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.

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.