Ghost Recon 2

Ubisoft finally unveiled today more info and media from their upcoming Ghost Recon sequel, creatively titled, Ghost Recon 2. From what we have learned so far about the game, we sure hope that the creativity shown in the naming of the sequel won't translate to the actual gameplay, because that would be bad.

One thing that immediately comes to mind when hearing the folks at Ubisoft talk about the game is that it doesn't really bring as many major innovations as one would expect from a full-blown sequel. For one, the game is somewhat limited by the fact that it's a multi-platform title, so any talk about some honest-to-goodness innovation in terms of graphics is really somewhat out of place. You only need to see the screenshots to realize that Ghost Recon 2 won't break any new grounds in terms of 3D graphics.

Call in the birds!

Nice shot, lieutenant!

Granted, Ubisoft promises that GR2 will feature "next-generation technology" such as dynamic lighting (that will work wonders in combination with soft shadows in twilight missions), normal mapped characters (a-la Battlefield: Vietnam), multi-texturing, improved particle and consequently improved explosion effects, and ragdoll physics. Well, I don't know how "next-generation" ragdoll physics are, but it sure as hell is a step up from the original Ghost Recon game. I guess the biggest advantage in terms of technology will be the addition of the Havok 2 physics engine, which we've already seen in action in Monolith's upcoming shooter, F.E.A.R.. The Havok 2 physics engine will provide realistic effects for destructible objects, moving vehicles and I'm hoping accurate material properties that will affect bullet penetration.

Graphical enhancements won't simply be limited to using the latest 3D technology for special effects however. Some of the visual enhancements will actually serve to augment the gameplay experience. Red Storm Entertainment will use texture blending to make grass actually look like grass. Consequently, the rather huge outdoor levels (which make their triumphant return in the sequel) will be abundant with places to hide. Nice little shadowy corners covered with high grass and similar undergrowth perfectly suited for a hiding spot. If it were up to me though, I'd save development time by making the soldiers really, really small. That way you don't need to spend too much time on level design as every miniscule bump on the road can be used as cover by the player. But I digress...

Another cool visual enhancement that actually makes a difference in game is the all-new camera angle. Ghost Recon 2 unveils a brand-new camera view to the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon world. The OTS (over-the-shoulder) view allows players to see their characters and weapons, and watch them react to surrounding mortar, gunfire, and airstrikes. Players can also communicate with teammates via hand signals to silently trap enemies.

This brings me to another very important; though not exactly groundbreaking; addition to the game. Ghost Recon 2 will really be all about the single-player experience. This means that Red Storm Entertainment is going for a much more personalized approach when it comes to communicating with your teammates, and actually feeling like you're part of a human squad. Your buddies are not bots ... or so the developers want you to think. Each of them will have unique personalities and distinct voice samples; Pterodon's Vietcong was a great example of how you can make the soldiers appear more human, and I'm hoping Ghost Recon 2 will offer something similar to that. You can forget about the same-old generic voice samples when your teammates spot the bad guys or drop a few. They'll actually have distinct voices this time around, and each of them will react to similar situations differently.

Bringing even more personality to the Ghost Recon 2 experience, the developers have revealed that your Ghost Recon team will on occasion be assisted by British Special Forces, the SAS troops. Again, they'll probably have that thick British accent going, which should further personalize the whole experience for the player.

Other relatively minor gameplay novelties include the ability to climb up on ledges; an option that was dearly missing from the original game and it made it appear about as realistic in those regards as Space Invaders. This time around, a compass/minimap will sit in the upper-right corner of the screen and it will clearly mark any hostiles laying around in wait. This should certainly help you a lot when trying to figure out who the hell is shooting at you from the jungle thicket.

Other useful gameplay and interface innovations include a much more aware team AI that will require a lot less micro management. They will attack the entrenched enemy on their own, automatically breach a door and even blow up an obstacle if the need arises. Further more, you'll finally be able to issue context-sensitive move orders where you simply point to a location on the screen where you want your teammates to move, and you'll even carry med kits which you can use to heal your wounded comrades. As far as I know, this basically means you'll be able to actually revive your downed soldiers so as to avoid having to reload the game every time one of them gets shot. I'm not so sure how this option will be regarded by the Ghost Recon fans though, as it sounds a bit too arcade-like for a tactical military shooter.

Finally, I should mention that the plot is perfectly in tune with the type of stuff Tom Clancy loves to write - in the wake of one of North Korea's worst famines, an insidious North Korean general influences the government to secretly divert humanitarian aid to beef up its army, slowly gaining power in the process.

Fearful that North Korea is amassing huge quantities of military weapons, the new Chinese regime eliminates arms sales to North Korea. In response, the North Korean government initiates secret overtures to Russia, who strikes a quiet alliance. In the midst of another North Korean famine, food riots begin rocking the countryside and the rogue North Korean general assumes complete control of the army. Blaming China for the famine, he begins charging north to seize Chinese territory with tacit support from its new Russian ally.

China moves to respond, but limits the level of escalation, fearing open conflict with Russia and a possible nuclear exchange. Instead, China officially agrees to a multinational force to safeguard the China/North Korean border. Unofficially, the Ghosts and other special forces go in. Their mission: cripple the North Korean threat and depose the rogue general.

Ghost Recon 2 is slated for release on all major platforms, including our beloved PC, in November. Sure, it doesn't look like it'll bring any revolutionary improvements, but I guess the amount of new additions should ensure great fun for the true fans of the series.