Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

A PC original, Ghost Recon was thought by most to be a Squad-based FPS game for the hardcore community. To an extent, that's a reasonable assumption, but with the Tom Clancy adventure making its way onto console, the series has undergone a few welcome changes.

Developed at Red Storm, Ghost Recon, particularly for Xbox, has been ported extremely well in graphical terms. In fact, with the exception of resolution there's little difference between either version. But the move to console isn't just a simple port. It's much more than that. As well as featuring 15 levels from the PC original, Ghost Recon on Xbox also plays host to eight additional levels taken from the Desert Siege expansion pack.

Employed by many governments for peacekeeping operations and covert strikes, you assume control of a group of specialist protagonists known as The Ghosts. Using the latest in technology and tactics, your missions will entail guiding well-armed teams through dozens of stealth-focused missions. If you play the game properly, weapons remain surprisingly inactive, and in many cases are best used as a means of negotiation.

The control method is undoubtedly the most scrutinised aspect of Ghost Recon for Xbox, as with any console-based FPS game. But the standard controller's analogue sticks are among the best in the industry. Strafing and aiming doesn't pose too great a challenge, and for those new to the genre there's an Assistance level designed specifically for training purposes.

And don't forget multi-player mode. There's great fun to be had here, and a quick skirmish among friends never did anyone any harm. It's been a long time coming, but Red Storm's realisation of covert operations is one Xbox owners will relish.