XB360/PS2/XB/GC • Ubisoft • November 2005

Targets Acquired: The “Rainbow Six for the outdoorsman” Ghost Recon series continues to explore near-future technology with Advanced Warfighter. It’s 2013, and the U.S. Army can now outfit its boys with the Integrated Warfighter System, which gives soldiers unprecedented battlefield awareness with satellite linkup wizardry. That means war for the Ghosts is no longer about finding enemies lurking in the bush, but rather knowing that they’re there already and analyzing their movements and figuring out what to do next. In Advanced Warfighter you must use this tech to find and secure the U.S. prez and the nuclear-weapon codes he was carrying with him.

Know Your Enemy: Ghost Recon 2’s enemies must’ve been using some future sci-fi tech as well, since they were able to see and shoot through solid objects when it suited them. This sloppy programming ruined the experience for many—hopefully, Warfighter’s bad guys won’t feel the need to cheat this time around. “Facing strong, smart, and organized A.I. is central to the gameplay,” says Producer Robbie Edwards. “We are putting a lot of effort into having the enemy behave like real soldiers do.” What about those short-bus moments when your teammates or enemies just sit and take bullets like someone’s blowing them kisses? “We’ve implemented what we call ‘self-preserving A.I.,’ meaning the enemies as well as your Ghost teammates will care for their lives,” says Edwards. “For example, if the cover they are using is blown away, they will automatically run to the next cover instead of staying there in the line of fire.”

The Most Dangerous Game: Except for GameCube players, online gamers will get to pick a character class before heading into combat. What you pick (grenadier, marksman, etc.) will determine your stats (accuracy, recoil management, etc.).

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Electronic Gaming Monthly.