Genre: Tactical FPS
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Red Storm
Release Date: August 2, 2005

Buy 'GHOST RECON 2: Summit Strike': Xbox

Ubisoft released the original Ghost Recon as a launch title for Xbox Live, and it quickly became one of the favorites among gamers. Due to that, Ubisoft released an expansion pack for the title called Ghost Recon Island Thunder, which also proved to be a big hit. After the success of Ghost Recon 2 late last year, they are now releasing the first expansion pack for the title, Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike.

While expansion packs are very common on the PC side, they have been pretty limited thus far on the consoles, but this summer marks not one, but two expansion packs being released for big-name games. The first to hit was the map pack for Halo 2, and not far behind is Summit Strike for Ghost Recon 2. Despite being an add-on, Summit Strike is a complete standalone game and does not need a copy of Ghost Recon 2 to run. While most add-on packs tend to not offer enough content to be sold as standalones, Summit Strike is packed full of extra content and is more like Ghost Recon 2.5.

Summit Strike comes loaded with 24 multiplayer maps, many of which are brand new, and Ubisoft has also included some of the most popular maps from Ghost Recon 2. Going along with the 24 maps is the incredible 24 multiplayer modes that will surely keep even the most hardcore fans happy for quite some time. Rounding out the package are 11 compelling single-player missions, as well as new guns and skins for the multiplayer models. The best part is you get all of this for only $29.99. In a day and age where games are approaching the $60 mark, Summit Strike is a real steal, and you will definitely get a lot of bang for your buck.

Summit Strike's single-player campaign takes place in Kazakhstan and finds you and your team of elite military experts also known as "Ghosts" going after a Pakistani warlord who is trying to take over the country. As you make your way through the 11 missions, you will see and face some of the harshest of what Kazakhstan has to offer. These new environments are much more open-ended than some of the ones in the past games and are quite massive. What I really loved about the level design was the fact that there is many different ways to get to one point on a map, which really makes them feel even more open and realistic than they already are.

The missions mimic this new level design, too. On each mission, you will have multiple objectives that need to be completed before you can move on. Unlike past titles in the series, you now have the option to complete them in any order that you choose, which creates a whole new level of strategy that allows the gamer to pick the best way to lead his team through the levels.

Summit Strike does lose some of its more hardcore sim elements that other games in the series have had, especially when commanding your troops. The command interface for issuing orders is very streamlined in the number of options you have, but it still provides a good sense of control over your group. The in-game combat, while the same as Ghost Recon 2, has been sped up greatly from the first title in the series. Some of the hardcore fans might be disappointed in that, but I think it's been a very good change, as the pacing in the earlier games was a bit too slow for my taste. Make no mistake, Summit Strike is a very realistic first-person shooter: you have to move slowly through the environments and take cover often when taking on the enemies because one well-placed shot by them is enough to take you out.

On the multiplayer side of things, you have a wealth of options and game modes to choose from. The 24 multiplayer maps span a wide range of terrain and environments from tropical jungles to dense forests packed with thousands of trees, to urban city environments that are great for close combat. Like the other titles in the series, Summit Strike's online modes are split up into three main categories: Solo, Squad and Co-Op. Each one offers different game types based on Free For All or team modes, and with 24 to pick from overall, it will be quite some time before you get bored. Beside the standard and classic online modes, some new ones are being introduced to the series in Summit Strike; two of my personal favorites are Helo Hunt and Armor Strike. In Helo Hunt, you must take out wave after wave of helicopters coming at you by using either a slow-loading rocket launcher or one of the map's many mounted machine guns. It's a very exciting mode, as you have to run for cover quite often because the guns of the choppers are very deadly. In the other mode, Armor Strike, you race against other players to laser tag their armored vehicles for a strike. These new modes, along with the others, really make Summit Strike a complete online experience.

Visually, Summit Strike looks exactly the same as Ghost Recon 2, which is not much of a surprise (or a bad thing, for that matter), as it's using the same engine. The environments are beautifully rendered in lush detail. For one of the first times in a videogame when you go through a forest or jungle, it actually feels like you are actually walking through it. The levels are made up of thousands of realistically modeled trees that sway in the wind, as well as realistic bushes and grass. When you are in the middle of a forest in Summit Strike, you really have a low line of sight which really makes the battles a blast. Rounding things out are some great particle effects for the explosions and some really nice bloom lighting.

Overall, I was really impressed with what Ubisoft and Red Storm were able to put together with Summit Strike. Unlike a lot of add-ons that are slim on content, Summit Strike provides the gamer with more material than most standard games nowadays. They have really done a great job on the expansion, and fans of the series should pick this up right away. People who have always been somewhat interested in the series but never wanted to spend 50 bones should take a hard look at Summit Strike. For only $29.99, you won't find a better or more complete online experience for Xbox.

Score: 8.5/10