Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is a single-player and multiplayer tactical shooter that takes place in 2013 during a coup attempt in Mexico City. Players take the role of Captain Scott Mitchell, commander of the Ghosts, an elite U.S. Special Forces team. As rebels threaten both Mexican stability and U.S. security, the Ghosts are tasked with countering the insurgency, rescuing key personnel, and preventing the overthrow of allied leadership.

Missions cover a variety of objectives, such as destroying anti-aircraft positions, escorting convoys, rescuing downed soldiers, or holding ground until reinforcements arrive. Unlike more linear console counterparts, the Windows version emphasizes open tactical maps and broader freedom of approach. Environments are larger in scale and designed to allow flanking, coordinated assaults, and use of long-range weapons in addition to close-quarters engagements.

The PC version introduces a distinctive implementation of the Cross-Com system, divided into three functional elements. The support list on the heads-up display displays the status of all units under the player’s command, while the order system allows issuing instructions quickly in the middle of combat. A video feedback mode provides a view from the perspective of teammates or support drones. Players can either see a simplified image of the battlefield for situational awareness or fully switch into a squadmate’s viewpoint, gaining a detailed feed at the cost of their own immediate vision.

Tactical oversight is further supported by the satellite map, which provides a top-down view of the combat zone. This tool allows players to assign waypoints, set synchronized attack orders, and detect enemies in open terrain. Missions therefore combine direct first-person combat with broader squad-level micromanagement, demanding both personal skill and leadership.

Before each operation, players choose equipment for themselves and their squad. Loadouts are governed by weight limits that affect fatigue and movement speed. Weapons can be customized with attachments such as silencers, grenade launchers, foregrips, and optical sights, and additional ammunition can be carried. Ammunition can also be scavenged from defeated enemies, though weapons themselves cannot be swapped. Choices in equipment selection influence how flexible a team is once the mission begins.

Enemy behavior on PC is more adaptive than in the console version, with AI opponents making use of cover and coordinating attacks. The absence of a third-person perspective also changes the pace of engagements, as combat is locked to a first-person view, emphasizing precision and caution. Larger levels, more demanding enemy tactics, and expanded squad commands give the PC version a more simulation-oriented character compared to its Xbox 360 counterpart.

Multiplayer modes include cooperative play for up to four participants, with missing squad slots filled by AI teammates. Competitive play supports up to 32 players, double the Xbox 360’s capacity. The main adversarial mode is Domination, where teams fight to capture and hold zones connected by supply lines. This structure encourages coordinated movement and area control rather than simple elimination.