Ghost Recon: Island Thunder
 Well Tom is back at it. This second expansion pack for Ghost Recon weighs in with more than the usual map pack, and that is nice to see.
So what’s new?
- 8 single player missions
- 5 multiplayer spaces
- 12 new multiplayer weapons
- 2 new multiplayer modes
So get the feeling that this game is geared toward the multiplayer online gamer? Me too.
Island Thunder (IT) is set in 2010 in Cuba. Amidst political unrest the Ghost Recon team is sent in to make sure the elections are fair and that they are not compromised by any unsavory types.
The one thing I like about this expansion pack is that it is simply not a map pack. Red Storm went out of their way to improve an already well-received game and build on that success. This kind of tweaking gives the gamer faith that the developer is not deserting him once a game ships. Kudos to Red Storm for this continued level of support.
IT’s single player missions take place in Cuba, so get used to some rather nasty jungle fighting. Actually as with Ghost Recon, get ready to die early and die often, I found this game to be the most lethal I have ever played. An initial defensive posture will save your men for later offensives. As with Ghost Recon, achieving special objectives unlocks specialist characters.
I have to assume that anyone reading this review already has GR so I will not be touching on the original game at all. Be warned that once you install IT, all of the old kits will be replaced with the new kits, The main change here is that binoculars are no longer kit items, instead every soldier is now equipped with a pair. In the kits, the binoculars are replaced with ammo, grenades, a pistol or sensors.
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Another nice addition is the vehicular insertion. These are big bold and cool beyond belief.
IT does provide a nice mix of missions that will test your team and single character skills in combat. It did take me a fair amount of time to get through the missions, but then I suck at this game. Make no mistake, I enjoyed the hell out of it, but I can recognize my limitations and accept the fact that I suck at it. I can see leaving it on my HDD for awhile longer to practice and play, I just have no delusions that I will get any better.
The single player missions are great training for the multiplayer or instant action style games. One negative caveat to this review- a few times when playing a quick mission, I found the enemy upon me as I was spawning. It’s somewhat disconcerting to lose a fire team before you can even fully take control of your character. I would have liked to have seen a slightly larger buffer at game start.
As I mentioned, this expansion pack really caters to the online player. There are two new multiplayer games: behemoth and defend. Behemoth is like the original cat and mouse MP but in reverse (hehe). The first player to score a kill becomes the Behemoth, and the more kills you get, the better the Behemoth kit becomes. Defend is like the quick mission version. You have to defend an area with other players. It’s you versus the AI. If your base is captured you lose.
The network code is pretty clean, I found nominal lag (can’t expect it to be lag free, it is the internet after all) but workable. As with any online game, pick your servers carefully and you will have a less stressful gaming experience.
The graphics are quite goods, as are the maps, with lots of little places to work around and use for cover. For the snipers out there, you will be pleased.
Final Thoughts
Island Thunder is a great add-on to a fine game. If you are a fan of the original you must pick up this expansion pack.
Added: November 19th 2002
Reviewer: Carpe Mkarzi
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