You play Scott Mitchell leader of the elite Ghost Recon unit. The “Ghosts” are the world’s most highly trained and experienced fighting unit known on Earth. As the leader of this unit it is part of the game to display leadership talents and skills to utilize the command position in the most efficient ways. How the group is kept alive and used to maximize the skills the group possesses becomes part of the score received at the end of each mission.

I usually play this type of game in the elite or hard modes. I found that this was impossible till I gained the necessary game skills that it takes at the hard level. At the normal level there is no slack for inexperienced players. The game at the hard level takes “hard” to a new level, making me face many more intense challenges than I could handle in the first attempts playing the missions. The nature of this game is both mentally and physically challenging to the player. The game presents the fact: Adapt and conquer or DIE! I died many more times than I like to admit, but that is what it takes sometimes. Do not fear death, it is just part of the game. Being quick on the draw is a definite plus. Utilizing the Ghost team’s skills is more than ever before in accomplishing the games goals.

The game starts out with a brief training mission to introduce the player to the new aspects of this game. The grades start here, so don’t treat any of the game lightly. I found out how much I needed to make the new aspects of the game innate and part of my subconscious to make the grades. If the player takes time to think out the options they will be pushing up daisies. Just get in and hack it out absorbing every nuance put forth by the enemy. The enemy is more relentless and unforgiving than any ever.

The real game starts with a search and rescue exercise that goes awry. Keeping covered and picking off the enemy as they appear in the sights is the best way through this mission. Mastering a side gunner position in a helicopter becomes the next forbidding challenge. While hanging out the side of a Blackhawk helicopter with the controller vibrating to the staccato of the helicopter blades the elimination of all enemy forces on the roof tops and the ground is the objective. The action is non-stop and the enemy troops are in full force. There is more of the enemy to eliminate than I have ever seen. “Adie Murphy” would be changing his shorts if he had to face these insurmountable numbers of soldiers. As I hung out the Blackhawk with the 50 cal. rattling off shots and spitting shells like a fully automatic machine gun stuck in full auto mode I couldn’t imagine this many enemy in a single location at one time. I just kept aiming and firing. As I kept going I noticed my clothes were wet with sweat and trying to keep focused on the task at hand became harder and harder. As the exhaustion grew more intense I tried to keep focused and just kept the trigger pegged on full auto. The enemy seemed to come from everywhere. I knew if I let up I would surely die and have to start over. When I thought my life force was completely drained from my body the action subsided and I was able to take to the ground. The bodies lay on the ground like badly stacked cord wood. Stunned by the initial chaos and mayhem that I had witnessed, I started to press onward. I had to stop totally exhausted and dumbfounded. I didn’t know at that time if I had what it would take to continue the game. This was “Starship Troopers” and the bugs had ranged weapons and better talent for mass destruction than in the movie. The mission wasn’t over, but I needed a break. This was a good place to save game. I thought about the carnage I had just experienced and sat back with a soda and a cigarette. I went back into the game the next day with renewed vigor, knowing that this game had trashed my body and my mind the previous day. I became more amazed as the mission continued thinking about the realism that was put into a game. When I had finished the mission, I sat back and enjoyed the gratification of completing this small feat of heroism. This feeling I felt was worth more than any reward I had ever gotten in a game of this nature. The fact was I had to refocus and hope I had what it took to complete the rest of the missions. I am not a quitter, so quitting wasn’t an option. The missions don’t get any less intense or difficult. I am just thankful this is just a game and not reality as it had seemed during the battle.

The first time in each mission I got the biggest thrills and chills. Probably from the initial surprises and circumstances presented by the developers to the gamer. After I got past that mindset I became a hardened “soldier”. Putting the game into proper perspective is the only way to make it to the end. I have played and mastered almost every type of war scenario, shooter and stealth game put on the market. This game was above all the skills I have amassed over the many years playing these types of games.

In this chapter of Ghost Recon I gained access to the future of military technology. I was using a fully integrated combat system with state of the art weapons and communication systems; this embodies the soldiers of the future. The huge amount of military research amassed for this game is a miraculous addition to modern gaming.

Use revolutionary new technology like the Cross-Com, a communication device powered by satellite technology, provides full situational awareness and command of the battlefield. With this device you command the Ghost squad, remote allied forces, drones, direct artillery and air strikes. You see what your squad sees. You receive visual and auditory intelligence from allied forces and unmanned drones. This is just one of the technological advanced toys you get to play with. It can be a life saving device for the commander and all his available assets.

The rest of the single player campaign needs to be experienced and all aspects of the story absorbed in the continuing game play. I would hate to take anything away from the player’s experiences and individual accomplishments with mere words.

The multiplayer experiences are similar to the other previous Ghost Recon titles. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter does deliver industry-leading multiplayer and cooperative action on Xbox Live®. I would say, don’t miss out playing this title on Xbox Live®, because you never know what is added playing against the human psyche in a makeshift battle.

Words cannot express a conclusion for this review. I have had some of the most frustrating and joyous feelings playing through this chapter in what I hope is a never-ending Ghost Recon saga. The ladder has been raised to an insurmountable almost unbelievable level. Kudos at a job very well done by the people involved with the making of this installment of the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon tales. I have yet to see a negative overall review of this game. As did the first Ghost Recon game become a killer game for original Xbox® console Advanced Warfighter seems to be the present killer game for the Xbox 360® console.