Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2

Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: March 6, 2007
Systems: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PC
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web Site

In a nutshell: Fight the Future.

0:01 We're at the El Paso border in Texas. Everything is very brown. Some guy gets blown up. And... title! Not bad for an intro.
0:03 I read through the hints and tips, but I have no idea what it's talking about. I hope it'll become clear when I'm actually in there.
0:04 The control screen is a mess of options. Every single button is used, some for multiple things. Oh, for a keyboard.
0:07 My airborne drone spots a couple of soldiers just past a ridge. But a soldier has to go in and take them out. Can't the drone drop a bomb or something?
0:09 Clicking in the right stick give a nice zoomed in view. It's nice seeing an outline of the enemy even behind cover. Futuristic!
0:10 I get spotted for a second when I stick my head out from behind cover. One well placed shot and it's game over. Is it weird that I find it weird that one bullet can kill me?
0:12 The whole enviornment shakes when bullets hit the wall in front of me. Too bad the PS3 controller can't shake too (ZING!).
0:14 Pinned down, I desperately try some grenades. No. 1 makes them scatter. No. 2 blows up in my face. D'oh!
0:18 No matter how careful I am, I keep getting spotted. And it's six against one. What chance do I have?
0:21 Apparently I have a pretty good chance, if I just go around the sides and slowly and pick them off from the edges. Being able to see their outline through walls is a big advantage.
0:24 A M.U.L.E. brings me new weapons and news of the war zone. It all feels kind of clinical and lonely. Where's the rest of the war? And why am I shooting these people?
0:25 I like guiding the armored M.U.L.E. with just a button press. It goes wherever I'm looking. Intuitive and useful.
0:30 This new sniper rifle seems a bit unfair. Not only can I pinpoint an enemy from dozens of yards away, but it can shoot them through thin walls. I mean, what chance does an enemy of America have?
0:34 After taking out some random foreigners with the supergun, I finally get to choose some teammates.
0:37 Now this is more like it. Taking mortar fire from all sides, I order my team to some cover and take out two lonely fighter guarding the next checkpoint. The team controls are surprisingly easy to get used to -- just a click on the d-pad and they move intelligently.
0:39 Whoops, looks like those lonely guys had company. I get quickly overwhelmed
0:44 I'm finally really getting into a firefight -- ordering shots, taking out guys in helicopters, etc. -- and then the demo just ends! What a gyp!

Would I play this game for more than an hour 44 minutes? Yes
Why? It's a first person shooter game that I don't totally suck at... yet.

This review based on a demo version downloaded from the PlayStation Network