Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm

Written by Ryan Smotherman  on March 08, 2004

Final Glimpse: It's a jungle out thereЕ and you get to murder everyone in it. Woohoo!

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The original PC to console port of Ghost Recon, released on the PlayStation 2 way back in 2002, didn't quite live up to the expectations that fans of Tom Clancy's games have come to expect. With poorly converted gameplay, lackluster visuals, and absolutely no multiplayer options, gamers were stuck with a title that made them wonder what all the hoopla was over when the PC version first appeared to critical acclaim. However, UbiSoft's second attempt to bring the usually high quality Ghost Recon series to the PS2 is no doubt poised to be a very improved game when compared to it's predecessor. Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm is on the verge of release, and with a much-improved interface and visuals, and the inclusion of online play, we certainly have a title worth getting excited about here.

The year: 2009. The place: Havana, Cuba. The post-Castro island is in hot water as factions battle one another for governmental control. One such mercenary force, led and funded by a well-known drug lord is the U.N.'s prime target. So you and your group of highly trained Green Berets, known as the Ghosts, are sent in to take down the leader and his group of rebels. Jungle Storm's first 8-mission campaign will follow this plot and take you into the depths of Cuba's jungle soaked missions. And yes, you heard right, I said the first campaign, as Jungle Storm features two separate operations, with the second 8-mission one taking you into Columbia, and has you taking on the same drug cartel that brought you problems to begin with. Though, this time around their mission is revenge against the American government, started with the blowing up of their embassy in Columbia.

But enough about the story; although it does set things up nicely for the action you get to take place in. Like the other Ghost Recon offering, you'll take control the Ghosts through the first-person perspective, having the ability to switch between each team member as needed. Along with some sneaking and a hell of a lot of shooting, you'll spend much of your time using your brain as you plot out your team's best course of action. Directing your mates to proper locations, knowing when to hide in the shadows, and learning to keep your trigger-finger not so happy, will insure a mission complete. Thankfully, this time Ubi has even simplified matters, creating a much more console friendly interface and control set-up. While probably not as simple as Rainbow Six 3's, those that were confused by the original's complications should find much to like in the streamlined set-up.

Along with a stellar single-player package, Jungle Storm will complete with a plethora of multiplayer options, much to fans' appreciation. Topping this off is full blown online support, which is something the original was most certainly lacking. If you have a broadband connection and a network adapter you can hop online and play against people from around the world in 10 different multiplayer modes that cover over 31 different maps. Also, expect to see everything that comes along with online play - including a ranking system and tournaments.

On the graphics side of things, Jungle Storm is noticeably more impressive than it's predecessor. Featuring solid character models and astoundingly conceived jungle environments. The explosion and weapon effects are also looking quite nice. The game's audio shouldn't disappoint either. Not only do we have true to life sound effects and a top-notch musical score, but the game will also feature up to 160 different voice commands to give to your team support if you just happen to have a microphone handy. This will also naturally be usable during online play as well.