Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 [PS3]

The latest in the Ghost Recon series makes its way onto the PS3 with new maps and co-op modes and some motion control options as well.

The single-player Campaign involves a threat to the U.S. via the Mexican border, and players are dropped off at locations with varied Mexican terrain throughout the game, as well as El Paso, Texas. The storyline itself is quite over the top, involving some renegade nuclear warheads, and the voice acting of your C.O. between missions is a definite contributor. It's all good though, with occasional bursts of brilliance, as things get really crazy in some levels. The game is short though, and while it's a good time, you'll likely groan a little at the ending.

Graphically, nothing really grabs your attention right away, except perhaps the explosions, but in general you just gradually realize how realistic it looks in general. Unfortunately, I got stuck in a level for the first time in ages (trapped between a wall and a car door that had fallen off); Even my NPC squad-mates had a few issues, with one hiding in a hangar until I coaxed him out, and two others getting trapped between a couple of cars... if only they'd turned around. The AI is generally good though, with adversaries putting up a decent fight and friendlies doing what you want for the most part. Controlling your squad is, of course, a major component of the game, and you can look though their eyes, giving you more control than ever. You also have support teams during some missions, and can survey the area with an airborne camera system, command extra infantry or tanks, and call in air strikes.

There's also a good selection of multi-player options here, which in some ways seemed to be the developer's focus. Split-screen, LAN, and Online modes are all supported, and players can take on each other or complete missions in a variety of ways. There's a good selection of maps available that aren't in the single-player mode, and the missions here are different as well, making up somewhat for the rather short solo game. The match-making has more options than expected as well.

Mainly solo players might want to rent this one first, since the main campaign should have been longer and I did have those clipping issues that meant restarting a couple of levels. It's a fun game though, and the strong multiplayer mode earns the game a couple of extra points, so keep that in mind if you're a lone wolf.

8/10

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80's [PS2]

This new iteration of the guitar game seems aimed at old-schoolers who want to rock out with the tunes they were listening to back when they were "playing Atari".

The core game hasn't really changed, with players trying to match the on-screen riffs using the specialized guitar controller. It's a bit surprising this isn't simply an add-on disc with more songs, but perhaps they figured they may as well make it a standalone game for those few holdouts who haven't bought the earlier versions. As in GH2, there's a multiplayer mode that allows players to compete or play together, with one player on lead, and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. The difficulty seems bumped up slightly as well, even on the medium setting.

The main attraction here, of course, is if you're interested in the tracklist. While including songs like "I Wanna Rock", "Round and Round", and "Holy Diver" were no-brainers, a few surprises like Accept's "Balls to The Wall" show up as well. There's also a good chunk of new wave, with tracks like "I Ran (So Far Away)" and "Turning Japanese" breaking things up nicely.

While it's more substantial than an add-on disc, it's less than a true sequel, and players will have to wait until the fall for Guitar Hero III if they want to see something more than a new tracklist. It's still a great game though, especially if you're partial to metal's classic days.

8/10