“ North Korea is experiencing a terrible famine, while a corrupt general diverts food supplies to his private army. His goal is to strengthen them until they can conquer a weakened, hungry populace. As food riots worsen and diplomacy breaks down, China and Korea are on the verge of launching nuclear missiles. The Ghosts are being sent in to safeguard the China/North Korea border and depose the rogue general. - Description”
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 is the third console installment in the popular Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon tactical shooter video game series, published by Ubisoft Entertainment. It is a sequel to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon.
It was released in North America for the Xbox video game console on November 16, 2004, for the PlayStation 2 on November 30, 2004, and reached the GameCube on March 15, 2005. A Windows-based PC version was cancelled in April 2005 in favor of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. The general setting for the game is the Korean Peninsula, however, the PS2/Gamecube and Xbox platforms feature different campaigns. The PS2/GameCube campaign occurs in 2007 (tying in with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory), while the Xbox campaign is set during another conflict in 2011. Ghost Recon 2 sports an updated graphics engine, the Havok 2 physics engine, new multiplayer options and voice command via microphone.
The PS2 & GameCube version generally received bad reviews for its linear level design, heavily reduced tactical opportunities and unbalanced difficulty, the Xbox version, on the other hand, was met with a better reception thanks for its focus on large maps and robust multiplayer mode, with the Xbox version being popular enough to get a standalone expansion titled Summit Strike in 2005.
Gameplay
Ghost Recon 2, though very much like the original Ghost Recon, has some very key differences.
- In both versions, an over-the-shoulder view has been added and in the Xbox version, players can switch between the original and the "OTS view".
- The threat indicator has been removed in favor of a radar.
- The Demolitions Class has been completely removed (by expanding the kits to include primary weapon, side arm, explosive and rocket launcher/laser designator for every class).
- Two new classes have been introduced: "Lone Wolf" and "Grenadier" (the Grenadier class is actually a splinter class; it used to be simply part of the Rifleman class).
- The OICW has moved from a typical rifleman weapon to become the new "Lone Wolf" weapon.
- The ability to choose your team and allocate skill points has been taken away.
- You can no longer switch between soldiers during a mission; as soon as you are killed, the mission fails.
- There is no longer a planning screen to coordinate each squad's movement; you only control one team, and orders are given to them via menus.
- The Lone Wolf class has many abilities that other classes lack (such as air-burst grenades, laser designator for air strikes, high explosive and armor piercing rounds etc), but in several missions, one must work alone, thus this weapon 'replaces' his squad.
- In the single player campaign, you play as Captain Scott Mitchell, a veteran of several conflicts and the new leader of the Ghosts. Mitchell is described as "a consummate soldier" and can pick weaponry from any class. In several missions he must be inserted in Lone Wolf mode and work completely on his own.
Classes
| Classes | Description |
|---|---|
 Rifleman |
The Riflemen are the versatile soldiers that do everything well, and their weapons reflect that. A Rifleman's weapon has a medium range (placing it between a Marksman's and Gunner's weapon) and is easily wielded, making it perfect for close encounters with enemy resistance. |
 Grenadier |
When you want a little more firepower than a standard soldier, strap on some extra grenades, courtesy of the Grenadier. You lack the speed of a Rifleman's weapon and the range of a Marksman's weapon, and though you don't carry as many bullets as a gunner, you can probably inflict more damage with your explosives. |
 Gunner |
When you want lots of support fire, call on the Gunner. The Gunner's heavy machine guns can lay a pounding on the enemy. They may not be as accurate as your sniper rifles or the average assault rifle, but the gunner's guns can fight through an army with ammo left over. |
 Marksman |
You may not shoot a lot of bullets with a sniper character, but you'll pick enemies off from a mile away. The Marksman makes the best recon soldier, since the marksman's weapons come equipped with the most powerful scopes in the game. |
Storyline (PS2)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 (PS2) Game Introduction
The year is 2007, and tensions with North Korea are at an all time high. On July 4, 2007, a North Korean Super-Silkworm Missile hit and sank the USS Clarence E. Walsh. In response, the President sends in the Ghosts to push North Korea back. When General Paik tries to blow up a dam to escalate the war, the Ghosts, under the command of Captain Scott Mitchell, stop him and his plans temporarily. As revealed in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, the missile was launched from a North Korean missile battery subverted by a PMC's algorithm.
After three months, General Paik re-activates North Korea's nuclear stockpile and the Ghosts are sent back in to take him out. In the final mission, the Ghosts fight through a complex that was made as a remote command post for the North Korean President. Paik commits suicide and the Ghosts blow up a Taipodong Missile.
Missions
- Tank Ambush - South Korea July 6, 2007 / 11:15 Hours
- Broken Wings - North Korea July 7, 2007 / 07:00 Hours
- Village Hunt - North Korea July 7, 2007 / 20:00 Hours
- Convoy Strike - North Korea July 7, 2007 / 23:30 Hours
- Refinery Assault - North Korea July 8, 2007 / 19:45 Hours
- Caged Tiger - North Korea July 8, 2007 / 20:30 Hours
- Bird Down - North Korea July 9, 2007 / 19:30 Hours
- Holding On - North Korea July 9, 2007 / 20:30 Hours
- Tides of War - North Korea July 10, 2007 / 15:45 Hours
- Command Siege - North Korea November 14, 2007 / 17:30 Hours
- Cargo Raid - North Korea November 27, 2007 / 02:00 Hours
- Medusa - North Korea December 1, 2007 / 15:15 Hours
- Death Train - North Korea December 20, 2007 / 10:30 Hours
- Paik's Revenge - North Korea December 22, 2007 / 06:30 Hours
Storyline (Xbox)
Ghost Recon 2 Intro
The year is 2011, and amidst a time of disastrous famine and political turmoil, the people of North Korea are facing a time of great change. The government has invested too much into its military buildup and it has become impossible to preserve both the military and North Korea's infrastructure, so in an attempt to curb the damage done by the famine, the government cuts off military funding so that it may support the needs of the people. Infuriated, the North Korean military mobilizes against its government, and its leader is the brutal and charismatic General Jung Chong-Sun.
General Jung succeeds in overpowering the government, and although they remain in office, Jung has almost total control of his country. With total control over the military, Jung gains access to the country's nuclear arsenal and makes preparations to start a war among the surrounding Asian powers. This prompts NATO and the United States to send a large peacekeeping force to shut down Jung's operations before he destabilizes the Korean Peninsula. Great Britain, France, and Germany all openly cooperate with the U.S., but support from South Korea, China, and Japan remain unclear throughout the game.
The Ghosts are among the American contingent sent to stop Jung, and Captain Scott Mitchell heads their operations. This small team of men and women cooperates with NATO forces along enemy lines to liberate villages, cut off Jung's supplies, and to seize nuclear weapons. Throughout the game, General Jung seizes several civilian centers and attacks some of North Korea's largest cities, such as Sinp'o and Hyesan. Working actively with Allied troops on the battlefield, Cpt. Mitchell and his team stave off a great deal of attacks on cities and NATO bases while striking Jung's war supplies wherever they go. Mitchell also works with special forces from foreign nations who are specialized in certain combat skills needed to handle certain operations. Throughout the game, the Ghosts must cut off Jung's supply of gas in order to deprive their combat vehicles of fuel. With each strike, Jung gets more desperate in winning the war, and in one mission, the Ghosts have to seize three nuclear warheads from a train before they reach civilian-populated areas. Within the final few missions of the game, General Jung launches a last-ditch effort to defeat the NATO forces and to destroy a major city. He invades a dam near Hamhung, and plants a nuclear warhead within the structure. If detonated, thousands would die, so the Ghosts and Capt. Mitchell are tasked with securing the dam, disarming the warhead, and pursuing General Jung before he flees to regroup his forces.
Missions
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 – 2011: Final Assault (Xbox) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Training |
 Airfield |
 Pagoda |
 Ambush |
 Destroyed City |
 Battle |
 Train Yard |
 Pilot Down |
 Hospital Camp |
 Crossroads |
 Railway |
 Bridge |
 Fuel Depot |
 Convoy |
 Quarry |
 Dam |
Multiplayer
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 – 2011: Final Assault (Xbox Maps)' | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Warzone |
 Ancient Ruins |
 Mountain Falls |
 Lost Convoy |
 Sand Mine |
 Train Yard Interior |
 Missile Site |
 Ghost Village |
Expansion
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike is a standalone expansion for Ghost Recon 2 available exclusively on the Xbox. Summit Strike included 11 new single-player missions, as well as new weapons (such as the FN SCAR) and an expanded multiplayer mode. It was released on August 2, 2005.
Characters
Ghosts (PS2 & Xbox)
U.S. Army
NATO
North Koreans
Weapons
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 Weapons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rifleman | M16A2 • M4 (Multiple versions) • M8 Carbine (Multiple versions) • M8 Compact SCAR (H-L) • XM29 • Famas • G36K • MP5 SD • SA-80 |
||
| Grenadier | M16/M203 • M8/M320 • SA-80/AG36 • FAMAS/M203 | ||
| Gunner | M240B LMG • Mk 46 SAW • Mk 48 LMG • M8 AR • AS56 SAW • MG4 • Type 95 | ||
| Marksmen | SCAR SV • M14 DMR • SPR-468 • M8 SMR • FAMAS G25 • MSG-90 • LRS 338 • SL9 SD • SVD | ||
| Explosives | Claymore • M67 fragmentation grenade • M183 satchel • M3A2 MAAWS | ||
| Pistols | M9 • M1911 | ||
| Gadgets | SOFLAM | ||
Transports
| Transports | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| American Military | CH-47F Chinook • UH-60 Blackhawk • HMMWV | ||
| North Korean Military | T98 MBT • T86 IFV • WZ551 APC • FAV • WZ-9 Gunship • Mi-8 Helicopter | ||
Trivia
- An arcade bearing the logo of Ghost Recon 2 appears in the PC version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown.
- In the intro of the PlayStation 2 version, the sinking of the Clarence E. Walsh is recycled in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory.