Ghost Recon Day

Well after a couple of crummy weeks it’s full speed ahead into the next generation.

I’ve not had a great couple of weeks to be honest, firstly there was the chaotic traffic jam on the M11 I got stuck in, then there was the small matter of a harsh bout of influenza that laid me low for over a week. I’m only know getting towards fighting fit again, who would have thought something as simple as regular winter flu could knock you down so hard.

I didn’t even do much gaming during the time.

However I’m feeling a lot better now and am raring to go, which is good because my health has returned in time for the rather spectacular month of releases ahead on Xbox 360. Tomorrow sees the release of Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Fight Night Round 3. Both games look set to usher in the real beginning of the next-gen console era. Later this month we can also look forward to Far Cry Instincts Predator, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II and the eagerly awaited Bethesda RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

All that nonsense around the launch you may have heard people say, such as the Xbox 360 is underpowered and really it’s just Xbox 1.5 rather than Xbox 2.0, looks pretty foolish now when you see the games starting to arrive now. Just look at the screenshot we posted yesterday from the next-gen Brothers In Arms. This shot isn’t from a rendered cutscene, it’s from the actual game engine.

Of course to get the best out of your Xbox 360 you’ll need good quality cables to connect your console to your display. We’ve a great selection of cables in stock right now and I’ll be bringing you a feature on using our VGA cable later.

Next week you can expect some next-gen reviews as I tackle Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Fight Night Round 3. My first impressions with the former are very favourable. From the off the game oozes class. The controls haven’t changed that much since Ghost Recon 2, however you can do a lot more with them. The ability to flatten yourself against walls and look round them is very welcome, and the tactical elements seem to combine the best elements of Full Spectrum Warrior and the very best of the Ghost Recon series.

The visuals, as you probably expect now, are exemplary. This is one good looking game. But my initiation forays into the game – playing the tutorial and the first mission reveal a game with a lot of depth and interesting gameplay nuances. So far it looks like GRAW could be the first classic game for the franchise, but you’ll have to wait until next week for a full review.