Tom Clancy's: Ghost Recon 2  (for PS2)

Aapplaud Ubisoft for trying something new by making the Xbox and PS2 versions of Ghost Recon 2 entirely different games. However, like most titles in the Tom Clancy shooter library, they simply don't feel that different. Basically, if the Xbox version Ghost Recon 2 had a minor stroke and lost some of its motor skills, but could still function, you'd get this game.

The typical Clancy squad-based shooter setup remains in place, but everything suffers from a lack of polish. Each level is as linear as could possibly be you pretty much follow a set path to your objective in every level, with few (if any) alternate routes. Your squad has been reduced in size to three AI teammates, which is just as well, since they're about as useful as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. They're so vestigial that I didn't even notice they were gone when playing the occasional lone wolf missions.

The linear missions and worthless squad AI were my biggest issues with this game, but those are just two instances of Ghost Recon 2's overall lack of polish. Character models are nice, but the environments are fairly barren and drab. Online options are scant, and the lack of co-op mode is completely weak. Hit detection feels slightly off, and the story is paper-thin. It lacks the original Ghost Recon's strategic focus, opting for a more straight-up action feel. Yet, since it has the traditional Tom Clancy squad-based control scheme, it plays too slowly and feels too clunky to succeed as a run and gun shooter. Occupying a gray area between traditional and tactical shooters, Ghost Recon 2 attempts to bridge the gap between the two that results in a title which fails on both fronts.