Two versions of Ghost Recon 2 to be released

By Kristan Reed Published 25 August, 2004

Xbox and PC versions will be set five years after PS2 and Cube. Ubisoft also confirms release date for the Tom Clancy sequel.

In a move that blurs the very definition of what constitutes a sequel, Ghost Recon 2 will be released as two distinctly different games, with parallel development teams working on their own vision of the game.

Apparently it's a move designed to make the most of each platform's strengths, which sees Shanghai Studio working on the PS2 and GameCube versions, while Red Storm's North Carolina studio is producing the Xbox and PC incarnations.

But what makes the project somewhat unique is that the visually more striking Xbox and PC versions will be set five years after the PS2/Cube versions, yet feature broadly the same mechanics and squad members.

A confirmed November 25th release date for the PS2 and Xbox versions was announced at a London press event yesterday. A release schedule issued by Ubisoft today lists the other versions as 'November', but speaking to members of the development team yesterday, they confirmed that the Cube version will appear later than the others, although when asked about the PC version, we were given a strict "no comment".

Check back later this week for full hands-on impressions of the Xbox version, as well as our thoughts on the PS2 version, which we were also shown at the event. Details on the multiplayer facets of the game, as well as new weapons, will follow in the middle of next month.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 8 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • brokenkey #1 8 years ago

    great, so the PC version is going to be a console port...

  • krudster #2 8 years ago

    Not really. The Red Storm team has, by its own admission, benefitted greatly from the discipline of working on the Xbox and having to optimise everything.

  • gizmo #3 8 years ago

    They've cracked a way to try and make people who own all the platforms buy more than one version of the 'same' game at last!

  • Blerk #4 8 years ago

    Now all they need to do is figure out a way to convince me to show even the remotest interest in 'yet another toss-boring squad-based shooter'.

    Zzzzzz.

  • krudster #5 8 years ago

    If you have a fetish for Rainbow Six, this appears to be a sort of outdoor version with wide open spaces. It's more like a simplified H&D, but in control of one guy, issuing orders to the others. Visually it's much better now. I'm really interested in this one now - much more so that before I saw it.

  • Ali #6 8 years ago

    So the GameCube version comes out after all the others, but is set five years before them?

    /implodes

  • Tweakmonkey #7 8 years ago

    lol @ ali

  • Eighthours #8 8 years ago

    So Ubisoft finally realise that they can't get as much out of the PS2 as they can out of the Xbox, so don't even bother trying?!

  • Blerk #9 8 years ago

    And Blerk - why post if you know you're not interested?

    Because if I don't then there's no record of the fact that some of us are completely bored with the seemingly endless stream of identikit 'real-world military' games?

  • Wretched Chin #10 8 years ago

    Rhythm : I'm pretty sure you can opt for 1st person or 3rd for preference.

    As for Rocket Launchers: GR1 had guys with RLs to take out the tanks and other armor (sic).

  • Blerk #11 8 years ago

    I know, I'm just being arsey about it.

    When I scan through a mag it seems that every month there's at least three 'military-based shooters', none of which I can tell apart from each other or the ones that were in the magazine last month. Surely if you've got one you've got them all? o_O

    I blame the Xbox. :-)

  • Dizzy #12 8 years ago

    So basically this means:

    PC & XBox version = good
    PS2 & Cube version = sucks
    Edited by 1 at 25/08/04 @ 13:48

  • Machiavel #13 8 years ago

    Loved the co-op of the first one - snazzier graphics alone is enough to wet my interest in this one.

  • commander dixon #14 8 years ago

    If you have a fetish for Rainbow Six, this appears to be a sort of outdoor version with wide open spaces. It's more like a simplified H&D, but in control of one guy, issuing orders to the others. Visually it's much better now. I'm really interested in this one now - much more so that before I saw it.

    IMHO, the first one had very good graphics for is time and nice gameplay.
    the problem was the AI in the single player mode, but still had a lot of fun playing it.
    i'm looking forward to buy this one.

    and blerk, squad based shooter are much better games than basic FPS ;)

  • Johnson #15 8 years ago

    What if the Cube/PS2 design teams are zealots for those consoles and have the storyline end with all the team characters dying in a nuclear explosion? Then the XBox/PC team would have to completely redo their version.

  • Tweakmonkey #16 8 years ago

    lol @ Johnson

  • dunderklumpen25 #17 8 years ago

    Hope that means Cube owner's can expect online-capability. I mean, when they include it in the PS2 version, it shouldn't be too hard to make it for the Cube too, right?

  • Blerk #18 8 years ago

    What if the Cube/PS2 design teams are zealots for those consoles and have the storyline end with all the team characters dying in a nuclear explosion? Then the XBox/PC team would have to completely redo their version.

    Not such a big problem - they'd just have to live up to the Ghost Recon name a bit more literally.