The BEST Ghost Recon game YET, $30 bucks or NOT!
User Rating: 9.6 | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike XBOX
For those who wished that Ghost Recon 2 would give out more and more content, look no further. Because, Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike is here, and it is more than just an ordinary expansion! For starters, Ghost Recon 2: SS features an ALL-NEW single-player campaign mode with a whole new story line which takes place in areas such as: Pakistan and Kazakhstan. You still play the role as Squad Leader, Mitchell (I hope that's right. Sorry if it isn't) and you take control of three other squad members. In addition to the all-new story and single player campaign, there is a new mode called "Lone Wolf." Lone Wolf allows the player to take on missions that ONLY rely on one person and not a squad. These missions are more difficult than those that include you squad, but it is still a heck a lot of fun to play! The objectives are more open-ended and can be completed to what the player wants. Also, there is a save function for those you like to save after they have completed a pretty hard part in the game which is always nice! There are a total of 11 single player missions that intertwine squad based combat and Lone Wolf combat. And of course, at the end of each mission, you will receive points based on how well you completed a mission and those points can buy you special content. Special content consists of: movies, pictures, documentaries, etc. The squad A.I. in the game is very smart because, your team actually knows when to shoot at a target, but can sometimes be stupid. The enemy A.I. is also very smart because, they would actually hide behind objects they can find. They can drive vehicles, and also in some cases try and flank you. The gameplay isn’t TOO hard, but it is hard enough for a person to enjoy what they are doing. But where Ghost Recon 2: SS really makes its mark, it would be the multiplayer aspect of the game. Ghost Recon 2: SS features 24 maps, some new and some are fan favorites from GR2. Multiplayer also features 24 modes online!!! It's simply un-fricking-believable!!! Some of the modes include: Solo Sharpshooter, Solo Last Man Standing, Squad Sharpshooter, Squad Last Man Standing, etc. But some of the NEW multiplayer modes include Armor Strike which is when you work as a team to laze the enemy targets and protect your base. I even believe there's a mode on here which also allows you to blow helicopters out of the sky. The mode is called "Helo Hunt." Someone on XBOX Live told me. In addition to the already perfect multiplayer, there is co-op which allows two to four people hook up and complete the game as a team of four people. Graphics wise, Ghost Recon 2: SS is even BETTER looking than the first!! In fact, it is one of the better looking XBOX games out! It features a realistic physics engine which allows the bodies to react realistically to the environment such as: rolling down hills, being blown away from and explosion, and falling off buildings. There's no lifeless, fake looking rag-doll physics here! The character modeling seems much more detailed than the first Ghost Recon 2 by adding improved character movements, and improved character texturing. The explosions are WAY better than GR2 by using a better particle system for explosions, fire and smoke. Also, try standing fairly close to an explosion. I can't remember if this was in the first GR2, but if you do stand close, the screen will flash a blurry red from the impact of the explosion! Looks VERY cool! Probably the most impressive part about this game is the environments and huge they are!! From wide open fields, to deserts and city streets, the environments are amazing!! With a draw distance so rich and so far, this is REALLY pushing the XBOX to the limit!! Single player is mostly at a constant frame rate with occasional drops, but nothing big considering the detail and wide open environments. On split screen multiplayer, the frame rate can be choppy, but majority of the detail from playing a single player game is still there which is a good thing! On XBOX Live, it looks just as good as single player. The sound in this game is basically the same as I remember from the first GR2. The guns sound realistic by actually being fired and hitting an object such as metal or wood. The voice overs are great, but what really bugs me is that at certain times in a mission when it is quiet, you will lets just say get a head shot on an enemy and one of your squad members will yell "NICE GOING MITCHELL!" even though he or she is sitting right next to you. Overall, the sound is pretty much the same from the realistic ambient noises to the voice overs. It's really nothing revolutionary, but it gets the job done in a great way! Overall, if you have been looking for an expansion for the original Ghost Recon 2 or if you are thinking of getting a game that has good bang for your buck, pick this up RIGHT NOW!!! For $30 bucks, you really can't go wrong, especially if it is coming from UbiSoft! UbiSoft and the Tom Clancy franchise has ALWAYS put out great games and they are usually are among the best! If there was an award for best bargain title, Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike will most definitely win it in a heartbeat! It has everything that comes with a $50 dollar game, but is priced at $30!! Seriously, this game feels like a $50 dollar game! So what are you waiting for??? Go out and buy this game NOW!!! 
