The Ghosts are an elite force of highly trained soldiers, this time in the year 2011. In the past they’ve been strictly covert – their missions were always conducted in the utmost secrecy and were, therefore, not your typical action movie, blow everything up affairs. But now the Ghosts are being used in more proactive ways. Instead of just hostage rescue or fugitive neutralization, you’ll be tasked with blowing up enemy targets with the help of air strikes, for example.

The other big change for GR 2 is that you’ll have control of one squad of three instead of two squads of three. You’ll also have more vague command options, like having them take out a target, flank it, or guard it. With two teams in the first Ghost Recon, you could take control of each and move them strategically around the map. This time, you’ll control one character instead of being able to switch among anyone in the squad at will. In this sequel, generally, the action is more simplified and straightforward without being nearly as simple as other FPS games, like Halo 2. There are still men for you to command and several ways to go about accomplishing the mission goals.

Another option not available in the original was third person view or, as it’s called here, “over the shoulder.” The change only affects the game as much as you wish because the whole thing can still be played in first person. But players who like to see their character on screen will appreciate the option.

Set in the very near future, the world in Ghost Recon 2 is slightly different than it is today. For the most part, the setting seems chosen to make the story work more easily and without ruffling anyone’s feathers. (Perhaps it’s less offensive to some to suggest that the U.S. military is taking action against North Korea in an imagined future as opposed to the present.) But there are also a few in-game elements that are clearly nods to the possible future of ground combat. The video camera rifle, for example, is a gun with a camera mounted on it for the purpose of looking and shooting around corners. No matter how much I got used to using it, it still felt silly. So I just avoided it as much as possible.

While the graphics in the first Ghost Recon were good, the view in this sequel is much better. It may not be Doom 3, but the environments in Ghost Recon 2 look as good as any first person shooter that attempts to be realistic. It’s one thing to make alien worlds look good. It’s quite another to present the player with a forest or countryside that looks almost good enough to touch. From far away, the depth of the scenery is truly fantastic. The closer you get, of course, the more flat everything looks. So while it’s not going to win any awards for graphics, Ghost Recon 2 presents an interesting, detailed environment.

The sounds, both ambient and from firefights, are excellent. The rustling of leaves and shuffling of footsteps set the mood in levels that are mostly jungle. And the sounds of battle, particularly when presented in surround sound, are immersive and jarring without being over the top.

Online, GR 2 is outstanding. Most of the 15 single player missions can be played cooperatively by up to four people online, which is an excellent bonus not included in nearly enough Xbox Live games. There are five multiplayer modes: Domination, which challenges one team to overrun an area that the other is trying to hold. Hamburger Hill is a familiar version of king of the hill. Search and Rescue has each team escorting non-fighters across the field. Siege is another variation on the defend vs. infiltrate dynamic and, of course, Team Deathmatch. There’s also support for creating teams, or clans. In all, the experience is almost as complete as Halo 2’s online offerings.

While ardent fans of the first Ghost Recon will probably be disillusioned by some of the changes made to his sequel, it really is a matter of tradeoffs. Most everyone else will appreciate this slightly faster game with excellent online play and much-improved graphics. The strategic, thoughtful play is still there, but it’s not the same Ghost Recon you knew. It’s better in most ways and offers a great alternative to the run and gun style of so many shooters already available.