Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

The key element - the one that matters in a war game where the pace is wound back a little from say Battlefield 2 - is tension, and G.R.A.W 2 creates it with finesse. You're not going to be running crazily around the map peppering random objects with lead for the hell of it.

That'll mean an early death for you and your squad.

The winding debris littered maps combined with a heart pounding musical score lend well to keeping you leaning around corners and taking no chances on running out in the open for fear of being picked off by a crack sniper hiding on a rooftop. The only criticism here is the uninspired use of colours and textures on each map. Surely it wouldn’t have hurt to have one or two buildings that weren’t painted in the same drab browns as everything else, but that’s a minor quibble in the scheme of things.

After a cautious skulk around the corner, we’re faced with a quick-draw situation.

In addition to the engaging (albeit seemingly short) single player game is a solid multiplayer component. Several game modes are there for consumption, including recon-versus-assault, standard deathmatch, co-operative campaign modes and the grossly named ‘Hamburger Hill’ (where one team must hold a zone against the opposing team for a certain amount of time).

The Co-op mode is particularly good entertainment, allowing you to live out the objectives from the single player campaign with real players who are (hopefully) infinitely more clever than the lobotomy crew you’re lumped with offline. The only letdown here is that the tension which breathes life into the single player campaign can’t be re-created in multiplayer deathmatch or team deathmatch. It’s ultimately a fast paced frag-fest, so for atmosphere and pulse quickening, stick to the offline campaign.

Afraid of the crackerjack gamers around us, we’d much prefer to stick close to the Adat we’re protecting in multiplayer.

It’s simple but welcome additions that which make G.R.A.W 2 a great sequel. Apart from minor tweaks and new missions the game doesn’t do anything revolutionary. The graphics engine is still the same (only less impressive than when G.R.A.W was released) rendering war-torn zones with just the right amount of debris and smoke obscured sunlight and the premise is exactly as it was in the first G.R.A.W. But why do anything crazy different when the first game was a smashing example of a tense tactical FPS? Coming from a winning formula G.R.A.W 2 adds a few touches in the right places, and shines as a result. The Clancy storyline is a little thin, and some of the features like alternate weapon loadouts and interchangeable members for your squad seem a little pointless when things go smoothly if you don’t touch anything, but this is far outweighed by the pure satisfaction of getting through a difficult mission with your entrails intact.

One winning strategy is to sneak up on enemy soldiers when they’re mid way through a calisthenics routine.

Perfect for fans of the original, or those looking to get their trigger finger itching in a near future war zone, expect to find fun and adrenalin (if not exactly hundreds of hours of game play) in single and multiplayer.