GRAW 2 Review

GRAW2 has decided upon it's target audience, so if you are not a fan of the original's brutal difficulty and story, you're not welcome to this party

Posted by Alex V on April 25, 2009 - 4:50pm EST

I realize that most of the review actually talks about specific gameplay scenarios, but really, there is not much else to talk about. GRAW2 is all about completing objectives, which are usually just reaching a certain point or protecting a VIP. Most of the gameplay is managing your Ghosts and fighting enemies – and it’s not a very good experience. Things are made a little easier because the game now allows you to save at any point, together with the usual checkpoint saves. Things like the weird damage HUD and concrete-penetrating MP5 bullets are back, which makes GRAW2 very comparable to the first game. At least the strength of firepower seems reduced, so you will not encounter as many one-hit kills on yourself as you did in the original – your teammates will die though. A lot.

Graphically, everything looks new and improved in the menu department, as well as in-game GUI. The command menu is now neat and good looking, and when giving orders you will see a position marker, something like from Brothers in Arms, which will show where your team will end up after you give the command. Menu and controls aside, the graphical engine seems to be the same. It’s a shame actually, but early missions in GRAW2 showcase identical texture choices from the first game. It’s almost like you’re looking at the same game, if you ignore the updated menu. The enemy models are odd and get repetitive very quickly. As you work your way from early missions down to the end, there is not much variation or difficulty curve to the foes, just their numbers and number of machine gun placements.

The sound is generic as well for most of the time. However, during some intro and post-mission cinematics, they decided to blast hard rock music with lyrics, which is completely out of place. The voice acting is average, but at least the same actors are back so there are no voice oddities. The game performs well on medium range systems, with all the details maxed. This is expected, since the engine received little change since the original game a few years back. It runs completely stable, and I had not a single crash or freeze during gameplay.

GRAW2 is a fan’s sequel. If you liked what you saw in the original game, you are in for more of the same. However, if you are new to the series, it is strongly recommended you try the original first, because GRAW2 is harder but shorter, with some higher production values but it goes through the same notions. The gunplay is enjoyable and polished, but some odd game design changes and flat story make this sequel fall short of the original.

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Our ratings for Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 on PC out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)

Presentation

Very close to the original game, with minor tweaks and modernization. New squad control interface is very refined and good to use.

Gameplay

Some tactical improvements, more authenticity of weapons and team members. At the same time, less details about the weapons you are using. Not friendly towards casual shooter fans.

Single Player

A bit shorter than the original game, and most of the story can be easily ignored. Ends with a bang and a cliffhanger, a welcome relief after a forgettable campaign.

Multiplayer

Once again, not much new from the original game. Some new team-based modes keep things fresh for a little while, but it mostly ends up being every man for himself.

Performance

(Show PC Specs)

CPU: Intel Core i7 CPU 930 @ 2.80GHz
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X 1GB
RAM: 6GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Looks almost identical to the original game, which is dissapointing after a few years of development. Some serious crashing issues and AI seems to have become worse.

Overall

I would not recommend this game to anyone who isn't already interested in tactical shooters or enjoyed the original game in the series.