if we had two enemies pinned down behind a barrier, one would provide cover fire in our direction while the other one ran into a more advantageous position. It seemed to us that they reacted much more quickly to threats, too, taking cover as soon as the first shot was fired. Of course, that didn't matter much when were strapped with the Counter Snipe Rifle, which can actually fire through walls and other objects to take out foes, just as we saw in the pre-rendered cinematic that kicked off the previous game. Naturally, it wouldn't be a proper Ghost Recon game without a solid group of squadmates to order around, and we were happy to see that GRAW 2 has mixed this element up a little bit, too. Instead of just simply picking three other guys to flesh out your squad, you'll have to take their abilities and skills into account, as each of them falls into a different class (Assault Rifleman, Grenadier, Rifleman, etc.) that can help out more during a particular type of fight. Thankfully, when it comes time to pick a squad, you'll be given a quick briefing about what sort of mission lies ahead. This time out, you'll have a new class to help you on your way: a medic. Each character in the game will be able to carry several medical packs, which allow them to heal their wounded compatriots on the battlefield. Unlike the first game, they won't just be able to heal them as many times as they want, as they'll quickly run out. However, you can choose to bring a medic with you, who carries a lot more of them. Sure, you can't expect him to be a killing machine (although he will be able to hold his own in a firefight), but you'll definitely be glad he's on your side once one of your men catches a few bullets. Although the first GRAW was an excellent looking game, the development team wanted to improve upon the visuals in a number of ways, and it's quite obvious that they've succeeded. The game feature some brand new lighting techniques (including exterior lighting that changes over time), as well advanced weather effects (the rain looks excellent). The game also features some dramatically improved smoke and particle effects. The first time that we saw a helicopter landing on the battlefield, we were amazed to see that the smoke swirled realistically under the rotors. Then there are the explosions, which somehow look even better than the ones in the first game. From it's new controllable drone system and medic class to the improved graphics and enemy AI, there's a lot to get excited about when discussing Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. The development team has obviously listened to what their fans were saying about what they wanted to see in the sequel, packing it full of new features without dramatically altering an already excellent overall experience. Unfortunately, we can't tell you anything about the multiplayer action quite yet, but you can be sure that we'll bring you a lot more information on the game as we get closer to its release in March. New Pics: New Videos: http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/862/862427/vids_1.html
Ya, I am def. going to get, I only played the old one at my friends, and I loved it... so woot, and ya thanks for info bro
not really a fan of the graw series... the multiplayer isnt that intuitive <_< but ive heard good things about this so i might check it out.
