An overall exciting and challenging experiance GRAW's innovative tactical features also manage to be a bit tedious.

User Rating: 8 | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter X360
By a_user | Review Date:
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (often referred to as simply G.R.A.W.) is the third installment of the tactical shooter series Ghost Recon, published and developed by Ubisoft, the multiplayer was developed separately by Red Storm Entertainment. Being a tactical shooter G.R.A.W. requires the player to quickly develop strategies in combat usually involving the unique use of surveillance equipment, the player's own squad, and vehicles accessed only during certain levels. The player is given several options when entering a lethal situation and the outcome of the event usually depends on the players own wit and the success of his or her tactics. Although mildly futuristic the game is more realistic than a majority of modern shooters, which is both a blessing and a curse as the player's character, his squad, and the vehicles are easily wounded much like their counterparts would be in reality. The game requires a great deal of concentration and a large manipulation of what resources the player's character (Captain Mitchell) has available during the mission. The game is both innovative and surprisingly fun for a game that requires such a great deal of strategy. However, like every game it has its fair share of faults.

The game begins in an artificial training yard in which Captain Mitchell (who has already gained his persona) most complete several obstacles that could prove deadly in reality. As my character entered the training ground I could automatically tell the difference from this in past games; not only had the graphics improved to a great extent but the guns also gave you the option to shoot several bullets at a time or shoot one at a time depending on the situation you're in, the scope had improved gravely and allowed me to get a better view on the hostile enemies I was about to face but wasn't so perfect to the point a player could get a shot in without effort like in previous games, the HUD allowed you to save the location of enemies, tasks, and weapons 'till they are defeated or completed. G.R.A.W also now allows players to have complete control over their team, which is an option rarely seen in shooters but instead almost completely reserved for real time strategy games. It's both impressive yet sometimes tedious to see this kind of game play for the first time in the third person shooter genre. However, I do not think it should be a necessary feature as not all Ghost Recon enthusiasts (including myself) enjoy being obliged to control my team. Ubisoft attempts to fix the problem by allowing players to play solo, unfortunately this makes succeeding in combat more difficult. I also felt it was frustrating that your team mates and the pilots in vehicles you gave orders to where not intelligent enough to make their own decisions in close quarters combat and often died if Captain Mitchell wasn't quick enough to give them an order. However, all these are minor problems that can be easily be ignored, at least compared to the multiplayer.

The multiplayer is possibly the worst aspect of the game. Ubisoft has had a track record as opposed to giving players a multiplayer that completely replicates the single player game play experience they had a completely different team develop the multiplayer to create a mediocre game within a game that's hardly worthy of inclusion in a game as potentially great as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. The graphics in the multiplayer are bland and there is completely no texture in most areas, the missions that-at most-4 players can decide to enter are incredibly easy and only require a player to complete the same objective a certain amount of times while fighting repetitive enemies with apparently no intelligence whatsoever. The multiplayer game does not include the new editions to the game such as taking cover against walls and benches, climbing obstacles, and the corner gun that has been used in most previous Ghost Recon games is nowhere to be seen. Most multiplayer levels can be run through with little to no effort, and since every hostile enemy looks exactly the same it is almost impossible to not spot them despite their best attempts to camouflage. Four player co-operative is great in concept but poorly executed. However, despite the appalling co-operative play the online competitive modes-although generic-actually manages to be pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the combat despite the fact most multiplayer games have been used in every shooter since the late 90's, but despite the fact the multiplayer competitive modes can be considered for a shooter enthusiast it is easy to feel cheaply killed online and the graphics are still terrible.

The story is by far one of the best I've seen in the shooting genre, although there are some pretty obvious clichés. Overall it manages to be an interactive thriller with a plot you'd expect to see in theaters as opposed to a video game consoles, but the multiplayer still is a large enough dilemma to effect a player's personal experience with the game. While the single player game is fun, manages to have great graphics, and the story could be passed as a classic and exciting thriller multiplayer is a modern necessity in most shooters. I also felt the tactics system that gave the player full control over their character's team (while innovative) became tedious when Ubisoft made it necessary to control every single motion of your team. Personally I enjoyed the game although I did feel there was little to do after I finished playing; I'd recommend it for those looking for a great nontraditional shooter but I'm not making any promises, the game requires a certain taste to enjoy after completion.

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