Those darn Mexicans, they're at it again. Not content with kidnapping the US president in the first GRAW, they're now trying to hold the whole world to ransom with nuclear weapons. This, quite unsurprisingly, is out of step with American foreign policy and so the yanks do the only sensible thing: send in four men, armed with the latest military hardware, and hope that they can sort out what diplomacy couldn't. It's the American way. The story picks up straight after the events of the first game, with the world still in turmoil and all hope lying squarely on the shoulders of Colonel Mitchell and his squad of Ghosts. After an obligatory training mission you're plunged headfirst into the murky and action filled world of covert, futuristic, anti-terrorist warfare. And it's bloody marvellous.

Graphically speaking, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (what a mouthful!) is a giant leap from the original GRAW, utilising next-gen technology to great effect. Dust drifts naturally, stone chips and flakes, bullets spark on cold, harsh metal. The character models are detailed and solid, clearly a part of the world they inhabit. The first time you see Juarez, the setting of most of the game, is an awe-inspiring joy. Flying over a barren hillside you're confronted by a town engulfed with smoke and flame, a deep red sunset silhouetting the simple dwellings as shouts and gunshots fill your ears. There's a certain odd beauty about GRAW 2 and whilst it's not perfect in the eye candy department, the sheer energy and scope of the world created for you is on occasion astounding.

As with its predecessors, GRAW 2 is all about tightly focused, objective-based skirmishes. You're dropped into a theatre of combat with equipment and men, after which a yellow square appears on your Heads Up Display that you have to reach. That HUD, known as the CrossCon, is an essential part of the gameplay mechanic, pinpointing objectives, enemies and allies while allowing you to command your squad, as well as the vehicles and gadgets you're sometimes required to use. The CrossCon becomes as important a piece of your arsenal as your rifle, a fact highlighted by the difficulty of the missions you perform when it's broken. As with most third person shooters there's a cover system on offer, but unlike most third person shooters it doesn't feel tacked on or cheap. Simply put, if you get involved in a firefight without finding some decent cover first you'll be dead in less than a minute. GRAW 2 is an unforgiving game, not in an unfair way, but in a way that suggests that maybe running headfirst into an enemy base with a gun that needs reloading and a team that you left behind a wall probably isn't the best idea. The difficulty settings have been shifted around a little for this entry into the series, meaning that less experienced players can make their way through the game without dying every eighteen seconds, as well as allowing grizzled veterans to fight their way through on the more difficult settings from the start.

The tactical elements of the Ghost Recon games are present and correct, with your team more responsive to commands than ever before. They think for themselves, taking cover and engaging the enemy when necessary. New to this edition is the inclusion of helmet cameras, allowing you to see what your teammates can see and assess the battlefield from their position. It's not revolutionary, but it's another nice touch in a game that's full of nice touches. After a few missions the control system becomes natural, as does the cautious way in which you must approach every corner. After a couple of hours that caution is replaced with tactical pragmatism, an understanding of the terrain and well balanced usage of the vehicles and teammates at your disposal. What never changes though is the sense of danger that permeates all of your movements; you may grow in confidence as the game progresses, but you'll never lose the feeling that around the next corner could be a bullet with your name on it. It's a master class in sustained suspense; you're always on your toes, waiting for the flash of red on the screen that lets you know enemies are near.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is a wonderful game, tweaking and expanding the formula of the original and in the process improving it in almost every way. It's been a long time since I played a game that literally kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and left me wishing for more, actually wanting to play through it all over again. Realistic shooters are a dime a dozen nowadays, but GRAW 2 remains one of the best, a perfect blend of tension, frantic action and sumptuous visuals that drags you in at gunpoint, barks some incomprehensible orders and then throws you headfirst into a bloody, windswept desert battle.

Reviewed by Harry Slater for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).