Metareview - G.R.A.W. (Xbox 360)
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Mar 9th 2006 at 1:00PM }
Any haters in the house?
The early consensus (8 reviews, all 90% or above) suggests that Ubisoft's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter for
the Xbox 360 is going to become a prime target for Xbox-loathing fanboys who still think the 360 isn't next-gen. Will
they find a kink in the armor? Or did the four-month delay allow Ubi to reach perfection? Here's a glimpse of the
praise so far:- GameSpot (92/100) - "Advanced Warfighter is the best-looking game to date on the Xbox 360, and it offers exceptional tactical shooting action to back up those great visuals."
- IGN (92/100) - "You'll be impressed with the stunning single-player game, and when you're done, you'll finally get to play long sessions on Xbox Live with an online game that's fully equipped to deliver a next-gen package. My advice, get this game..."
- Stuff (90/100) - "Advanced Warfighter on the 360 is so beautiful, we actually dry-humped our conference room TV set."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Regula Oblique @ Mar 9th 2006 1:13PM
yea this game is nice I picked it up yesterday, this is the first for me in the series...I really just wanted to see how good the graphics were and they are nice though I know these will be foreshadowed in the coming year or so. the only thing im not feeling is that sometime when you command your ghost soilders to do something they'll just stand there like the command is loading in there head but they dont go any where, so I have to keep calling them back to me then giving the command again I think its a glitch but overall the game is good, havent played mulit yet but will soon.
Oblique
benjamin @ Mar 9th 2006 1:16PM
Can I assume the voice of immaturity and point out the "strategically" placed Ubisoft logo on the box art?
AAA @ Mar 9th 2006 1:21PM
Nice!
I can't find any reviews for the PC version yet, I'll probably pick up that version because I'm on Live Silver (no multiplayer).
Jeb @ Mar 9th 2006 1:34PM
lol benjamin - it says phonetically "You-be-soft"
With the great reviews for this game I really want to pick it up, but I'm not sure I'm going to like it. I never really enjoy shooters where you command your troops to go somewhere.
There's always the multiplayer, but it seems with games like this a lot of the people playing it are "hardcore" and keep it from being as fun for casual gamers.
Nossy @ Mar 9th 2006 1:35PM
Er PC version due in May yo. Obviously why there's no review for it yet.
DJ @ Mar 9th 2006 1:36PM
There is no review of the PC version, because it doesn't come out for another 2 months, I believe.
But I picked this game up yesterday for the 360 and I have to say that I am loving it so far. I have only played the first 5-6 single player missions (been too busy working), but even so... it's great. Highly recommended.
Oh and the game came with a 48 hours gold xbox live trial (whoopie). But I guess that is plenty to give the game a try on multiplayer to see if you want to upgrade from silver to gold.
Nossy @ Mar 9th 2006 1:41PM
My 48hour trial code dont work.
pfester @ Mar 9th 2006 1:52PM
Folks,we have here a solid 10! If there is one, and only one reason to purchase a 360-this is it! I was not at all a fan of the first two Ghosties, but this one just took a complete 180 [360?] and turned out to be a complete gem. Undeniably next-gen it exemplifies to the letter what these new systems are capable of. If the other 2 players can turn the trick as well, we are indeed in for good times! Thnx ladies and gents-well done!
Ianc @ Mar 9th 2006 1:56PM
Urgh, i cant stand Ghost Recon, not sure why its so damn popular.
dynamius @ Mar 9th 2006 2:04PM
slow paced party command oriented games are not my cup of tea but this looks really good. unfortunately there are near impossible achievements for the 360 version that're making me stray away from it (get #1 on xbox live in single, co-op, and worldwide... yeeaahhh rriiiiggghhht) dumb yes and probably stupid too. but when this is out for PC, i'll probably give it a shot.
KiySeph @ Mar 9th 2006 2:11PM
I've never played any of the Ghost Recon games (I just don't know how people can get into them), but I'm a sucker for new Xbox 360 games so I picked this up yesterday.
OMFG, this game is AWESOME. The graphics are absolutetly amazing, the gameplay is solid, and when you're firing upon a group of enemies that have taken cover behind a car, only to actually blow up the car they're hiding behind, IS FRIGGIN AWESOME! I'm absolutely glad I picked up this game and whole heartily recommend others to pick up the game, too.
jon @ Mar 9th 2006 2:31PM
The Game is awesome. Very difficult...which I like...I can't stand easy games that aren't challenging.
If you like faster paced action...the Live play is excellent. It's much faster paced than the Single player campaign and very cool. So far it's Definately worth the $60 I shelled out for it.
Spiza @ Mar 9th 2006 2:54PM
This is the first game that tempts me to buy a xbox360. But I'll hold out on my decision of ps3 or 360 till the PS3 comes out. 360 should have a price drop by then. If MS offered a larger hard drive(lets say around 100GB), I'd be sold on the machine right now.
RentedThomas( on xbox live) @ Mar 9th 2006 3:17PM
This game is awesome this game is pretty much for anyone who likes fps. There are so many different types of games for the multiplayer on live. This is definately the best game on Xbox360 right now. I strongly suggest that you buy this game. GRAW is da shiznit.
Spartacus @ Mar 9th 2006 3:23PM
I'll reiterate what I've mentioned on 360fanboy:
Great game. Overal, a solid 'A'. The negatives that keep it from a perfect 10 are small glitches here and there (commands to your squad and occasional "where the hell did that come from?" gunfire) and control options. Basically, there are no control options. You can change the button layout (la-dee-freakin-da) but not the thumbstick layout. No southpaw or lagacy settings = frustrating control scheme for many players. This is my only major gripe about the game. I'm personally a legacy inverted guy and have been since Goldeneye on N64. I simply can't play a game very well without this control setup. Luckily GRAW supports inverted y axis, otherwise I would've tossed the game, which would've been a shame as it's otherwise a must have title.
Unfortunately the 360's dashboard, though boasts controller profiles for each user, doesn't have thumbstick options other than "inverted". Movement options in this menu would've been fantastic for many people who rely on one type of setup. It would also make certain layouts more standardized and available in case developers overlook such basic gameplay options (I'm talking to you UBISOFT). Here's hoping that a patch is released for either the dashboard or the game to support multiple thumbstick layouts...
Thomas Crymes @ Mar 9th 2006 3:41PM
#10 - Why would 2 achievements turn you off from the entire game? I think every game should have these achievements. Cuz if you have one of them, everyone knows how good you are. How does that detract from your enjoyment?
I like to have some achievements to be like the congressional medal of honor. Very few get it, and even then it's mostly postumous. (OK I guess you can still be alive). I'm sorry, but that guy with 20 gazillion points in Geometry Wars deserves a special achievement.
You could even make it like a trophy where only one person can have it, but I think that is going a little too far.
Mr. Minus Star @ Mar 9th 2006 3:57PM
Where are all the Sony fanboys!? Anyone else find it strange that a piece of 360 news is posted without being bashed?
R @ Mar 9th 2006 4:01PM
I wasn't a big fan of the original Ghost games either, but this one rocks.
pennywise969 @ Mar 9th 2006 4:15PM
I have to agree with Thomas Crymes on this one. I like the some of the achievements are near impossible. If they are easy to get, they arent achievements. People need to look up the definition of the word achievement.
Bob42 @ Mar 9th 2006 4:16PM
"Where are all the Sony fanboys!? Anyone else find it strange that a piece of 360 news is posted without being bashed?"
Maybe it's because this game actually lived up the expectations for once?
pennywise969 @ Mar 9th 2006 4:21PM
Here, I'll do it for you. This is according to Merriam-Webster Online....
Achievement: 1. The act of achieving, 2. a : a result gained by effort b : a great or heroic deed
A result gained by effort, a great or heroic deed. God forbid any of these be difficult or challenging, huh?
Fish @ Mar 9th 2006 4:35PM
No Legacy controls?! Screw it, I'm not bothering. I should have the option to make my controls as illogical as I want damn it. *turns over Halo 3 hourglass* curse you sand, trickle faster!
Matt @ Mar 9th 2006 4:42PM
This game flat-out rocks. When I first saw the real-time reflection of Mexico City in the storefront window on the first level, I was thrilled (I wanted to practically cry). When I witnessed the first explosion of a tank I was thrilled. When I first laid waste to platoons of rebels from the Blackhawk helicopter I was thrilled.
When my guys forgot to respond to my move command, I was not thrilled. This is the only bug in the game that will take you out of an otherwise fully immersive sniping-fire fight squad shooter.
I don't appreciate squad-based shooters. I hate Full Spectrum Warrior, absolutely hate it. But GRAW's battle experience coupled with it's infinitessimal attention to the minutae of the environment and gameplay is no less than stellar. Really, if you have an Xbox 360, then you should buy this game right now. Go, go now.
Oh yeah, and the multiplayer...a full 10 out of 10. Now quit wasting time.
ill trooper @ Mar 9th 2006 5:23PM
The game is cool, worth the wait. Everyone loves it, so I'll just mention the two things that let me down:
a) Multiplayer graphics are not as 'next-gen' as the single-player game, not as much atmosphere, still nice however.
b) The 'Co-Op' options don't allow you to do the single-player missions with others online like you used to be able to do. Bummer.
Duder @ Mar 9th 2006 5:40PM
Sounds good. I'll be waiting to play on my PC, where i've played all the rest. I love this series, but if its coming for PC, then I will wait for that before buying any other version.
TiaMaster @ Mar 9th 2006 6:44PM
I have to respond to a couple of posters:
First, the window reflections are not real time. Take a closer look and you'll see they are "2D" reflections that have no map equivalent.
Second, you can absolutely play co-op on Live.
Bill Baker @ Mar 9th 2006 7:14PM
I agree with all the love this game is getting. I had only glancing contact with previous games in this series, and nothing ever compelled me to invest any time beyond the briefest of inspections. GRAW is different, it ups the action just enough, and it definitely delivers on graphics. I had some home network issues that prevented me from sampling the Live goodies last night, but it was fun enough to set up a solo elimination match and attempt to take on 32 skilled bots with only 3 respawns.
If I had to gripe, it would be just a tiny bitch about being crouched in a trench and having my squadmates standing bolt upright in the middle of a damn firefight. At least they were "smart" enough to fight back, I just wish they'd follow suit and crouch or hunker down.
Bill Baker @ Mar 9th 2006 7:16PM
There is no online co-op of the main single-player campaign. The online co-op missions are different. That being said, they're still cool and make a second game, basically, but the poster was correct about the campaign part.
Justin @ Mar 9th 2006 7:16PM
God made me a southpaw GRAW owner so that I would know what hell is like. Why Ubisoft, why? Such an awesome game, I can assure you I'll be crying in frustration as I try to enjoy it. I wonder if you could build a piece of inline usb hardware to translate the control stick data on the fly.?.
Waylin @ Mar 9th 2006 7:48PM
Thanks for screwing all the left handed gamers out there Ubi! I have been looking forward to this game for quite some time now and I am very disappointed to say that there is NO way I will be buying a game that I have been anxiously awaiting until you fix this grievous oversight!
It's like double reverse left-handed discrimination times nine. ~ misquote Mr. Show
dsub @ Mar 9th 2006 8:24PM
you southpaw gamers should all bombard ubisoft with emails to let your voices be heard. That would be an extremely easy update for them to do. All you want is the thumbsticks flopped right?
dsub @ Mar 9th 2006 8:28PM
I went and did some digging on the ubisoft forums, and I found this...it's an official reply from ubisoft on the left-handed control situation. They have heard people's cry already, so I'm sure they've got a fix underway.
http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/3291043913/m/3911077024
GG @ Mar 9th 2006 8:32PM
Um, the likely reason that the Sony and PC fanboys aren't giving the 360 fans a hard time:
-this game is also being released for PC, XBox and... PS2.
Yep, the big 360 killer app is also available on every other platform.
Vince -UK @ Mar 9th 2006 8:40PM
I hear the "old" xbox has the southpaw option.
I'm not suggesting there will be more content on the other platforms of course.
refinedsugar @ Mar 9th 2006 8:51PM
GG, the version being released for the pc, xbox and ps2 won't be the same version found on the 360. Do your homework next time.
Conner @ Mar 9th 2006 10:50PM
I am totally stoked to get this game and I am thrilled that there is blood in the rating. I know that sounds weird but in GR2 there was no blood so you had no clue if the guy died. Anywho thrilled that this game sounds sweet, and I cant wait till the Rainbow six for 360 which is coming out soon. GO UBI!!!
jimbo @ Mar 9th 2006 11:53PM
Just want to let you lot know if you are that pissed off there is a way forward if you want southpaw.
http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/mods/Xbox-360-Southpaw-Controller-Mod.htm
Also this game looks the nuts ive been told its one of the best games ever, we will see i hope this lives up to the hype.
GG @ Mar 10th 2006 5:24AM
Actually, we know from the developer interviews that the PC version is indeed the same game. As for the XBox/ PS2, I don't see why not. Same game, but running at 640*480.
If you have links to any articles which say otherwise, please provide them.
The hater! @ Mar 10th 2006 7:32AM
OK, so you all want a flamer, here I am! This game looks like crap next to the real-time footage of MGS for the PS3. There are already interviews saying that this tapped over 80% of the power of the 360 and it's still a long way off of what we already know the PS3 can do..... love this POS while you can because you're all going to be drooling when my PS3 gets here and I won't let you play.**Jokes over**
I LOVE G.R.A.W. The last Ghost Recon game that I bought was the first one on the Xbox. I played that one until there simply weren't many people left on Live! and still kept playing co-op long after that. This game is going to be a system seller. Now with Fight Night / G.R.A.W./ and Burnout all showing off what some development time can do, more of my friends are giving up on the wait for the PS3 and getting the 360. Two people I know bought one as soon as I showed them the Fight Night demo. I have another friend coming over tomorrow that will buy one after he plays G.R.A.W. It's not the killer app yet, but, it will be a Platinum Hit without question.
JusJus @ Mar 10th 2006 8:53AM
#38. You really need to get your facts straight.
They're two totallty different games. 360 version is played in third person (or first person minus the shown gun), has 3 squad mates, a cover system, and the ability to go prone. Xbox AND the PC version is only first person with a visible gun, has one squad mate, and a different campaign.
You want links? Read any review from ANY gaming site on each version for XBox PC version compared to the 360. The differences are painfully obvious to anyone with decent reading comprehension.
Same title, but not the same game.