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View Full Version : Anyone see any Ghost recon Reviews yet?



JJaX
11-13-2002, 07:43 AM
^^^ Read above ^^^

scarecrow kfj
11-13-2002, 09:13 AM
I was asking that my self I havnt been able to find anything but I do remember reading one of those XBL diaries or bootcamp things... Not sure what sight.... and the guy writing said he wasnt all that impressed. I am not taking it to heart cause I cant even remember were that was..lol If you find one please post so I can take a look at it.. Thanks

SkoalMint
11-13-2002, 09:49 AM
I've been checking http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/5427.asp regularly and they still don't show any online reviews. I'm still picking it up today anyway. I think this is one that I will want to play regardless of the reviews.

Ninja Scroll
11-13-2002, 10:20 AM
I'd like to get da answer to da same question too JJax.

Shoot, I aint even know it was 1st Person View until about an hour ago!:o

scarecrow kfj
11-13-2002, 10:20 AM
If you do get it post what you think.

JJaX
11-13-2002, 10:39 AM
aight aight

Casper
11-13-2002, 10:53 AM
I'll post some snipits tonight...after getting some shots in on JjaX and the rest of my boys :cool:

Ninja Scroll
11-13-2002, 11:10 AM
Originally posted by casper
I'll post some snipits tonight...after getting some shots in on JjaX and the rest of my boys :cool:

Um,.. we ask foe reviews, not pics of you stinkin up da XBL joint.:rolleyes:

carlbme
11-13-2002, 11:11 AM
casper..If I ever walked into a room and saw cables like what you have in your sig, I would turn around immediately. No way would I put up with crap like that.

Ninja Scroll
11-13-2002, 11:15 AM
Originally posted by carlbme
casper..If I ever walked into a room and saw cables like what you have in your sig, I would turn around immediately. No way would I put up with crap like that.

cables?:confused: I thought dat was his bedroom in dat OVERSIZED ( :rolleyes: ) pic.:eek:

SkoalMint
11-14-2002, 05:45 AM
UPDATE -

Both IGN and Gamer.com have their reviews up.

IGN gave it an 8.8/10, but the full review is locked to insiders. However, I was able to pull this from another message board:



Presentation
There's a pretty cool intro, and the mission briefings are cool, but everything else is just...eh. 7.0
Graphics
What happened here. Just plain bad. Good thing the game still plays great! 6.0
Sound
There may not be much, but what is there is fantastic. You never really miss the in-level music. 8.0
Gameplay
Great, realistic action makes you feel like your life is at stake. Could've used a little more strategy though. 8.0
Lasting Appeal
Online play extends the game's stay indefinitely. Plus there's split-screen, link play, and a bunch of single player tasks to complete. 10.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 8.8


Gamers.com gave it an 8/10.

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http://gamers.com/game/1204024/reviews
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In the online console war, Sony fired off the first volley with their excellent SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals on the PS2. Now Ghost Recon, a tactical shooter bearing the same realistic squad-based action as SOCOM, is heading up the Xbox counterstrike.
Like many first-person shooters, Ghost offers drastically differing experiences whether you play it alone, with a friend or online. All those who play offline will ultimately be disappointed with Ghost's single-player mode. What hurts this part of the game is the predictable A.I. When every mission boils down to trial and error, it simply isn't challenging or dynamic.

Fortunately, multiplayer saves the day. Teamwork is the name of the game, and Ghost's methodical firefights lend themselves perfectly to co-op play with friends in split screen or online. Where Ghost really shines is when you take on 15 other roughnecks online in deathmatch, king of the hill or team survival mode. With the voice chat capability, you soon realize that, in this one-hit-kill competition, to communicate is to stay alive.

Between its war-torn backdrops and audio effects, Ghost travels great lengths to establish ambience. Stake out a mountain cave and you'll hear swirls of wind, chirps of wildlife and the crisp "pop-pop" of small-arms fire. The sound effects in Ghost give the game a ton of cool, memorable moments. An impressive kickoff for Xbox Live.

bballmaniac15
11-14-2002, 07:08 AM
OXM gave it a 9.0/10

Brevity
11-14-2002, 07:32 AM
We need an insider to post that IGN one, please.
BTW I give it a 9:)

Brevity
11-14-2002, 07:48 AM
November 13, 2002 - Ubi Soft is hitting the Xbox with not one, but two Tom Clancy games within a week of each other, and neither of them are Rainbow Six games. Yes, contrary to popular belief, Ghost Recon is not part of the Rainbow Six series of games. The Rainbow Six games involve a counter-terrorist group know as Rainbow, while Ghost Recon deals with an elite government squad known as the Ghosts. And Splinter Cell? Well, that's another story altogether.
Ghost Recon, based on the hit PC game, is one of the launch games for Xbox Live, along with Unreal Championship, and MechAssault. Is this game still as great as was when it was originally released? Does the online aspect of the game live up to everyone's expectations? Is this game better than Unreal Championship and MechAssault? Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions and more.

Gameplay
The story is as follows: The year is 2008. Russia has been taken over by a group of radical Ultranationalists whose goal is to rebuild the Iron Curtain that used to divide the Western powers and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. As Russia tries to reclaim the breakaway republic of Georgia, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Lativa, and Lithuania, conflicts with NATO arise, war escalates, and the Ghosts are sent in.

Ghost Recon is a squad-based tactical first-person shooter that places you as a member of an elite army squad call the Ghosts. Your job is to keep the peace, and stop the hostile takeover by the Ultranationalists over the course of 15 missions. Mission objectives will range from blowing up bridges, to search and rescue and missions, to just plain firefights.

Upon starting a new campaign, you are given a brief voice-over explaining the current situation, and what your objectives are for the mission. Listening to the voice-over is important because it tells you what to do. Even though you can view your objectives in-game, you miss out on details and specifics of the mission that will make completing them easier. For the first twelve missions, you are given three primary objectives that you must complete, as well as an extra secondary mission. Completion of the secondary objective will unlock a new specialist for you to use when selecting your team of soldiers. On the right side of the screen is an overhead map of the region that shows the location of each of your objectives, though you can view a similar map while in the level.



It's so dark...


Before every mission, you must set up your team of soldiers for the level. You are allowed six characters, divided into two teams of up to three. So, if you were feeling daring, you could attempt to take on a mission with only one rifleman, or two teams with two snipers on each team. The main difference here between the Xbox version and the PC version is that the PC version allowed for up to three teams while still keeping a total of six players in the game. This feature is nice since it allows for a little more flexibility over how you want to take on a mission.

Now the easy thing to do when creating a team is to just press the Auto Assign button, which will set up all your characters for you. You don't have to worry about the type of soldier, the weapon kit they will use, or making sure that you have all the essential people for your mission. The computer takes care of all that for you. It usually gives you a standard mix of soldiers, giving you a demolitions specialist if you need to blow something up, or giving you a sniper if the mission calls for it. The bad part about auto-assigning is that you just don't have as much control. The other downside to auto assigning is that the computer will not always give you the best soldier, and it will also not use your earned points to upgrade the characters. So, if you've made it to a later level using only auto assignment, your characters will still have low stat levels. For beginners it's fine, but to really succeed at the game, and for those knowing exactly how they want to approach a level, auto assignment just will not do.

When setting up your team, you are given a default of twelve different characters you can choose from: six riflemen, two support men, two snipers, and two demotions experts. Each character has four different stats that can be upgraded using the points earned for completing missions. First, there is the character's weapons stat. This determines how tight you reticule target is, as well as how fast it closes. Next is stealth. Obviously, the higher stealth rating you have the less chances you have of being detected by the enemy. Following stealth, is endurance. When taking wounds, your soldiers become less active. Increasing their endurance will keep them more active, regardless of the wounds they've taken. Lastly, there is the leadership stat. Improving one's leadership will provide an overall boost to the stats of the other members of your team. See, it does pay to be a good leader.

After selecting a member, you can then upgrade their stats if you have any earned points, and you can also choose between several weapon kits for the character. The weapon kits typically all consist of the same primary weapon with a different secondary weapon/item. The secondary weapons are varied and include grenades, rocket launchers, binoculars, and extra ammunition. Choosing the right kit for the mission, while not critical, can make certain tasks easier, though you could go through the entire game using the default kit. The only time it really matters is when one of your objectives is to blow up a tank or building. Then, you need to assign at least one person who is a demolitions expert with the proper type of explosive, whether it be claymore mines or a rocket launcher. Thankfully, just in case you didn't listen to the mission objectives closely, the game will prompt you to select at least one member who is required for the objective.

Along with the initial twelve soldiers you can choose from, there are twelve specialists who are unlocked by completing the secondary mission objectives. These soldiers not only have higher default stats, but they also have slightly different weapons that are usually better than the ones the stock characters have. For example, the primary gun for a sniper is the M24. The two sniper specialists are have an M82, and a L96A1. They have slightly different reticules, and the M82 can actually zoom in twice. What I'm trying to say is, the specialists rock.

Ok, so you've got your team selected and have just started the mission. Now what. By pressing the left trigger, you can pull up a planning screen. The first thing you'll see is an overhead map of the mission. Displayed are your team's position, the objective locations, and the general location of any nearby enemies. Pressing in the right stick will zoom in on the map so you can get a closer view. It's also helpful because the objective locations are actually labeled, so you know exactly where to go if you didn't catch it in the mission briefing.

Besides the map, you can also give orders to your two teams on this screen. The orders are divided into two categories, movement and combat. You can issue three different commands for each type of order. Movement consists of hold, advance, and advance at all costs. Combat is composed of recon, assault, and suppress orders. You can also switch between playable characters using the left stick, though it can also be done in-game using the Y button. Changing characters on the orders screen is the way to go because rather than cycling through all the different team members, you can automatically select the character you want to control.


Ghost Recon controls like most other first-person shooters on Xbox, with the left stick used for moving, and the right stick used for looking. Because this game takes a more realistic slant on things, your running speed is more comparable to Halo then say Unreal Championship. You are also able to crouch and crawl on your stomach by pressing the D-pad down, once for a crouching position, and twice to slither. Your speed and agility are reduced corresponding to your position, but the bright side is that you make for a smaller and harder to see target. It is almost never a good idea to run in an upright position unless you know there are no enemies nearby. Also, moving sideways or backwards is considerably slower than running forward, just as it is in real life, so the best way to avoid fire is to duck, not to strafe or run away.
Movement is not the only thing that takes a realistic slant. In fact, just about everything else in the game does. Reloading (A button) and switching weapons (B button) will cause a small circular timer to appear on screen. When it is done, you have successfully reloaded or switched weapons. While this may seem like a nuisance at first, you begin to appreciate the realism that is trying to be conveyed. That's why you won't see any melee weapons such as knives in the game. If you were put into a similar situation in real life, you're not going to want to take on an army with a knife. You'll want to snipe them from as far and safely away as possible.

Brevity
11-14-2002, 07:48 AM
Also, unlike most games where you have a long energy bar and can take numerous hits, one good shot in Ghost Recon and you're dead. You can sustain several hits if you are hit in non-critical areas, but don't expect to survive more than three or four bullets at most. Once one of your guys goes down, they're gone for good. That means the rest of the game. If you happen to be controlling a character who dies, you can just switch over to another one of your live members and continue the mission from there. But, if the member who dies was critical to your mission (say, your demos guy), then the mission is aborted.

Thankfully, failing a mission does not always require you to start from the beginning. The developers were nice enough to implement a save anywhere feature, and it truly is a saving grace. In a game where one-hit kills are quite frequent, having to start each mission over at the beginning could get very, very frustrating. The problem with this is that you may find yourself saving the game after every little kill, just to be safe. This is frequently done on PC games and can ruin the flow of a game, but it is your choice. This leads to my biggest gripe about the game: the trial and error gameplay.

The location and number enemies in each mission never changes. So, if you happen to get shot during a mission, you can reload your last saved game and then take out the enemy that just killed you with a sniper gun since you now know his general location. You can go through literally every level in the same manner. Learning where the enemy is, and being able to get close enough to the enemy to kill them may become your main strategy throughout the game.

Another area where Ghost Recon slightly falters is in the team management/strategy department. You have control of two teams, four different classes of characters, and you can issue several different commands to them, yet you can finish a good portion of the game using one sniper. In fact, besides switching over to a demolitions character mid-mission to lay explosives to complete a mission objective, I never used any other character except my sniper to complete the game (though the computer-controlled characters did help out a bit). Not that I didn't have loads of fun playing the game, it's just that one of cool things about Ghost Recon is that you do have two squads you can manage. It's just a shame that it isn't as crucial to the gameplay as it could've been.



Waiting for the Carle


When a game puts you in a level with up to five computer-controlled characters, you better hope they know what they're doing. Luckily, the AI of your teammates is pretty darn good. There were several times when I was leading my squad, and one of my guys would take out a soldier (that I was unaware of) who was about to fill me full of lead. Sometimes I wasn't aware of the enemy due to the fog, but other times they were in clever hiding places, and I wasn't being careful enough. Your teammates don't always save your lives, nor are they completely useless. They seem to help you out just enough.

There were a few occasions that they would get in the way though. One instance had me small room, trying to slowly peer through the doorway so I could snipe someone. My teammates couldn't find a good position in the small room so they crouched right in front of me, not only blocking my view, but alerting the enemy to my presence.

The enemy AI in Ghost Recon is better than most games. Enemy soldiers will run, crouch, and lay down to avoid your shots. They'll hide behind rocks, peeking over to take shots at you. They'll even throw grenades at you when you're lying down, knowing you can't escape fast enough. In Ghost Recon, the enemy is deadly. Especially playing on elite difficulty.

Like most villains, they can also be dumb too. If you fire a shot off towards some enemies, all those in the immediate area will take off, searching for cover or firing back in retaliation. But sometimes, those not in the immediate area yet still within hearing distance will act as if nothing happened. Other times the enemy will know you're coming even when there is no possible way they may have seen you. Imagine being completely obstructed by a giant hill, walking up to it, peeking over the side, and finding the enemy 100 yards away already shooting at you. This type of situation isn't always the case, but it does randomly happen.

The games single player mode can be finished in around 10 to 15 hours. While not really a lengthy game, there is a lot to keep you going back for more, especailly the Dossier. The Dossier shows you your rank, which can be increased by completing any of the 50 tasks. Completing the tasks also opens up new weapons, maps, and game modes. Some of these tasks are not exactly easy, and finishing all of them will definitely take some time, but after you've accomplished all the goals, you should be a master at Ghost Recon. Perfect practice for the game's real appeal: online play.


Multi-player
Multi-player mode is broken down into three categories: split-screen (2 players), link play (up to 16 players), and, of course, Xbox Live. Split-screen mode has three game types (co-op, tournament, and adversarial), with co-op having three game modes: mission, firefight, and recon. Link play has pretty much the same options as online play, so I'll focus on playing on Xbox Live. When creating an online game, the first options you can set up are match type (cooperative, solo, and team), session type (private or public), and the maximum number of players (6 for coop, 12 for team, and 16 for solo). Here's a chart to help break down the game types for you.
Solo Game Team Game Co-op Game
Last Man Standing
Sharpshooter
Hamburger Hill
Cat and Mouse Last Man Standing
Search and Rescue
Hamburger Hill
Domination
Siege Mission
Firefight
Recon
After selecting your game type, you can then select a soldier and edit your server info. There are a ton of server options to play with, a few of which are threat indicator (on or off), time limit, map rotation, and kit restrictions. You can also adjust game settings (respawning, AI backup, etc..) and what map you want to play on. With all these options and game types, it's pretty easy to create the specific type of game you want. You can then see a chart that gives an overview off the options you have selected.
If you don't feel like creating your own game, you can enter one already made by another player using either quick match or opti-match. The online experience with Ghost Recon is very different than that of Unreal Championship or MechAssault. Instead of a fast-paced frag-fest like Unreal, or some action-heavy mech battles with MechAssault, Ghost Recon matches move slower, and have a more calculated feel. Assuming you do not have respawning turned on, if you die once, you're out of the game until there is a winner. And remember, one bullet can kill you instantly. You'll find yourself moving slower and much more cautiously as you hunt out the other players. Like Counterstrike, if you're playing a team game, after you die you can view the remainder of the game from any of your surviving team members point of view. You can even act as second eyes for a teammate and warn them if you see something they don't. Cool.

The biggest problem with Ghost Recon is the prominent lag found when playing games with a large number of people (typically 8 and over). More than just stutters, players will vanish from sight and warp around the levels, and sometimes you'll see characters stuck in a routine that seems like a broken videotape recording - they'll repeat the same motion numerous times before finally vanishing into thin air.



Decisions, decisions...


Other similar issues exist and cause some real problems during gameplay. For example, I happened to sneak up on four members from another team and let loose with my heavy machine gun, close to point blank range. After shooting them, nothing happened. Eventually the enemies seemed to disappear and reappear all around me, and then they were all gone. Three seconds later, I died and the match ended. This sort of situation happened in every match that contained a large number of players. It's funny that if you set the maximum player number to around nine or higher, the game will actually issue a warning saying that you may have a less than optimal play experience. In the smaller games, everything seemed to run smoothly, and sniping someone in the head from 100 yards away was as easy as pie.

Brevity
11-14-2002, 07:49 AM
The overall Live experience was good. The lag in the larger games was extremely annoying, but the small and mid-size games were as intense as they were fun. The amount of options available is great, and it's not too hard to find, or create, a game that suits your taste. What does need a little bit of work are the menu screens. Certain options are almost hidden, and you have to dig to find them. Also, instead of the open conversation found in other Live games, you have to hold down the white button to let your voice be heard. Not a huge issue, but it can make aiming and talking difficult.


Graphics
The worst part of Ghost Recon is the graphics. It is slightly better than average in almost every area. While the levels are quite large, there is some heavy draw-in, pop-up, and fog. The fog can get particularly annoying since there are times where you can't see the enemy very clearly because they are to far into the foggy background, yet they can still shoot at you. The developers seem to be aware of this problem because new to the Xbox version is modified onscreen reticule. It is divided into four sections (top, bottom, left, and right), and it will light up on the side that corresponds to the source of the incoming fire. It may sound like a small detail but it makes all the difference in the world.
The character models in Ghost Recon are pretty good, with a decent amount of polygons and some sharp textures, but the level models are full of smeared textures and clunky structures. Trees and other foliage also look a little funny, but they do serve their purpose well enough (hiding). Everything else in the game is done relatively well. The character animations look good, the game moves at a pretty steady 30 fps, and the weather effects get the job done.

Even though the graphics are technically lacking, they, with much help from the sound, do a good job of creating the different atmospheres and feels of the levels. The strong level design also makes up for any of the ugliness you see, though a graphically impressive Ghost Recon would have been awesome.

Sound
Unlike most games, Ghost Recon has virtually no in-game music. There is music during the intro, mission briefings, etc... but when you are playing through the level, most of what you will hear are ambient nature sounds, the sound of you and your teammates moving and talking, and the sound of guns shooting. While it may not sound like much, the minimalist approach really puts you in the thick of the action. If you're crawling through the woods, you'll hear the wind blowing, the water in the stream flowing, and even the sound of your body moving along the grass.

The sound effects during the raining levels are particularly great. You really do feel like you're stuck in the middle of a rainstorm surrounded by Russian gunfire. The sound effects in the game are also reflect the environment you're in. Enter a cave or building, and you'll hear the sound of your footsteps and bullets echo as you walk and fire within. Another great effect is whenever you are near a grenade or artillery blast. The sound will drown out and slowly fade back in, replicating the effect of being deafened and slowly regaining your hearing ability. Good stuff.



Is he sleeping?


There is little to not like regarding Ghost Recon's sound. The voice acting is decent, and some people may find the lack of music strange, but overall, it's a great effort. The surround sound is also done well, with great spatial and directional positioning. In a game like this, the ability to locate your enemies and allies with audio cues is priceless.


Closing Comments
Ghost Recon is not for everyone. It's slow pace, one-hit kills, and ugly graphics may turn off some gamers, but those willing to put some time and effort into the game will find a rewarding first-person shooter.
The online play has its fair share of problems, but it is still very playable in most games. Whether any of the problems will be fixed when Live officially launches is unknown, but you never know. Also, the Desert Siege expansion pack is NOT included in the game, though there are some multi-player maps from the pack included. We can always hope for the levels by ways of downloadable content...

If you're looking for another Unreal Championship or MechAssault, look elsewhere. If you're looking for something a little different, but just as fun, give Ghost Recon a try.

-- the H Wang


Presentation
There's a pretty cool intro, and the mission briefings are cool, but everything else is just...eh. 7.0
Graphics
What happened here. Just plain bad. Good thing the game still plays great! 6.0
Sound
There may not be much, but what is there is fantastic. You never really miss the in-level music. 8.0
Gameplay
Great, realistic action makes you feel like your life is at stake. Could've used a little more strategy though. 8.0
Lasting Appeal
Online play extends the game's stay indefinitely. Plus there's split-screen, link play, and a bunch of single player tasks to complete. 10.0
OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 8.8

Casper
11-14-2002, 08:02 AM
I think this game was alot more amazing then I would have ever expected. The only difficulty that I found was that it's hard to "find" your opponent, but then again, they shouldn't even be able to see you either.

One thing for everyone to note before playing online, you MUST USE the white button to talk. You can babble til you run out of air, but if your not holding the white button, we can't hear you. I was the host with the most last night, and JJaX taught me that, so whenever someone came in completely silent, I had to tell them that.

6-man Co-op - Use 6 boys from your crew and go through each mission. You can control how many re-spawns each person takes and the time limit of the missions. This was awesome with myself, JJaX, nik2deep, DZNUTZ, RudedogX, and a bunch of others romping through the missions.

Deathmatch - Gorgeous maps and team fighting :D. Does it get any better than this? :p I must admit, JJaX as good as I figured, and I kept up, but not as good as he was doing. He was basically getting 2x more kills then the rest of us :eek: The kids good, I must admit.

Well, that's your first snipit of the game from XBA's Dirty Dozen....any questions class? :cool:

Ninja Scroll
11-14-2002, 08:48 AM
Originally posted by casper


Well, that's your first snipit of the game from XBA's Dirty Dozen....any questions class? :cool:


Yeah,.. how does it feel to know Ninja has Revenge on his mind.
And I intend to Snipe all y'all sucka's dis weekend?

Casper
11-14-2002, 09:20 AM
Originally posted by Ninja Scroll



Yeah,.. how does it feel to know Ninja has Revenge on his mind.
And I intend to Snipe all y'all sucka's dis weekend?

Man, you ain't gettin near us fool...I tell ya, after last night, even though JJaX was leadin the crowd with yours truley and nik2deep close behind, the others were putting on a DAM impressive showing...bring it son...come on, you need all the "secrets" you can find :p

JJaX
11-14-2002, 09:50 AM
"This is my rifle! This is ma Gun! This ones for shootin! This ones fo Fun!"

:cool:

carlbme
11-14-2002, 10:32 AM
Too bad i'll be at Ft Bragg doing training this weekend otherwise i'd be on there showing you guys how it is actually done.

Although I am glad to hear that at least one person in your group might be able to give me some competition.

DZNUTZ
11-14-2002, 11:31 AM
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn.
i must say...i'm already hooked.
last night was the ish...and we barely scratched the surface.
i will also give it up...jjax gotz mad skillz.
but...it don't take yours truley long...so bewarned.

this game is so damn good...that i only played one game of mechassualt and it paled in comparrison...i hust had to get some more GR in.

i didn't even bother popping in bmx xxx...gr is dat damn good.

RudedogX
11-14-2002, 11:34 AM
DZ pretty much summed it up! This game is my new God! After playing GR, I couldn't even play another game last night! I tried, but I was ruined for the night! No way do I for one secondregret getting this game. It hard to say that about a lot of games, but after last night...this game is definetly in that category!:eek: