2006-03-09 03:33:32 Xboxyde User reviews of GRAW!!!

Rate it!!!!

I have it but I will play it as soon as I get home

Give your review!!! out of 10

btw gamespot gave this game its highest xbox 360 score (9.2) and the highest graphics score for any xbox 360 game (10)

2006-03-09 03:39:29

Glad to see ghost recon getting some god damn respect!

2006-03-09 07:37:25

9 point something..

I could nitpick the visuals if I wanted--but both SP and MP are both gorgeous to me regardless..the only thing I find to be a bit odd is how different SP and MP feel--now I know why they're different..but even movement feels a little different which is a bit strange going back and forth..not to mention the added new moves in SP for third person aren't in MP (the cool slide and dive moves..plus cover and peaking)..

But it doesn't take away from the experience in MP from what I've seen thus far--which is just a little split screen co-op and one round of ffa dm..I'm still getting used to the pace of combat..but the gunplay is pretty nice and the controls are about as dead-on as you could hope for..

Single player really is a sight..the enviroments are very big and very beautiful--and it does a good job of showing off the range of high dynamic range..

The weapons are great..the M95 is vicious like it's SUPPOSED TO BE (it doens't get its due respect in some other games).

Great sound too..guns, explosions, ambient sounds..sound track.

9.2 is a fair score--it's a great game--and it's what I've been waiting for :)

2006-03-09 07:41:41

I guarantee you'll soon see someone saying their gamecube can pull of those graphics ;)

2006-03-09 08:37:38

But they can .... :(

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another noob bites the dust ...

2006-03-09 09:10:56

I'll give it a 8.9

there are some things that I really don't understand and some technical aspects I don't like. nightmissions are very confusing/boring, reflections in buildings are cheap pixeltextures, textures are low res in general, MP has no physics at all and is flickering sometimes, framerate in general to low in SP and MP, too much tearing, healing system... everyone can heal but nobody heals the player, dumb AI, not enough options for the Squad, no vehicles driveable... and so on.

but the game is still GREAT!

2006-03-09 09:19:26 In reply to McErono (2006-03-09 09:10:56)

First off all the night missions are supposed to be tense and a bit confusing because it's DARK :D, u ain't got nightvision for nothing..
Mp has physics though not as good as SP.
Framerate is pretty Steady IMO. AI is superb, go play the campaign on hardcore or Elite in Multiplayer.....

No vehicles drivevable: This is a realistic tactical shooter. It's not Halo where everbody jumps in vehicle's in a sec. In real life Soldiers aren't multifunctional; You can't have one guy driving/gunning/running/flying all over the place..

and I agree this game is GREAT :D

I would give this game a 9...

2006-03-09 12:23:55

If someone would like to buy me a copy i will gladly rate it .. :-)

2006-03-09 14:28:04

I already purchased my damn copy, but its on back order and I guarantee the same will happen with my copy of elder scrolls man I can't catch a damn break. I've been having hell trying to get fight night round 3, and now I can't get my hands on ghost recon for awhile and elder scrolls I pre ordered late so its pretty much a guarantee i wont be getting that on time either.

2006-03-09 16:30:54

its great...... but it has no squad/clan feature! wtf!? all the ghost have this... until now

2006-03-09 17:39:46 In reply to Optimusv2 (2006-03-09 14:28:04)

Just buy it at a retail store then..something that doesn't accept pre-orders..I went to FYE yesterday afternoon around 11am and they had just recieved like 20 copies of GRAW (I'm sure they've sold them by now, but hey that's a decent number)..no pre-order, screw EB/Gamestop..that place is a gaming pawn shop.

edit: I've heard some complaints that the game can be too dark at times--I must be one of the few people who have enjoyed the night missions--it adds a little extra tension and in real life in the middle of no where it really would be dark as hell..HDR is amazing--probably the best HDR demo on X360 that I have seen is Condemned..that game really new how to capture a scene that really spanned the spectrum from dark to light in one frame..but this game is a freaking HDR showcase if there ever was one..looking towards the horizon as the sun is comming up--the other side of you completely black..very cool.

I sorta hope that in the next game the sp and mp portions of the game are more unified..but they're both awsome already.

2006-03-09 18:44:59

No clan optioN?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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another noob bites the dust ...

2006-03-09 23:37:04

SP (I have no real MP experience):

The graphics are stunning.
But the thing is; GRAW sort of tricks you into that it looks great...
For example, if your (especially)in the 3rd level, and you look at the reflection in the windows, every window has just about the same reflection, it's just a picture really, and doesn't actually reflect the enviroment as it really is.
For instance, you look in one window, and it shows a green container, but if you look behind, there isn't any green container at all.
Then if you go to another window a few blocks away, it shows exactly the same thing, and again it doesn't reflect what is really there.
So obviously, you or any other character/vehicle are not reflected in the windows either, but all this doesn 't matter(to me anyway, and I am a graphics whore;)
The TOTAL picture is just stunning and that's all you really see in combat anyway..
To me good graphics is about giving that extra bit of reality to make you believe you are actually there(as far as that's possible).

So basicly, if you stop and take a closer look at every object ,you will find low textures etc, and could find plenty of stuff to complain about, but if you are actually playing the game and the HDR kicks in, the explosions are going on, the three's and their shadow are moving etc..etc... this game is simply beautiful!

The movements are very fluid and controls are easy to get used to.
The only thing I miss is the option to change the looking sensitivity.
It's just a tad to slow IMO.
As you REALLY get into the controls, which took me about 2/3 levels, then you can really enjoy this game, it's just sucks you right in, and because ONE shot can kill you, it can be pretty nerve wrecking aswell, cause if you die, it can be quite a bit you will have to do again as the checkpoints can be pretty far appart...
Due to this, you have to work very tactical and use your teammates/backup wisely.
Using the "Rambo Approach" in this game is a definit NO GO, and so you are forced to think before you act, and when something actually works out the way you had hoped it to be, this can be very sattisfying...

All this doesn't mean you have to be a "PRO-GAMER" to play this game, heck...I'm far from a pro-gamer and I get on very well in this game;p

Further, the sounds are very well done, I love those explosions, you can almost feel the ground shaking when a truck explodes in the distance..:D
And the Explosions look very impressive aswell....

For me personally , this was the first Next-Gen game I played on my 360(yes I have played PGR3 and FNR3).
The moment I started this game, it was as if I just got a new console again and "felt" that next-gen "feeling" I have been waiting for since the 360 was released.....:D

2006-03-10 03:01:47

How about the mission checkpoints guys?

I’m getting mine in Monday… can’t wait…

2006-03-10 07:24:17 In reply to Terra (2006-03-10 03:01:47)

Well there aren't like millions of them. But really the checkpointsystem works great, it saves you location a couple of times per mission, and I havn't complained about it so far :)

2006-03-10 17:26:47

Just had my first go..........and it is a very good game!
Great sound and graphics.
Difficulty just right.
And a decent story.
It's better then COD2, and much better then PDZzzzz (wake up).
They both scored 9's but i can't give a 10 (see Acert)
So 9 it is, but a very good 9!

2006-03-10 20:24:36

I found a bug in my first mission. I took cover next to a pillar (under a bridge maybe), and I could not get my character to leave the cover - it was as if I was stuck inside the cover. =/ But I finished the game last night, and had no more issues like that.

Very fun game. Single player is great, though I don't know I like the direction the series has gone. What happened to the "Recon" aspect of "Ghost Recon"? Hmm. Multiplayer is good, but pales in comparison to the single player campaign. Had the entire game looked like the multiplayer, I would have been very disappointed.

Good game. Badly needs more MP maps (10 for GR is sad), and more co-op missions. As a long time fan of the franchise, I'm gonna give it a 9/10.

Oh and the helicopter music is TERRIBLE. Way to go guys.

2006-03-10 23:30:06

Here is what I posted on my clan's forums osogo.com:

My impressions of it are the following...

I read the reviews on IGN and TeamXbox...
I agree with their grading. One gave it a 9.3, the other a 9.2.

I think its graphics are around an 8.7 out of 10.
The multiplayer for a next gen title, is about an 8.
The singleplayer which uses a different graphics engine is about a 9.2 out of 10

The gameplay is improved over GR2SS I think. The lobby system is one of the most solid and best I've seen. A standard that is up with Halo2, or better.

Lag is minimal. I experince lag in co-op once, and had a bit of voice lag once.

Buttons will take some getting used to.

With all the HUD clutter, they couldn't add a compas to give you direction? Easily fixed in a patch.

You can't tell who is left in a match on the other team, so you're never quite sure how many people are left opposing you.

Drones I think will be worked into Team Siege as an option, just like Lone Wolf or Full Booms. I thought we wouldn't see clan matches with them, now I think we will. They don't unbalance the game.

Since the single player and LIVE both use different game engines, the gameplay is a bit different and the controls aren't quite the same between the two.

This is a very tight game, and one Ubi should be proud of. Perfect no, but neither was Halo2. I see us playing and enjoying this game for months to come.

I do hope Ubi is able to use the single player engine for the next GRAW, (GR4). It does look better when compared side to side.

Splash damage from grenades seems to be increased. Explosions are pretty cool.

These are just some of my early impressions. I spent about 3 hours playing thus far.

I'll post more thoughts later in the week.

2006-03-12 05:23:11

yeah, the lack of a compass can be very annoying when trying to coordinate movement, you cna set waypoints, but i haven't got that fully figured out yet.

The game is great tho, especially with another player, I'm not upset about the graphics in multiplayer as they are still really good, and clear. In the beach multiplayer level (fishing village?" you can see clear across the map and see enemies streaming towards you. I was playing that with one other friend with enemy density set to high, that was a rush.

single player is amazing, altho the AI does sometimes do odd things, not the twitching we saw in the trailer, but they'll just run out into the street to open fire sometimes, among other silly things, but it doesn't kill the experience. Great great game

also, not much lag online, but I have had problems with people suddenly dropping from matches, anyone else seen this?

2006-03-12 10:17:29

Certainly agree on the compass. Would be very helpful in both sp and mp..but I'll live without it..I would like to see sp engine in mp as well..including the changes to third person movement. I'd also like a first person weapon view..like they showed in the initial trailers--I never liked to FPS w/o weapon view in the franchise really--I was excited when I first saw that view of this game..

Regardless it's excellent all around..single, multi..just a great game. The XBL system could use some improvements as well imo--i think at the very least you should be able to join a game as a spectator while it's in progress..if not just join in as a player..

I'm about half way through..I'll be working on it some more soon.

2006-03-12 11:32:49

Another bug!
Last night whilst playing on the night time sniper level!
At the beginning, i blew up the truck, then layed down in prone position.
Then when I pushed to go forward (still laying down) I began floating in the air
like a ghost (ironic). Looked quite funny actually.

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I'm the Juggernaut bitch!

2006-03-14 10:10:13

Righto, I'll have a little write up too then.

First of all...

Different maps look varying degrees of good, with the best looking ones displaying what's arguably the prettiest graphics on the system so far and the less good looking ones having you question why you thought it was the prettiest game on the system just seconds ago. It's never ugly, but it can definitely be disappointing looking, especially the textures. A game like kameo is more consistently good looking thanks to more controlled and deliberately stylized lighting, but that game rarely hits the peaks GRAW does even though GRAW sometimes does it unintentionally.

That's no way to hug a wall!

Gameplay is a bit of a mixed bag really. While some bits of the game strike me as great, other seem weirdly hamfisted. When shooting is intense and you have a pretty good sense of where the enemies are and your AI buddies for once don't get themselves shot to pieces instantly it can feel like The Perfect Game. Sadly, all too often it falls from those heights shortly after, and all too often it's because of the game's inconsistent limitations.

Take, for instance, the wall hug. When you're pressed up against a wall and you haven't moved to the edge of it, you can happily reload your weapon, move around and even detach from the wall. When you've moved to the edge of the wall and you're able to peek around it - at which point neither the look of the character nor the animation has changed and you're normally able move backwards as usual - you can no longer move around at all when you reload. When an enemy comes running and you hit reload and you wanna move out of the way, you just can't. Why? Is this a deliberate design decision?

When you've played something like PDZ or Splinter Cell that handles the wall hug mechanic flawlessly and logically, this suddenly comes across as a lack of understanding of the concept. It's also unfortunate when you realise that GRAW is basically this mechanic repeated over and over, over the course of the game, and while it's something you get used to, it never stops being annoying.

Ghost Recon: Advanced Babysitter

There are other things like this that annoy me. The squad control has been massively toned down to offer two simple commands and a switch between alertness modes. This would in theory enable the use of a Freedom Fighters style squad command where you can send one character to each location by tapping the button, and all of them by holding it down. Instead you get this bunch of people with - presumably - their shoelaces tied together, following eachother around, more often than not into death.

Not only that, but they sometimes completely lack any comprehension of their surroundings, going "firing!" when you tell them to attack an enemy only to NOT do just that, but rather just stand around. I've had instances where one of my characters gets stuck behind something in the enormous maps, only to discover him minutes later on the navigation map, miles away from me and two of his buddies. In order to use the squad well, you need to get used to the thought of reviving them a lot, and generally not counting on them for anything. Essentially, the squad bit here is just as flawed as in any of these dumbed down console squad shooters with a Tom Clancy moniker on them.

You'll get some missions where it's just you, Scott Mitchell, who goes about getting things done. While it takes some getting used to, not having other soldiers around you, and while that also removes a lot of the intensity, these missions simply feel more focused and managable. You suddenly feel in control, and you can use the different aspects of the game better.

Even with its flaws the cover system works reasonably well though, and for the most part the maps are well designed to complement that. You'll be moving from cover to cover not only to look cool, but because the game does a good job of making you feel like it's worth it. There's a bunch of different weapons in the game, but usually when it's time to pick gear they stick you with a recommended setup, and you're usually best off going with that. There really isn't much incentive to use different guns because the result is pretty samey. I found myself picking guns with the most oomph because I wanted the shootouts to sound proper violent.

Next then, more like

When people say this game is "truly next gen" I really don't know what they're refering to. More than anything, this game feels like something you've been doing many times before. It has issues you've faced many times before and it has gameplay mechanics that have been done before and better. The one thing that really separates this from those games is the sense of cohesion in the missions. The large maps with no loading times gives the game a certain flow, and it's certainly admirable but ultimately also fairly superficial. The subject matter will appeal to more people than something like Perfect Dark Zero does, even though PDZ is more confident in the mechanics it pulls off, and that's gonna be enough for those people to pick this over Rare's flagship title.

Ghost Reconmended after all...

GRAW is a very good looking game, and that's ultimately what it does best. Because it's pretty it's also very immersive and physical feeling, but it's tough to shake the notion that it's really not doing anything terribly new. Maybe that would've been an unfair conclusion if the things it does were unquestionably the best examples of those mechanics, but they're quite frankly some way from it.

Even though this review may sound mostly negative I do actually enjoy the game a lot. It's not my favourite 360 game as a gamer with an opinion, and it's not the best 360 game as a gamer with an objective attempt at a professional opinion, but it's a good, well produced game that should give anyone without unreasonably high expectations a good time. Even if the multiplayer component looks a bit naff and plays largely like GR2, the huge maps and the added incentive to use drones for strategic advantage keeps it feeling fairly fresh and should give the game the value it lacks when you realise you don't want to go through it on Hard anyway with your pack of idiots for squad.

8 /10

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