However, the story isn't the real reason for checking this title out, but I'll give the quick basics. You play the commanding role in an elite squad of soldiers that are tasked with a mission set in Mexico. This game picks up shortly after the events of the first game, and while it is referenced a bit early on, you won't really find yourself lost in the plot if you haven't played the original.

A lot of the combat is squad-based stuff. You'll assemble a team of three other soldiers who will perform various roles (Medic, Gunner, Rifleman) as you tackle a series of objectives in each stage. These objectives can change over time, and most stages will involved multiple tasks. At times you'll also be able to command air strikes, tanks, and helicopters to use in assault and reconnaissance.

Making a return from the first title is your recon unit, a flying drone that you can send ahead on the map to seek out enemy targets that block the way between yourself and your current objective. This time, however, the control scheme for using this tool has been improved. Instead of showing the drone display in a small window on your HUD, you can now opt to switch your screen to the drone's view, giving you a much better perspective on where your enemies are. You can also use a similar option when controlling your other units, which makes setting up tactics against multiple foes that much easier.

It's a shame, then, that GRAW 2 is far shorter than its predecessor. The single player campaign lasts a mere 5 to 6 hours at the most. You can choose from three difficulty settings, all of which seem to be properly scaled. If you've played the original GRAW, you might want to switch to the Hard difficulty on your first time out, but if this is your first time playing you should be fine on Normal.

Even though the single player experience is far too short, you'll end up spending quite a bit of time with multiplayer. Most of the modes from the original carry over here, and with the PS3 version you'll be treated to some slightly re-tooled versions of the original GRAW maps along with the standard GRAW 2 maps. The online community is fairly robust, and you shouldn't have any trouble finding a game.

You should also be aware that the game does not run smoothly at all times. You'll notice some framerate issues here and there, in both single and multiplayer. In particular, events with large explosions (using the tank seems to be a big culprit) will bring the action down to a crawl, as will a series of multiple opponents, like the "Black Hawk Down" style scenario you encounter around the games midpoint. I'm not sure how this compares to the 360 version since I haven't played it, but it is something to take note of. I encountered a couple of bugs while playing too, but nothing that I would consider game breaking.

GRAW 2 brings a solid multiplayer experience to the Playstation 3 with multiple modes to choose from, and it's worth checking out even if you find yourself currently immersed in Warhawk or Resistance. However, if you are picking this up for the single player game alone you'll be better off waiting for a price drop or a rental.