Nobody does tactical
squad-based action quite like the Tom Clancy franchise, and they have proven it
time and time again on the PC with the Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six games. While
these games have become instant classics on the Xbox console, the PS2 versions
have not faired as well. There are exceptions, however – Ghost Recon: Jungle
Storm rectified a few of the things that made the original a flawed experience
and thus being a better game. Will Ghost Recon 2, a sequel with a new
third-person view, change the way the PS2 crowd see the series? Come along with
me and we shall find out.
First off, I should mention
that while the Xbox and the PS2 both share the same title, the PS2 game takes
places before the events of the Xbox game and thus means different missions. It
also better explains the situation and sets up the events of those in the Xbox
version. Taking place in the year 2007, a high-tech surveillance ship has been
blown to pieces off the coast of Japan and the Chiefs of Staff in the US believe
it has something to do with North Korea finally attempting to overtake the south
and thus sparking an international crisis. The President makes a decision: send
the Ghost to the demilitarized zone in North Korea and diffuse the situation
before it becomes a major threat to the world. Led by Captain Scott Mitchell,
the Ghosts are caught up in a country ready to explode in a wave of violence.
The original Ghost Recon – as
well as Jungle Storm – was a first-person shooter, but Ghost Recon 2 opts for a
third-person perspective of the action. While nothing new, the change in
perspective allows you to scope out your surroundings more easily than when it
was a first-person shooter. If you need to quickly check the position of your
three squad mates, all you have to do is pan the camera around without
completely turning your character around. You’ll still be able to access your
weapons and command list like the first two games, and the shooting reticule
still looks the same so all the basic Ghost Recon elements are here.
Unfortunately, you’ll
encounter all the game’s weaknesses right from the very beginning of the first
level, which has you attempting to stop two enemy tanks. The mission objectives
in each level are all clear-cut – thus making the game straightforward and
linear – and there’s plenty of action to be found in this game, but the faults
you’ll encounter seriously hold the game back. The game’s controls, for
instance, make for stiff character movements that make running and gunning
sloppy. You’ll be able to focus to aim better and it helps but not enough.
You’ll also find that your fellow ghosts are limited to a few orders that they
don’t often carry out successfully. You can order covering fire, hold position,
advance, regroup, fragmentation (order them to toss grenades) and scout (one of
your squat mates will scout the area ahead). The trouble is that your teammates
occasionally don’t carry out the order or get stuck somewhere while scouting.
While the game’s controls
follow the same basic Ghost Recon moves (crouch, fall flat on your stomach and
peek around corners), each movement is sluggish, which reduces reaction time
considerably. My biggest gripe is that unlike the Xbox version you won’t be able
to switch into first-person view nor can you perform a combat roll – that can
have you roll out into the open, fire your gun and then roll back to cover.
Because of these faults the game moves at a slow pace and, to top it all off
the enemy AI is composed of highly intelligent sharpshooters. I’ve shook my head
as an enemy shot me right through a tree I was standing behind it and dropped my
jaw in marvel as a bullet went through a wall and into the head of one of my
teammates.
There’s more: you’ll die a
lot in this game but the worse part is that the load times are excruciatingly
long so after each death you’ll wait a long time before retrying the mission all
over again. This is too bad since many of the missions are actually fun and
filled with intense action. You’ll be taking on a helicopter, enemy tanks or
attempting to take control of an airfield exploding right before your eyes. The
Quick Missions are back such as Firefight and Mission (what happened to Defend?)
but there’s also Lone Wolf mode that let’s you replay a Campaign mode mission
solo (while wearing sophisticated new military armor). Lone Wolf, while a good
idea, is useless since Firefight does the same thing and often times, in
Campaign mode, you’re doing most of the work.
What does work,
though, is the online multiplayer mode. Using a Broadband connection, up to 16 players
can take each another on in three online modes: Last Man Standing (a deathmatch-styled
game), Assault (one team attacks while the other defends) and Supremacy (two
teams fight to gain control of the battlefield). The options are few but it’s a
small price to pay considering the fact that the game runs smoothly and a lot
faster than the single-player game.
Graphically speaking, Ghost
Recon 2 is a vast improvement over the PS2 original in almost every aspect. For
one thing, the washed out and flat textures of the original are now replaced
with tighter graphics. The player models are now better detailed to the point
that their faces have expressions and the environments, from afar anyway, look a
lot better. It isn’t until you’re up close that you notice how dull objects look,
but the most disappointing feature has to be the clipping problems. I’ve seen
fallen enemies half way disappear into the ground and I’ve seen my teammates
nearly run right through a boulder. The character animation moves well enough,
although it’s almost laughable seeing how a single bullet from a pistol makes an
enemy fly back as though he was hit by a shotgun blast from up close. Great
cinematic cutscenes, though.
The sound is another
disappointment seeing as we have heard so much better from other Tom Clancy
games on the PS2. While Rainbow Six 3 didn’t play as well as the Xbox version,
the sound was something to be applauded. Here you won’t find detailed
environmental sound effects (the rustling of tree leaves as the wind is passing
through it or sound of crickets in the fields), but at least the loud explosions
and gunfire are adequate enough. You’ll hear the enemy shout in their native
tongue and when an enemy helicopter flies overhead you’ll hear it before you see
it. The voice acting is also pretty decent.
Sadly, while Ghost Recon 2
sees a number of interesting new changes, the series still translate poorly on
the PS2. With long load times, stiff controls and a slower pace in single-player
mode the flaws are too numerous and that’s a shame since many of the levels are
action-packed and the online mode is fast and fun. Rent this one if you want a
break from SOCOM II.
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#Review |
Gameplay: 5.5
The game moves
at a snail’s pace and that’s partly due to the awkward controls that makes
running and gunning nearly impossible in the new third-person view. There are
some great levels but unfortunately the game’s various flaws will have you dying
a lot.
Graphics: 6.5
Environments
are rendered nicely enough from afar, but up close you’ll notice how bland the
textures really are and wonder why your arm can phase right through trees or
buildings. Aside from the obvious clipping issues, the characters look decent
and the fiery explosions and flames match those of Splinter Cell on the PS2.
Sound: 6.5
I’ve always
admired the Tom Clancy franchise when it came to its use of extremely detailed
environmental noise, but here it is stifled and barely present. The sound effects
are okay and so is the voice acting. UbiSoft certainly dropped the ball here.
Difficulty: Hard
Unfortunately,
the highly-trained Ghosts by your side are hardly helpful and even when they’re
providing covering fire the enemy that continues to run out into the open still
manages to shoot them down. There are some pleasantly challenging objectives but
it’s difficult to enjoy when the enemy has the unfair advantage – they can shoot
you right through walls!
Concept: 8.0
The PS2
version has a number of interesting missions and a somewhat better opening
sequence that explains why the Ghosts find themselves in enemy territory. The
ability to order your squad via a headset is also a great touch. Sadly Lone Wolf
mode is a wasted mode on the PS2 since Firefight does the same thing.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Thankfully the
online mode is handled to perfection. The game moves much faster here and the
squad AI problems are no longer an issue since you’ll be playing with and
against other gamers (up to 16 in total). While there are only three
multiplayer modes and very few multiplayer options, this is squad-based action
at its most fun.
Overall: 6.2
A flawed
experience from start to finish, Ghost Recon 2 on the PS2 has its share of
really good action-packed moments, but its glitches are just too hard to ignore.
The new third-person perspective is a nice change indeed and the online
multiplayer mode is handled excellently, but this is still not the sequel we
were hoping would make us forget the poor PS2 version of the original Ghost
Recon.
