Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Ubisoft Paris Red Storm Entertainment [lower-alpha 1] |
Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
Designer(s) | Yann Masson and Christophe Pic |
Programmer(s) | Olivier Didelot |
Artist(s) | Avlamy Ramassamy |
Writer(s) | Benjamin Haddad |
Composer(s) | Tom Salta |
Series | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon |
Engine | Diesel (PC) |
Platform(s) | Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable |
Release | Xbox 360 Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Portable |
Genre(s) | Tactical shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW 2) is a tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris and Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. It is the sequel to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter . High Voltage Software developed the game's PlayStation Portable version, while Grin developed the Windows version.
The game takes place in 2014, immediately after the events of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW), just south of the Mexico–United States border, and focuses on the conflict between a Mexican rebel group, Mexican loyalists, and the U.S. Army in the span of 72 hours. A wide array of location types are included, featuring mountains, small towns, urban environments, and a large hydro-electric dam.
Much of the gameplay remains similar to its predecessor; the combat focuses on the player doing the bulk of the fighting, while relying on tactical combat instead of arcade-style shooting to overcome opponents. As with the previous game, weapons featured in the game are either based on actual models (such as the FN SCAR) or are hypothetical prototypes, with the player able to command friendly units assigned to help them, from their own squad, to drones, tanks and aircraft. Like its predecessor, two different versions exist; while both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions are essentially similar, the Microsoft Windows version features many gameplay differences to these versions. In addition, a new and improved gameplay element is introduced - Crosscom 2.0 - as well as new weapons (including sub-machine guns for secondary weapons), the ability to have a medic in the squad, and new friendly units to control, including a two-man squad of Loyalist troops, the MULE Drone, a Little Bird attack helicopter, and Far Support (Airstrikes for consoles, Mortar/Artillery Support for Microsoft Windows).
Crosscom 2.0 is an improvement on the original system introduced from the previous game, giving players more direct involvement in a combat situation as well as more control over friendly units. The most significant improvement to this is an information interlink between all friendly units, which now allows players to get a full screen view of what any unit is seeing. Furthermore, players can use this perspective to plan out orders for units and even directly control the movement of some units as well, such as the MULE.
Much of the gameplay is similar to that of the Xbox 360 version of GRAW, although some new features, like Eternal Eyes, have been added to improve gameplay, making the direction of friendly units more accurate and effective. The squad A.I. has also been improved, with squad members actively seeking cover and descriptively calling out targets.
Much of the gameplay plays out differently to that of the console iterations, and more similarly to the original Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon , but remains largely similar to the Microsoft Windows version of GRAW, in that players play in a first-person perspective, must micro-manage team mates with greater use of squad tactics, and have more situation awareness. Developed by Grin and built on their proprietary engine called "Diesel 2.0", only a few in-game assets such as voice-overs and Cross-Com and Narcom videos remain the same. While some of the missions featured are similar in objective structure to those of the console version, they play out in a completely different manner.
Unlike the first GRAW, players in the online multiplayer mode can be "downed", or critically injured, instead of killed. This gives teammates the opportunity to heal a downed teammate and prevent the other team from getting the point, although downed players can be shot and killed by players from the opposing team before they are healed. Characters can now "slide" into a crouched position while running, just like in the first GRAW. The ability to use cover like in the singleplayer mode is absent in the multiplayer mode. The player can choose from four weapon classes: Rifleman, Grenadier, Automatic Rifleman, and Marksman, each with its own bonus; for example choosing the rifleman class makes the player more proficient with rifles, the automatic rifleman more proficient with machine guns, and so on. Another new feature added to multiplayer is full-screen cross-com; as in singleplayer mode, the player can hold down a button and bring up the fullscreen view. This can be used to view friendly players' views as well as the Drone, but cannot be used to give commands or manually fly the drone.
Games are created by Xbox Live and PlayStation Network users and can be up to 16 players. Split Screen is available on the console versions, which supports up to four players.
Despite the death of Carlos Ontiveros following his coup in Mexico City, rebellion across Mexico continues unabated, and civil unrest spreads further into Latin American countries, shutting the Panama Canal down due to insurgency. Captain Scott Mitchell and his Ghost team are given orders to return to Mexico and continue opposing the rebellion, which has reached the Mexican state of Chihuahua and the border city of Ciudad Juárez. General Joshua Keating informs Mitchell that apart from preventing an attack on U.S. soil, he must also investigate intel that suggests that the new rebel leader, Juan de la Barrera, is in possession of a dirty bomb. Keating further adds that due to Congress not wishing to take military action, in addition to current international treaties between Mexico and the U.S., the Ghosts are officially not allowed to operate across the border and thus cannot be provided much support until America can legally enter the conflict.
Arriving in the mountains outside of Ciudad Juárez, Mitchell begins assisting loyalist Mexican Army soldiers, led by Colonel Jimenez, in attacking rebel positions. During the fighting, Keating and Lieutenant Barnes reveal that de la Barrera is in possession of three stolen Ukrainian Red Star IV nuclear warheads, and plans to combine them with stolen Pakistani-built Kashmira-II missiles, taken from cargo ships in the Panama Canal, to use against the United States. Mitchell continues assisting Jimenez, eventually helping him to secure a heavily defended supermarket. Immediately after securing the area, one of the warheads detonates in the supermarket's basement, killing Jimenez's men and irradiating the area.
With the warheads now confirmed to be in Juárez, Keating orders Mitchell to assist the rest of Jimenez's forces in extracting a Mexican journalist who, in exchange for safe passage out of the city, agrees to supply the Americans with intel on de la Barrera, and where he is hiding the other warheads. Though the Ghosts successfully extract the journalist, their transport, Blackhawk 5, is shot down by mercenaries assisting the rebels, and they are forced to abandon Lieutenant Rosen. Despite heavy opposition, the team eventually receive ground extraction from the area, but are eventually ambushed by the rebels; with the assistance of loyalist forces, Mitchell manages to regain contact with Keating, and is extracted by Blackhawk 9. Soon after being extracted, Barnes reveals that the rebels managed to secure Blackhawk 5's crash site before they could, removing both the wreckage and an injured Rosen, in order to manipulate the media and expose America's illegal involvement against the rebellion, thus gaining support for their cause. Keating sends the Ghosts to a heavily secured hacienda to prevent this, whereupon Mitchell and his team successfully destroy the wreckage and recover Rosen.
Shortly after leaving the hacienda, Mitchell receives word from Keating that U.S. President Ballantine and Mexican President Ruiz-Peña have signed the North American Joint Security Agreement, effectively allowing the United States to intervene in Mexico. The Ghosts use the rescued journalist's information to begin tracking down the two missing warheads, killing de la Barrera in the process, but only manage to neutralize one. Intelligence eventually reveals that the mercenaries have launched an attack on a dam within El Paso, Texas, prompting fears that the warhead will be detonated on U.S. soil. However, Barnes reveals that the true target was a highly classified military installation beneath the dam that is connected to the United States anti-ballistic missile defense grid. Keating surmises that by dropping the grid, de la Barrera intended to nuke major American cities in the hopes of forcing them out of Latin America.
President Ballantine, unwilling to destroy El Paso and Juárez to prevent the attacks, asks Mitchell to find the last warhead and neutralize it. With heavy support, the Ghosts head back into Mexico and track down the launch site for the last warhead. Mitchell then guides an EMP strike, which successfully neutralizes the last nuke, but seriously wounds him in the process. Mitchell is then recovered by Rosen, while Keating and Ballantine congratulate him for his efforts.
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
GameRankings | (PS3) 86.59% [10] (X360) 86.46% [11] (PC) 77.15% [12] (PSP) 62.38% [13] |
Metacritic | (X360) 86/100 [14] (PS3) 84/100 [15] (PC) 76/100 [16] (PSP) 61/100 [17] |
Publication | Score |
---|---|
Edge | (X360) 7/10 [18] (PC) 6/10 [19] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8/10 [20] |
Eurogamer | (X360) 8/10 [21] (PC) 7/10 [22] |
Game Informer | (X360) 8.75/10 [23] (PS3) 8.5/10 [24] |
GamePro | (X360) 4.25/5 [25] (PS3) 4/5 [26] |
GameRevolution | C+ [27] |
GameSpot | (X360) 8.7/10 [28] (PS3) 8.5/10 [29] (PC) 7/10 [30] (PSP) 6.5/10 [31] |
GameSpy | [32] [33] (PC) [34] |
GameTrailers | (X360) 9.2/10 [35] (PC) 7.6/10 [36] |
GameZone | (PS3) 9/10 [37] (PC) 8/10 [38] (PSP) 6/10 [39] |
IGN | (X360, AU) 9.2/10 [40] (X360, US) 9.1/10 [41] (X360, UK) 9/10 [42] (PS3) 8.3/10 [43] (Mobile) 7.7/10 [44] (PC) 7.2/10 [45] (PSP) 6/10 [46] |
Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9/10 [47] |
PC Gamer (US) | 83% [48] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | [49] |
USA Today | [50] |
Reviews of the game were favorable upon release, although the Windows version of the game got lower scores than the console versions. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 86.59% and 84 out of 100 for the PlayStation 3 version; [10] [15] 86.46% and 86 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version; [11] [14] 77.15% and 76 out of 100 for the PC version; [12] [16] and 62.38% and 61 out of 100 for the PSP version. [13] [17]
During the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Advanced Warfighter 2 received a nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. [51]
As of April 26, 2007, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 has sold 1 million copies on the Xbox 360. [52] It was also named Game of the Month by Game Informer for May 2007.[ citation needed ]
Controversy surrounded the game when the Mayor of Ciudad Juárez, Héctor Murguía Lardizábal, criticized the game for trying to scare tourists away from going to the town. [53] Chihuahua's governor José Reyes condemned the game for insulting Mexico and its people, calling on all authorities to seize the game if it were sold on Mexican soil. [54]
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a tactical shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubi Soft in 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It is the first game in the Ghost Recon series. It was ported to Mac OS, Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2002 and to the GameCube in 2003. Ports for N-Gage and Game Boy Advance were planned, but later canceled. Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon is not based on any of his books.
Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and studio of Ubisoft based in Cary, North Carolina. Founded in November 1996 between author Tom Clancy, manager Doug Littlejohns, and software development company Virtus Corporation, Red Storm develops games in the Tom Clancy's franchise. Ubisoft acquired the studio in August 2000.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a series of military tactical shooter video games published by Ubisoft. In the series, the player is in charge of a fictional, newly conceived squad of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group stationed at Fort Bragg. Except for the "1st Battalion, 5th SFG" designation, this reconnaissance unit is entirely fictional, as Special Forces Battalions currently only support three Companies. They are often referred to as "the Ghosts". Their role is like other real world special operations forces, in that their operations are kept highly classified. In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, it is shown that the Ghost's unit has multiple designations and is part of JSOC; they are also known as the Group for Specialized Tactics, much like real JSOC units such as Delta Force and SEAL Team Six. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon has also been novelized by Grant Blackwood under the pseudonym David Michaels.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 is a tactical shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. A Microsoft Windows version was planned but cancelled in April 2005 in favor of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. It is a direct sequel to the 2001 video game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent is a 2006 stealth game developed by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Shanghai, and published by Ubisoft. The Splinter Cell series, endorsed by American author Tom Clancy, follows Sam Fisher, an agent employed by a black-ops division of the National Security Agency (NSA), dubbed Third Echelon. The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360 in October 2006. The Wii and Windows versions were released in November 2006. A PlayStation 3 version was released in March 2007.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) is a tactical shooter video game released for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows in 2006. As in previous Ghost Recon games, players command their team while neutralizing hostile forces and completing various mission objectives. These objectives can range from escorting friendly units across the map to rescuing hostages or taking out enemy artillery.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is the sixth game in the Rainbow Six series of video games. It was released in November 2006 for the Xbox 360, December 2006 for Windows, and in June 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The game's storyline follows a new team that is dispatched to Las Vegas, Nevada to defeat international terrorist Irena Morales and her army of mercenaries that are repeatedly attacking key locations in the city. A sequel developed by Ubisoft Montreal was released on Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 consoles in March 2008 and on PC in April 2008. The game is also playable on Xbox Series X with online features still available.
Ubisoft Anvil is a game engine created by Ubisoft Montreal and used in the Assassin's Creed video game series as well as other Ubisoft games. The engine is used on Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Stadia. Ubisoft Anvil is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Snowdrop.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder is an expansion pack for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon released for Windows and Xbox. It is also a playable campaign in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm, a game released for the PlayStation 2 and N-Gage systems.
Surf's Up is a video game based on the Sony Pictures Animation film of the same name. Surf's Up the video game follows the basic story of Cody Maverick in the movie. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal for Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Wii. Three individually distinct versions.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is the seventh installment in the Rainbow Six series. It is a first-person shooter video game and the sequel to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas. It was announced by Ubisoft on November 20, 2007. The game was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2008. The Microsoft Windows version, however, was delayed until April 2008. It was released in Japan on April 24, 2008, for the Xbox 360 and on May 29, 2008, for the PlayStation 3. This game is also available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backward compatibility.
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X is an arcade flight video game developed by Ubisoft Bucharest and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and by Gameloft for BlackBerry PlayBook, iOS, Palm Pre, Android and Symbian^3. It was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America on March 3, 2009, for Windows on March 17, for iOS on December 9, for BlackBerry on January 8, 2010, for Palm Pre on April 2, for Android on September 13, and for Symbian on January 16, 2011. A Wii version was announced, but was ultimately canceled. In September 2010, a sequel titled Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X 2 was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Microsoft Windows and Wii versions were released in November 2010. In November 2018, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X was added to the Xbox One's Backwards Compatibility list although only through physical media as it is not available on the Xbox Marketplace.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was released in May and June 2012. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier was announced to be in development by Ubisoft on January 22, 2009. The game has a futuristic take on the Ghost Recon series. The campaign has settings such as Bolivia, Zambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, and Norway.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands refers to a group of 2010 action-adventure games developed and published by Ubisoft, with each version handled by different internal teams. The main version was developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows; other versions were developed for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, mobile and web browsers, and a notable version for the Wii. It forms part of the Prince of Persia series, and is set within the continuity of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003).
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Predator is a 2010 tactical shooter video game developed by Virtuos, published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation Portable.
Christian Allen is an American video game designer. He is most noted for his contributions to the Ghost Recon franchise and Halo: Reach. Allen became Lead Designer on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 and continued in that role through Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, becoming Creative Director on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. Since 2017, Allen has served as a technology evangelist for Epic Games.
Tom Clancy's is a branding used by video game company Ubisoft for several video games, some of which feature the works of American author Tom Clancy, while others do not. Various sub-series are often unrelated to each other with a few exceptions, although most are shooters set in modern or near-future military settings.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan, and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide on March 7, 2017, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as the tenth installment in the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon franchise and is the first game in the Ghost Recon series to feature an open world environment.