From an artistic perspective, the last year or two have been heady times for French game giant Ubisoft - nearly everything their various development groups have touched has turned to gold. That hasn't been as true from a sales perspective, but they’ve had enough marketplace success that their other struggles haven’t prevented them from forging forward all the same.

Fortunately, their long-awaited Ghost Recon sequel for Microsoft's Xbox appears to be a game poised for success both artistically and at retail, even in the Shadow of Bungie's own monolithic sequel. Whether the same can be said for the PS2 version is something best left to Jared's review, but I digress.

Anybody who played the first two Ghost Recon titles on Xbox probably came away with two impressions. First, the dated graphics and clunky control scheme made for a difficult console conversion, particularly compared to other shooters on the platform at the time. Secondly, the fact that it was one of the first shooters to make use of Xbox Live made it sort of the de facto best thing going.

With Ghost Recon 2, Red Storm has streamlined the controls, given the graphics a significant overhaul, and even introduced a new third person camera setup, giving users the choice between classic first-person action, or a new viewpoint designed to make it easier to see your coverage and protect your flank.

They've also managed to piss off both halves of the Korean peninsula with their storyline, but that's another matter entirely. One conceit they've used here is pretty neat, however. Instead of telling the story in real time, the way the Rainbow Six 3 games have unfolded, Ghost Recon 2 lays matters out as a retrospective TV show called "Modern Heroes," complete with interviews with members of the Ghosts. Those interviews conveniently include maps of the area and key points to remember, so it's like a mission briefing without actually BEING a mission briefing.

Once you're actually in the mission, you'll notice that you have the ability to flip between first- and third-person viewpoints. However, it's also important to notice that, unlike the original Ghost Recon, you can't switch back and forth between your squad members. In this respect, GR2 is more like Rainbow Six 3; they're there for backup, but that's it.

You can issue them context-sensitive commands (including using a 'Medic' command for downed soldiers to restore them to some health), but you need to watch your own back, because if you bite the bullet, you have to play the mission all over again. Fortunately (or not, depending on perspective), the enemies spawn in the same place each time you play through the missions, and they don't really change their behavioral patterns, so if you fail a mission, just keep trying until you persevere.

Now, a moment ago I used the phrase 'context-sensitive,' but I haven't really explained what that means. Instead of pulling up a menu and selecting a command, or pulling up the map and setting waypoints, as in the original GR, you simply point at a target and hit the 'Y' button, and your squad members will do what they need to, whether it's setting demolition charges, playing medic, or advancing on that position. More advanced tactics can be accessed by holding down 'Y' and then selecting the necessary command, such as 'suppress fire.' Still not completely intuitive, but it's a huge leap forward compared to what came before.

Ghost Recon 2's graphics appear to be based off of the Rainbow Six 3 engine, as the textures are much more polished than its predecessor, the animations are smoother, and the game just generally compares favorably to its Xbox brethren, where the first Ghost Recon was pretty clearly an aging PC title ported over to make a buck.

You're also getting some bang for your buck here, as you have the ability to play through the campaign in single-player, or cooperatively via split-screen, system link, or even Xbox Live. If you'd rather do the traditional multiplayer, there are several traditional multiplayer modes, such as deathmatch, available to rock the house. And, of course, there are multiple unlockables, such as different squad members, different equipment, and different Army movies. You can unlock these extras by earning points based on your performance during each mission of the campaign. Points are accrued by the members of your team, so if you're in a situation where multiple teams are working for the same objective - as in the initial campaign where you team up with British special forces - any kills and such that the other team gets are points that you can't earn for that mission.

It's interesting, the decision to split the story into separate games available on separate consoles. Usually, the fear of consumer backlash would discourage a company from splitting its market that way, but that's exactly what Ubisoft has done here, presumably to combat the whole "this version is better than that version" rhetoric that we've seen from their Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six 3 offerings. Had they left both titles under the purview of Red Storm, that move might have worked out. As it is, it seems pretty clear that Xbox owners have once again come out on top.