Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2

Did You Know?

• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike is a standalone expansion pack for Ghost Recon 2 available exclusively on the Xbox, released on August 2, 2005.
• The plot is peripherally connected to that of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.

Gameplay

In the single player campaign, the player assumes the role of Ghost Team leader Captain Scott Mitchell, a veteran of several armed conflicts who can use weaponry from any soldier class. In several missions the player is inserted alone and must complete the mission without assistance from the other Ghosts, though air strikes can be called in. Multiplayer modes include co-operative games such as garrison mode, where players keep enemy troops out of a marked area for a designated time, and adversarial modes divided into Solo and Squad categories.

Plot

The plot of Ghost Recon 2 differs between releases. The PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions have entirely different plots from the Xbox version, with the latter serving as a sequel to the former. In July 2007, North Korea is devastated by a nationwide famine that forces the government to redirect military budget to relief programs, angering the Korean People's Army command. General Jung Chong-sun launches a coup d'état and places the military on high alert. When a North Korean Super-Silkworm missile sinks the USS Clarence E. Walsh, the United States deploys the Ghosts and Third Echelon to defuse the situation. The Ghosts conduct operations to defeat the coup forces and prevent a reignited Korean War, succeeding after foiling Jung's plan to demolish a dam. Four months later, General Paik activates a Taepodong-2 MIRV nuclear missile targeting South Korea, the United States, and NATO. The Ghosts redeploy to destroy the missile, and Paik commits suicide. In 2011, North Korea has recovered from the initial conflict. Jung launches another coup and prepares to spark a greater Korean War. The U.S., NATO, and Australia deploy a peacekeeping force alongside the Ghosts to counter the threat.

Development

Development of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 ran from September 2002 to October 2004. The PlayStation 2 and GameCube editions run on Unreal Engine 2, while the Xbox version uses a tweaked version of Red Storm Entertainment's original engine. Because of hardware differences, the PS2 and GameCube release has less detailed visuals, simpler maps, and a smaller overall scale, but still includes a full story mode and 16-player online play. The Xbox version offers sharper graphics, bigger levels, and richer environmental details. Ubisoft split development to match each console's capabilities, resulting in separate campaigns with different plots and timelines.